Car Defect Radar
Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated September 22, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.

Recalls

0 total

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

No recalls on record for this model

No safety recalls were found in this dataset. It is still worth entering the exact VIN on NHTSA before purchase, since recalls can be added at any time.

Owner complaints by system

39 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
26

Most reports here involve fluid leaks. Of these, 2 mention a crash, 1 mention an injury.

fluid leaks 16sudden stalling 5premature wear 2
A recent report: I entered the interstate normally, with no issues accelerating or merging. While driving at approximately 70 mph, in traffic, all three warning messages appeared on the instrument cluster at the same…
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I entered the interstate normally, with no issues accelerating or merging. While driving at approximately 70 mph, in traffic, all three warning messages appeared on the instrument cluster at the same time: “Smart Brake System Malfunction,” “Driver Attention Alert System Malfunction,” and “Forward Smart City Brake Support Malfunction.” At the same moment, the vehicle began to lose speed. I pressed the accelerator pedal firmly. The speed continued to decrease instead of increasing. I could not accelerate at all. An exit was thankfully immediately available. I took the exit, then continued on a side road, then into a parking lot before I could find a safe place to stop. At no point did the pedal work again — I was immensely lucky to navigate safely, especially with my toddler in back seat. Other traffic was present on the interstate at the time. The sudden loss of throttle at that speed, with traffic present on each road and merging across numerous lanes in [XXX] traffic, created a serious risk of collision while I searched for a safe stop. The vehicle has not been inspected by a dealer, it’s with Hiley Mazda of Hurst dealership in [XXX] now. TBD whether the problem can be reproduced. The vehicle can be available for inspection if needed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11763863 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Electrical & infotainment

Worth reading
3

Most reports here involve software faults. Of these, 1 mention a crash.

software faults 3
A recent report: Backup camera shows three to four feet before red collision line is not accurate causing severe damage to my garage door.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11704278 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Brakes

Worth reading
2

Most reports here involve loss of braking. Of these, 1 mention a crash.

loss of braking 1
A recent report: Hello, I have been to a Mazda dealer complaining of clicking and squeaky brakes for 2 years now. Dealer replaced both front and back breaks and rotors around 22k year ago and to my surprise the…
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Hello, I have been to a Mazda dealer complaining of clicking and squeaky brakes for 2 years now. Dealer replaced both front and back breaks and rotors around 22k year ago and to my surprise the issues persist, currently vehicle is at 49k. There is a TSB( 04-001/22) out for my vin and year, so they know its a manufacturing defect and all they do is throw white break grease and a month later the noise is there again when breaking , backing up. I am not the only one, people of reddit confirm this and so does a general google search. Besides that i love the car and the dealer was super cool about it all but I'm sorry, this is unacceptable, Every time i go get an oil change i ask about a fix and nothing.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11619774 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Steering, suspension & tires

Worth reading
4

Most reports here involve loss of steering. Of these, 1 mention a crash.

loss of steering 1
A recent report: On a high-speed highway (Route 14), the vehicle suffered a sudden flat tire/air loss event, forcing an emergency pull-off onto a narrow shoulder with 65 mph traffic. Subsequent inspection revealed…
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On a high-speed highway (Route 14), the vehicle suffered a sudden flat tire/air loss event, forcing an emergency pull-off onto a narrow shoulder with 65 mph traffic. Subsequent inspection revealed the failed tire and the rest of the set were manufactured in late 2007 (DOT code 4907). These 19-year-old tires were installed by a professional tire shop despite being far beyond their safe service life. Component/System Failed: Tires (Set of 4). Tire Size: 255/50 R20 (Vredestein Wintrac 4 Xtreme, DOT 4907). Available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: Sudden tire failure at highway speeds created immediate loss-of-control risks and exposed occupants to high-speed semi-truck traffic on a narrow shoulder. Confirmation/Inspection: DOT date code 4907 confirmed by visual inspection. The installing tire shop was notified and acknowledged the sale/installation. Not yet inspected by manufacturer or law enforcement. Warning Signs: No warning lights, pressure drops, or symptoms occurred prior to failure. UNKNOWN if internal tread separation preceded deflation.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11760004 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Airbags & seat belts

Worth reading
2

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

airbags not deploying 1
A recent report: 2021 Mazda CX-9 Frontal collision at a speed between 10-20 mph. Car shut down after collision and was not drivable. Concern is the driver side airbag did not deploy. (Neither did passenger but there…
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2021 Mazda CX-9 Frontal collision at a speed between 10-20 mph. Car shut down after collision and was not drivable. Concern is the driver side airbag did not deploy. (Neither did passenger but there was no person in the passenger seat)

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11523765 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Structure & body

Minor
1

Most reports here involve other issues.

other issues 1
A recent report: On 4/30/2022 the rear door lift gate opened unexpectedly and hit the ceiling of a parking garage (The Summit at Las Calinas, Irving Texas) , the glass window shattered, glass fell in and outside the…
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On 4/30/2022 the rear door lift gate opened unexpectedly and hit the ceiling of a parking garage (The Summit at Las Calinas, Irving Texas) , the glass window shattered, glass fell in and outside the car. An unfamiliar beeping was heard before the accident, but the source could not be located prior to the impact with the ceiling. A lift gate ajar warning indicator light likely flashed on the dash but was not noticed. We surmised that the root cause was likely due to unintentional pressing of the rear lift gate key fob button (driver had put key fob in pants pocket). This unintentional and unexpected opening of the lift gate has happened on at least 4 prior occasions when the key fob lift gate button has been unintentional pressed. One time resulting in being hit in the head with the lift gate! Potential Risks: 1) People near the rear of the car can be struck when the lift gate unexpectedly opens, 2) Young children who are sitting in the third seat are exposed, 3) Trunk contents can spill out if not secured, 4) Valuables are exposed if lift gate opens while parked unbeknownst to the driver, 5) Damage to vehicle if rear lift gate opens in a home garage and hits the garage door, 6) other Mazda owners as reported on Reddit.(https://www.reddit.com/r/MazdaCX9/comments/mf3h5w/back_trunk_opening_by_itself/) Problem was reported to TOWN NORTH MAZDA dealer. Insurance claim not filed because cost of window replacement is below deductible. We were grateful that no one was hurt and that the car could be driven home.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11463223 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Other systems

Minor
1

Most reports here involve other issues.

other issues 1
A recent report: Please add the 2021 CX9 model to the following bulletin. [XXX] This is exactly what is happening with my car and is extremely frustrating that a recall has not been issued to fix the problem…
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Please add the 2021 CX9 model to the following bulletin. [XXX] This is exactly what is happening with my car and is extremely frustrating that a recall has not been issued to fix the problem. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11619249 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Is 39 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2021 and 2026, roughly 7 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.