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: Nov 25, 2022
My daughter and I were on the way to O'Reilly when we turned at a short curve going under 20 miles and the steering wheel got loose and the brakes wouldn't stop us. The car just kept swerving all over the road and we ended up in a ditch the day after my husband purchased the car.
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Nov 25, 2022
My daughter and I were on the way to O'Reilly when we turned at a short curve going under 20 miles and the steering wheel got loose and the brakes wouldn't stop us. The car just kept swerving all over the road and we ended up in a ditch the day after my husband purchased the car.
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Nov 25, 2022
My daughter and I were on the way to O'Reilly when we turned at a short curve going under 20 miles and the steering wheel got loose and the brakes wouldn't stop us. The car just kept swerving all over the road and we ended up in a ditch the day after my husband purchased the car.
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Nov 27, 2022
Was driving on interstate, during the afternoon, not close to any other traffic ahead. It was neither raining nor particularly windy. I heard a very loud “explosion” sound, like a gunshot. I pulled over and my sunroof is bowed OUTWARD a little, and missing a big section of glass. There is no rock or debris laying on the interior screen, and the sunroof is NOT concave like from an impact. It is... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2022
This problem has been documented and know by Mazda for awhile. They are aware that their 2.5 Turbo liter engine has the problem of cracking the cylinder head due to some overweight of the same engine component. My Mazda local dealer already inspected the car and told me that the fix is replacing the whole cylinder head, which with them would cost me 3.5k. My warranty company, which I purchased whe... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2021
Sudden failure of water pump located inside the engine caused engine to shut down immediately while driving 70 mph on busy expressway. Extremely dangerous situation due to heavy traffic and high speeds traveled. Only by sheer luck were we able to coast across 4 lanes of traffic to an exit ramp and barely make it into a parking lot after crossing 2 more lanes on the frontage road. Very difficult... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2022
Coolant leak. Cracked cylinder head in a stud hole of the exhaust manifold. 70,000 miles Seems to be a problem with many other owners.
Incident date: Nov 21, 2022
Water pump defect that led to pump failure, which led to catastrophic engine failure without any prior warning. The defect is in the internal chain-driven water pump. The pump is meant to circulate coolant through the engine while the engine is running. However, the defect allows coolant to leak from water pump into the oil pan and/or other engine components, mixing it with the engine’s oil and ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2022
Water pump defect that led to pump failure, which led to catastrophic engine failure without any prior warning. The defect is in the internal chain-driven water pump. The pump is meant to circulate coolant through the engine while the engine is running. However, the defect allows coolant to leak from water pump into the oil pan and/or other engine components, mixing it with the engine’s oil and ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2022
Check engine light went on at 56mph and stalled the vehicle. Almost causing and accident all lights on dash went on and off. I stopped turn the vehicle off then on and only the check engine light went on but started stalling after accelerating again the after about 3 mile the lights and stalling happened again. This can cause a major accident
Incident date: Nov 21, 2022
Check engine light went on at 56mph and stalled the vehicle. Almost causing and accident all lights on dash went on and off. I stopped turn the vehicle off then on and only the check engine light went on but started stalling after accelerating again the after about 3 mile the lights and stalling happened again. This can cause a major accident
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
The infotainment display operates by itself. This is a known issue commonly called “ghost touch” and Mazda has issued service bulletins for 2014-2016 model year cars. Unfortunately other cars including my 2017 CX-5 are also affected. This is a safety issue as the navigation will stop working and the constant beeping from the ghost clicking is very distracting and can lead to the driver not foc... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2022
New vehicle at approximately 6,000 miles and again at 9,500 turned on low oil light dashboard. Added one quart oil each time (twice) to restore oil level. Vehicle currently has approximately 10,500 miles. McDonald Mazda West slow to respond to performing warranty service related to TSB 01-012/21. Thank you.
Incident date: Aug 3, 2022
New vehicle at approximately 5,500 miles turned on low oil light dashboard. Added one quart oil each time to restore oil level. Vehicle currently has approximately 7,000 miles. McDonald Mazda West slow to respond to performing warranty service related to TSB 01-012/21. Thank you.
Incident date: Sep 28, 2022
After purchasing this vehicle I started noticing that as I accelerated from a stop the transmission would shift hard into 1st gear and 3rd gear. This is also occurring during deceleration as if the car brakes I'm stages due to the downshifting hard. The dealership has refused to look into the issue. They have refused to add the notes to my vehicle records in effort to avoid accountability.
Incident date: Sep 28, 2022
After purchasing this vehicle I started noticing that as I accelerated from a stop the transmission would shift hard into 1st gear and 3rd gear. This is also occurring during deceleration as if the car brakes I'm stages due to the downshifting hard. The dealership has refused to look into the issue. They have refused to add the notes to my vehicle records in effort to avoid accountability.
Incident date: Nov 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and shifting into drive(D) or reverse(R), the vehicle failed to move. The electronic parking brake warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that he turned off and restarted the vehicle, deactivated the electronic parking brake, and forcefully depressed the accelerator pedal; however, the failure persis... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2022
My RPM'S reaved up real high while driving 60mph and all the sudden the car down shifted and I had to put car in neutral in order maintain control. The traction control light and heck engine lights came on same time, lost power to the car the navigation and radio and dash lights, had no power to drive train, had vechile dinogstic check done at O'Reilly auto and they told me it was a PCM power con... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2022
My RPM'S reaved up real high while driving 60mph and all the sudden the car down shifted and I had to put car in neutral in order maintain control. The traction control light and heck engine lights came on same time, lost power to the car the navigation and radio and dash lights, had no power to drive train, had vechile dinogstic check done at O'Reilly auto and they told me it was a PCM power con... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2022
My RPM'S reaved up real high while driving 60mph and all the sudden the car down shifted and I had to put car in neutral in order maintain control. The traction control light and heck engine lights came on same time, lost power to the car the navigation and radio and dash lights, had no power to drive train, had vechile dinogstic check done at O'Reilly auto and they told me it was a PCM power con... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the main display screen malfunctioned, and the back-up camera failed to display an image. Additionally, the display provided erroneous warnings included the low tire pressure information. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure and indicated that the disp... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the main display screen malfunctioned, and the back-up camera failed to display an image. Additionally, the display provided erroneous warnings included the low tire pressure information. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure and indicated that the disp... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2022
A LOT OF ENGINE OIL CONSUPTION, 1 QUART PER 2500 MILES.
Incident date: Nov 15, 2022
Cracked Cylinder Head due to Coolant Leak - SB 01-013/21. This is a known issue with Mazda, yet it has happened with the vehicle being serviced regularly. This is happens directly after the warranty period and it is not being covered.
Incident date: Aug 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that the Mazda Connect touch screen in the center display was operating independently; however, there was no visible damage to the touch screen. The contact stated that the failure was significantly distracting while driving. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2022
Accelerating on the highway passing a semi-truck when I lost acceleration power. Nearly caused a serious accident at highway speeds. Engine light then came on. After the incident the car's engine would stutter when accelerated above 2000rpm. Was able to bring it to a local mechanic who diagnosed both fuel pumps as damaged and replaced. Part was not inspected by police or insurance as it did n... Read more
Incident date: Feb 29, 2020
Purchased car in January 2020 and within a month/few thousand miles the low engine oil light came on. Almost two years later car continues to burn excessive oil triggering low engine oil light. Dealer doesn’t acknowledge an issue, Mazda still doesn’t have a repair. Owners required to pay for excess servicing until a repair is issued. This is a widespread problem impacting the engine.
Incident date: Nov 6, 2022
Both front brake rotors fractured while braking, resulting in reduced braking distance and the need for evasive maneuvers to avoid collision. Fracture occurred in the casting, between the hub flange and braking pad surfaces. A photo of one of the rotors is available, but the hardware has been disposed of. Inspection of fracture surfaces shows some local evidence of rust, indicating that the ru... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2022
There is a defect that leads to the car not turning off property. Reading on various forums, it seems this is a very common problem in Mazda CX-5s. I have spent over $1500 recently on this car, and now this? My battery dies overnight because the car doesn't not fully shut down in park. Again, this is all over the forums. People are getting stranded. It's terribly unsafe.
Incident date: Nov 13, 2022
There is a defect that leads to the car not turning off property. Reading on various forums, it seems this is a very common problem in Mazda CX-5s. I have spent over $1500 recently on this car, and now this? My battery dies overnight because the car doesn't not fully shut down in park. Again, this is all over the forums. People are getting stranded. It's terribly unsafe.
Incident date: Aug 12, 2022
My 2021 Mazda CX-9 uses excessive engine oil as reported in the Mazda "M-Tip" bulletin MT-005/20 and this manufacturer's defect is reportedly caused by defective valve stem seals as claimed in the class action lawsuit U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Southern Division: [XXX] v. Mazda Motor of America, Inc. The valve stem seal problems allegedly cause excessive oil consu... Read more
Incident date: Oct 11, 2022
October 11, 2022 I hit a steep curb while pulling into a gas station before heading to work, which caused alignment issues. I originally thought it was just about that time for an alignment so I drove my car to tire discounters. [XXX] the manager there called me and told me pretty much the sub frame on my car was rusted so bad that he doesn’t even know how I made it to their facility, and pretty... Read more
Incident date: Nov 9, 2022
I was stopped at a light, and the infotainment system began changing options on its own. It caused me to become worried and distracted on the problem at hand. Mazda is aware if this issue with the system but is refusing to do anything to fix it. Please help!
Incident date: Nov 9, 2022
I was stopped at a light, and the infotainment system began changing options on its own. It caused me to become worried and distracted on the problem at hand. Mazda is aware if this issue with the system but is refusing to do anything to fix it. Please help!
Incident date: Oct 29, 2022
After driving for approximately 1 minute, the vehicle approached a stop sign and car stalled and would not restart. When attempting to restart vehicle, engine was firing but not turning over. Attempted to jump start the vehicle with no success until vehicle was given throttle at which point it restarted. No lights were illuminated prior to the incident, but when the vehicle stalled the battery lig... Read more
Incident date: Oct 29, 2022
After driving for approximately 1 minute, the vehicle approached a stop sign and car stalled and would not restart. When attempting to restart vehicle, engine was firing but not turning over. Attempted to jump start the vehicle with no success until vehicle was given throttle at which point it restarted. No lights were illuminated prior to the incident, but when the vehicle stalled the battery lig... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2022
A strong coolant smell was noticed in the interior of the car and from the engine compartment. The diagnosis from the Mazda service facility was that there was coolant leaking from the head on the engine. Eventually this would have led to overheating of the vehicle which could have resulted in significant engine damage. The manufacturer has issued a technical service bulletin (TSB) for this pro... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2022
On 8/11/2022, my car indicated a message on my dashboard that said “Air Bag System Malfunction. Have the Vehicle Inspected.” I also received a Safety & Security message in my Inbox on my app that stated “Air bag system and seat belt pre-tensioner system malfunction. Vehicle airbags and seat belt pre-tensioner may not operate correctly in an emergency. Have the vehicle inspected by your deale... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2022
On 8/11/2022, my car indicated a message on my dashboard that said “Air Bag System Malfunction. Have the Vehicle Inspected.” I also received a Safety & Security message in my Inbox on my app that stated “Air bag system and seat belt pre-tensioner system malfunction. Vehicle airbags and seat belt pre-tensioner may not operate correctly in an emergency. Have the vehicle inspected by your deale... Read more
Incident date: Oct 7, 2022
Mazda, had issued a recall in 2020. however, I was out of the country and due to covid was unable to get the recalled part fixed. Now Mazda is refusing to fix it. I have contacted them multiple times and they just give me the run around and say that the date has passed and they will not fix it anymore.
Incident date: Oct 24, 2022
The first sign of an issue was an oil pressure indicator on the dashboard, but upon inspection, the oil levels seemed completely normal. The dashboard light went away shortly after that. A day later, I was on my lunch break and parked my car in a garage for 45 minutes. On the drive there, I did not notice any issues and was able to operate the vehicle fine for the short distance that I drove. When... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2022
The first sign of an issue was an oil pressure indicator on the dashboard, but upon inspection, the oil levels seemed completely normal. The dashboard light went away shortly after that. A day later, I was on my lunch break and parked my car in a garage for 45 minutes. On the drive there, I did not notice any issues and was able to operate the vehicle fine for the short distance that I drove. When... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2022
Brakes not working due to brake booster problem which was brought to the attention of Mazda. Mazda and the transportation authority agreed on an extended warranty which is no longer in effect. There have been many more complaints for this same problem, yet a recall has not been listed for this vechicle and alot of people are paying out of pocket. I already brought this to the attention of traffic ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2022
The same or similar issue is described here: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2022/MC-10209787-0001.pdf Essentially, this issue has to do with the wiring under the seat that is responsible for airbag functioning. Adjusting the seat caused "Airbag Malfunctioning" alarm/notification to go off on a numerous occasions. Potential risk with this issue is that the airbag may deploy randomly or not depl... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2022
The same or similar issue is described here: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2022/MC-10209787-0001.pdf Essentially, this issue has to do with the wiring under the seat that is responsible for airbag functioning. Adjusting the seat caused "Airbag Malfunctioning" alarm/notification to go off on a numerous occasions. Potential risk with this issue is that the airbag may deploy randomly or not depl... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2022
Lower ball joints, lower control arms, and axles failed on the front right and front left of the vehicle while driving. The wheels were partially disconnected with no ability to steer or drive my vehicle. Both failures happened within 2 1/2 months. After the right side failed, the auto mechanic checked the left side yet it failed regardless of all inspections including the annual state requirement... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 8, 2022
Lower ball joints, lower control arms, and axles failed on the front right and front left of the vehicle while driving. The wheels were partially disconnected with no ability to steer or drive my vehicle. Both failures happened within 2 1/2 months. After the right side failed, the auto mechanic checked the left side yet it failed regardless of all inspections including the annual state requirement... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 5, 2022
Turbo using/burning oil- Consumption issue.
Incident date: Nov 4, 2022
The check engine light came on when I was in my way home. This morning when I started my car, the engine reved on its own and then it went to 0. This is super dangerous. The car could have stopped in the middle of the freeway. I had my car towed to a local mechanic. The error code that came up was p0192. Looks like there is a recall for the fuel pump issue for many mazda, yet mine isn’t part o... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2022
The check engine light came on when I was in my way home. This morning when I started my car, the engine reved on its own and then it went to 0. This is super dangerous. The car could have stopped in the middle of the freeway. I had my car towed to a local mechanic. The error code that came up was p0192. Looks like there is a recall for the fuel pump issue for many mazda, yet mine isn’t part o... Read more