Mazda CX-5 Complaints (2018)

353 consumer complaints on file.

#11667755June 18, 2025
ENGINE
While waiting at a stop light the engine will turn off. This has happened three times since I’ve owned the car 2/16/2025.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11664870June 4, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The touch screen infotainment system has the well known “Ghost Touch.” While I am driving, the touch screen can at random, activate buttons, make phone calls, change navigation systems, and activate any other features through the display. It can at times create an extremely dangerous situation while I am driving because the drivers attention is suddenly and at random being taken from the road. This happens with increasing frequency and there is no way to deactivate the touch screen. Mazda is aware that this issue is widespread and has done nothing about it, leaving it up to drivers to decide if they want to shell out hundreds of dollars to have the issue fixed or continue driving the vehicle under dangerous situations.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11664248June 2, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, SERVICE BRAKES
Sometimes, the breaks will not go all the way down to the floor and act like theyre not working. it's very odd and only does it once in a while. i have constant issues with the technology in the car. it changes my music, the buttons get stuck and my it acts up. my aunt has the same model and is running into the same issues. i never received a letter in the mail about the last recall and have had issues where it doesnt seem like my engine is getting the power it once did. this was early on after i got the car. my gas mileage has significally decreased even after oil changes.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11664397June 2, 2025
ENGINE
Issue with the engine cylinder head leaking engine oil from the side of the cylinder head, where the casting has a defect. Leaks engine oil onto the flashing for the exhaust and exhaust manifold, where it could catch fire. The problem has been confirmed and diagnosed by a licensed mechanic. However, the dealer would not take responsibility for repair or assistance in repair. There are no warnings, while driving and after stopping, the smell of burning oil comes into the car and also smoke from the engine compartment.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11659527May 7, 2025
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
I've had issues with my infotainment system screen for years and have mentioned this to the dealership. But their response was that I wasn't in warranty anymore and that I'd had to just reboot the radio system on my own. Because it was out of warranty for them to check the issue, the issue was never put on my file when I went to get serviced. Now my screen has been acting up even more, nonstop, with this "ghost touch" issue that many other CX-5 car owners have also been dealing with. I've had many unsafe incidents already while driving and can cause major accidents from shift in focus on the road and back to my screen because the music suddenly turned on full blast due to a glitch that Mazda didn't care or want to resolve for their customers (even after their recall for the same type of screen for previous models with the CX3). Yes, I've researched this intently and Mazda continues to deny these claims, not wanting to recall the same screens that they continue to manufacture, dispute this glitch and defect, being negligent and not caring for their valued customers. There have already been class action lawsuits with the CX-5 but Mazda still turns the other direction in terms of placing a recall on the infotainment screens. My vehicle has also been serviced and diagnosed with "ghost touch." The issue is Mazda not wanting to fully reimburse for this problem, turning a blind eye on this for years. Mazda finally confessed that I still have an after warranty assistance program after talking to customer service for a long time. The Campaign number is CSP13.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11659157May 6, 2025
ENGINE, EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
The contact owned a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at 35-45 MPH, the vehicle was shaking and rattling. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the wheel bearings were faulty. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer again where it was diagnosed that there were loose parts in the engine. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. Additionally, the brake light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the switch and mat were causing the failure. The vehicle was repaired and returned to the dealer. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 31,673.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11659102May 5, 2025
ENGINE
Had an oil leak suddenly appear on the vehicle with only 55400 miles. Found there are technical service bulletins for this motor that the head cracks causing leaks. It is on many forums. Reached out to Mazda and got zero help
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11656944April 26, 2025
ENGINE
2018 Mazda CX5 2.5 ltr engine. Major oil leak that has been diagnosed as cracked or porous aluminum casting on the cylinder block. Oil is dripping consistently out of the problem area onto the manifold, causing smoke to flow into the cabin of the car and out of the hood as well. Car is currently at a Mazda dealership for a second diagnosis that confirmed the leak. Car is 3,000 miles out of warranty. Waiting to hear what the dealership is going to do. I also have contacted Mazda corp. and have a case# to take further action if needed. As you can see by the list of "engine" complaints for this problem, it is well documented that this is not an isolated issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11656766April 25, 2025
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT
The contact owns a 2018 MAZDA CX-5. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the infotainment system displayed a blank screen, then one minute later, the infotainment screen displayed as intended. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road and turned on and off the vehicle and the infotainment system displays as intended. The contact mentioned that this failure has occurred on several different occasions. The contact stated that the infotainment system independently displays calls, and the radio comes on independently. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnosis or repairs. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11654029April 11, 2025
ENGINE
Started 2018 Mazda CX-5 and the engine was extremely loud and a ticking noise was heard. Brought it to my local garage (Charlies Garage) and it was determined that the lifters needed replacement. Garage told me that Mazda issued a Service Alert on November 22, 2019 (Alert # SA-012/19) and did not notify customers of the Valve Tapping or knocking noise from cylinder head. The Garage then told me that Mazda issued a Technical Service Bulletin on April 23, 2020 (Bulletin No. 01-006/20). Again, customers were not notified of the Tapping Noise from Engine Bulletin that was issued. There were no alerts on the dashboard of the car, no warning lights, or other indicators. If Mazda had notified customers, the car would have been fixed UNDER WARRANTY. I do have a video of the noise and if you let me know how to send that, I will.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11652887April 4, 2025
ENGINE
Car started leaking and burning oil. Blue smoke coming out of engine. Low oil pressure light went on. I had it looked at by an auto mechanic. This is a major safety issue as the engine will fail because of the low pressure. The car is not drivable. Turns out it's a known issue with the cylinder head that Mazda knows about because they issued a redesign and issued recalls for the 2019 and the turbo engine. They also issued a TSB for this problem. Car is out of warranty, but not old enough to have major engine issues.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11652447April 3, 2025
ENGINE
I noticed a burning smell coming from engine. I took it to a Mazda dealership where they found a cracked cylinder head that needed complete replacing. There was no warning light or other symptoms before I noticed the smell. Vehicle has only been inspected by the dealership. Vehicle is out of warranty but only has 37000 miles on it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11652652April 3, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My vehicle is affected by a well known "ghost touch" infotainment touch screen issue. Due to safety hazard nature of this issue, Mazda had a recall program but it only covered Mazda3 models (Special Service Program SSPB6 - see attached file). My issue was diagnosed and confirmed by an authorized Mazda dealer (see attached file). I contacted Mazda customer center about this issue and they declined any help "due to the mileage and service history" (case number: 00284155). Mazda acknowledged that "ghost touch" issue is caused by manufacturing error but apparently they are not willing to fix it unless forced to, even though the issue poses a safety hazard.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11650716March 26, 2025
ENGINE
Defective Engine. Cracked Cylinder Head. Engine oil leaked overnight because of known Mazda 2.5 liter Skyactive engine defect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11650580March 25, 2025
ENGINE
The issue began when I started to smell burning oil. As time went on smoke began to slowly come from the hood. I took my car to the mazda dealership and said that there was a cracked cylinder head in the engine. After doing research online this has been a major issue with the 2018-2020 model.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11649987March 23, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am writing to formally report an issue with the infotainment screen of my Mazda CX-5, which has been experiencing a malfunction known as “ghost touch.” The details of the complaint are outlined below: Component/System Failure: The component that has failed is the infotainment screen of my Mazda CX-5. The issue involves persistent and random “ghost touch” inputs, where the screen registers touches and activates functions without any physical interaction. This component is still available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: The malfunctioning infotainment screen poses a safety risk as it results in unintended activation of various functions, including navigation, audio, and phone settings. This distraction while driving can cause the driver to lose focus and potentially lead to accidents. Reproduction of the Problem and Inspection: The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by Browning Mazda dealer and was told that the manufacturer does not believe this poses a safety risk but I strongly disagree Prior Warning Signs: No warning lamps or messages appeared before the issue began. The problem first appeared in 2021 but was reported in 2022
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11648668March 17, 2025
ENGINE
My 2018 Mazda CX-5 with just over 45,000 miles is showing the dreaded cracked cylinder head symptoms. Coolant is leaking causing a very noticeable burning smell in the cabin and faint smoke emanating from under the hood. My CX-5 has followed the maintenance schedule at the dealership that the vehicle was purchased. At this point the dealership has not been helpful at all. Mazda MUST start including 2018 CX-5s to CSP11 (covers 2019 CX-5s).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646608March 5, 2025
ENGINE
Cracked cylinder causes oil leak in 2018 Mazda CX-5. May occur in other model year CX-5 as well. Issue was inspected by an authorized dealer. Repair by Mazda not performed because vehicle was a few months past warranty expiration date. Issue with CX-5 cylinder-head are shown below: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646483March 5, 2025
ENGINE
I own a CX5 2018 Mazda with around 31,000 miles on it. Two days ago I experienced a smoke/fume event in my car while driving. The cabin filled with burnt oil fumes and a pungent smell. I happened to be near a Mazda dealership and was able to reach it with windows down and slow driving. The dealership inspected my car and confirmed a large oil leak caused by a cracked cylinder head. I was told this is a known issue with Mazda CX5/CX9 series and that it would be covered under warranty. Today I was informed by the same dealership that my standard powertrain warranty will not cover it, as it is 60,000 miles or 5 years. My car only has 31,000 miles on it, but it’s over the 5 years by little over a year. I am looking at paying around $6,500 out of pocket to fix my vehicle. I asked if there is an extended warranty from Mazda specifically regarding cylinder heads, due to this being a known defect, however the service person said there isn’t for my car. After some online research I did come across an extended powertrain warranty applying to 2019-2020 CX5 models due to the cylinder head cracking issues. I ask that this is being looked into and that the warranty needs to be extended to the 2018 model as well.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11644850February 25, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The infotainment system randomly goes crazy - as if a ghost is touching the screen. This causes navigation to sudden stop, phone calls to randomly be made, the music to turn on and off, all sorts of other odd things. It can be highly distracting and even dangerous when it impacts navigation. This happens randomly and frequently and has been going on for about 6-7 months. Date below is approximate date it most recently happened.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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