Owners have filed 42 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the transmission, suspension, and electrical. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2025Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2025 Mazda 5: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2
Engine off, key in hand0/3
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
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.
Nearby years usually share most parts, so their problems are worth checking on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
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.
Front CV axle and boot failure
5,000–10,000 miles
NHTSA complaints for the 2025 Mazda 5, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Front CV axles fail early. The usual sign is clicking, popping, or clunking from the front end during turns, often under acceleration. Dealers find grease leaking from a torn CV boot or internal axle damage, sometimes around 5,000 to 6,100 miles. Back-ordered axle parts delay repairs, with waits of 6 to 8 weeks. Some dealers blame an outside impact. A second pattern: after reversing, the transmission will not engage Drive and acts like it is in neutral until the car is restarted. One crash report involves the car rolling after shutdown with the shifter left in D.
Front CV joints click and pop on turns and under acceleration. Reported failures range from about 6,000 to 22,000 miles. These reports overlap with the axle complaints filed under powertrain. Some dealers could not reproduce the noise. Others had long waits for inspection, and one repair took over 3 weeks. Owners warn that a failed axle can cause sudden loss of drive power. A separate report describes 18-inch factory rims bending after low-speed contact with small potholes.
The car sometimes will not start. Warning lights come on at once for the brakes, stability control, blind spot monitoring, keyless entry, and airbags. In one case a hybrid system malfunction message appeared before the car finally started. Key fobs sometimes fail to unlock the doors. Dealers often find no fault. A separate complaint describes the passenger-side blind spot sensor missing vehicles now and then at about 4,200 miles. The dealer could reproduce that problem but not fix it.
Automatic emergency braking stops the car when the driver steers around a vehicle turning left at about 30 mph, even with no real collision threat. One of these false stops led to a rear-end crash. Another report describes the hybrid battery, body sensors, and tire pressure system failing together. The car was left inoperable. It could not be shifted into neutral or jump-started.
Speed drops suddenly on the highway with cruise control on, in one case from 75 mph to 30 mph. A false crash warning also sounds with no traffic ahead. Other reports describe the car surging when pulling away from a stop, forcing hard braking to avoid hitting the car ahead, plus trembling at idle and erratic behavior during hard stops. The events happen more than once to the same owners, and dealers have not found a cause.
The driver-side mirror vibrates above 65 mph, especially in wind, which blurs the view behind. A replacement mirror assembly did not fix it. Other complaints describe the front passenger door scraping against the fender and a dent-like indentation in the rear bumper that the dealer would not address. One report also notes a rough idle that shakes the cabin for about 40 seconds after startup.
Front seats overheat or catch fire. In one case a heated seat caused blistering burns on a long drive, and the driver was given care instructions for second- or third-degree burns. In another, a fire started inside a front seat about 6 to 8 weeks after purchase and charred the seat material. One complaint lists an injury, and both cases carry a serious risk of harm to occupants.
The car moves forward while the brake pedal is pressed in stop-and-go lines, creeping 8 to 10 feet and nearly causing collisions. This happened several times within 1800 miles. With adaptive cruise control on, the car also brakes hard without warning in some corners. That creates a rear-end crash risk when another car is following closely.
Excerpts from complaints 5 owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
Driver side and passenger side axle-area damage, making loud clicking and popping sounds on turns indicating major damage to CV joint, at around 5000 miles. Primarily heard on sharply turned wheel acceleration, particularly on slightly uphill inclines.
Filed with NHTSA, February 2026
I bought the car new from Mazda in December, 2024, and I am the original owner of the car. I backed out of a parking space. I shifted my gear to D, but the car kept sliding backward. I quickly shifted the gear back to P, pressed the parking brake, and turned off my engine. I had to restart my engine several times before the car will drive forward in D. This incident happened twice already.
Filed with NHTSA, June 2025
Driver side and passenger side axle-area, making loud clicking and popping sounds on turns indicating major damage to CV joint, at around 10,000 miles. Primarily heard on sharply turned wheel acceleration. Two dealerships said they "couldn't reproduce the issue" even though I showed them the issue on recorded video. I demand that this be taken seriously as a recall.
Filed with NHTSA, March 2026
Mazda CX-50 at 22000 miles CV joint on passenger side making clicking sound under moderate acceleration. Scheduled service with dealer on 1/28 received appointment date of 3/2 for inspection and possible repair.
Filed with NHTSA, February 2026
Car was turning left in front of me. I was going about 30 mph. I started to steer to the right of the car into a passing lane. The AEB stopped me and the guy behind me rear-ended me. The system did not need to react, I was not going to hit the car in front of me, but I could not steer to the right until I came to the passing lane.
Filed with NHTSA, February 2025
Second event: Again about 30 mph, a FEDEX truck was turning left in front of me, as I steered to the right to pass it, the AEB stopped me, fortunately there was no one behind me this time. The last time this happened I was rear-ended.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2025
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2025 has the fewest owner complaints of the 8 5 years we cover, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Recall repairs are free at any Mazda dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
Mazda North American Operations is recalling certain 2025 CX-50 and CX-50 Hybrid vehicles. The front suspension fastener bolts may not be tightened properly, which can result in suspension component and/or wheel detachment.
Risk: Wheel or suspension component detachment can cause a loss of vehicle control and a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the front suspension fastener bolts and, if necessary, replace and tighten them, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 10, 2025. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 6. The manufacturer's number for this recall is 7925J. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning November 3, 2025.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2025 CX-50 Hybrid vehicles. The transmission gear shifter can be moved from Neutral to Drive without pressing the brake pedal.
Risk: Shifting into gear without the brake pedal depressed can result in unexpected vehicle movement, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the Engine Control Module (ECM) and reprogram the Hybrid Control Unit (HCU) and Power Control Unit (PCU), free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed August 15, 2025. A second notice will be sent once the remedy becomes available, anticipated late summer 2025. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 6. The manufacturer's number for this recall is 7725F.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain CX-50 Hybrid and CX-50 vehicles. Incorrectly configured module software may cause the air bag to deploy improperly.
Risk: An air bag that deploys improperly increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the module software, free of charge. Owner notifications will not be mailed due to all vehicles being under Mazda dealer control. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 6. The manufacturer's number for this recall is 7625F.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Mazda MX-5 vehicles. The Traction Control System (TCS) and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) indicator light may fail to illuminate as intended due to a software error. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems.".
Risk: An indicator light that does not illuminate may fail to warn the driver of a TCS or DSC system issue, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the DSC unit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 18, 2025. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 7425E.
Mazda North American Operations is recalling certain 2024-2025 Mazda3 and CX30 vehicles. The Sophisticated Air Bag Sensor (SAS) units may set an error code and deactivate the air bags, due to a low battery condition.
Risk: Air bags that do not deploy in the event of a crash increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the SAS unit with improved software or replace the unit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2025. Mazda's number for this recall is 7525E.
Cars shoppers compare with the Mazda 5, with their own 2025 checklists.
2025 owner complaints, side by side
