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2017 Mazda Mazda6 Problems & Owner Complaints
Age-normalised, this year draws ~6.0 complaints per year on the road — ranking 7 of 10 Mazda Mazda6 years we track (1 = most complaints per year).
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What owners report
Electrical System is the most-reported problem area on the 2017 Mazda Mazda6, cited in 19 of 60 filed complaints (32%).
Engine is next (4 complaints, 7%), followed by Forward Collision Avoidance (4), Service Brakes (4), Power Train (3).
Across all complaints, 1 report a crash, 1 report injuries.
The most safety-critical cluster is Unknown Or Other: 1 crash, 1 injury report(s).
Complaints by vehicle system
Owner complaints filed with the U.S. NHTSA for the 2017 Mazda Mazda6, grouped by the vehicle system each cites. A single complaint can name more than one system, so the group totals can add up to more than 60.
Unknown Or Other 23 1 crash 1 injury
“I WAS DRIVING IN AN URBAN AREA, ON A CITY STREET, AND THE CAR AHEAD OF ME WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN. AS MY VEHICLE WAS SLOWING, I COVERED THE BRAKE PEDAL IN ANTICIPATION OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THE NEED TO BRAKE. THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WAS JUST ABOUT CLEAR AND THERE WAS STILL PLENTY OF DISTANCE BETWEEN US. AT THAT TIME, THE SMART CITY BRAKE SUPPORT ENGAGED AND BROUGHT MY CAR TO A VIOLENT STOP. I FELT IMMEDIATE PAIN IN 2 LOCATIONS OF MY BACK, DUE TO THE JOLT. THERE WAS NOT AN IMPENDING ACCIDENT. IT WASN'T EVEN CLOSE.”
NHTSA complaint #11306704, 2020 · 1 injury(ies)
“BACK-UP CAMERA FROZE PROVIDING A FALSE PICTURE ON CABIN SCREEN, WHICH CAUSED A COLLISION. CAR WAS IN REVERSE BACKING UP. CABIN PICTURE SHOWED OBJECT OUTSIDE OF WARNING RANGE. SEE ATTACHED PICTURE. IF A CHILD WAS BEHIND THE CAR THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT.”
NHTSA complaint #11112253, 2018 · crash
“Ghost touch screen sudden changes in the volume to the maximum while driving. The Mazda dealership where I bought the car said I would need to pay for it, because the car is not under warranty. Mazda said they would not cover the repair.”
NHTSA complaint #11739550, 2026
Electrical System 19
“The infotainment touchscreen display in my 2017 Mazda 6 is experiencing a "ghost touch" defect, where the screen registers inputs without being touched. The defective touchscreen is available for inspection upon request. While driving, the system randomly changes settings, switches menus, activates functions, and changes audio or navigation screens without driver input. This creates a safety hazard because it distracts the driver and requires attention to be diverted from the road to address the unexpected screen activity. The issue occurs repeatedly and can happen at any time while the vehic…”
NHTSA complaint #11753322, 2026
“The center mounted Mazda Connect infotainment system in my 2017 Mazda 6 Touring sedan is defective. The screen randomly & intermittently changes display modes while the vehicle is on (driving or parked). It began about 2024 & getting worse. One second it will be on navigation then it arbitrarily switchs to phone settings or set a random destination in the navigation screen or change radio channels. the routine is entirely random and is never the same results. There are no dash warning lights, no EWL, no indications of any kind before, during or after. Resetting the infotainment system does no…”
NHTSA complaint #11745149, 2026
“Infotainment system continually has ghost touches and opens apps, changes radio stations glitches on the screen while the car is driving making it extremely dangerous to drive as it affects volume also. Sometimes it will just start blaring at full volume. Happens everytime I drive”
NHTSA complaint #11634413, 2025
Engine 4
“Coolant leaked into my engine system . Now dealership says a new engine is needed”
NHTSA complaint #11667202, 2025
“The contact owns a 2017 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated while driving at slower speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, there was a delay before the vehicle responded. Additionally, the contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the contact became aware of a fuel leak on the driveway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the fuel tank was rusted and the fuel sending unit needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired bec…”
NHTSA complaint #11624935, 2024
“I have a 2017 Mazda 6 that has an extremely loud engine. I have taken it in and I’m told the car is fine but I can feel the engine knocking through the pedal as I drive. The sound has gotten louder over time and it’s not getting any better. I’ve had some belts change and keep up my regular maintenance and Mazda can’t seem to figure out what the issue is. I have friends with the same model and their engine sounds normal.”
NHTSA complaint #11475478, 2022
Forward Collision Avoidance 4
“On a clear lane with the forward car 5 car lengths away with traffic flowing, the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) activated slowing my car down from 65mph to 30mph. I deactivated AEB on my exit and changed the AEB distance from “normal” to “near”.”
NHTSA complaint #11701744, 2025
“Mazda 6's from 2017 have a known, reported defect that causes the touch screen to "ghost touch" and randomly enter into the car's menus and change settings, dial phone numbers, delete entries, etc. There is a service bulletin issued to replace the touchscreen cover/lens but Mazda does not honor this repair for cars out of warranty and want to charge customers for this repair. This is a potential liability since the car can change safety settings that a driver is accustomed and relies on without their knowledge possibly resulting in serious injury or death.”
NHTSA complaint #11554042, 2023
“I’ve had my 2017 Mazda6 for 2 years and first had an issue when the vehicle could not detect the key fob was near. A Mazda dealership at that time could not resolve the issue. Now at times the vehicle won’t start unless i physically hover the key fob over the push to start button. I continued with the purchase and now 2 years in I’ve had so many issues with the infotainment screen acting insane, known as “ghost touching”. When coming to a stop the screen will start clicking around to different screen settings on the monitor. It’s incredibly frustrating and unsafe trying to resolve this issue…”
NHTSA complaint #11534184, 2021
Service Brakes 4
“On a clear lane with the forward car 5 car lengths away with traffic flowing, the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) activated slowing my car down from 65mph to 30mph. I deactivated AEB on my exit and changed the AEB distance from “normal” to “near”.”
NHTSA complaint #11701744, 2025
“The part was purchased via Rock auto and installed at home DIY. The vehicle failed to return form "maintenance" mode for the rear parking brake. Took it to a Mazda dealer and they determined the Calipers were both manufactured incorrectly or the "spline gear" in the rear of the caliper that meshes to the Electronic Parking Brake actuator. This caused the parking brake to stay in maintenance mode, making it unusable for parking nor emergency braking, making the vehicle undrivable. It also caused Damage that incurred costs for parts and labor of the vehicle. The vehicle can still be driven an…”
NHTSA complaint #11668599, 2025
“System failure: front and rear hydraulic brakes. Yes, the safety of the driver and passenger were put at risk. No, the problem was not confirmed by the dealer or service center. Why not? See below: a) As the brake components (brake pads) were assumed to be wear items and not covered under warranty, the brake components were replaced (brake rotors and pads) and the calipers were rebuilt. c) The brake service work was performed by the owner of the vehicle (complaint writer). There were no lamps/icons nor messages displayed to alert the vehicle owner of the malfunction. On June 05, 2021 whil…”
NHTSA complaint #11444516, 2021
Power Train 3
“The contact owns a 2017 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the engine choked, and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that when the vehicle accelerated to 60 MPH, the choking and stalling failure ceased. The contact stated that the instrument panel was inoperable. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the failure was diagnosed as PCM failure. The contact was in…”
NHTSA complaint #11729881, 2026
“SITUATION: CVT TRAMSMISSION RUNNING SMOOTHLY WHEN CAR WAS FIRST BOUGHT. I AM 3 WEEKS INTO OWNING THE VEHICLE AND THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO BE GOING OUT. I HAD A DIAGNOSTIC TEXT RUN AND THERE ARE ZERO COMPUTER ERRORS. ISSUES: HIGH REVS AND JERKING OF VEHICLE WHEN GASSED. WHETHER I AM AT A STAND STILL OR ALREADY GIVING GAS. ANY INCREASED SPEED APPLIED BY THE GAS CAUSES THE JERKING MOTION. THERE IS A 2-5 SECOND DELAY FROM THE PEDAL TO THE TRANSMISSION KICKING. I HAVE ALMOST WRECKED MULTIPLE TIMES WHEN THIS ISSUE STARTED OCCURRING ON MY DRIVE. THIS CVT WOULD BE CONSIDERED VERY HAZARDOUS CONSIDER…”
NHTSA complaint #11390759, 2021
“ON THE NIGHT OF 6/22/2018 I WAS TRAVELING BACK TO MISSOURI FROM FLORIDA GOING ABOUT 60-65 MPH ON A INTERCHANGE FROM I-75 TO I-24 WHEN MY CAR LOCKED UP COMPLETELY, IT SENT ME INTO A SPIN THAT I OVER CORRECTED AND THREW THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND HAD TO CORRECT MY STEERING FROM HITTING A GUARD RAIL WHILE AVOIDING 2 SEMIS AND 2 CARS. WE ACTUALLY GOT OUT OF THIS SITUATION BY THE GRACE OF GOD AND NOT A SINGLE SCRATCH TO US OR THE CAR. FOUND OUT THIS MORNING 6/25/2018 THAT OUR TRANSMISSION WAS THE CAUSE AND IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPLACED. IS THERE ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SITUATION. AND TH…”
NHTSA complaint #11103842, 2018
Back Over Prevention 2
“The contact owns a 2017 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated while reversing, the back over prevention screen display was disoriented and had changed the settings. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who performed a factory reset; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11540528, 2021
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 MAZDA 6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BACK-UP CAMERA SCREEN WAS BLANK WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MAZDA OF NORTH MIAMI (20700 NW 2ND AVE, MIAMI, FL 33169, (888) 866-4317) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,508.”
NHTSA complaint #11203338, 2019
Seats 2
“Display screen has developed the common “spider web cracking” with my 2017 Mazda 6. There has been no accident on my vehicle and it is causing issues with being able to clearly see what is showing. My driver seat “heated seat” has melted the lower back leather material. The heating element doesn’t heat the bottom of the seat and just the lower back part. It has caused the leather to melt”
NHTSA complaint #11560250, 2023
“DRIVERS SIDE HEATED SEAT -LOWER BACK GETS VERY HOT ON LOWEST SETTING AND DOESN'T HEAT ACTUAL SEAT. CAN FEEL IT THROUGH A WINTER COAT. WHEN ACCIDENTLY TOUCHED WITH BARE SKIN, ALMOST BURNED.”
NHTSA complaint #11189848, 2019
Structure 2
“My sunroof exploded while I was driving on the 405 S freeway. It can be inspected at any time as I haven’t had it repaired or inspected by anyone yet. It happened while I was driving at least 65 mph in the fast lane. It sounded like a gunshot and startled me greatly. Glass flew everywhere and I believe hit cars around me as I heard multiple vehicles honk. This was a very scary and dangerous experience. There were no warnings and I’ve never had any issues with my sunroof. Nothing fell on my vehicle or impacted the glass. Thankfully no one was hurt but this is extremely concerning.”
NHTSA complaint #11651544, 2025
“I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT AT ~40MPH ON A PAVED ROAD AT ABOUT 830PM, NO OTHER CARS IN FRONT OF MY, WHEN I HEARD A NOISE LIKE A CANNON GOING OFF. I LOOKED UP, AND MY SUN ROOF HAD COMPLETELY SHATTERED: THERE WERE LARGE CHUNKS OF GLASS INSIDE THE CAR, AND EXTENSIVE SCRATCH MARKS ON THE REAR TRUNK COVER. UPON PULLING OVER AND INSPECTING THE DAMAGE, IT APPEARED THAT THE SUN ROOF GLASS HAD EXPLODED OUTWARDS (AS SHOWN IN THE PROVIDED PICTURES), WITH SEVERAL PARTS OF THE REMAINING GLASS BEING DISTINCTLY ANGLED UPWARDS AND VERY LITTLE ACTUAL SHATTERED GLASS BEING INSIDE THE VEHICLE. I HAVE CONTACTED THE…”
NHTSA complaint #10978832, 2017
Air Bags 1
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 MAZDA 6. WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE AIR BAG COULD BE SEEN THROUGH THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE DASHBOARD. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BROWNING MAZDA (LOCATED AT 18827 STUDEBAKER RD, CERRITOS, CA 90703, (562) 924-1414), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11242774, 2019
Carry Handle 1
“The car seat involved is a Nuna RAVA convertible car seat that was sent to the manufacturer solely due to a safety recall. I declined the self-repair recall option and requested that Nuna perform the recall service, which they agreed to. During recall servicing, Nuna inspected the car seat and advised in writing that internal Styrofoam/EPS foam in the headrest was missing or broken and that the car seat is not recommended for continued use and is not safety tested in that condition. Despite determining that the seat is unsafe, Nuna returned the car seat to me without providing a replacement,…”
NHTSA complaint #11709957, 2025
Exterior Lighting 1
“LED HEADLIGHTS ON THIS MODEL CONTINUE TO FLICKER WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS BECOME SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. HAD VEHICLE INSPECTED NOT ALTERNATOR RELATED TO ENTIRE ASSEMBLY WORKMANSHIP ISSUES. COMPANY REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT. OTHER COMPLAINTS EXIST FROM OTHER PEOPLE.”
NHTSA complaint #11389228, 2021
Fuel System 1
“The contact owns a 2017 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated while driving at slower speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, there was a delay before the vehicle responded. Additionally, the contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the contact became aware of a fuel leak on the driveway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the fuel tank was rusted and the fuel sending unit needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired bec…”
NHTSA complaint #11624935, 2024
Fuel/Propulsion System 1
“2017 Mazda6 Infotainment System also found in Mazda CX-5. Known as "Ghost Touch," it is a known issue acknowledged by the company and dealerships. Available for inspection upon request. The Infotainment system controls navigation, ADAS heads up navigation, illumination of instruments and other driver instrumentation and safety warning systems. Above a set speed the screen is NOT a touch screen. When the car slows below a preset speed or is stopped, the display screen becomes a touch screen. The screen will then randomly and intermittently begin to reset itself, changing between and alteri…”
NHTSA complaint #11564260, 2021
Insert 1
“The car seat involved is a Nuna RAVA convertible car seat that was sent to the manufacturer solely due to a safety recall. I declined the self-repair recall option and requested that Nuna perform the recall service, which they agreed to. During recall servicing, Nuna inspected the car seat and advised in writing that internal Styrofoam/EPS foam in the headrest was missing or broken and that the car seat is not recommended for continued use and is not safety tested in that condition. Despite determining that the seat is unsafe, Nuna returned the car seat to me without providing a replacement,…”
NHTSA complaint #11709957, 2025
Lane Departure 1
“Mazda 6's from 2017 have a known, reported defect that causes the touch screen to "ghost touch" and randomly enter into the car's menus and change settings, dial phone numbers, delete entries, etc. There is a service bulletin issued to replace the touchscreen cover/lens but Mazda does not honor this repair for cars out of warranty and want to charge customers for this repair. This is a potential liability since the car can change safety settings that a driver is accustomed and relies on without their knowledge possibly resulting in serious injury or death.”
NHTSA complaint #11554042, 2023
Other/I Am Not Sure 1
“The car seat involved is a Nuna RAVA convertible car seat that was sent to the manufacturer solely due to a safety recall. I declined the self-repair recall option and requested that Nuna perform the recall service, which they agreed to. During recall servicing, Nuna inspected the car seat and advised in writing that internal Styrofoam/EPS foam in the headrest was missing or broken and that the car seat is not recommended for continued use and is not safety tested in that condition. Despite determining that the seat is unsafe, Nuna returned the car seat to me without providing a replacement,…”
NHTSA complaint #11709957, 2025
Tires 1
“The contact owns a 2017 Mazda Mazda 6 equipped with a Yokohama 125/70r17 spare tire, DOT number unknown. Upon inspection of his vehicle, the contact discovered that the original spare tire that was placed in the vehicle by the manufacturer was 2.8 inches lower than the original tires placed on the vehicle. The contact stated that this failure could lead to hazardous driving conditions when placed on the vehicle. The contact had yet to be experience a failure. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the matter.”
NHTSA complaint #11458666, 2022
Wheels 1
“I PURCHASED A 2017 MAZDA 6 GRAND TOURING IN JULY 2017, NEW FROM CLASSIC MAZDA IN MENTOR, OHIO. THE DUNLOP TIRES THAT CAME ON MY CARE ARE COMPLETE GARBAGE AND UNSUITABLE TO DRIVE ON IN THE RAIN. THEY BEGIN TO HYDROPLANE WITH EVEN THE SLIGHTEST AMOUNT OF WATER ON THE ROAD, AND ARE DOWN RIGHT DANGEROUS IN ANY WEATHER MORE SEVERE THAN LIGHT RAIN. THERE HAVE BEEN DOZENS OF INSTANCES OF WHITE-KNUCKLE DRIVING 10-15MPH SLOWER THAN THE REST OF TRAFFIC BECAUSE THE CAR BECOMES UNDERIVABLE IN THE RAIN. I HAVE NEVER DRIVEN A VEHICLE OR TIRES THAT PERFORMED THIS POORLY NOR HAD SUCH A STARK TRANSITION FROM F…”
NHTSA complaint #11047226, 2017
How we read this (methodology)
How to read this: raw complaint totals are not a clean reliability score — a model year with more cars sold, or simply more years on the road, accumulates more complaints regardless of how good it is. So this page leans on two signals that are not distorted by sales volume: the share of complaints falling on each vehicle system (the breakdown above) and NHTSA's own crash / fire / injury / death flags. When we compare model years of the same model, we normalise by years on the road (complaints ÷ vehicle age) rather than comparing raw totals. Age-normalised, the 2017 Mazda Mazda6 draws about 6.0 complaints per year on the road, ranking 7 of 10 among the Mazda Mazda6 model years we have ingested (1 = most complaints per year on road).
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Data source: U.S. NHTSA (nhtsa.gov). SaveVIN surfaces public recall data and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NHTSA.