2019 Mazda 5: What to check before buying
Owners have filed 325 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the engine, electrical, and transmission. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2019- Owner complaints
- 325
- Recalls
- 9
- Crashes reported
- 12
- 8 injuries
Your inspection sheet
Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2019 Mazda 5: inspection sheet
Paperwork and questions
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2
Walk-around and cabin
Engine off, key in hand0/2
Cold start, engine bay, and underside
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/2
Test drive
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/3
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
Check the odometer against these mileages
Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.
Early automatic transmission failure
12,680–25,000 miles
Cracked cylinder head oil leak
30,000–80,000 miles
Timing cover oil leak
31,954–37,000 miles
Why these checks: what owners reported
NHTSA complaints for the 2019 Mazda 5, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Engine90No crashes
A cracked cylinder head is the main failure. The engine suddenly leaks oil heavily, smoke rises from under the hood, and a burning-oil smell enters the cabin. Often no warning light comes on until oil pressure drops. Most reports fall between about 30,000 and 80,000 miles, many just after the powertrain warranty runs out. Dealers quote more than $5,000 to replace the head. Leaks at the timing cover and valve cover gasket also come up. Oil running down behind the exhaust manifold creates a fire risk, and one complaint involves a fire.
Electrical482 crashes
Phantom touches on the infotainment screen are the most common complaint. The screen registers inputs nobody made. It flips through menus, changes settings, changes stations, places phone calls, and sometimes freezes or reboots while driving. One owner was quoted about $1,000 for the repair. Other reports describe a sudden loss of power at highway speed with engine malfunction warnings, no-starts with a flashing instrument panel, and repeated battery drain. Power-folding mirrors may not open fully in wet weather. Two complaints involve crashes, and one describes a fire that started near a passenger door speaker.
Transmission393 crashes
Parked cars rolling away on their own is the most serious pattern here. Two reports describe owners injured by their own vehicles after parking and getting out. Cracked cylinder heads leaking oil show up again, often at low mileage and with no warning light. Several automatic transmissions failed early, between about 12,680 and 25,000 miles, with slipping, a burnt-fluid smell, or a sudden loss of drive, and were replaced under warranty. Other owners describe stalling, limp mode, and lost power on the highway, plus hesitation when pulling away from a stop.
Wipers and visibility13No crashes
Windshields chip and crack easily. Some develop long stress cracks with no visible impact, and some owners have replaced the glass more than once. Auto-folding side mirrors sometimes fail to open fully, which blocks the driver's view for lane changes, and owners say repairs outside warranty are often declined. Other reports include a glass sunroof shattering at highway speed, wind whistling around the windshield, a rearview mirror falling off, and wiper arms installed on the wrong sides. A few of these complaints come from Mazda3 owners.
Body and structure11No crashes
Glass sunroofs shatter with a loud bang while the car is moving. One driver was cut near the eye by falling glass. Soul Red paint chips heavily on the hood and front end, sometimes down to the primer within months. At highway speeds, owners hear wind whistling or squeaking from the front doors and mirrors, and the driver's mirror can vibrate. Mazda3 owners report doors that rub against each other in hot weather. Isolated complaints cover returning rust and a spare tire well that fills with water in the rain.
Airbags101 crash
An airbag malfunction warning comes on intermittently, often when a passenger is seated, and sometimes returns after a dealer repair. Owners link several of these cases to seat wiring, and one describes a faulty driver airbag. A passenger airbag status light can stay on with the seat empty. One report describes all four curtain airbags deploying while the vehicle was parked, and one crash report says the airbag did not deploy. Some owners were charged for diagnosis and told no recall applied.
Brakes91 crash
Automatic emergency braking kicks in with nothing ahead. The car stops hard on open roads or after a light turns green, and following drivers nearly rear-end it. Some owners see Smart Brake System and Front Radar Sensor malfunction messages while the car shakes and slows on its own. One crash report describes the car lurching forward while the brakes were applied. A stuck brake fluid level sensor that triggered brake and i-ACTIVESENSE warnings also appears. Dealers often cannot reproduce the false braking.
Steering81 crash
Power steering assist cuts out while driving, sometimes after a clunk and a malfunction warning. In some cases it comes back after a restart. One owner says the wheel jerked violently after a jump start while the brakes applied on their own. ABS and brake warning lights traced to the steering angle sensor kept returning after the part was replaced. One crash report describes sudden acceleration and a swerve at very low speed. With only 8 complaints, these failures are scattered rather than one clear pattern.
In owners' own words
Excerpts from complaints 5 owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
Vehicle has 40k after a oil change noticed oil spots on pavement took it back to the garage that did the task, was told that the leak was near cylinder #2. Called Mazda customer service and was informed that my warranty expired in May of 2024. my mechanic called Mazda parts to get the price of cylinder head and was told that they had a run on cylinder heads due to defective heads coming from the Factory, SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE MAZDA.
Filed with NHTSA, December 2024
My vehicle has 64k miles and has had regular maintenance - oil changes, etc. it has recently developed an oil leak. I took it to the dealer today & they said the cylinder head and gasket needs to be replaced. My car has not overheating or even run warm. I understand there are 2019 CX-5S that have had a casting issue with cylinder heads. I feel sure that’s what the issue is here yet they want almost $6k to repair my vehicle!
Filed with NHTSA, May 2025
Mazda infotainment system experiences ghost touching. It would operate on its own and exit applications like navigation on its own. Mazda is aware of the issue but won’t issue a recall. This can be a safety hazard when the system exits out of navigation in the middle of nowhere. The system would also make calls on its own which would cause a panic to the driver who is distracted trying to end a call they never placed.
Filed with NHTSA, August 2024
The vehicle is experiencing a “ghost touch” malfunction within the infotainment system, wherein the touchscreen registers unintended inputs. As a result, the system intermittently initiates phone calls, changes radio stations, and alters other settings without driver interaction. This erratic behavior is highly distracting and presents a potential safety concern while the vehicle is in operation.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2026
Just got diagnosed with cracked cylinder head. After looking on social media, it appears this is a thing for the model years 2018 and 2019. Bad casting? Anyway I believe this should be a voluntary recall to correct such a flawed engine. I bought this new from a Mazda dealership and kept it up to date with service only through the dealer. The 60 month/60,000 mile drive train warranty ran out last July. However I only have 50,000 miles on the car...babied.
Filed with NHTSA, May 2025
Car will whine and jerk when accelerating. Car suddenly stopped engaging in gear after it was warm. Dealer states it has internal transmission malfunction at 64k miles. Prior to the car breaking down the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnostic on 12/27/23 and concerns with the whining and jerking when driving were expressed. Dealer reports that the transmission was “operating as designed”.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2024
Windshield cracks too easy on 2019 Mazda CX-5. The car is 2019 and has already had 7 separate incidents (Crack and or Chip). Mazda knows of the problem and there are many Mazda customers that have reported problems with the integrity of the windshield. It's very concerning because it could be a safety issue if the windshield cracks so easy especially with all the objects and debris on the road that bigger vehicles like trucks kick up. I don't feel safe.
Filed with NHTSA, June 2023
Car will slam on brakes even if car is in opposite lane farther away. We have received sooo many chips amd cracks on windshield with 2 weeks. We purchased used and was informed windshield was replaced once already.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2025
How the 2019 compares with other 5 years
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2019 ranks second for owner complaints among 8 5 years, about 2.3 times the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
- Engine9030
- Electrical4819
- Transmission3915
- Wipers and visibility133
- Body and structure113
- Airbags106
Recalls to confirm (9)
Recall repairs are free at any Mazda dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
24V695000AirbagsSep 2024
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016-2023 MX-5 Miata vehicles. A software error in the air bag control module may cause the front air bags to deploy with excessive force during a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection.".
Risk: An air bag that deploys with excessive force can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the Sophisticated Air Bag Sensor (SAS) control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 7, 2024. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 6924I.
21V875000Fuel systemNov 2021
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3, Mazda6, 2019 CX-3, 2018-2019 MX-5, CX-5, CX-9, and 2019-2020 Mazda2 vehicles. The impeller inside the low-pressure fuel pump may crack and deform, potentially causing the fuel pump to fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pumps, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 18, 2022. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 5321K.
19V907000Automatic emergency brakingDec 2019
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Mazda3 vehicles. The Smart Brake System (SBS) can falsely detect an obstacle while driving, activating the automatic emergency braking system and suddenly stopping the vehicle.
Risk: Stopping the vehicle unexpectedly increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will update the SBS software. In addition, vehicles with certain production dates will receive an instrument cluster software update or replacement and a replacement owner's manual. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began February 14, 2020. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 4219L.
19V558000Wipers and visibilityJul 2019
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2019 Mazda3 vehicles equipped with manual dimming mirrors. The adhesive between the interior rearview mirror and the housing may not be properly bonded, allowing the mirror to detach from the housing. Note: Vehicles equipped with auto dimming mirrors are not affected by this recall.
Risk: Rearward visibility will be reduced without the rearview mirror, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the interior rearview mirror assembly, free of charge. The recall began September 19, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3919G.
19V514000SeatsJul 2019
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. The seat cover material on both front seats may interfere with the head restraint lock release button, causing it to stick in the release position and not allow the head restraint to lock into place.
Risk: Loose head restraints may increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will install spacers at the bottom of the lock release buttons on both front seat head restraints, free of charge. The recall began August 20, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3819F.
19V497000EngineJun 2019
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018-2019 CX-5, Mazda6, and 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. A software error in the powertrain control module (PCM) may cause the engine to stall.
Risk: An unexpected stall increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the PCM software, free of charge. The recall began August 20, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3719F.
19V425000Wheels and tiresJun 2019
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. The lug nuts on all four wheels may loosen, potentially resulting in a wheel detaching from the vehicle.
Risk: A wheel separating from the vehicle increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the front and rear wheel lug nuts to the correct specification, free of charge. The recall began July 9, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3519F.
19V363000ElectricalMay 2019
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. Due to incorrect programing, the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light may erroneously turn off although the passenger air bag is deactivated. In addition, the seat belt status indicators for both the front passenger seat and/or rear seats may erroneously turn off although the front passenger and/or rear seat belts are unfastened.
Risk: Incorrect indicator warning lights may lead the driver and/or passengers to be unaware of deactivated air bags or unfastened seat belts, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag/seat belt status indicator assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 9, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3319E.
19V072000TransmissionFeb 2019
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016-2019 MX-5 (Miata) vehicles with automatic transmissions. Due to incorrect programming of the Transmission Control Module (TCM), certain conditions may cause the vehicle to unexpectedly downshift and abruptly decelerate.
Risk: If the vehicle abruptly downshifts, the driver may lose control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the TCM with corrected software, free of charge. The recall began March 14, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3019A.
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