2024 Mazda CX-90: What to check before buying
Owners have filed 259 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the steering, electrical, and automatic emergency braking. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2024- Owner complaints
- 259
- Recalls
- 11
- Crashes reported
- 12
- 9 injuries
Your inspection sheet
Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2024 Mazda CX-90: inspection sheet
Paperwork and questions
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2
Walk-around and cabin
Engine off, key in hand0/1
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 highway0/4
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.
Which CX-90 is it?
EPA figures for each version of the 2024 Mazda CX-90. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 3.3L 6-cylHybrid | 4WD | 25 mpg |
| 2.5L 4-cylPlug-in hybrid | 4WD | 490 mi range |
- The 2024 Mazda CX-90 was sold in two versions. Confirm which one this is from the window sticker, the engine cover, or the VIN report before you compare prices.
- On the hybrid, watch for the car moving off on electric power at low speed and for any hybrid system warning on the dash.
- Reset the trip computer at the start of the drive. A CX-90 that averages well under the EPA 25 mpg combined on a mixed route may have an engine or tire problem.
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.
Hybrid system malfunction, power loss
500–5,000 miles
Sticking steering, rack replacement
5,000–16,900 miles
Why these checks: what owners reported
NHTSA complaints for the 2024 Mazda CX-90, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Steering775 crashes
Binding in turns is the most common failure, especially in sustained curves at highway speeds above 50 mph. Drivers describe a wheel that won't return to center, clicks back with a jerk, or feels like someone else is making small corrections. Five of the 77 complaints involve crashes, with 3 injuries, several after the wheel resisted a turn and the vehicle veered. Reports start around 5,000 miles. Dealers have replaced steering racks. Some owners describe waiting on recall parts, and one greasing fix wore off after 9 months.
Electrical391 crash
Sudden power loss with a "Hybrid System Malfunction" warning dominates these reports, mostly on the plug-in hybrid. The car stops accelerating, sometimes at 60 to 70 mph, and may die in traffic, refuse to restart, or lock in park until towed. Many cases occur under 1,700 miles. Dealers have replaced hybrid batteries, and some failures continue after recall repairs. A separate pattern involves a fuel gauge and range readout that freeze or plunge, and the problem persists after recall 25V568. There is also a report of the charging port melting onto a Level 2 charger, a fire risk.
Automatic emergency braking27No crashes
False hard braking with adaptive cruise control is the main problem. On curves or while passing a semi in the next lane, the radar reads that truck as being in the driver's lane and brakes hard at highway speed, raising the risk of a rear-end crash. Some owners say a software recall didn't fix it, or that recall 24V349000 doesn't cover their build date. Other reports describe automatic emergency braking on clear roads at 30 to 40 mph, i-Activsense shutting itself off, and camera images dropping out.
Transmission212 crashes
Loss of propulsion is the core complaint. The car shudders, warns of a hybrid or engine malfunction, and either crawls at limp speed or stops in traffic and won't shift out of park. Two crashes are reported: a rear-end collision after a stall on a snowy highway pass, and a surge from a stop in EV mode that caused 2 injuries. Rough, delayed shifts between 2nd and 3rd gear also come up, along with i-Stop restart failures outside the build range of recall 24V-816 and long dealer stays waiting on engineering guidance.
Engine15No crashes
Sudden power loss and limp mode account for most reports, often on highway on-ramps or at 70 to 75 mph. Repeated "Engine Malfunction" warnings return after recall work, and some owners link a failed fuel pump to recall 25V-568. One engine seized at about 28,100 miles and ended in a buyback. Other complaints describe rattling around 2,000 miles, a cracked radiator leaking coolant with no temperature warning, overheating, and a low-fuel light that stays on after a fill-up.
Acceleration and cruise control14No crashes
Adaptive cruise control brakes hard when passing a semi or box truck in the next lane, especially on curves, then may surge back to the set speed. Drivers report drops from 75 to 60 mph and close calls with cars behind them, and some dealers call the behavior normal. A smaller group describes unintended acceleration, both at highway speed without cruise on and while easing into a parking spot. The engine also sometimes fails to restart after shutting off in slowing traffic, and one car coasted to a stop in a freeway fast lane.
Wipers and visibility10No crashes
The driver-side mirror glass vibrates at speeds above 40 to 60 mph. That blurs the view behind and makes distances hard to judge, especially at night. The passenger mirror stays steady. Dealers confirm the problem, and some have replaced the glass under a service bulletin, but the vibration continues and owners report that Mazda has no fix. A separate report describes the passenger mirror folding in and down on its own and staying stuck until moved by hand.
Brakes51 crash
Several of these 5 complaints describe brakes that stop responding, sometimes alongside engine and hybrid malfunction warnings. One crash with 2 injuries happened shortly after a control arm repair, when neither the brakes nor the steering responded. In other reports the brakes cut out while the engine knocked and lost power, then came back. There is also false emergency braking while passing a truck on a curve, plus loud squealing at low speed with a pedal that feels like ABS is engaging.
In owners' own words
Excerpts from complaints CX-90 owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
While driving (less than 2000 miles on the OD) in our 2024 cx90 SE the vehicle started to shift out of timing and everything shut off at once. The vehicle lost all power and all parts shut down. The vehicle would start back up and power steering went out. Our driving speed was at 30mph so it was extremely scary during rush hour traffic. We had to have it towed to the dealership, we're not sure what the issue will be.
Filed with NHTSA, December 2024
When doing a sustained turn at highway speeds of 50+ mph, the steering wheel sticks and does not return to center. I had to forcefully return the wheel to center which caused a jerk in the steering. This happened 10+ times on a recent road trip I took (200 miles). I brought the car to Mazda afterwards and they are replacing the steering rack.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2026
Issue Summary: Since December 27, 2024, my vehicle has experienced a hybrid malfunction and leakage issue three times. Each time this occurs, the vehicle becomes completely inoperable and cannot move, requiring a tow truck to take it to the dealership. Since December 27, 2024, my car has been in the shop four times, yet the issue persists. This raises serious reliability and safety concerns, as the vehicle can suddenly become unusa
Filed with NHTSA, February 2025
On occasion (several times in a month) I will drive the car listening to the radio. I then park for a short time and turn the car on and drive away when I notice that the radio isn;t on as it was when I parked. I then have to pull over, park the car, shut off the engine then restart. Now the redio comes on. I am concerned that other safety items are also non functioning when this happens. The dealer has been no help.
Filed with NHTSA, October 2025
Drive on freeway with Mazda Radar Cruise Control engaged. When the road curves slightly, the radar picks up the car in the right lane next to me as a car in front of me and slams the brakes. It’s a dangerous situation when the traffic is moving at least 65 miles per hour.
Filed with NHTSA, October 2023
Going down the road with cruise control I have been used to it dropping a little bit in curves but today and car behind me had to slam on there brakes because the cruise control in a small curve dropped me down immediately from 60 to 45 jerk and all. If the driver behind me had not been paying attention they would have slammed into me since we were both going 60 no other cars around just a small curve on a straight road
Filed with NHTSA, July 2024
The vehicle's parking "gear" would not engage. Further, the emergency brake would not engage. Puts all in proximity to the vehicle at risk due to the vehicle rolling into or onto them and damaging personal property. Dealership service department could not recreate the the parking "gear" issue, but were able to recreate the emergency brake not engaging. Vehicle has been inspected by Macdonald Mazda West representatives.
Filed with NHTSA, February 2024
Turning left at intersection at green light , the oncoming traffic sped up and I needed to floor it to not get hit. The my car switch to hybrid and went into a crawl pace. I had to floor it again to wake it up and get the heck out of the way. I don't think the computer is doing a good job talking to the hybrid system and the powertrain during emergency maneuvering. This can be dangerous. I know it scared the hell out me.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2024
How the 2024 compares with other CX-90 years
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2024 has the most owner complaints of the 2 CX-90 years we cover, about 12.3 times the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
- Steering773
- Electrical395
- Automatic emergency braking272
- Transmission210
- Engine152
- Acceleration and cruise control142
Recalls to confirm (11)
Recall repairs are free at any Mazda dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
25V568000ElectricalSep 2025
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2024-2025 CX-90 and 2025 CX-70 mild hybrid electric vehicles (MHEV). The fuel gauge in the instrument cluster may display an inaccurate fuel reading.
Risk: An inaccurate fuel gauge may result in the vehicle unexpectedly running out of fuel and stalling, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the body control module (BCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 24, 2025. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 6. The manufacturer's number for this recall is 78251. The information in your report suggests that Mazda may have been aware of this issue more than five business days before filing a report with NHTSA. Please be reminded that under Federal law, this agency is to be notified of all safety defect and/or noncompliance decisions within five business days. 49 CFR 573.6 Significant civil penalties can be assessed for this violation.
24V815000TransmissionOct 2024
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2024 CX-90 and 2025 CX-70 vehicles. The powertrain control module (PCM) and engine control modules (ECM) software may cause malfunction indicator lights to illuminate and a loss of drive power.
Risk: Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the PCM and ECM software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 7024J.
24V816000ElectricalOct 2024
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2024 CX-90 vehicles. The engine may not restart after the idling stop feature (i-stop) turns off the engine due to a software issue.
Risk: An engine that fails to restart increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module (PCM) and the battery energy control module (BECM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 7024J.
24V817000ElectricalOct 2024
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2024 CX-90 and 2025 CX-70 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Improper inverter software may cause the malfunction indicator lights to illuminate, and a loss of drive power may occur while in electric vehicle (EV) mode.
Risk: Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install improved inverter software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 7024J.
24V814000ElectricalOct 2024
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2024-2025 CX-90 and 2025 CX-70 vehicles equipped with a Dash Electrical Supply Unit (ESU). During vehicle startup, the defroster, seat belt warning, 360° view monitor functions, and the PHEV high-voltage battery cooling system may not function properly.
Risk: An ESU that does not function properly, increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the Dash ESU with improved software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 18, 2024. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 7124J.
24V349000Automatic emergency brakingMay 2024
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2024 CX-90 vehicles. The brakes may activate suddenly due to the automatic braking system falsely detecting certain objects while driving.
Risk: Unexpected braking increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the vehicle control module (VCM) with updated software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 12, 2024. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 6724E.
24V022000SteeringJan 2024
Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2024 CX-90 vehicles. An assembly issue with the worm gear in the steering system may result in a sudden loss of power steering assist.
Risk: Loss of power steering assist while driving increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the spring engaging the worm gear and reapply grease to the gear teeth, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 6, 2024. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 6524A.
23V718000Backup cameraOct 2023
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2024 CX-90 and MAZDA3 vehicles. Due to a software error, the rearview, front, and/or side camera images may not appear on the display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility.".
Risk: A camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will update the view monitor control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 20, 2023. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 6223J.
23V719000TransmissionOct 2023
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2024 CX-90 plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) vehicles. Due to a software error, the engine and electric motor may shut down unexpectedly, which can result in a loss of drive power.
Risk: A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the powertrain control module and engine control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 20, 2023. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 6323J.
23V553000Automatic emergency brakingAug 2023
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2024 CX-90 vehicles. Software in the Approaching Vehicle Audible System (AVAS) Information Sound Box (ISB) amplifier may be missing, which can cause inaccurate, external pedestrian warning sounds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid Electric Vehicles.".
Risk: Inaccurate external warning sounds may confuse pedestrians about the direction of an approaching vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will update the AVAS ISB amplifier software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 18, 2023. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 6123H.
23V429000SteeringJun 2023
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2024 CX-90 vehicles. Some steering and suspension bolts may be missing or improperly tightened, which can cause the steering intermediate shaft, the front anti-lock brake system wheel speed sensor harnesses, or the front upper control arms to detach, resulting in a loss of vehicle control.
Risk: A loss of vehicle control increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and tighten or replace the steering and suspension bolts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 14, 2023. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 5923F.
Also looking at these instead of a CX-90?
Cars shoppers compare with the Mazda CX-90, with their own 2024 checklists.
2024 owner complaints, side by side
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- 2024 Mazda CX-90259
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