Do Mazdas Break Down A Lot?

Committing to buying a car can be difficult. There are so many brands and it is hard to tell if they are trustworthy or need more repairs than your wallet can handle. Before you purchase a Mazda, you should know if they break down a lot.

Certain Mazda models break down a lot. The most troublesome models include the CX-5 and the Mazdaspeed3. These vehicle models commonly have malfunctioning brakes, broken and leaky airbags, or shattering shifters and clutches. Almost all Mazda models have a high amount of complaints, issues, and recalls.

Below, we’ll go through the main types of cars with issues and talk about the recalls and common problems buyers face with these Mazda Models. Let’s get started!

Problems with the Mazdaspeed3

The Mazdaspeed 3 had a good amount of complaints that carried on through the few years it was in production. Mazda says they stopped making the car because it didn’t fit their style of vehicles anymore, but the number of dangerous issues could be another major contributor to the Mazdaspeed3’s discontinuation.

In 2007 there were many complaints about a failed engine. This ultimately lead to a recall because a certain mount bolt would loosen, move around the transmission, and force the vehicle suddenly lose power. The following year, the vehicle would randomly shift into different gears while driving.

This issue carried all the way into 2012, but no recall was made for the gear shift. Finally, in 2010 and 2011 there were complaints about leaky headlights and seats detaching from the vehicle. This was reason for a recall in both models.

If you’re considering purchasing a Mazdaspeed3 verify that the various recalls were addressed and if possible, look at a different Mazda vehicle.

The Mazda CX-5’s Problems

The Mazda CX-5 seems like a very promising vehicle and was released a year after the Mazdaspeed 3 was discontinued. However, it came with many brake issues and a problem ridden entertainment center and dashboard.

Starting in 2015, there were hundreds of complaints about the vehicle either braking or accelerating randomly. This problem did not occur at a specific speed. This problem poses a significant threat to the safety of drivers and passengers.

It wasn’t until 2016 that they had a recall for the parking brake actuators due to the breaks overheating and corroding over time. In 2016, there were also many complaints about the vehicle randomly moving into neutral as well. These issues did not arise again until 2020 with more brake failure and sudden acceleration.

2017 was the beginning of the haywire dashboard and entertainment center issue. There were various complaints about the dashboard lights going off randomly. The entertainment center’s main issues were making random calls, changing the vehicle’s route, and randomly playing music.

In 2018, Mazda issued a recall because the dashboard problem got worse. Eventually, the dashboard issue led to the vehicle stalling or shutting down completely randomly. This recall continued in 2019 while issues persisted.

Problems with the Mazda Tribute

The Mazda Tribute was another model that was discontinued in the year 2011. The Mazda CX-5 was meant to replace the Tribute, but luckily none of the Tribute’s issues carried over to the CX-5. The Tribute did have its own issues, mostly related to the steering wheel refusing to move.

We’ll start with the more recent issues just because older vehicles may not be as used anymore. In 2008, there were many complaints about the steering wheel breaking, popping off, or even freezing while turning. Surprisingly, this problem did not warrant a recall.

The only recall was for the loss of electric power steering assist, which meant that the steering issues were mostly caused at lower speeds. Other recalls include having to rebuild the transmission shift lever, the front wheel bearing being the wrong dimensions and coolant pump failure.

In 2009 and 2010, both the front wheel bearings and the steering assist had to be recalled again because the issues persisted. In 2010, Mazda also issued a recall for the sue, delivery module because it would crack and cause fuel to leak, causing a huge fire risk within the vehicle.

All of these issues continued into 2011, at the end of this model’s life. Like the Mazdaspeed3, there are plenty of reasons this model is no longer sold today.

The Mazda CX-9’s Problems

The Mazda CX-9 has had many issues since it first hit the market in 2007 all the way to 2015. In 2016 and 2017 there were no recalls. However, from 2018 to 2020 some issues and recalls came back up, but with not as many as the previous years.

Starting in 2007 the airbags had to be recalled due to random rupture that could cause extra materials such as small metal bits flying around when deployed. In 2008 the recall had to be done again because the airbags became more likely to explode when deployed. These issues persisted until 2015 and were no longer an issue from 2018 to 2020.

Another issue that has persisted just as long was the front suspension ball joint falling off and creating a loss of steering control. It wasn’t until 2014 that the bolt torque was also found to be an issue that also caused a loss of steering control.

In 2015 only the bolt torque was recalled and not the ball joint, meaning they fixed half of the steering issue. Both issues were completely fixed in 2016

In 2018 and 2019 the fuel pump had a possibility of failure that could cause the engine to stall but was fixed in the 2020 model. The 2018 Mazda CX-9 also had an issue with the front airbag not deploying during crashes. This problem was fixed with a 2019 recall.

The 2019 Mazda CX-9 experienced yet another serious problem where the tire tread would detach while driving. Mazda addressed and fixed this problem in 2020. Finally, in 2020, its only recall was that a seat might slide forward during a crash or sudden stop.

As you can see, the Mazda CX-9 has not had a history of reliability. In fact, many of the problems plaguing the Mazda CX-9 could be life-threatening to drivers and passengers. Never purchase a Mazda CX-9 that hasn’t had the recalls addressed.