2020 Mazda CX-5 Problems & Owner Complaints

Electrical System 30 1 crash 1 injury

“MY 2020 MAZDA CX-5 WAS 2 DAYS OLD AND THE BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DRAINED AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. I PICKED IT UP AND THEY DID NOTHING TO THE BATTERY. THEY TOLD ME NOTHING WAS WRONG AND THEY REPLACED THE KEY FOB BATTERY. TWO MORE DAYS AFTER THAT I PARKED IT IN MY GARAGE AND PUSHED THE BUTTON TO TURN IT OFF. APPARENTLY IT DID NOT TURN OFF AND COME MORNING, I HAD SIGNIFICANT CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING AND WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR 4 NIGHTS. MY CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN AND THE ODD THING WAS THAT THE BATTERY WAS DRAINED AGAIN AND THERE WAS STILL GAS IN IT. MY LOCAL MAZDA DEALER REFUSES TO HELP…”
NHTSA complaint #11373760, 2020 · 1 injury(ies)

“PURCHASED BRAND NEW 2020 MAZDA CX-5 ON SEPT 25, 2020. ON SEPT. 29, 2020 WITH < 500MI: WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ON COUNTY ROAD, PRESSED BRAKE PEDAL AND THE PEDAL DID NOT MOVE. SEVERAL MALFUNCTION LIGHTS FLASHED INCLUDING "POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION", "SMART CITY BRAKE SUPPORT MALFUNCTION". REPEATEDLY SLAMMED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT DID NOT MOVE AT ALL. TRIED TO SWERVE TO AVOID A VEHICLE BUT THE STEERING WAS UNRESPONSIVE. IMPACTED A VEHICLE AT A RED LIGHT. MAZDA SERVICE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE BRAKE WAS ENGAGED BEFORE THE IMPACT EXCEPT FOR A "HARD BRAKE EVE…”
NHTSA complaint #11366933, 2020 · crash

“The infotainment display screen on my 2020 Mazda CX-5 has suffered a severe hardware failure resulting in un-commanded inputs, commonly known as "ghost touching." While driving at highway speeds, the touchscreen constantly registers phantom touches. It actively hijacks the vehicle's computer system and cuts out my Apple CarPlay connection during trips. This morning, the ghost touching randomly turned the Apple Maps navigation volume up to the absolute maximum level without warning. This intense, sudden noise causes driver shock and distraction while in motion, creating an immediate risk of…”
NHTSA complaint #11743236, 2026

Unknown Or Other 24 1 crash 1 injury

“The vehicle accelerated on its own, while I was parking. My foot was on the brake when the vehicle just took off. It continued to accelerate until a building stopped it. I continued to brake but the vehicle did not stop. Once the vehicle collided with building, saw on the digital read out the "Brake System Malfunction" and then Camera Malfunction. The vehicle was towed from the site and the insurance adjuster has sent me word that the vehicle is a total loss.”
NHTSA complaint #11616109, 2024 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“I am reporting an ongoing defect with the infotainment system in my 2020 Mazda CX-5, involving ghost-touch inputs, system freezing, and random reboots. These issues began around the second year of ownership and have progressively worsened. The system constantly registers inputs that are not being made (ghost-touch), changes settings on its own; and occasionally- reboots while operating the vehicle. This makes it difficult or impossible to reliably use essential vehicle functions such as navigation, communication, and audio controls. The issue is particularly concerning because it creates a d…”
NHTSA complaint #11728663, 2026

“THE SUNROOF EXPLODED NORMAL TEMPS in CHICAGO IL Halloween Hight 60 desgres on while driving on HWY”
NHTSA complaint #11696893, 2025

Engine 17

“Cylinder Head has failed at 53,000 miles. Mazda has a technical service bulletin acknowledging that this is a common occurrence with this part. They have an extended warranty for the turbo engine but not for the standard engine. Looking through online forums, there are hundreds of not thousands of these issues for this model year and engine. Mazda has clearly acknowledged there is an issue and should repair these manufacturing defects that are not normal wear and tear items.”
NHTSA complaint #11745274, 2026

“The Smart Brake Support system malfunctioned while driving. The vehicle began shaking and lost power, requiring excessive throttle to move. The car hesitates and may not accelerate normally, creating a dangerous situation in traffic. Warning lights appeared on the dashboard and the vehicle became unsafe to operate. The issue occurred shortly after purchase and was reproduced multiple times. The dealer inspected the vehicle but refused to provide a written diagnosis or repair timeline. The vehicle is unreliable and poses a risk of sudden loss of control or rear-end collision.”
NHTSA complaint #11720015, 2026

“I noticed an oil leak. I had it diagnosed and its a crack in the cylinder head, right above the exhaust manifold. This is known issue for Mazda's online. There is oil spilling everywhere. The oil burns off as it is driving. Smoke fills my car.”
NHTSA complaint #11677045, 2025

Service Brakes 14 6 crash 4 injury

“The vehicle accelerated on its own, while I was parking. My foot was on the brake when the vehicle just took off. It continued to accelerate until a building stopped it. I continued to brake but the vehicle did not stop. Once the vehicle collided with building, saw on the digital read out the "Brake System Malfunction" and then Camera Malfunction. The vehicle was towed from the site and the insurance adjuster has sent me word that the vehicle is a total loss.”
NHTSA complaint #11616109, 2024 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“BOUGHT A MAZDA CX5 JUNE 2020 AND IT WAS INVOLVE IN A ACCIDENT SEPT 17TH 2020 DO TO BRAKE FAILURE. MY MOTHER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTED PARKING IN A APARTMENT COMPLEX WHEN THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP AND COLLIDED WITH THE FACILITY 20FT IN FRONT OF THE PARKING SPACE. AT THE INCIDENT, I THE OWNER, FOUND 3 DAMAGE ROTORS WERE THE FLAW CAME FROM HEAVY GRINDING AT THE CALIBER (SEE ATTACH PHOTOS). WITHIN THE CALIBER'S ALLOY YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE CHIPPED ALLOY PRODUCED FROM A FLAW & THE ALIGNMENT OF WHERE IT GRINDS THE ROTOR (SEE ATTACHED PHOTOS). A WITNESS STATED SHE WAS PRESENT DURING THE TI…”
NHTSA complaint #11360368, 2020 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“On Septmber 2, 2023 the car had been on a 4 hour road trip. I came into the driveway, left the car running in Park with the brakes on (listening to music while I cleaned the car out) it was idylling for about 5 minutes. I went to the drivers side door, which was open and reached in to turn the car off using the start/stop button. Before I could turn the car off, it started backing up and the door ran over me. The car was definitely in Park and the Brake was on. There was no reason for the parking brake to disengage.”
NHTSA complaint #11546572, 2023 · 1 injury(ies)

Forward Collision Avoidance 11 2 crash

“While driving on the highway in traffic, I was applying the brakes (slowly and smoothly) and moving with the flow of traffic when the SBS system activated the brakes harshly and slammed me to a stop without reason. In addition to throwing me forward against my seatbelt, it also resulted in the car behind me rear-ending me. I did not hit the car ahead of me, since I was far enough behind them BEFORE the smart brake support engaged, but the feature caused an accident that could have been avoided.”
NHTSA complaint #11729750, 2026 · crash

“I was traveling behind a propane truck, that was going to make a right turn. I disengaged the adaptive cruise control by tapping on the break. I began coasting to a stop, suddenly the car began accelerating again with no warning. I was forced to make the turn with the propane truck and side swiped the truck in the process.”
NHTSA complaint #11522742, 2023 · crash

“While driving my vehicle the systems sensors are affected by nearby drivers which cause the car to stall in the middle of traffic going between 40 and 75 miles per hour.”
NHTSA complaint #11683539, 2025

Power Train 8

“Started smelling burning oil in 2020 Mazda CX-5 non turbo with 34,000 miles. Auto shop states it is a cracked cylinder that will cost over $7,000 to repair. A Google search shows it is a known issue but Mazda has not extended the warranty for non-turbo models.”
NHTSA complaint #11718626, 2026

“The contact owned a 2020 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while driving under 45 MPH, the TCM received a false data sensor warning, causing the vehicle to enter LIMP Mode. The contact stated that during the failure, the smart brake feature, Adaptive Cruise Control, and other unknown ADS features and warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure with the ADS system prompted the vehicle to come to a complete stop while driving 45 MPH. The contact parked and turned off the vehicle to troubleshoot the ECU after the failure had occurred. The contact restarted the vehicle,…”
NHTSA complaint #11709183, 2025

“Vehicle suffering from Mazda TSB 05-005/23 Chirping noise from Transaxle on 3rd to 4th gear upshift. Vehicle diagnosed by dealership as needing new Transaxle on 17OCT25. Diagnosis stated issue started ~32k miles.”
NHTSA complaint #11697451, 2025

Structure 6 1 crash

“The rear camera and warning system has failed numerous times. On one occasion I hit a vehicle because of the failure. Also, the windshield has a leak that sometimes is like a waterfall causing serious visibility problems.”
NHTSA complaint #11531591, 2023 · crash

“SUNROOF EXPLODING - 2020 Cx5 I've seen other reports on mazda forums happending on cx the sunroofs RANDOM normal temp in chicago IL on Halloween night”
NHTSA complaint #11696894, 2025

“When driving at highway speeds, when there are strong crosswinds, as there are prone to be in my area, depending on which way the wind is coming from both doors will make a screeching/howling noise. This noise is very loud and extremely distracting. When it first happens it is very jarring, and depending on the wind conditions can go on for miles, making it very hard to hear anything else. I have taken the car to two dealers who refuse to fix it because they state they cannot reproduce it but it is not something that can be reproduced without specific conditions, but they are aware it exists a…”
NHTSA complaint #11533703, 2023

Air Bags 5 1 crash 1 injury

“Airbags did not deploy when I crashed into a guard rail dragging for 40-50 feet.”
NHTSA complaint #11489133, 2022 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“Air bag light is flashing in the dashboard. It says passenger air bag off. Driver seatbelt doesn't always click when trying to fastent seatbelt. I have to try multiple times until it clicks.”
NHTSA complaint #11730087, 2026

“While traveling on an Interstate highway, my passenger side curtain airbag suddenly deployed without any warning while I was driving. There was no collision or impact, there was no debris on the road, or any significant bumps in the road. There was a very loud explosive sound and then my entire passenger side was covered in blue. The sound was so loud that it left my ears ringing and left me badly shaken up. I lost all visibility out of my passenger side as all of my side windows and mirrors were obscured, and I knew there was traffic in that lane along side of me. It felt very dangerou…”
NHTSA complaint #11682340, 2025

Vehicle Speed Control 5 2 crash 1 injury

“The vehicle accelerated on its own, while I was parking. My foot was on the brake when the vehicle just took off. It continued to accelerate until a building stopped it. I continued to brake but the vehicle did not stop. Once the vehicle collided with building, saw on the digital read out the "Brake System Malfunction" and then Camera Malfunction. The vehicle was towed from the site and the insurance adjuster has sent me word that the vehicle is a total loss.”
NHTSA complaint #11616109, 2024 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“I WAS PARKED AT A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT THAT HAD AN OUTDOOR KIOSK FOR PAYMENT. I GOT OUT OF MY CAR TO PAY AND GOT BACK IN. AFTER ABOUT A MINUTE OR TWO MY CAR ACCELERATED FORWARD, GOING OVER A SLOPED CURB AND DOWN A SHORT LOW GRADE HILL, HITTING A POLE. I WAS CONFUSED TO HOW THE CAR WOULD GO FORWARD BECAUSE I WAS IN PARK THE WHOLE TIME.”
NHTSA complaint #11405931, 2021 · crash

“The contact owns a 2020 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while the cruise control was activated and driving 65 MPH in the middle lane of a busy six-lane highway, the contact depressed the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle was suddenly stalled and coasted to a complete stop in the middle of the highway. The contact was able to restart the vehicle to continue driving. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure and was unable to confirm that the failure had occurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of t…”
NHTSA complaint #11689633, 2025

Exterior Lighting 4 1 crash

“PURCHASED BRAND NEW 2020 MAZDA CX-5 ON SEPT 25, 2020. ON SEPT. 29, 2020 WITH < 500MI: WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ON COUNTY ROAD, PRESSED BRAKE PEDAL AND THE PEDAL DID NOT MOVE. SEVERAL MALFUNCTION LIGHTS FLASHED INCLUDING "POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION", "SMART CITY BRAKE SUPPORT MALFUNCTION". REPEATEDLY SLAMMED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT DID NOT MOVE AT ALL. TRIED TO SWERVE TO AVOID A VEHICLE BUT THE STEERING WAS UNRESPONSIVE. IMPACTED A VEHICLE AT A RED LIGHT. MAZDA SERVICE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE BRAKE WAS ENGAGED BEFORE THE IMPACT EXCEPT FOR A "HARD BRAKE EVE…”
NHTSA complaint #11366933, 2020 · crash

“My car is experiencing extreme ghost screen. Also when this happens I get a lot of warning lights when nothing is truly experiencing fault. My screen will jump, change settings, reset settings,become dark on it own, not turn on at all, flip through the system causing major distractions. For instance I was driving in my car with quiet no noise then my screen jump and without warning blasted am and scared the living heck out of me while on the highway. It has called people and hung up on its own. Lights flicker and one side of my top lights don't work. My plugin have no electricity coming to the…”
NHTSA complaint #11668196, 2023

“I HAVE BEEN WARNED BY OTHER DRIVERS AT NIGHT THAT MY TAIL LIGHTS WERE OUT. MY CLOCK AND RADIO BOTH ARE MALFUNCTIONING. I JUST TOOK THE CAR FOR THE YEARLY INSPECTION AND THERE IS A MAJOR OIL LEAK FROM A GASKET. THE CAR ONLY HAS 16,000 MILES ON IT!”
NHTSA complaint #11399640, 2021

Fuel/Propulsion System 4 1 injury

“MY 2020 MAZDA CX-5 WAS 2 DAYS OLD AND THE BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DRAINED AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. I PICKED IT UP AND THEY DID NOTHING TO THE BATTERY. THEY TOLD ME NOTHING WAS WRONG AND THEY REPLACED THE KEY FOB BATTERY. TWO MORE DAYS AFTER THAT I PARKED IT IN MY GARAGE AND PUSHED THE BUTTON TO TURN IT OFF. APPARENTLY IT DID NOT TURN OFF AND COME MORNING, I HAD SIGNIFICANT CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING AND WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR 4 NIGHTS. MY CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN AND THE ODD THING WAS THAT THE BATTERY WAS DRAINED AGAIN AND THERE WAS STILL GAS IN IT. MY LOCAL MAZDA DEALER REFUSES TO HELP…”
NHTSA complaint #11373760, 2020 · 1 injury(ies)

“Car “died” while idling at a traffic light. It started but would not start several hours later and car was towed to mechanic. Diagnostics “determined “after several days that car needed an ECM. ECM was ordered and replaced, along with the battery. This took several weeks, in the meantime, I had to rent a vehicle. Vehicle picked up on May 29th and driven 250 miles and car sputtered, hesitated, slowing down in heavy traffic at high speeds on highway, putting other drivers and myself in a very unsafe situation. Several days later this happened again while traveling back home, again, at highway…”
NHTSA complaint #11664532, 2025

“The car has signs of current recall in other Cx-5 Models. Hesitation with acceleration or driving at high speed, reduced power, not responding appropriately when accelerating or would accelerate on its own, strong smell of gas after the car has been driven and is parked. I know there is currently a recall for a gas pump failure. There is no engine light on.”
NHTSA complaint #11730088, 2023

Lane Departure 4

“While driving my vehicle the systems sensors are affected by nearby drivers which cause the car to stall in the middle of traffic going between 40 and 75 miles per hour.”
NHTSA complaint #11683539, 2025

“"ghost touch" issue on my cars touch screen operates by itself or doesn't respond. I was driving down a dark road when it went black, the screen had adjusted its brightness down to zero! The radio will change stations then freeze and the manual controls won't even work.”
NHTSA complaint #11626121, 2024

“The infotainment system experiences a "ghost touch" at random times. Usually it is when it is warm out or in direct sunlight. This has caused some of the safety features of the car to be randomly turned off. The system becomes unresponsive to manual controls while the ghost touch is occurring. This is frequent and dangerous. It is shut off lane control warnings, lighting, dimmed the entire system, etc. This has been a known issue on past models and the dealer is telling me they are aware of this but it is not covered under the warranty on my model. The first time this occurred was around 35,00…”
NHTSA complaint #11516741, 2023

Visibility/Wiper 4

“Read windshield just shattered while driving down the highway. No object hit the windshield. On I-95 near PHL airport, near exit for Rt 420”
NHTSA complaint #11742819, 2026

“Display went dark and did not display. This is not the only time it happens. It acts like someone’s touching the screen even when in motion. It prevents the reverse camera from displaying.”
NHTSA complaint #11620857, 2024

“The rear windshield wiper stops working while driving in a rainstorm. This has happened twice. The wiper works for 30-60 minutes and then stops. Was inoperable for the remaining 4 hours of the trip. When we took the car in for troubleshooting the 1st time, they could not reproduce the problem. After the second time the dealer was able to reproduce the problem. It appears to be related to the operating time and not the rain. Searching online discovered numerous Mazda CX5 owners reported the same issue. Our safety was at risk since we could not see out the rear windshield. The vehicle h…”
NHTSA complaint #11614010, 2024

Back Over Prevention 3 1 crash

“The rear camera and warning system has failed numerous times. On one occasion I hit a vehicle because of the failure. Also, the windshield has a leak that sometimes is like a waterfall causing serious visibility problems.”
NHTSA complaint #11531591, 2023 · crash

“The vehicle reboots the screen/infotainment system while driving. The dealership has updated the software and replaced the screen (Screen was at my cost). They reset the codes and it comes back. This is a safety hazard as it could cause non compliance with the FMVSS in regards to rear-view cameras being required. There is currently a settlement in place under a class action.”
NHTSA complaint #11669094, 2025

“Display went dark and did not display. This is not the only time it happens. It acts like someone’s touching the screen even when in motion. It prevents the reverse camera from displaying.”
NHTSA complaint #11620857, 2024

Wheels 2

“VEHICLE WAS ON A CITY STREET TRAVELING AT 35-40 MPH WHEN THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL (YOKOHAMA GEOLANDAR G91) SPONTANEOUSLY BLEW OUT DESPITE NOT COLLIDING WITH ANY OBJECTS OR ROAD HAZARDS. AS A RESULT, DRIVER SIDE CURTAIN AND SEAT AIRBAGS ERRONEOUSLY DEPLOYED AND THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY SHUTOFF, CAUSING DISORIENTATION AND TEMPORARY LOSS OF HEARING IN ONE EAR.”
NHTSA complaint #11403180, 2021

“AFTER PICKING-UP A BRAND NEW CAR FROM MAZDA DEALERSHIP, I WAS RETURNING HOME USING A 3-LANE I-75 HIGHWAY, AS ALWAYS EXTREMELY BUSY. TO STAY IN THIS TRAFFIC I WAS FORCED TO DRIVE AT 70 MPH, WHICH IS THE LOCAL SPEED LIMIT. IT TURNS OUT THAT FROM THE SPEED OF 60 MPH UP, THE CAR DIDN'T WANT TO DRIVE IN A STRAIGHT LINE ON ITS OWN AND REQUIRED CONTINUOUS STEERING WHEEL CORRECTIONS. THIS CREATED A HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITION CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT THE ADJACENT LANES WERE PACKED-UP WITH THE OTHER VEHICLES. UPON ARRIVAL I EXAMINED THE TIRES INSTALLED ON THE CAR AND FOUND THEM TO BE M+S TOYO A36…”
NHTSA complaint #11309973, 2020

Engine And Engine Cooling 1

“The contact owns a 2020 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while the cruise control was activated and driving 65 MPH in the middle lane of a busy six-lane highway, the contact depressed the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle was suddenly stalled and coasted to a complete stop in the middle of the highway. The contact was able to restart the vehicle to continue driving. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure and was unable to confirm that the failure had occurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of t…”
NHTSA complaint #11689633, 2025

Equipment 1

“The contact owns a 2020 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated the infotainment Connect Center was unintendedly switching to different functions, with the volume increasing independently. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.”
NHTSA complaint #11652744, 2023

Seat Belts 1

“Air bag light is flashing in the dashboard. It says passenger air bag off. Driver seatbelt doesn't always click when trying to fastent seatbelt. I have to try multiple times until it clicks.”
NHTSA complaint #11730087, 2026

Seats 1

“The front seats, both electric and manual powered are rocking back and forth. Upon acceleration both seats will slightly rock backwards and then upon applying the brakes they will rock forward. It's almost like whatever is holding the seats still has a defected part or a defect somewhere else. This concerns me as a safety issue, if something were to happen and if I got into an accident, aren't the seats supposed to be secured and not have any slack or rocking in them? This has happened before on my driver side seat when I had a mazda service technician look at it he confirmed it needed to…”
NHTSA complaint #11611173, 2024

Steering 1

“The steering column in this car has a known defect in the steering column nut resulting in knocking/rattling/clunking. Mazda is aware of this issue and has redesigned the steering column and issued multiple TSBs for specific models, years, and even VINs. Mazda is not classifying this a a safety issue to avoid recall but if the part is to fail it can result in loss of vehicle control and a crash. The steering column is main component necessary to have control over the car and the direction it travels. I've called my dealership and Mazda corporate who both refuse to fix the issue even though…”
NHTSA complaint #11724703, 2026