2016 MAZDA CX-5 Complaints

View complaints related to 2016 MAZDA CX-5. The complaints found here are submitted by actual consumers with first hand experience. There are more than 490 complaints submitted for the 2016 MAZDA CX-5. You can submit your own complaint to the NHTSA or call the Hotline, Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at (888) 327-4236, TTY: (800) 424-9153.

  • 2016 MAZDA CX-5
    - Denville , NJ

    Car: 2018 Mazda CX-5 Touring with approximately 39,000 miles. Issue: Burning smell coming from engine compartment- Oil leaking from engine. Problem: Cracked cylinder head as diagnosed by dealer and to be replaced under Mazda Power Train Warranty. Safety was a concern not knowing the issue. Concerned of engine failure, fire, and overall safety. Warnings: No warnings or check engine light was also concerning. Time frame: 10/1/22 evening- noticed slight burning smell which lasted only a few minutes. No evidence of oil leaking. - 10/2/22: Slight burning smell occurred briefly on and off through out late afternoon. No evidence of oil leaking. Smell dissipated. - 10/3/22: Stronger presence of burning smell. Started to notice oil leaking from under car. - 10/4/22: Car inspected by local mechanic and advised to bring to dealer for further assessment. Mechanic observed increased oil leakage and stated oil was coming from within engine. Car towed to dealer, evaluated with a cracked cylinder head. Repair to be covered under Mazda Power Train Warranty. Additional concern: Short and Long Term residual effects on other engine components. Other reports: none. Awareness: I’ve come to understand that there seems to be similar issues with certain model years/production runs that might not be reported due to being covered under warranty. The consumer provided the correct VIN for the vehicle.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2016 MAZDA CX-5
    - Citrus Heights, CA

    smart key. during driving all the lights on the dashboard come on and the siren goes off and unable to have it turn off. After a period of time, its wears down the battery and it is no longer drivable. First time, it was towed to the AAA auto repair and they could not find anything wrong with it. The 2nd and 3rd time, AAA towed it back to Maita Mazda where we purchased it in good faith less than two months ago, and their service department could not find anything wrong with the electrical system. They replaced the battery the seond time, and the issue still occurred again when I turned it off. Then turned it back on as I needed to close the driver side window, and it would not turn on. No one seems to believe me, and we cannot get Maita to take it back and give us another vehicle in its place. It is extemely dangerous to drive in traffic, and we only bought it because it has a big enough trunk for my spouse's walker, and later a wheel chair. It is paid for in full,

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2016 MAZDA CX-5
    - Long Beach, CA

    Last month, my vehicle suddenly applied the electronic parking brake (EPB) while I was driving. The EPB & related warning lights illuminated & would not release until the vehicle was turned off. After turning off the vehicle, the EPB motor could be heard applying the brake to the rear wheels. When the car was restarted, the EPB would remain off for a period of time but would then suddenly reapply. I took my vehicle to a Mazda dealer & they determined the calipers & EPB motor had failed due to my vehicle not being placed in service mode by the brake servicer. This explanation makes no sense because the brakes were replaced over a year ago (& not since) with thousands of miles being driven since then without this issue arising. I also conducted my own research & found that Mazda has issued at least 3 separate technical service bulletins (TSB) on this issue. The first two recommended replacement of the EPB switch & the third determined that defective calipers were the cause and should be replaced. I asked the dealer to save my calipers & confirmed that they are part of the defective batch noted in this TSB. I have contacted Mazda (including their legal counsel) & they are unwilling to provide any explanation or engage in any sort of investigation. As former legal counsel for an automotive company, I believe this presents a serious safety issue for consumers based upon the fact that a parking brake could randomly engage while driving & cause sudden loss of speed/control. Thankfully, this did not result in harm to my family, myself or others. I am certain that this issue is affecting others based on chatboard discussions I have found online related to this topic (which helped me find the TSB). I am concerned that Mazda may have attempted to undertake a silent recall via this TSB where in warranty customers are covered & out of warranty customers are given the 'service mode' explanation to justify their responsibility. This should have been handled as a recall by Mazda.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2016 MAZDA CX-5
    - Carlsbad, CA

    While driving to the airport suddenly all dashboard lights came on and engine "died" during the drive about 50mph. My wife who was driving, was lucky not to get into a crash and steered the car to the side to a full stop . The tow truck driver tried to restart the engine w/o success. The garage determined it is a catastrophic engine failure and need to be replaced. About 2 weeks prior we had an engine warning light. The car was taken to our regular serviced garage and was inspected w/o any issues and light was reset. All routing maintenance has been performed by same garage. There are similar reports on the web about total engine failure of Mazda CX5 during driving!!!

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2016 MAZDA CX-5
    - marana, AZ

    My vehicle does have an outstanding recall on the headlight. The dealership that was servicing my vehicle closed and said they had completed the recall but had not gotten to it before they closed up. Mazda says it's my problem they did the recall. My light does not work.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2016 MAZDA CX-5
    - CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA

    KEYLESS IGNITION -- THE PANIC BUTTON WENT OFF INADVENTENTLY WHILE DRIVING AND THE SOUND SYSTEM WENT OFF AND THE CAR STOPPED WORKING. THE KEYLESS IGNITION WAS LOCATED IN THE CUP HOLDER. iT STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND CALLED AAA.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2016 MAZDA CX-5
    - Newark, DE

    Parked by the curb at the Ft. Lauderdale International Airport. I put the car in Park and left the car idling with the air-conditioning running.as it was 95 degrees and about 100 at around 8:00 AM. There was a shuttle van parked by the curb about 11 feet in front of me. I had to exit my car to talk to the driver in the car behind me. I walked to the car behind me and started talking to the driver. I glanced back at my Mazda CX5 and it started rolling forward. I ran up to the car and got the door open and stepped on the brake. The brakes did not engage. I repeated stepping on the brake several times and the car would not stop. I got in the drivers seat to shift the car into reverse and keep my foot on the brake pedal. The car would not shift into reverse. and by this time the Mazda had pinned to the shuttle van a lady who was trying to unload her luggage. On the sixth attempt to shift into reverse the shifter finally moved into reverse and by standers came to the aid of the lady that had been pinned to the shuttle van. Airport security and the Broward County police took the statements. The lady retrieving her baggage declined medical attention. When I checked to see what the police were reporting they did not acknowledge that I was attempting to stop a runaway vehicle. The report said that I failed to put the car in park and left it in drive. It is not possible to get out of a car that is idling and in gear without the car moving forward or backward before you can even get all the way out of the car. This incident happened about mid July in 2017. Near the end of June this year while in my driveway I left the car idling and in park, exited the car walking to the rear of the car and it dropped into reverse. Got back in the car and shut off the engine. July 2017 the local Mazda dealer inspected the vehicle and could not find as problem. Not unlikely with an intermittent electrical anomaly. There were no prior warning lamps in either incident.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2016 MAZDA CX-5
    - Overland Park , KS

    1. The airbag sensor is not working. The warning signal continually flashes. My shop had airbag system analyzed. Test results showed it is not calibrated correctly. My Mazda dealer, Luther Premier Mazda, said it is an electrical problem, and I will have to pay for analysis. I paid for this analysis when Sallas had it diagnosed. 2. Due to problems with the windshield, I paid for a replacement myself, not knowing there was a recall. I want Mazda to install a Mazda windshield and calibrate the safety systems.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2016 MAZDA CX-5
    - Newark, CA

    Low beam/ high beam still work normal, but the daytime running light is stop working.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2016 MAZDA CX-5
    - Chapel Hill, NC

    I own a 2016 Mazda CX-5 Touring with AWD. I purchased it brand new from a dealer--no miles on it. It's been a great car until this Sudden Unintended Acceleration problem (about 60K miles now). It's happened 5 or 6 times--twice when in a drive thru. It seems that if I am idling (not pressing on gas or brake) the car will sometimes suddenly accelerate. I have used suggestions to brake, then place car in neutral. That seemed to resolve the problem. However, recently I pulled up to my (rural) mailbox and the car tried to accelerate out of control. I had the brake on (was on a downhill) when it happened, so this was scary. I really had to press down more on the brake pedal, then shifted to neutral, then to park. The acceleration finally stopped. I did not observe tachometer readings during this or other events, but will pay more attention if/when this happens in the future. I do not drive with both feet, and as these incidents have occurred I have been able to maintain more composure and analyze what is going on. I am not getting my foot caught in the mat and I'm not mistakenly pressing on the accelerator. I've been to my local Mazda dealer (Sport Durst in Durham) on May 13, 2022 and they were unable to replicate the problem, so could not repair or even troubleshoot it. The car was T-boned about a year ago, with some damage to the passenger front tire. Could that have anything to do with my problems? My partner feels this could be an issue with the Throttle Control Sensor (hardware) or with the software managing throttle control (much more difficult to diagnose, he says). I wanted to ask: for anyone experiencing this problem, did replacing the Throttle Control Sensor or diagnosing software problems resolve the issue? And, do you have any recommendations for me? Since the car is (barely) out of warranty, (just over 6 yrs/60,000 miles) would filing a claim with Mazda be a good approach? Would you suggest I just trade the car in?

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE