Mazda CX-5 common problems: what to check before you buy
Credov's researched list of the 20 faults the Mazda CX-5 is known for (2012–2018), 12 of them serious or costly. Each one says what to look for when you check the car, so you can spot it before you buy. Not every car has these faults: they are the ones worth checking on this model.
Known problems on the Mazda CX-5
Front strut bolts working loose
Safety risk
2013–2016 · Suspension and steering
What to look for: Look behind each front wheel at full lock for shiny marks or misaligned paint on the two lower strut bolts.
Why it matters: Mazda recalled a small number of these cars (578 in the US campaign) because the lower strut mounting hardware can loosen and let the steering knuckle separate from the strut, which is a total loss of steering control on that corner. A workshop torque check is quick, so rule it out rather than assume it.
What to look for: Drive it up a motorway on-ramp and feel for power fading or warning lights, then check the engine bay for smoke.
Why it matters: The Australian register records that carbon deposits accumulate in the intake shutter valve and certain engine components wear early, producing power loss, longer stopping distance and possible stall with no restart. The remedy includes an ECM software update as well as inspection and repair, so an import with no campaign record has not had either.
What to look for: Ask if it has ever cut out while driving, and check the service book for the engine software update.
Why it matters: Mazda recalled 2018-2019 CX-5 and Mazda6 and 2019 Mazda3 because a PCM software error may cause the engine to stall. The remedy is a free reflash at a Mazda dealer, so this is cheap to close out - but an unremedied import can stall in traffic.
What to look for: Listen for long cranking on a hot restart after ten minutes off, and ask for the fuel pump recall record.
Why it matters: Both regulators recorded this: the impeller inside the low-pressure fuel pump can crack and deform, the pump stops working and the car stalls. It spans seven model lines across the 2017-2020 build years, and the remedy is a free pump replacement at a Mazda dealer, so check the campaign status rather than assume it was done.
What to look for: Ask if it has ever stalled and not restarted, do two hot restarts, and ask for the recall record.
Why it matters: Mazda told MLIT that the electrolytic capacitor in the injector drive circuit of the engine control computer was damaged internally in manufacture; the engine stops and will not restart, and if the ignition is then left on, the injector and high-pressure fuel pump internals overheat, the resin melts, fuel leaks and a fire can follow.
What to look for: With the engine off, pump the brake pedal firm, hold it, then start the engine and feel for the pedal sinking slightly.
Why it matters: Reduced brake assist means a harder pedal and longer stopping distances with no warning light, so the simple pedal-sink test at start-up is worth doing on every diesel CX-5 of this generation before a test drive in traffic.
What to look for: Check the dipstick when cold for oil above the top mark or smelling of diesel, and look for an oil-level message.
Why it matters: Mazda's own service alert for the 2018-2019 CX-5 SkyActiv-D states that during DPF regeneration control extra fuel is injected after the main injection, and that this can cause engine oil dilution and gradually raise the oil level. The same alert warns that short repeated trips and cold running stop the DPF regenerating properly, and that oil above the 'X' mark on the dipstick must be replaced.
2018–2019 · SKYACTIV-D 2.2 · diesel · Exhaust and emissions
What to look for: Check the dash for an exhaust fluid warning light or message, and that the car will go above 48 km/h.
Why it matters: Mazda's service alert sets out a staged restriction: as DEF runs down the car is limited to 48 km/h or slower and finally to creep travel only. A car sold with a flashing SCR light may be a fluid top-up, or it may be an SCR system fault that carries its own restriction - and the restriction can persist until the ignition is cycled after repair. Buying one without knowing which is an open-ended cost.
What to look for: Ask for the recall record showing the fuel filler pipe bracket was fixed, as you can't tell from the ground.
Why it matters: Mazda recalled these CX-5 because the fuel filler pipe may rupture in a crash, which failed the US fuel system integrity standard. It is a free dealer fix but an unremedied import carries a fire risk in a rear impact.
What to look for: Look at both low beams on a wall for one sitting low, including after switching the ignition off and on.
Why it matters: Mazda told MLIT that the resin moulding process for the headlight levelling actuator was wrong on some cars, so the actuator is weak, can break, and leaves the beam pointing down with no light reaching the road ahead. The remedy checks the headlamp and actuator lot numbers, so it cannot be settled by eye alone once a symptom is found.
What to look for: Look for black soot around the injector bodies, and check the oil is not black, gritty or sludgy.
Why it matters: If the oil strainer clogs and oil pressure drops, driving on can seize the engine, so checking for the early warning signs (sooty injectors, dirty oil, a knock at idle) is far cheaper than finding out after a seizure.
What to look for: With the engine on, check both daytime running lights and side markers are steady, even and not flickering.
Why it matters: Because the DRL is sealed into the headlamp, the usual fix is a whole headlamp assembly rather than a bulb, which is an expensive repair for what starts as a small flicker, so it is worth checking both sides carefully before buying.
What to look for: Check the tailgate stays fully open for thirty seconds, and look for rust or pitting on each strut's shiny shaft.
Why it matters: Mazda recalled these bodies because corroded liftgate struts can break and let the tailgate drop onto whoever is loading the car. Struts are a low-cost part but this is a personal-injury item you do not want handed to a customer.
What to look for: Check the side camera picture is as clear as the reversing camera, and look for white haze on the lens.
Why it matters: Mazda filed two predictive recalls with MLIT over this: the lens surface coating was wrong on some cameras, acid in cleaning agents and rainwater eats the coating and then the lens itself, and the picture gradually stops being clear until the area directly in front of and to the left of the car cannot be seen.
What to look for: Check both LED parking lights look the same with no dead segments, and look inside the headlights for a brown film.
Why it matters: Mazda told MLIT that the wiring connector gasket material in the LED headlamp was wrong, that sulphur given off by the gasket corrodes the LED circuit, and that as the corrosion progresses the circuit breaks and the position and auxiliary lamps stop lighting. A dead position lamp fails a warrant of fitness and, on this headlamp, the fix is a headlamp assembly rather than a bulb.
What to look for: Listen at the engine front on a cold start for a rattle or grind from the alternator that changes with revs.
Why it matters: Mazda published a warranty extension in Japan stating that the grease sealed inside the alternator pulley on diesel cars is not heat-resistant enough, that repeated low-speed acceleration and stop-start use degrades it early, that noise develops, and that the pulley then fails so the alternator stops charging and the charge lamp comes on.
What to look for: Check both mirrors fold in and out fully and evenly, twice, watching for one that is slow, stops or judders.
Why it matters: Mazda published a warranty extension in Japan stating that the power-fold mirror is not waterproof enough against high-pressure washing, that water gets into the fold unit, and that the sliding parts then stop working so the mirror will not fold or unfold electrically. Cover was extended from 3 years / 60,000 km to 5 years with no distance limit.
What to look for: Look along the bonnet, bumper, headlights and roof edge for chips, and check for a respray colour mismatch.
Why it matters: Mazda treats stone chips as road damage rather than a defect, and the tinted Soul Red Crystal costs more to colour-match, so a heavily chipped nose or a mismatched respray on a two- or three-year-old car is worth factoring into the price.
What to look for: Check whether the idle rises with an injector cleaning message after starting, and ask how far it was usually driven.
Why it matters: Mazda's service alert explains the PCM runs this cycle when it determines the ignition is being switched off repeatedly before the engine has warmed up sufficiently, to prevent condensation accumulating in the fuel injection system, and that the engine must not be switched off while the idle is raised.
What to look for: Check the service history line by line for any gearbox flush, oil additive or engine flush.
Why it matters: Mazda's own scheduled maintenance bulletin states that transmission flushing should only be performed when instructed by the workshop manual, that transmission fluid replacement is only recommended on B-Series and Tribute, that transmission oil additives could lead to internal damage and void the warranty, and that engine oil flushes are unnecessary.
Got a question about a Mazda CX-5? Ask Credov: a noise, a warning light, a part or how to fix it.
Also check on every car
On top of the faults above, every Credov inspection covers the basics: fuel smell, leaks or filler rust, engine oil leaks, power steering fluid leak, drive belt cracks or squeal, rust underneath: chassis and mounts, engine mounts, engine oil level and colour, coolant level, colour and leaks, head gasket failure signs, cold start: rattle, knock or smoke, rough or hunting idle, engine running hot on gauge, gearbox or diff oil leak, swapped gearbox without lvv and more.
Researched by Credov from manufacturer recalls and service bulletins, owner reports and workshop sources. Repair prices are typical ranges, not quotes. See also fault codes and repair costs.