2023 Mazda CX-5

When my car starts up, engine rpm is around 1500 or above 1000. If I would switch to reverse, the car sudden jerks back stronger and quicker than I expected even though my foot isn’t on the accelerator pedal and have pressed the brake lightly.

On 09/01/2026 at approximately 55 mph, I was driving with adaptive cruise control engaged. The vehicle ahead decelerated abruptly. My vehicle began braking hard with no input from me for a fraction of a second. A red BRAKE warning appeared in the instrument cluster with an audible alarm. I then applied the brake pedal hard. On first contact the pedal barely moved from its rest position and was extremely firm. About a second into my application, while still traveling at over 25 mph, pedal resistance dropped sharply and pedal travel increased substantially. I had to push the pedal several inches farther to get back to comparable deceleration. The pedal did not pulse or vibrate. I came to a matching speed roughly one car length from the vehicle ahead, and only because I kept braking hard. I did not see an MRCC Cancelled message, though the BRAKE warning occupies the same part of the display, so I cannot say whether the initial deceleration came from Mazda Radar Cruise Control or Smart Brake Support. No brake, ABS, or DSC warning lamp illuminated before, during, or after the event, and none has since. There were no symptoms beforehand, and the brakes have worked normally since. Failed component: unknown. I cannot determine whether the change in pedal feel came from the brake booster, the DSC hydraulic control unit, the master cylinder, or the driver assistance system handing brake control back to me. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone and no service center has reproduced the issue. The vehicle is available for inspection if needed. If a driver assistance system is commanding brake pressure and withdraws it during the driver intervention, total deceleration can drop at the moment when the driver still wants to stop aggressively to avoid a crash. Suddenly, the driver has to find the extra pedal travel while still closing on the obstacle. I slowed to a safe speed in time. With less room, or less attentiveness, I may not have been able to.

We purchased a certified pre-owned Mazda CX-5 from Wellesley Mazda in [XXX] on XXX. As soon as we got home and tried to exit the vehicle, we noticed that the driver's seatbelt was not releasing. Since then, we have noticed that the seat belt has not latched or unlatched properly. Our concern is that a manufacturer-certified vehicle was delivered to a consumer with an intermittently failing primary locking restraint mechanism. There should have been a 160-point inspection done before this car was delivered in order for it to be considered pre-owned. This car is driven by our son who has been put at risk by a faulty restraint device. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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.