Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 deaths.
What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?
A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim, NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.
The database below contains over 2,245,377 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports, when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.
How to interpret what you read
A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:
- One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report, that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
- Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
- Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
- Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.
If you've experienced a defect
File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints, specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened, feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.
Read more from our blog
Showing 29,895 complaints for MAZDA
Incident date: Jul 13, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated while driving 15 mph, she heard an abnormal noise. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
Incident date: Aug 11, 2021
The transmission quit on my at 59K miles. Wont go into drive, but will in reverse. I took the care to a transmission shop, and it needs rebuilt. No warning lamps, messages, etc. I was stopped at a red light, luckily I wasn't driving at it just stopped.
Incident date: Jul 27, 2021
The 2020 Mazda completely shut off following an exit from an expressway, turn under a bridge and slow down for a red light. The Mazda electrically shut off and coasted to a braked stop in the center lane of a 3 lane road. The entire electrical system went dead, no exterior lights, signals, instrument panel or radio. There was no warning, everything electrical just shut off. In a moving traffic sit... Read more
Incident date: Jun 16, 2021
After a hard brake event to avoid a crash, brake pedal is soft and loses pressure. Identical to many, many Ford and Mitsubishi reports on models that use the same ABS equipment. ABS valves probably leaking internally. Dealer refuses to remedy and insists brakes are fine - they are not, significantly worse since hard brake incident. OEM ABS part no longer available (I wonder why?) so the only repai... Read more
Incident date: Aug 3, 2021
Rear cross subframe is very rotten and my mechanic told me not safe to drive car. Mazda had recall on front but not on rear. Is made of same material I look at line and a lot of people have same problem I hope you can help us with this problem Thank you and I hope you can investigate this major issue
Incident date: Aug 3, 2021
Rear cross subframe is very rotten and my mechanic told me not safe to drive car. Mazda had recall on front but not on rear. Is made of same material I look at line and a lot of people have same problem I hope you can help us with this problem Thank you and I hope you can investigate this major issue
Incident date: Jul 1, 2019
The contact owns a 2010 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that overtime the dashboard had become glossy and sticky due to excessive heat. The contact also stated that on sunny days, the sun would reflect off the glossy surface and would obstruct her vision while driving. The contact notified the dealer of the failure and they informed her that the vehicle was no longer covered under warranty. The m... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2021
The contact owns a 2011 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated while driving 60 mph, upon approaching oncoming traffic, the vehicle unexpectedly shut-off. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and pulled the vehicle off to the shoulder. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. Due to the failure and the warning light, the contact had the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2021
The contact owns a 2004 Mazda Tribute. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle would accelerate unintendedly, and the brakes would fail during the unintended acceleration. The ABS and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the code reader was not able to read any codes. The manufacturer was made aware o... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2021
The contact owns a 2004 Mazda Tribute. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle would accelerate unintendedly, and the brakes would fail during the unintended acceleration. The ABS and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the code reader was not able to read any codes. The manufacturer was made aware o... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2021
The contact owns a 2004 Mazda Tribute. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle would accelerate unintendedly, and the brakes would fail during the unintended acceleration. The ABS and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the code reader was not able to read any codes. The manufacturer was made aware o... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2020
one day we noticed the dash was becoming more and more sticky and didn’t know what was happening until watching a recent video about Mazda’s having a melting dash.
Incident date: Aug 3, 2021
after exiting the highway at 65+mph turned the corner and the rear of the car dropped and started dragging the ground without warning . pulled over to see rear suspension on the ground .i contacted dealer about it and they seem to be aware of similar complaints but do not seem to care .could have been different outcome one minute earlier !! this is the second time the frame collapsed on me in this... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2021
My 2006 Mazda was in a serious accident last month and my air bag did not inflate properly along with the warning logo a few days before the accident. My car was picked up and released to Geico yesterday for inspection from their at fault driver totalling my vehicle. It was a head on collision so the air bag is a big factor in a serious wreck. It was confirmed to have an active recall. The warning... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 1, 2021
About a month ago I got into my vehicle and noticed a corner of my infotainment screen was cracked. The cracking is internal and seems to spider around the corner. It cannot be felt externally in any way. Doing some research, I came across multiple other owners displaying similar problems. I was also able to find Service Alert No. SA-008/18 which pertained to the same issue even labeling it as... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2021
My problem is with the keyless start system. The problem is that if I forget to push the start button to shut down the vehicle and open the door and leave the automobile and shut the door with the key in my possession the auto will keep running until it runs out of fuel. Wouldn't it make more sense for the vehicle to shut down after 3 minutes if the key is not present. As you know people have di... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2021
My problem is with the keyless start system. The problem is that if I forget to push the start button to shut down the vehicle and open the door and leave the automobile and shut the door with the key in my possession the auto will keep running until it runs out of fuel. Wouldn't it make more sense for the vehicle to shut down after 3 minutes if the key is not present. As you know people have di... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2021
My problem is with the keyless start system. The problem is that if I forget to push the start button to shut down the vehicle and open the door and leave the automobile and shut the door with the key in my possession the auto will keep running until it runs out of fuel. Wouldn't it make more sense for the vehicle to shut down after 3 minutes if the key is not present. As you know people have di... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated while driving 25 mph and approaching a stop sign, depressing the brake pedal the vehicle failed to stop. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she pumped the brake pedal and shifted to neutral until the vehicle came to a stop. The contact was able to drive to her residence. The contact took the... Read more
Incident date: Aug 2, 2020
Fuel fumes are leaking into passenger compartment and leaking from tank. Previous recall failed to fix
Incident date: Jul 30, 2019
The contact owns a 2016 Mazda CX-5. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V063000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact called the local dealer several times and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2010 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that the brake failed with the ABS warning light, traction control, and emergency brake light illuminated. The contact stated that the brake pedal was engaged and failed to bring the vehicle to a stop. The brake pedal was depressed twice before the vehicle stopped. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2010 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that the brake failed with the ABS warning light, traction control, and emergency brake light illuminated. The contact stated that the brake pedal was engaged and failed to bring the vehicle to a stop. The brake pedal was depressed twice before the vehicle stopped. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2021
The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was turned to the right inadvertently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed that there were holes in the subframe bracket. The contact was advised to contact the local dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the dealer ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2021
The component that failed was the CMU unit in my screen. I was unable to use Bluetooth and hands free driving which put my safety at risk and when driving at night the screen would light up, reboot, shut down, light up which was very distracting. I took it to the dealership which they said this is happening in cars and they will not cover it. They fixed it at a cost of $864.34. I contacted Mazda a... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2021
Driving on the interstate. Driver plus 3 passengers,fair amount of luggage. Listening to a book on CD. Windows up, air-conditioning on. Driving 70 mph smooth road. No cars in immediate vicinity. Suddenly there is a loud bang which scared the crap out of me. Pulled off the roadway to see what had happened. Turned out the moon roof had exploded. Fortunately the inside cover was closed otherwise the... Read more
Incident date: Jul 27, 2021
The contact owns a 2010 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that the steering wheel was pulling without warning. There was rust on the frame. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not safe to drive. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was diagnosed and repaired. Mechanic noted that Mazda’s recall repair only served to keep the car... Read more
Incident date: Jul 27, 2021
The contact owns a 2010 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that the steering wheel was pulling without warning. There was rust on the frame. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not safe to drive. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was diagnosed and repaired. Mechanic noted that Mazda’s recall repair only served to keep the car... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2021
Right side of the dashboard has become sticky, melting, and causing major reflection issues, day and night
Incident date: Jul 26, 2021
Right side of the dashboard has become sticky, melting, and causing major reflection issues, day and night
Incident date: Jul 24, 2021
On Saturday afternoon 7/24 I was leaving a parking lot when my drivers side wheel detached from my front axle rod. I have around 90k miles on the vehicle. There was no indication of a part coming loose. Never noticed vibration of wheel or any resistance during movements. This should be a recall on the vehicle.
Incident date: Jul 19, 2021
The dashboard is actually melting. It’s sticky and shiny and causes a reflection on the windshield that Makes it very difficult to see.
Incident date: Jul 19, 2021
P225/65R17 GEOLANDAR G91A 100H tire was loosing air with 12k miles. mazda service dealer claimed many punctures due to driving in NYC but car was sold in NYC. (3) nails located in very soft rubber and tire failed at 15k miles casing emergency situation. (3) others tire have no single issue. after getting new tire and after removing damaged tire following picture is in side the bad tire: many laye... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 24, 2021
Passenger airbag off flashing intermittently while driving on roadway
MAZDA
MAZDA3
(2012) - AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:STATUS INDICATOR LAMP/LIGHT
Jul 24, 2021
Incident date: Jul 24, 2021
Passenger airbag off flashing intermittently while driving on roadway
Incident date: Jul 18, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that on five separate occasions, intermittently there was an abnormal grinding noise detected underneath the hood. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated to 20 mph. Additionally, while accelerating the vehicle slowed down without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where no co... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that on five separate occasions, intermittently there was an abnormal grinding noise detected underneath the hood. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated to 20 mph. Additionally, while accelerating the vehicle slowed down without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where no co... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2018
The contact owns a 2014 Mazda Mazda5. The contact stated that the passenger’s side rear door failed to open or close all the way. The contact stated that there was a 1-2-inch gap between the door and the door latch. The contact reached out to the local dealer to have the vehicle inspected however, the contact was unable to schedule an appointment for the vehicle to be inspected. The vehicle was ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2021
I was driving into the highway and my vehicle just shut off. I was in the car with my children and I was scared that we were going to be rear ended. I had my mechanic look at the car and he advised me that the water pump leaked and the coolant leaked into the oil. I’m having another mechanic provide me with an estimate of how much the repair is going to cost. After the car shut off and I tried t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2021
I was driving into the highway and my vehicle just shut off. I was in the car with my children and I was scared that we were going to be rear ended. I had my mechanic look at the car and he advised me that the water pump leaked and the coolant leaked into the oil. I’m having another mechanic provide me with an estimate of how much the repair is going to cost. After the car shut off and I tried t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2021
I was driving into the highway and my vehicle just shut off. I was in the car with my children and I was scared that we were going to be rear ended. I had my mechanic look at the car and he advised me that the water pump leaked and the coolant leaked into the oil. I’m having another mechanic provide me with an estimate of how much the repair is going to cost. After the car shut off and I tried t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 1999
My 2014 Mazda CX5 will not shut off when I push the on/off button. I have to move the shifter from left to right real hard a couple of times, then continue to try until it finally shuts off when you push the button. It apparently is a sensor on the transmission, however I am unable to pay for this at this time. I feel that because of all the other people who have spoke about this same issue onli... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2021
My 2014 Mazda 3 had very bad wear on the rear brakes, but not on the front. I took them apart, and both calipers were frozen. I contacted the dealership and they told me that there was a recall, but only for the cars manufactured in Mexico, not in Asia. The recall needs to be expanded, as Mazda denied there was any problem with these calipers. Clearly there is a more widespread problem than Ma... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2020
I am experiencing a Ghost Touch issue on my Infotainment system. There has been a recall for Maxda 3 but not for Maxda CX5. On the website I am seeing several complaints about Ghost touch issue where the screen randomly clicks buttons and changes by itself. My warranty ended on Oct 2020 so Mazda would not help resolve this issue as part of recall or warranty. My mileage is still under 30K miles. M... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2021
Ebrake engages on its own when starting up the vehicle. You are unable to turn the ebrake off without restarting the car. The repair shop stated it is a problem with the computer module. A quick search of the internet shows that this is a common issue with this year's make and model. Luckily, the ebrake has not engaged itself yet while driving the vehicle.
Incident date: May 9, 2021
Ebrake engages on its own when starting up the vehicle. You are unable to turn the ebrake off without restarting the car. The repair shop stated it is a problem with the computer module. A quick search of the internet shows that this is a common issue with this year's make and model. Luckily, the ebrake has not engaged itself yet while driving the vehicle.
Incident date: Jul 6, 2021
The IGNITION DOES NOT TURN OFF WHEN PRESSING START / STOP BUTTON. So you can't even turn the car off more then 1/2 the time. You have to disconnect the battery.
Incident date: Jul 20, 2021
Original belt tensioner was failing at 50k miles. An oem mazda belt tensioner was installed and is failing again within 1 year at 67k miles. If this fails the belt powering the water pump will fail causing a catastrophic engine failure due to overheating. Mazda has yet to issue a recall with their defective parts. If you hear any squeaking of the belts from your engine and notice any residue lea... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2021
Component: ABS Hydraulic Unit; How was safety at risk: The failure of the ABS system clearly poses a risk; Reproduced: The original ABS Hydraulic Unit has a known design flaw that causes it to fail under mild environmental conditions (see, e.g. SB-10053757-3542); Inspected: The problem has been diagnosed by an independent mechanic; Warning lights: The ABS light (and occasionally DSC and BRAKE ligh... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2021
I find I have to put my foot down on the gas pedal to the floor to make it literally go at times. Ive heard this cloaking noise several times like its getting ready to conk out. The brakes seems to me don't stop as they should at times I have to go in hard on the brake pedal. The air conditioner does not blow cold an see where previous owner had same issue 2 yrs straight from looking the the servi... Read more