2020 Mazda CX-5

I purchased a brand new Mazda CX5 in 2020 that now has 46,000 miles on it. It is experiencing the known “ghost touch” issue in which the entertainment system and screen displayed in the center of the dashboard turns itself off and on, changes settings, shuts off navigation while driving, changes the radio from FM to AM, changes the time zone, drops hand free phone calls, initiatives hands free phone calls, does not allow me to control the volume, freezes, and more, while driving without me touching the system or even when it isn’t on. It is incredibly disruptive and distracting when driving and is a major safety problem. There was a class action lawsuit for this issue for 2016-2020 Mazda CX5s that expired in 2025 in which Mazda was required to pay up to $1750 for repairs. I was not having this issue at that time and have been told Mazda will only pay a portion to correct this issue. Considering how popular this vehicle is and the likelihood of this being cost prohibitive for many people to pay for themselves this has the potential to be a major safety problem throughout the country.

Cylinder Head has failed at 53,000 miles. Mazda has a technical service bulletin acknowledging that this is a common occurrence with this part. They have an extended warranty for the turbo engine but not for the standard engine. Looking through online forums, there are hundreds of not thousands of these issues for this model year and engine. Mazda has clearly acknowledged there is an issue and should repair these manufacturing defects that are not normal wear and tear items.

The infotainment display screen on my 2020 Mazda CX-5 has suffered a severe hardware failure resulting in un-commanded inputs, commonly known as "ghost touching." While driving at highway speeds, the touchscreen constantly registers phantom touches. It actively hijacks the vehicle's computer system and cuts out my Apple CarPlay connection during trips. This morning, the ghost touching randomly turned the Apple Maps navigation volume up to the absolute maximum level without warning. This intense, sudden noise causes driver shock and distraction while in motion, creating an immediate risk of a wreck. The vehicle currently has fewer than 29,000 miles.

Read windshield just shattered while driving down the highway. No object hit the windshield. On I-95 near PHL airport, near exit for Rt 420

The vehicle infotainment system including the touchscreen display and Connectivity Master Unit malfunctioned. The touchscreen operates without driver input, the system freezes or glitches, audio activates unexpectedly, and phone functions behave erratically. The vehicle and components are available for inspection upon request. While the vehicle was being driven, the system initiated actions without driver input including unintended phone calls including calls to 911, sudden unexpectedly loud radio or audio volume, screen freezing, and loss of navigation. These events caused driver distraction and a startle effect while the vehicle was in motion, increasing safety risk to vehicle occupants and others on the road. The issue is ongoing intermittent and reproducible during normal driving conditions. The vehicle was presented to an authorized dealer multiple times. A software update was performed in an attempt to correct the issue, but the condition continued. The dealer advised that replacement of infotainment components such as the CMU or display may be required. The vehicle has been inspected by an authorized dealer on multiple service visits. The issue was also reviewed by the manufacturer customer experience case management team which acknowledged understanding of the malfunction but declined repair assistance. No police or insurance inspections have occurred. No warning lights or messages appear before the malfunction. Symptoms occur without warning and include random touchscreen activation, system freezing or rebooting, unintended phone dialing, and unexpected loud audio. The issue began after purchase and has continued despite repair attempts. Similar infotainment malfunctions including ghost touch behavior, screen freezing or rebooting while driving, unintended audio behavior, and dialing issues have been documented in manufacturer service bulletins affecting comparable vehicles, indicating this issue is not isolated.

Air bag light is flashing in the dashboard. It says passenger air bag off. Driver seatbelt doesn't always click when trying to fastent seatbelt. I have to try multiple times until it clicks.

The car has signs of current recall in other Cx-5 Models. Hesitation with acceleration or driving at high speed, reduced power, not responding appropriately when accelerating or would accelerate on its own, strong smell of gas after the car has been driven and is parked. I know there is currently a recall for a gas pump failure. There is no engine light on.

While driving on the highway in traffic, I was applying the brakes (slowly and smoothly) and moving with the flow of traffic when the SBS system activated the brakes harshly and slammed me to a stop without reason. In addition to throwing me forward against my seatbelt, it also resulted in the car behind me rear-ending me. I did not hit the car ahead of me, since I was far enough behind them BEFORE the smart brake support engaged, but the feature caused an accident that could have been avoided.