Owners have filed 25 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the transmission, electrical, and body and structure. 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 CX-5: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/1
Engine off, key in hand0/3
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/4
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.
These years share the 2025's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2025 Mazda CX-5. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cylGas | 4WD | 28 mpg |
| 2.5L 4-cylHybrid | 4WD | 38 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2025 Mazda CX-5, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
The transmission fails to engage Drive after reversing. The vehicle sits as if in neutral or keeps rolling backward, with no warning lights. Restarting the engine, sometimes several times, is the only fix described. One of these reports names a CX-50. A crash report describes the car rolling freely with the shifter in D and the engine off, and the open door struck a garage frame. Front-end clunking during turns also appears. A dealer traced it to internal front axle damage, and parts were back-ordered for months.
Warning lights fill the dash and the car will not start or drive. Reports list parking brake, ABS, stability control, blind spot, keyless entry and airbag faults all at once. One adds a hybrid system malfunction message on a vehicle described as a CX-50. Dealers either found nothing wrong or asked owners to come back if it happens again. Separately, the passenger-side blind spot monitor detects vehicles inconsistently and misses some entirely, with no warning light. A dealer could replicate that fault but not repair it, at about 4,200 miles.
The driver side mirror vibrates above 65 mph, worse in wind, and blurs the view of traffic behind. A replacement mirror assembly did not cure it, and the response was that this is common on the CX-5. Other filings cite a dent in the rear bumper that a dealer said fell outside an existing service action, plus a front passenger door that scrapes the inner fender. That last report describes a CX-50 hybrid and also mentions a rough idle lasting about 40 seconds after a start.
Front seats overheat and burn. One filing reports blistered thighs and an emergency room visit for burns described as second or third degree after on-and-off heated seat use on a long trip. Another describes a fire that started inside a front seat and charred the material within weeks of purchase, on a vehicle identified as a CX-50 hybrid. These are only two filings, but both involve burns or fire inside the cabin.
The car surges forward while the brake pedal is pressed, usually in stop-and-go lines at stop signs, and moves several feet toward the car ahead. One driver reports it several times within 1,800 miles, with near collisions. Adaptive cruise control also brakes suddenly and hard in some corners, with no warning, which raises the risk of a rear-end crash with traffic behind. Neither report describes a dealer repair.
Cruise control cuts speed sharply on the highway with nothing ahead, in one case from 75 to 30 mph. The driver reports this happening repeatedly. False forward collision alarms also sound on an empty road. Another filing describes trembling at idle and erratic behavior during hard stops, and refers to Mazda software recalls for loss of drive power without confirming a link. In the dealer visit described, the shop performed routine maintenance and did not address the complaint.
Excerpts from complaints CX-5 owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
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
The driver side mirror vibrates at speeds above 65 miles per hour especially with windy conditions. Went to the dealer they replaced the mirror assembly with the issue still remaining. Mazda answer is that is common in CX 5 models. It is a safety issue as it really limits visibility for vehicles behind.
Filed with NHTSA, October 2025
An indentation in the rear bumper may be noticed SAME AS sa035/22 BUT DEALER said is not applicable to my vehicle even when is the same deffect.
Filed with NHTSA, August 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 CX-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.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2025 is the ninth model year of the CX-5's second generation (2017–2025).
It includes the 2022 update.
What changed for 2022
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.
Cars shoppers compare with the Mazda CX-5, with their own 2025 checklists.
2025 owner complaints, side by side
