BrakeNewsOwner complaints, read early

Your vehicle report

2021 Mazda CX-5

The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.

NHTSA data through October 2026View original NHTSA data Change vehicle

Your vehicle at a glance

Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.

Owner complaints
148
Received Jan 2021 to Oct 2026
Official recalls listed
0
Naming this model year; check your VIN for applicability
BrakeNews flagged problems
2
Statistical signals, not official defect findings or recalls

Owner reports

Most reported problems

  1. 1
    Engine burns excessive oil between changes59 complaints · 40% of this vehicle’s complaints
  2. 2
    Unintended acceleration despite braking6 complaints · 4.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
  3. 3
    Head gasket leaks coolant into engine6 complaints · 4.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
See all reported problems

Official NHTSA records

Recalls to check

No recalls naming this model year are listed in this data. This does not establish that your vehicle is free of safety problems.

View recall details

BrakeNews signals

Flagged complaint patterns

Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.

How flags are identified

Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 10 crashes, 0 fires, 8 people injured, 0 deaths.

Explore by system

Where do owners report problems?

Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.

Schematic car with five system shortcutsGeneric side view, with the front on the left. Numbered links explore engine, brakes, steering, electrical, and body complaints. Text controls below provide the same choices.12345FRONTSCHEMATIC VIEW

Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.

View selected problems

Showing all 10 listed problems by system.

Engine & powertrain

1 more problem

Brakes

Electrical & lights

Airbags, belts & seats

Steering, suspension & tires

Body, doors & glass

Driver assistance

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Other

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Complaint history

When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.

Complaints received about the 2021 Mazda CX-5
14
Show as a table
MonthComplaints
January 20212
February 20211
March 20212
April 20210
May 20211
June 20210
July 20210
August 20211
September 20210
October 20212
November 20213
December 20213
January 20224
February 20222
March 20220
April 20221
May 20220
June 20222
July 20224
August 202214
September 20223
October 20229
November 20223
December 20224
January 20234
February 20232
March 20233
April 20232
May 20231
June 20234
July 20231
August 20231
September 20232
October 20233
November 20232
December 20231
January 20241
February 20243
March 20240
April 20244
May 20242
June 20242
July 20240
August 20243
September 20241
October 20242
November 20243
December 20241
January 20251
February 20250
March 20250
April 20251
May 20250
June 20252
July 20253
August 20252
September 20251
October 20252
November 20254
December 20251
January 20263
February 20260
March 20262
April 20262
May 20263
June 20261
July 20263
August 20263
September 20264
October 20261
Total148

Problems owners report

Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.

ProblemComplaintsShareShare ratioStatus
Engine burns excessive oil between changes5940%6.3×BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jun 2022
Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.8%
Unintended acceleration despite braking64.0%4.2×BrakeNews flag · First signal: Sep 2026
Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 2.2%
Head gasket leaks coolant into engine64.0%–
Glass shatters or cracks without impact42.7%2.5×
Check engine light comes on repeatedly42.7%–
Automatic emergency braking applies without reason42.7%–
Airbags fail to deploy in crashes32.0%4.8×
Tires blow out or tread separates32.0%8.7×
Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own32.0%–
Front brake rotors warp and wear early32.0%–

AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.

Recalls

No safety recalls naming the 2021 Mazda CX-5 are listed in the data through October 2026. Check your VIN with NHTSA for current information; an empty list is not a safety assessment.

Other model years

About this data

NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2021 Mazda CX-5.

Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.

Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN