USED VEHICLE RESEARCH

2020 Mazda CX-5

Is This A Good Car? organizes available NHTSA-derived research for the 2020 Mazda CX-5. This page includes owner complaint records, safety recall campaigns, manufacturer communications, defect investigations, and information about the completeness of the available evidence.

DATA CONFIDENCE: Limited

Owner complaints

105NHTSA records

Recall campaigns

UnavailableYear, make and model lookup

Manufacturer communications

0Matched NHTSA records

Investigations

0Matched NHTSA records

EVIDENCE AVAILABILITY — NOT VEHICLE RELIABILITY

DATA CONFIDENCE

Limited

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
Unavailable
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
105
NHTSA complaints
Most reported component
Electrical System
29% of categorized complaint records
Top-three component concentration
58%
Records mentioning at least one top-three component
Median reported incident mileage
Not available from current source
0 valid mileage observations
Recall campaigns
Unavailable
NHTSA recalls
Most recent recall report
Not available
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
105
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

OWNER-REPORTED COMPLAINTS

TOTAL COMPLAINTS105

COMPONENT CATEGORIES

Electrical System30 complaints
29%of categorized complaint records
Unknown or Other24 complaints
23%of categorized complaint records
Engine17 complaints
16%of categorized complaint records
Service Brakes14 complaints
13%of categorized complaint records
Forward Collision Avoidance11 complaints
10%of categorized complaint records
Power Train8 complaints
8%of categorized complaint records
Structure6 complaints
6%of categorized complaint records
Air Bags5 complaints
5%of categorized complaint records
Vehicle Speed Control5 complaints
5%of categorized complaint records
Exterior Lighting4 complaints
4%of categorized complaint records
Fuel/propulsion System4 complaints
4%of categorized complaint records
Lane Departure4 complaints
4%of categorized complaint records
Visibility/wiper4 complaints
4%of categorized complaint records
Back Over Prevention3 complaints
3%of categorized complaint records
Wheels2 complaints
2%of categorized complaint records
Air1 complaint
1%of categorized complaint records
Engine and Engine Cooling1 complaint
1%of categorized complaint records
Equipment1 complaint
1%of categorized complaint records
Seat Belts1 complaint
1%of categorized complaint records
Seats1 complaint
1%of categorized complaint records
Steering1 complaint
1%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

2003
1
2020
15
2021
12
2022
5
2023
19
2024
17
2025
27
2026
9

Grouped from complaint records with a valid incident date.

RECENT OWNER COMPLAINTS

Engine

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11745274
Read complaint narrative

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.

Electrical System

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11743236
Read complaint narrative

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.

Visibility/wiper

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11742819
Read complaint narrative

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

Electrical System · Unknown or Other

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11731620
Read complaint narrative

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 Bags · Seat Belts

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11730087
Read complaint narrative

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.

Engine · Fuel/propulsion System

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11730088
Read complaint narrative

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.

Service Brakes · Forward Collision Avoidance

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11729750
Crash reported
Read complaint narrative

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.

Unknown or Other

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11728663
Read complaint narrative

I am reporting an ongoing defect with the infotainment system in my 2020 Mazda CX-5, involving ghost-touch inputs, system freezing, and random reboots. These issues began around the second year of ownership and have progressively worsened. The system constantly registers inputs that are not being made (ghost-touch), changes settings on its own; and occasionally- reboots while operating the vehicle. This makes it difficult or impossible to reliably use essential vehicle functions such as navigation, communication, and audio controls. The issue is particularly concerning because it creates a driver distraction and potential safety risk, as the system behaves unpredictably and requires attention while driving to manage or disable unintended inputs. I reported these issues multiple times to an authorized Mazda dealership while the vehicle was still under warranty. However, I was told no issue could be found or that software updates would resolve the problem. These updates did not fix the issue. On August 9, 2025, another system update was performed under the Mazda Connect Class Action Settlement, but the problem persists. The dealership is now requiring a paid diagnostic fee before proceeding further, despite the known nature of this defect. Based on my research and widespread owner reports, this issue is commonly associated with infotainment system defects, including screen delamination and/or failure of the Connectivity Master Unit (CMU). I am submitting this complaint to document the defect and request further review, as it affects safe operation and driver attention.

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 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
Electrical System300001 of 4
Unknown or Other240001 of 4
Engine170001 of 4
Service Brakes140001 of 4
Forward Collision Avoidance110001 of 4
Power Train80001 of 4
Structure60001 of 4
Air Bags50001 of 4
Vehicle Speed Control50001 of 4
Exterior Lighting40001 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
Unavailable
investigation
Available
production
Unavailable

OFFICIAL NHTSA SAFETY RECALL DATA

SAFETY RECALLS

Recall data is temporarily unavailable. Please check again later or verify directly with NHTSA.

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).

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