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2021 Mazda Mazda6 Problems & Owner Complaints
Age-normalised, this year draws ~2.8 complaints per year on the road — ranking 9 of 10 Mazda Mazda6 years we track (1 = most complaints per year).
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What owners report
Engine is the most-reported problem area on the 2021 Mazda Mazda6, cited in 13 of 17 filed complaints (76%).
Visibility/Wiper is next (2 complaints, 12%), followed by Back Over Prevention (1), Fuel/Propulsion System (1).
No complaint for this vehicle reports a crash, fire, injury or death.
Complaints by vehicle system
Owner complaints filed with the U.S. NHTSA for the 2021 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 17.
Engine 13
“Engine oil low warning 2k miles after oil change and again a week after topping oil off.”
NHTSA complaint #11560526, 2023
“My car displayed a low oil level light between oil changes and after checking the dipstick it was low. No sign of visible oil leak so upon further research I was made aware of a TSB about defective valve seals causing excessive oil consumption. My cars VIN is in the affected range outlined in the TSB. Now when I drive it's likely that slow but permanent damage could be occuring in my vehicle.”
NHTSA complaint #11528713, 2023
“Oil Consumption Defect. I bought car on 7/10/21. Mazda aware of the problem at the time and still sold me the car. Since then I have had to add oil in between oil changes. Mazda states problem cannot be fixed. My car vin # included with defected cars. My Limited New Car Warranty will be up soon. I am aware others have concacted you with this problem. Can you tell me what is being done about this?”
NHTSA complaint #11518647, 2023
Unknown Or Other 2
“Twice had low oil warning lamp appear. First time in July 2023, 2nd time in June 2024. Both times oil has just been changed 2-3 months prior. Saw articles that there was a recent lawsuit, which is why I am filling complaint as well. Not for lawsuit, but for repairs so this does not occur again.”
NHTSA complaint #11598087, 2024
“I been having problems with oil consumption in between oil changes,I am concerned with the potential for damage to other engine systems aside from the reported issue with the gasket stem seals. I been taking my car to the dealership and I been told they don’t have a solution and they don’t know how to fix it. This is a new car!!!”
NHTSA complaint #11491628, 2021
Visibility/Wiper 2
“Sunroof exploded while on the highway. Nothing hit the glass. Glass was facing outward and no evidence if anything striking it. Major safety concern, easily could have blinded my wife or I.”
NHTSA complaint #11459949, 2022
“Visibility/safety issue with OEM Mazda windshields. Objects appear highly distorted from all angles, making it hard to judge distance, read road signs, and drive safely without a disorienting level of distraction occurring at all times. Some objects appear magnified while others seem shrunken, as well as shorter or taller than they actually are. Straight lines appear rippled and in some cases, completely broken. Operating the vehicle for more than a few minutes results in rapid eye fatigue, motion sickness, and vertigo.”
NHTSA complaint #11445162, 2021
Back Over Prevention 1
“The Infotainment system malfunctions. The rear view camera freezes, not with the current conditions but a still picture of a street I do not recognize. This puts not only myself at risk for an accident but those of others as well. This malfunction has been taken into the dealership on two different occasions. Each time the dealer couldn't solve the issue. There is currently a class action lawsuit regarding the Infotainment system.”
NHTSA complaint #11668602, 2025
Fuel/Propulsion System 1
“Oil Consumption Defect. I bought car on 7/10/21. Mazda aware of the problem at the time and still sold me the car. Since then I have had to add oil in between oil changes. Mazda states problem cannot be fixed. My car vin # included with defected cars. My Limited New Car Warranty will be up soon. I am aware others have concacted you with this problem. Can you tell me what is being done about this?”
NHTSA complaint #11518647, 2023
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 2021 Mazda Mazda6 draws about 2.8 complaints per year on the road, ranking 9 of 10 among the Mazda Mazda6 model years we have ingested (1 = most complaints per year on road).
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Related
Data source: U.S. NHTSA (nhtsa.gov). SaveVIN surfaces public recall data and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NHTSA.