USED VEHICLE RESEARCH

2019 Mazda CX-5

Research the 2019 Mazda CX-5 using available NHTSA owner complaints, safety recalls, manufacturer communications, defect investigations, and CarIQ data-coverage analysis.

DATA CONFIDENCE: Moderate

Owner complaints

273NHTSA records

Recall campaigns

2Year, make and model lookup

Manufacturer communications

0Matched NHTSA records

Investigations

0Matched NHTSA records

SUBJECTIVE OWNER FEEDBACK

OWNER EXPERIENCE

What it is like to live with the vehicle—kept clearly separate from official NHTSA evidence.

BUILDING THE COMMUNITY

THE FIRST USEFUL PERSPECTIVE COULD BE YOURS

No approved owner experiences yet.

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SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE 2019 Mazda CX-5
INDEPENDENT EVIDENCE TYPES

NHTSA owner complaint records remain part of Official Vehicle Data. Subjective review contributions remain in Owner Experience. One does not validate or prove the other. Read the methodology.

EVIDENCE, NOT A SCORE

WHAT THIS DATA CAN TELL YOU ABOUT RELIABILITY

Official records can provide useful research context, but each source has a different meaning. Complaint counts are not failure rates; recalls are formal safety campaigns; manufacturer communications are technical or service documentation; and investigations reflect formal NHTSA activity. Data Confidence measures evidence availability, not vehicle quality. CarIQ does not publish a composite Reliability Score.

Available evidence summary: 273 NHTSA owner complaint records; 2 safety recall campaigns; 0 manufacturer communications; 0 applicable NHTSA defect investigations.

EVIDENCE AVAILABILITY — NOT VEHICLE RELIABILITY

DATA CONFIDENCE

Moderate

Data Confidence measures how much usable evidence CarIQ has for this vehicle. It does not measure how reliable the vehicle is.

Why this rating?
Owner complaint data
Available
Manufacturer communications
Available
Recall data
Available
Investigation data
Available
Production denominator
Unavailable
Complaint component completeness
100%
Mileage completeness
0%
Incident-date completeness
100%

DESCRIPTIVE ANALYTICS

DATA INSIGHTS

Derived from official NHTSA source records. These statistics are descriptive and are not a reliability score.

Complaint records analyzed
273
NHTSA complaints
Most reported component
Engine
48% of categorized complaint records
Top-three component concentration
77%
Records mentioning at least one top-three component
Median reported incident mileage
Not available from current source
0 valid mileage observations
Recall campaigns
2
NHTSA recalls
Most recent recall report
November 12, 2021
NHTSA recalls
Manufacturer communications
0
NHTSA manufacturer communications
Most documented component
Not available
NHTSA manufacturer communications
Top-three communication concentration
Not available
Share of categorized manufacturer communications

SOURCE COMPLETENESS

DATA QUALITY

Complaint records analyzed
273
Component classification available
100%
Incident date available
100%
Mileage available
0%
Structured outcome fields available
100%

Completeness describes fields present in the retrieved complaint records. It is not a data-quality grade or a vehicle assessment.

Learn about CarIQ methodology

PRODUCTION-ADJUSTED DESCRIPTIVE METRIC

NORMALIZED COMPLAINT CONTEXT

Production-normalized complaint data is not currently available for this vehicle.

This metric compares the number of NHTSA owner complaint records retrieved by CarIQ with NHTSA-reported production volume for the corresponding vehicle population.

It is not a vehicle failure rate. Complaint reporting behavior, vehicle age, time on the road, production definitions, and other factors can affect the result.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Early Warning Reporting, Light Vehicle Production Data. Read the methodology.

OFFICIAL NHTSA OWNER COMPLAINT DATA

PROBLEMS REPORTED IN NHTSA RECORDS

CarIQ groups available NHTSA owner complaint records for the 2019 Mazda CX-5 by vehicle system to make recurring documentation easier to research. Most represented complaint categories describe the retrieved records—not failure frequency.

TOTAL COMPLAINTS273

MOST REPRESENTED COMPLAINT CATEGORIES

Engine132 complaints
48%of categorized complaint records
Unknown or Other50 complaints
18%of categorized complaint records
Electrical System47 complaints
17%of categorized complaint records
Power Train32 complaints
12%of categorized complaint records
Forward Collision Avoidance16 complaints
6%of categorized complaint records
Fuel/propulsion System16 complaints
6%of categorized complaint records
Vehicle Speed Control12 complaints
4%of categorized complaint records
Visibility/wiper9 complaints
3%of categorized complaint records
Air Bags7 complaints
3%of categorized complaint records
Structure7 complaints
3%of categorized complaint records
Service Brakes6 complaints
2%of categorized complaint records
Fuel System5 complaints
2%of categorized complaint records
Gasoline5 complaints
2%of categorized complaint records
Engine and Engine Cooling4 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Exterior Lighting3 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Seats3 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Steering3 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Equipment2 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Lane Departure2 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Wheels2 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Back Over Prevention1 complaint
0%of categorized complaint records
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)1 complaint
0%of categorized complaint records
Tires1 complaint
0%of categorized complaint records
Visibility1 complaint
0%of categorized complaint records

A complaint may list more than one component and therefore contribute to multiple categories. Percentages show the share of categorized complaint records that mention each component—not the percentage of vehicles affected. Category percentages may overlap.

INCIDENT REPORTS BY YEAR

2019
18
2020
6
2021
25
2022
26
2023
47
2024
65
2025
52
2026
34

Grouped from complaint records with a valid incident date.

RECENT OWNER COMPLAINTS

Electrical System

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11774013
Read complaint narrative

The contact owns a 2019 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that the infotainment system occasionally turned off independently, preventing the radio and GPS from operating as intended. The contact stated that while driving, the voice assistant feature repeatedly activated at a very high volume, prompting the contact to attempt to mute the sound while operating the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with radio system ghosting. The system was reprogrammed; however, the failure worsened. The failure mileage was 37,000.

Engine

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11773063
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7 year old vehicle purchased new 2/23/2019 with 80,000 miles driven. Rear of cylinder head has cracked causing an oil leak. Leaking engine oil dripping directly on the exhaust components creates an immediate, severe under hood fire risk and visibility hazard while driving.

Unknown or Other

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11771555
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The “ghost touch” issue with the touchscreen on the display on my Mazda is added to all the 1000s of others reported on multiple sites by consumers on the internet. It is a very serious destruction from driving and that is a safety issue. Mazda has issued a technical bulletin but that is forcing consumers into buying another display board for something consumers did not cause and cannot afford. Why is this a safety issue? Because when you’re driving or stopped at a traffic light, the screen will randomly float from one input to another, sometimes even dialing people from the contacts list that is synchronized from your smart phone or inexplicably, changing stations and responses to touches that the drivers never initiated, therefore causing a distraction from watching what’s happening on the road ahead. Drivers have to take their eyes off the road ahead and shift over to the display to understand what’s going on if that is not also a safety issue I don’t know what is. Mazda has to be forced to issue a safety recall on the touchscreens for all affected vehicles.

Power Train · Engine

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11764827
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I purchased a used 2019 Mazda CX-5 in 2024, with 25,000 miles on it. In June of 2026 I started to have an oil leak. Took it to a mechanic's shop who diagnosed it as a valve cover gasket, ran the car for another 2 months, oil leak did not stop, got worse, to the point where my oil light came on where the oil was low enough, then I took it to another mechanic, they diagnosed it as some sort of pressure sensor that has to do with the oil, they replaced that, then that still wasn't the case, it was leaking, and they diagnosed it as a cracked cylinder head. This has been an issue with Mazdas in the 2018 to 2022 range for the CX-5s, and Mazda knowingly has put in faulty parts and is not willing to extend the warranty on this because it's not a turbo, this is a clever work around to avoid paying for something that should not be going out at this point. For this car being under 60,000 miles, been taking very good care of it, always had the oil changed, I feel that this is not fair for the customer to have to replace something on an engine that shouldn't be addressed for a very long time, if at all. I contacted Mazda corporate, they refused to do anything about it, I also contacted the Mazda dealership in my area, they contacted Mazda corporate and are not willing to cover this as well, my parents had a Mazda back in 2008 that had a similar problem. The only way this was resolved was going through Mazda corporate and writing a stern letter to their management team. At this point I've basically lost the trust of this manufacturer. I spent 25,000 dollars on this car, and now I'm going to have to spend 7 to 8 thousand dollars to get this part replaced, and that this point in the car’s life, that is outrageous. I will not be purchasing from Mazda ever again, there is plenty of documentation on the internet about this problem, and that Mazda refuses to do anything about it.

Power Train

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11762829
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1. January 2025 Diagnosis (Inside Powertrain Warranty): I presented the vehicle (2019 Mazda CX5, 36K miles) with severe transmission jerking and shift lurching at a local Mazda dealership. Technicians diagnosed teh issue as described in TSB 05-004/23 and applied a software flash to the PCM/TCM stated in TSB 05-004/23. Mazda’s oicial text states the root cause of this symptom is torque fluctuation and torsional resonance within the torque converter. 2. Current Symptom (Defect Manifestation): The vehicle now exhibits the distinct upshift chirp detailed in TSB 05-005/23 (NHTSA ID MC-10246127-0001). Mazda’s documentation states the root cause of this chirp is excessive wear of the lock-up clutch inside the torque converter, which sheds iron powder directly into the automatic transmission fluid (ATF). The torque converter is a single, closed mechanical component. In January 2025, while the vehicle was fully covered under the 5-Year/60,000-Mile Powertrain Warranty, the torque converter's internal clutch was already undergoing accelerated physical degradation. Instead of proper mechanical diagnostics, the service department applied an electronic software patch. This patch merely altered the lock-up engagement timing to mask the torsional resonance rather than fixing the failing hardware. Applying a temporary software patch that delays a catastrophic component failure past a calendar date does not absolve Mazda dealership or Mazda Corporate of liability for a pre-existing, documented torque converter manufacturing defect which affect the entire power train of the vehicle. There are numerous complaints about this and subsequent failing transmission and expensive repairs reported so many online forums (reddit, facebook) again indicating this is a wide spread issue affecting consumer safety eventually leading to expensive out of pocket transmission repair. Mazda corporate need to be liable for this serious manufacturing defect on their transmission system.

Power Train

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11762087
Read complaint narrative

1.January 2025 Diagnosis (Inside Powertrain Warranty): I presented the vehicle with severe transmission jerking and shift lurching. Your technicians applied a software flash to the PCM/TCM per TSB 05-004/23. Mazda’s official text states the root cause of this symptom is torque fluctuation and torsional resonance within the torque converter. 2.Current Symptom (Defect Manifestation): The vehicle now exhibits the distinct upshift chirp detailed in TSB 05-005/23 (NHTSA ID MC-10246127-0001). Mazda’s documentation states the root cause of this chirp is excessive wear of the lock-up clutch inside the torque converter, which sheds iron powder directly into the automatic transmission fluid (ATF). The torque converter is a single, closed mechanical component. In January 2025, while the vehicle was fully covered under the 5-Year/60,000-Mile Powertrain Warranty, the torque converter's internal clutch was already undergoing accelerated physical degradation. Instead of physically inspecting the transmission fluid for iron contamination as dictated by sound mechanical diagnostics, your service department applied an electronic software patch. This patch merely altered the lock-up engagement timing to mask the torsional resonance rather than fixing the failing hardware. Applying a temporary software patch that delays a catastrophic component failure past a calendar date does not absolve Mazda dealership or Mazda Corporate of liability for a pre-existing, documented defect. In addition there is numerous complaints related to same issue is being poped up online and it appears to be wide spread manufacturing defect problem.

Engine · Fuel/propulsion System

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11760472
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2019 Mazda CX-5 developed P0192-00 fuel-pressure-related fault and significant loss of acceleration/limp mode. Mazda dealership diagnosed fuel rail/injector-seal issue and performed approximately $2,836 in repairs. The condition was not corrected. Dealer now diagnoses a high-pressure fuel-pump failure and is requesting an additional $1,459. Vehicle has experienced loss of power while driving. There is an existing Mazda fuel-pump recall affecting some 2018–2019 CX-5 vehicles, but Mazda says my VIN is outside the recall population. I am concerned about a potential fuel-system safety defect.

Engine and Engine Cooling

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11759696
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The contact owns a 2019 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH and turning into a driveway, smoke emerged from the engine compartment. The vehicle was turned off and inspected. Upon opening the hood, smoke was observed near the rear firewall of the engine compartment, and oil was leaking under the engine compartment. The source of the leak could not be identified initially, and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where a leaking cylinder head was diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer, where it was confirmed that the cylinder head was leaking oil and needed replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA complaints are reports submitted by vehicle owners and other consumers. Complaint counts do not represent the percentage of vehicles affected and do not by themselves establish that a safety defect exists.

A higher complaint count can partly reflect how many vehicles were sold, vehicle age, and other factors. CarIQ does not yet normalize complaint counts by vehicles sold.

Data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This site is not endorsed by NHTSA.

OFFICIAL NHTSA SAFETY RECALL DATA

SAFETY RECALLS

2 recall campaigns found

01FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMPCampaign 21V875000November 12, 2021

Summary

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3, Mazda6, 2019 CX-3, 2018-2019 MX-5, CX-5, CX-9, and 2019-2020 Mazda2 vehicles. The impeller inside the low-pressure fuel pump may crack and deform, potentially causing the fuel pump to fail.

Safety Consequence

Fuel pump failure may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the fuel pumps, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 18, 2022. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 5321K.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

02ENGINECampaign 19V497000June 27, 2019

Summary

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018-2019 CX-5, Mazda6, and 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. A software error in the powertrain control module (PCM) may cause the engine to stall.

Safety Consequence

An unexpected stall increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the PCM software, free of charge. The recall began August 20, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3719F.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Recall results shown here are based on year, make, and model. A specific vehicle may or may not be affected. Check the vehicle's VIN with NHTSA to confirm open recalls before purchasing. Data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

OFFICIAL NHTSA MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION DATA

MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATIONS

TOTAL COMMUNICATIONS0

No NHTSA manufacturer communication records were returned for this year, make, and model.

Manufacturer communications include service bulletins and other technical information submitted by manufacturers to NHTSA. The existence or number of communications does not establish how often a condition occurs or whether an individual vehicle will experience it.

Some manufacturers may issue more detailed service documentation than others, so communication counts should not be used alone to compare vehicle reliability.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration manufacturer communications

NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

NHTSA DEFECT INVESTIGATIONS

TOTAL INVESTIGATION RECORDS0

No applicable NHTSA defect investigation records were returned for this year, make, and model.

NHTSA investigations evaluate potential motor-vehicle safety defects. The existence of an investigation does not by itself establish that a safety defect exists, and the absence of an investigation does not establish that a vehicle is problem-free.

Open and closed describe NHTSA's process status, not a CarIQ reliability judgment.

View official NHTSA investigation data ↗

DESCRIPTIVE SOURCE OVERLAP

CROSS-SOURCE VEHICLE DATA

CarIQ compares categories appearing across independent NHTSA datasets. Overlap can help identify areas with more available documentation, but it does not establish defect frequency or prove that an individual vehicle will experience a problem.

ComponentOwner complaintsManufacturer communicationsRecall campaignsNHTSA investigationsOfficial sources containing records
Engine1320102 of 4
Unknown or Other500001 of 4
Electrical System470001 of 4
Power Train320001 of 4
Forward Collision Avoidance160001 of 4
Fuel/propulsion System160001 of 4
Vehicle Speed Control120001 of 4
Visibility/wiper90001 of 4
Air Bags70001 of 4
Structure70001 of 4

Displayed first by the number of source categories containing the component, then by owner complaint count, then alphabetically. This is a presentation rule, not a vehicle ranking. Complaint reports, manufacturer communications, recalls, and investigations describe different events and are never added into a combined total.

complaint
Available
communication
Available
recall
Available
investigation
Available
production
Unavailable

COMMON RESEARCH QUESTIONS

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE 2019 MAZDA CX-5

Is the 2019 Mazda CX-5 reliable?

CarIQ does not currently assign a reliability score to the 2019 Mazda CX-5. Available evidence is shown as separate official-source records with a Data Confidence classification of Moderate.

What problems are reported for the 2019 Mazda CX-5?

273 NHTSA owner complaint records. When complaint data is available, the page groups records by the NHTSA component categories they identify without treating those categories as verified failure rates.

Are there recalls for the 2019 Mazda CX-5?

2 safety recall campaigns. Year, make, and model results do not confirm whether a specific VIN is affected or whether a remedy has been completed.

USED-CAR CANDIDATE RESEARCH

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