Car Defect Radar
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Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated October 26, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.
Urgent recall on this model.

At least one recall carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning. Confirm by VIN that the repair was completed before driving or buying this car. The fix is free at a dealer.

Recalls

6 total · 6 to confirm

Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.

Airbags recall

Do not driveRecall 19V782000 · Oct 2019

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 16V356 and 17V012.
Status
Do not drive until repaired. A dealer fixes this free of charge.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Airbags recall

Do not driveRecall 18V717000 · Oct 2018

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F.
Status
Do not drive until repaired. A dealer fixes this free of charge.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Airbags recall

Do not driveRecall 18V018000 · Jan 2018

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F.
Status
Do not drive until repaired. A dealer fixes this free of charge.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Airbags recall

Do not driveRecall 17V429000 · Jun 2017

An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began on August 30, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recall 16V356 and all vehicles that were not remedied under that campaign are now covered by this one.
Status
Do not drive until repaired. A dealer fixes this free of charge.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Suspension recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 15V451000 · Jul 2015

Over time, the ball joint corrosion may result in the front lower control arm separating from the ball joint, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace both the left and right lower control arms, free of charge. The recall began on September 14, 2015. The recall will begin with model year 2007-2009 vehicles registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The second phase will be for model year 2010-2014 vehicles in the same states. Finally, all remaining vehicles will be remedied. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 8515G.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Safety recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 10V051000 · Feb 2010

THIS MAY CAUSE BURN DAMAGE OF THE SEAT CUSHION SURFACE, OR A RISK OF SMOKE/FIRE.

Remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN ADDITIONAL GROUND HARNESS ON THE SEAT HEATER CONTROL SYSTEM. THE SEAT HEATER CONTROL CIRCUIT WILL BE REPLACED IF NECESSARY AND/OR THE SEAT WILL BE REPAIRED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 9, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MAZDA AT 1-800-222-5500.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Owner complaints by system

162 total

Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.

Engine & powertrain

Worth reading
43

Most reports here involve fluid leaks.

fluid leaks 12sudden stalling 9
A recent report: Water pump failure causing catastrophic engine damage

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11525314 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Electrical & infotainment

Minor
6

Most reports here involve software faults.

software faults 2electrical shorts 1
A recent report: I PURCHASED A 2010 CX9 ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND GOT PULLED OVER LAST NIGHT FOR MY DRIVER SIDE HEAD LIGHT BEING OUT, I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND WAS CHARGED $194 FOR THE BULB REPLACEMENT, BUT IT DID NOT…
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I PURCHASED A 2010 CX9 ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND GOT PULLED OVER LAST NIGHT FOR MY DRIVER SIDE HEAD LIGHT BEING OUT, I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND WAS CHARGED $194 FOR THE BULB REPLACEMENT, BUT IT DID NOT WORK AND WAS CHARGED ANOTHER $130 FOR DIAGNOSTICS . THEY FOUND OUT THAT THE BALLAST HAS BLOWN OUT DUE TO CONDENSATION IN THE HEADLIGHT AND NOW THEY ARE GOING TO CHARGE ME AGAIN FOR THE BALLAST AND LABOR

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11278590 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Brakes

Worth reading
73

Most reports here involve loss of braking. Of these, 5 mention a crash, 2 mention an injury.

loss of braking 69unintended acceleration 3premature wear 1
A recent report: The break booster went out without any warning or indicators while driving almost resulting in a collision. There are no warning lights on the dashboard.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11746341 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Steering, suspension & tires

Minor
14

Most reports here involve premature wear.

premature wear 3corrosion 2
A recent report: Front suspension broke while my husband was driving back from a fire as he is a volunteer firefighter. He states car did not have any lights on dash to report there was a problem. The next thing he…
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Front suspension broke while my husband was driving back from a fire as he is a volunteer firefighter. He states car did not have any lights on dash to report there was a problem. The next thing he knew he heard a loud squealing noise and lost control of the vehicle taking him off road in a small ditch. As the axle broke it went upward and hit both belts and shredded them. He was not able to move or drive the car at all. I am the owner of this vehicle had I been driving I would have totaled and crashed,also I do have A [XXX] son I drive to school most days. Thank goodness my husband is a heck of a driver. I have contacted the Mazda manufacturer and they are stating that the vehicle was already fixed that they will not do a safety remedy. As I found out there was a 8515G recall for the front suspension interior corroding. I just purchased this vehicle on 2/24/2026 it broke on 3/19/2026. The vehicle states to have been fixed in 2017. I have the inspection papers from the previous dealer from whom I bought it from in 2021 and the one from the dealer that I purchased it and that inspection was in 2025. There has been no inspections after I purchased or after the catastrophic failure happened I am in process of this and my insurance is the next I'm contacting. There was no police report as there was only damage done to the vehicle,luckily no one else was involved and my husband was ok. We have never dealt with this before and didn't really know what to do or how to go about this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11726414 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Airbags & seat belts

Worth reading
12

Most reports here involve airbags not deploying. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 2 mention an injury.

airbags not deploying 2airbags deploying unexpectedly 2
A recent report: The contact owns a 2010 Mazda CX-9. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V782000 (Air Bags). The contact called the dealer and was advised to tow the vehicle to the dealer…
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The contact owns a 2010 Mazda CX-9. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V782000 (Air Bags). The contact called the dealer and was advised to tow the vehicle to the dealer for the recall repair. The contact stopped driving the vehicle due to the recall. The contact attempted to call the dealer for an alternative mode of transporting the vehicle to the dealer, but the calls were not returned. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11713717 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Structure & body

Worth reading
8

Most reports here involve corrosion. Of these, 1 mention an injury.

corrosion 2premature wear 1
A recent report: WE TOOK OUR 2010 CX-9 WITH 99,000 MILES THE MAZDA DEALER IN UNION NJ BECAUSE OF A NOISE IN THE CAR AND WERE TOLD THAT THE REAR SUBFRAME HAS ROTTED OUT AND IS DESTROYING THE REAR DIFF MOUNTING BOLTS…
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WE TOOK OUR 2010 CX-9 WITH 99,000 MILES THE MAZDA DEALER IN UNION NJ BECAUSE OF A NOISE IN THE CAR AND WERE TOLD THAT THE REAR SUBFRAME HAS ROTTED OUT AND IS DESTROYING THE REAR DIFF MOUNTING BOLTS. WE WERE ALSO TOLD THE EXHAUST SYSTEM IS ALSO ROTTED OUT AND THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. IF WE GO OVER A POT HOLE, THE WHOLE UNDERCARRIAGE OF CAR CAN FALL OUT. THIS CAR WAS NOT KEPT AT THE BEACH AND WELL MAINTAINED.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11129881 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Other systems

Minor
6

Most reports here involve electrical shorts.

electrical shorts 3
A recent report: I'VE HAD EVERYTHING REPLACED ON MY CAR FOR THE AIR SYSTEM. WHEN I'M TRAVELING THE AIR SEEMS TO WORK FINE. WHEN THE CAR IDOL'S FOR MORE THAN LIKE 5 MIN THE AIR STARTS BLOWING WARMER AND WARMER. HAD…
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I'VE HAD EVERYTHING REPLACED ON MY CAR FOR THE AIR SYSTEM. WHEN I'M TRAVELING THE AIR SEEMS TO WORK FINE. WHEN THE CAR IDOL'S FOR MORE THAN LIKE 5 MIN THE AIR STARTS BLOWING WARMER AND WARMER. HAD THE CAR TAKEN IN MORE THAN ONCE FOR THIS AND THEY HAVE REPLACED DIFFERENT THINGS. THE PROBLEM STILL KEEPS HAPPENING. I HAVE READ WHERE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. HAS THERE BEEN ANY FIX FOR THIS BEING I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM?

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11349039 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Is 162 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2010 and 2026, roughly 10 a year, which is more than the typical model in this dataset. We do not have sales figures for this model, so treat this as a rough volume, not a rate per car on the road. Popular, high-volume models naturally collect more complaints over time.

How does it compare with other years? The 2010 has 162 complaints on file, fewer than the 2011 (170). Of the 14 model years of the Mazda CX-9 we cover, the 2012 has the most (221). Older model years have had longer to collect complaints.