2020 Mazda CX-5: What to check before buying

Phantom touches on the infotainment screen are the main complaint. The display selects menus on its own, raises the volume to maximum, places calls and cancels navigation, even while driving. Owners say the control knob often cannot override it. Dealers have called it a screen laminate issue that warranty does not cover. Another pattern is battery drain that leaves the car dead or shuts it off. Other owners report sudden power loss that holds the car below 15 mph with several warning lights on. One crash involved a brake pedal that would not move, along with power steering warnings.

Oil loss is the main theme. In some cars the low oil warning comes on before the scheduled change, at 24,993 and 52,764 miles in two reports, which points to oil consumption. Others find leaks from the timing cover, the oil pan gasket, an oil seal and a cracked cylinder head above the exhaust manifold. In one case smoke filled the cabin. Leaks often turn up at routine oil changes with no warning light. Less common reports cite a fluctuating idle that lets the car creep at a stop, a whooping noise at idle and an engine that keeps running after shutoff.

Unexpected automatic braking leads this category. With nothing in the way, the car brakes hard, often right after the vehicle ahead turns off. That has nearly caused rear-end collisions, and one driver reports neck and back pain from the jolt. Two crashes involve the car failing to stop while parking. One of those is blamed on a grinding caliper that damaged the rotors. Another owner says the car rolled backward while in Park and the open door ran them over. One owner also reports grinding noises and needing new calipers at around 32,000 miles.

Transmission failure is the core problem. Owners describe a single chirp with a stutter when accelerating at 20 to 35 mph or on the 3rd to 4th gear upshift, along with jerking. Diagnoses include a bad torque converter that sheds metal into the transmission and full transaxle replacement. Reported onset falls between about 32,000 and 61,000 miles. A dealer service bulletin addresses the chirp, but repair coverage varies, and one manufacturer paid only part of the cost. Other reports cite excess oil use near 55,000 miles and a sensor fault that forced limp mode and a full stop.

Wind noise is the most repeated issue. In strong crosswinds at highway speed, the doors screech or howl loudly enough to drown out everything else. Dealers often cannot reproduce it, though one owner points to a service bulletin with a fix. Other reports describe a sunroof shattering while driving and a power liftgate that opens by itself, once hitting a garage door. Owners also report red paint chipping on the hood within about a year and a windshield leak. One crash followed a failure of the rear camera and warning system.

These reports center on sudden unintended acceleration at low speed. The car surges while parking, sitting in Park or creeping through a drive-thru, sometimes with the driver's foot on the brake. Two reports ended in crashes, with a building or a pole stopping the car. One of those cars was totaled and showed brake and camera malfunction messages afterward. A separate complaint says the steering wheel controls are not lit, which led one driver to raise the cruise speed by mistake at night.

Curtain airbags deploy with no collision. Owners describe a loud blast at highway speed, ringing ears, disorientation and side windows blocked while traffic runs alongside. One deployment followed a tire blowout and shut the car off. In one case a dealer diagnostic found no fault and blamed pressure. The opposite failure also appears: in one crash into a guard rail that caused an injury, the airbags did not deploy.

Phantom emergency braking is the main complaint. With nothing ahead, the system brings the car from about 30 or 35 mph to a stop. Owners say it reacts to railroad tracks, center medians or an empty lane, which risks a rear-end hit from following traffic. Owners say lowering the sensitivity does not fix it. In one case the car then refused to shift into Park for a couple of minutes. One crash happened when adaptive cruise control started accelerating again after the driver tapped the brake behind a turning truck.