2023 Mazda CX-5

The vehicle experienced a sudden and complete engine stall while idling immediately after fueling the gas tank to capacity on a day with high ambient temperatures (over 100°F). Leading up to the stall, the vehicle was subjected to temporary auxiliary loads (Max AC running and active steering input). Immediately following the stall, the vehicle exhibited a hard-start condition and would not catch fire. After sitting turned off for several minutes, the vehicle restarted normally. The incident left no Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) or Check Engine Lights. Independent of this event, the vehicle intermittently exhibits a raw gasoline vapor smell inside the cabin at idle, alongside slight hesitations during low-speed steering maneuvers. This presents a safety hazard due to unexpected loss of motive power immediately after refueling in high-traffic gas station environments.

Check Engine Light Code P0524 - Low Oil Pressure. Everything check out fine. Checked all the suggested TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) possibilities from a respected and qualified service center. Cleared the code and it keeps coming back on.

The passenger seat occupancy sensor goes off intermittently, causing an extremely distracting seatbelt alarm in the vehicle during operation. This has occurred to me while driving on a highway; I deeply lost focus on controlling the vehicle as the alarm started suddenly, I shoved the one water bottle off the seat to no avail, and I had to reach way over to plug the seatbelt in to silence it. In other instances where this occurs, only a full restart of the vehicle will reset the sensor. Existing TSB 08-001/23 was deemed to not cover my vehicle by the manufacturer, despite my VIN being in range and symptoms being identical.

Brake pedals do not have enough pedal reserve, it takes some time for it to come to a stop. The brakes don’t feel secure. We feel like the brakes are going to give up. It also makes a very loud scratching sound when reversing and pressing on the brakes.

On October 16, 2025, while slowly pulling into a parking space, my vehicle experienced sudden and unintended acceleration without driver input. I did not depress the accelerator. Despite attempting to stop the vehicle, I was unable to do so. The vehicle mounted the curb, entered the sidewalk area, and struck a community mailbox, a tree, and two legally parked vehicles. My vehicle and the two parked vehicles were declared total losses. At the time of the incident, pedestrians, including toddlers, were present on the sidewalk. This loss of vehicle control created an immediate and severe risk of serious bodily injury or death. Post-incident diagnostics indicated multiple system errors, including but not limited to: •Powertrain Control Module •Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) •Instrument Cluster •Smart Brake Support / Mazda Radar Cruise Control Of particular concern is that Mazda, through its authorized dealer Rosenthal Mazda of Gaithersburg, Maryland, had prior notice of abnormal vehicle behavior. On two separate occasions before the crash, I reported that the vehicle would jolt suddenly, as if struck from behind, and at times felt as though it was attempting to accelerate without input. On each occasion, I was informed that the dealer could not duplicate the issue. No corrective action was taken, and the vehicle was returned to service. This event constitutes a serious safety failure involving unintended acceleration and apparent braking or electronic control system malfunction in this-model vehicle. Given the involvement of advanced driver assistance systems and braking components, this matter warrants immediate and thorough review.

Sudden acceleration even. Date April 10, 2026, at around 2:30 PM on a clear sunny day. Car make and model Mazda CX5 bought on 7/4/2023 VIN [XXX] , mileage around 10,000, only one owner. While attempting to park at BJ’s Wholesale Club ,when driver started to make a turn to a parking space, vehicle suddenly accelerated, applying the brakes stopped the forward motion, then driver put the car in reverse to try to properly park in a parking space and the car accelerated in reverse, this sudden motion could have killed or seriously injured any person passing in back of the car, when that motion stopped driver put the car in drive to be able to finally park the car and it sped uncontrollably, brakes didn’t stop the vehicle and it crashed against two vehicles parked nearby, damage to the Mazda vehicle was mainly to the left side, the front grill was not damage because driver was not able to control the rapid forward motion. Mazda dealer wanted the body of car repaired before checking the safety issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The air conditioning compressor clutch suddenly would not engage, leading to reduced visibility out of the windshield during humid weather in Oklahoma springtime and extended times for windshield to defog. Temperatures inside the vehicle also rose to very high levels without air conditioning available, even with windows down while driving. No crash or injuries but this presented an unsafe situation for a vehicle with only 39,000 miles and purchased new from the dealership. There were no indicator lights, messages, or warnings, other than observation that air conditioner vents were no longer blowing cold air when selecting the AC button after problem occurred. Problem was verified by both an independent mechanic and our Mazda dealership. AC system was overcharged from the factory per diagnostic results, leading to internal AC compressor short and early component failure.

My 2023 Mazda CX-5 (48,000 miles) is experiencing a loud mechanical whirring/grinding from the driver-side headlight assembly, a documented manufacturing defect involving foreign matter contamination of the internal LED cooling fan bearings (TSB 09-029/25). Despite the manufacturer acknowledging this factory-installed defect, Mazda has refused to proactively remedy the issue because the vehicle is nominally past its 36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper period. I have been explicitly advised by service personnel to continue operating the vehicle until the headlight unit 'entirely fails' before further assistance may be considered. This 'fail-first' directive is a reckless disregard for public safety; the internal cooling fan exists specifically to prevent the high-intensity LED from overheating. A failure of this fan leads directly to the sudden burnout of the main headlamp while the vehicle is in motion. Mazda is essentially requiring me to drive a vehicle with a known, ticking-clock lighting defect and wait for a total loss of visibility at night before they will address a part that was contaminated during their own production process. This is a critical safety hazard that places myself and other drivers at risk of a collision due to sudden headlamp failure.