2021 Mazda CX-5 problems, complaints & recalls
NHTSA has received 148 owner complaints about the 2021 Mazda CX-5, or 25.6 per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.63, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2021 vehicles we track, it ranks #48 of 85 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Mazda models its rate is 123% higher; against other Compact SUVs it is 58% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2021-01-09 and 2026-10-07. Median delay from incident to filing: 7 days.
Analysis
The previous model year (2020) drew 15.8 complaints per year, fewer than this one. The following model year (2022) drew 13.6 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2021 model collected 61 complaints, about the same than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Engine (55.4% of complaints), followed by Electrical (7.4%) and Driver-assist systems (7.4%). Engine complaints are 2.5 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 10 reports (6.8%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 8 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 26 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the second year (30% of incidents). In the last 12 months 29 new complaints were filed, versus 15 in the 12 months before — up 93%.
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year.
Complaint index
- vs. all tracked vehicles0.63
- vs. other Mazda models2.23
- vs. other 2021 models0.66
- vs. other Compact SUVs0.42
- Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (61)1.0
- #48 of 85 · 2021Rankings ›
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.
What owners complain about
vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average
Problem areas: Engine · Electrical · Unspecified or other · Body & structure · Brakes · Transmission / powertrain · Driver-assist systems · Lighting
When complaints were filed
- Crashes reported: 10
- Fires reported: 0
- Injuries: 8
- Deaths: 0
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 26 months
What owners report
The contact owns a 2021 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle driving approximately 40 - 50 MPH.
While driving in the Interstate, a truck swerved towards my lane; I swerved into the next lane to avoid the truck hitting me and when I began to swerve my Lane Departure warning malfunctioned and caused my car to completely shut down.
The contact owns a 2021 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where an OBDII scanner discovered a misfire in cylinder#1.
Differential went and generated a cascading chain reaction destroying the coupler and breather and axles. Car is undrivable. This. Defect has a TSB
Twice while making left turns from a stop into faster cross traffic, the accelerator was pressed but the vehicle barely moved (coasting) for roughly 2 - 3 seconds, then suddenly accelerated normally, creating a near-collision risk as cross traffic quickly…
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · 2021 · Compact SUVs
| Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Kia Sportage | 54 | 9.3 | 0.23 |
| 2021 Hyundai Tucson | 80 | 13.8 | 0.34 |
| 2021 Jeep Compass | 81 | 14.0 | 0.35 |
| 2021 Chevrolet Equinox | 99 | 17.1 | 0.42 |
| 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan | 142 | 24.5 | 0.61 |
| 2021 Mazda CX-5 | 148 | 25.6 | 0.63 |
| 2021 Jeep Cherokee | 173 | 29.9 | 0.74 |
| 2021 Subaru Forester | 210 | 36.3 | 0.9 |
| 2021 Nissan Rogue | 325 | 56.2 | 1.39 |
| 2021 Ford Escape | 379 | 65.5 | 1.62 |
| 2021 Honda CR-V | 439 | 75.8 | 1.88 |
| 2021 Toyota RAV4 | 508 | 87.8 | 2.18 |
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year.
Investigations
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.