Mazda CX-5 (2012 – 2016) Review

Mazda in Australia ordered a recall and issued the cars with new dipsticks on which the X mark is 11mm higher. This is combined with a PCM upgrade to reduce the overfuelling.

Shortage of replacement front windscreens for UK CX-5s in June and July of 2013. Mazda responded: "We have a number of windscreens coming by both air and boat, with a delivery due next week of around 50 pieces. A further delivery is due 2 weeks after this and then a further delivery is due the week after that."

Problem reported with fuel filler of Mazda CX-5 2.0 SE-L petrol model. Seems that the return air filter system that keeps CFCs out of the atmosphere is blocked.

Another report of a cracked screen on a Mazda CX-5 (see 22-7-2013) and continuing shortage of replacements.

Reader bought 3,300 mile ex-demo 2013 Mazda Mazda CX5 2.2 4-Wheel Drive in September 2013. on 27-4-2014 red engine oil pressure light came on translating to "Engine Oil Pressure Inspection Required". Engine had to be stripped down and many components replaced plus a double oil flush, total dealer bill £4,635 + VAT, paid by Mazda.

Stress cracks across the windscreens are becoming increasingly common because the edges of the glass are exposed at the screen pillars where they are vulnerable to stone chips. These then turn into cracks right across the screen, same as on a Mazda 5.

June 2014 Mazda CX-5 plagued with persistent electrical gremlins that the dealer has been unable to rectify.

Battery of 8,000 mile 13 month old Mazda CX-5 drained overnight. This was after a 600 miles run. Side doors open but hatch stayed locked. Suspect salt laden moisture getting into the hatch lock solenoid and causing the drain.

Handful of complaints of 2013/63 CX-5 Skyactiv diesel: i-eloop required new capacitor at 25k miles and subsequently does not shut off the engine as often as before. TPMS is over-active, (possibly due to tyre wear). Engine is over-fuelling leading to a repeated rising oil level.

Like a Mazda 5, the windscreen of a CX-5 is bonded to its frame and the outer edge of the glass is exposed. If a stone strikes that part of the screen it will probably start a stress crack that slowly crosses the screen, requiring a replacement screen.

Report of clutch judder on February 2014 Mazda CX-5 2.2 Skyactiv diesel at 15,000 miles especially changing 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd. Possibly DMF, but then seemed to self-cure. Reader then received TSB recall notice heded "unusual brake pedal feeling" that was really about replacing the sump oil strainer or the oil filter.

Complaint of terrible unreliability from 2012 Mazda CX-5 Sport Nav 175 AWD over 2 years requiring 7 garage visits in 20k miles. ("over 2 years" implies bought used.) "Problems included all manner of warning lights on 'engine oil pressure inspection required' 'vehicle system inspection required' being the most recent. Been in twice to have different sensors replaced. Reversing camera has been replaced. Rear electric window switch has been replaced. Sticking brake calliper has been replaced. Some pump or other has been replaced. Climate control stopped working on one side. It's been losing power when accelerating up a hill. 2 different Mazda dealers have failed to solve all the problems. They say they are fixed then 2 months later more lights back on. Looks like I just got a bad one."

Complaint of alarm of used 2014 CX-5 going off spasmodically. Thought to be a fault with a door sensor.

Report of leather seat stitching coming apart on 2013 Mazda CX-5. Bought used 9 month previously.

Report of heater in 32k mile 2013 Mazda CX-5 2.2d stopping working. Mazda dealer said the cooling system needed a citric-acid flush. While waiting for this, within a couple of weeks, the dash went from occasionally showing an overheating warning to severe overheating and the EMC unit putting the vehicle into “limp mode”, requiring immediate return to the dealer. The dealer finally carried out the citric-acid flush and all appeared back to normal.

Report of severe corrosion on rear brake discs of September 2016 (10 month old) 9,300 mile Mazda CX-5.

Report of Mazda 45k mile 2012 CX-5 2.2 diesel AWD having a TSB recall a few weeks ago for a vacuum pump. Now, the turbo has failed. Mazda had told the dealer to strip out the camshafts as part of the rebuild. Owner read about problems with Vac/Turbo/Cams which seem to be linked and probably batch-related. As yet, not been quoted any costs, although it's likely there will be some 'goodwill'.

Complaint echoed in Owner's Reviews that "the driver’s seat (of a 2015 Mazda CX-5) feels a bit out of alignment to the steering wheel and peddles". Owner writes, "as result of this misalignment I feel back pain every time I drive the car. I raised the issue with both the dealer and the manufacturer but feel that I'm being bounced between the two, with near-zero likelihood of the problem being fixed before the warranty expires. My only hope now is to be able to prove beyond any doubt to both the dealer and the manufacturer that the seat is misaligned (slightly to the left of the middle of the steering wheel) and the size of this misalignment."

Engine problem with used Mazda CX-5 reported. On 15 December the car suddenly lost power and wouldn't restart. After local garage spent a week trying to solve the problem, it was towed to another independent gartage on Thursday 11 January. Diagnostics couldn't find the problem, but once they spoke to Mazda on Tuesday 16 January an issue with the camshaft and Turbo was identified. Fixing it would cost £2,762.09 to which owner agreed. VIN is JMZKEN91600163092 and affected cars known for camshaft problems are up to number 163230 starting with JMZKE. The car was collected on Saturday 20 January, driven home, but then failed to start on a slight incline later that morning. Once it was freewheeled to the flat it started but obviously the issue is not resolved and the garage will need to look at the car again.

Report that at 52,000 miles a Mazda CX-5 2.2 Skyactiv diesel needed the camshaft replacing together with a new turbo and an angine flush. Mazda paid 50% of the cost of £1,760, so owner paid £880. Apparently this is a known manufacturing fault in a specific batch of 2013 cars. (See 23-1-2018.) The engine now needs to be replaced entirely because shards of metal from the faulty camshaft have circulated though it in the oil and damaged the crankshaft. Owner told he will have to cover the cost. We think this is grounds for a Small Claim against the original supplier of the car because it was supplied with a fault that has now become widely known.

Report of 2013 Mazda CX-5 2.2 Skyactiv diesel losing power from the turbo when accelerating. It is rather slow in each gear until you hit 3000revs and the turbo kicks in again. Might be the turbo actuator or might be worn turbo bearings due to oil starvation from switching the engine off when the turbo is too hot and blocking the turbo oil feed pipe with carbon. Might be the camshaft issue above.

Faulty exhaust pressure sensor on 22k mile 2014 Mazda CX-5 2.2 Skyactiv diesel cost owner £138. Dealer told him that Mazda would not consider 'goodwill' on wearing parts costing less than £150.

Report of turbo failure on 2015 Mazda CX-5 Skyactiv D. "Last week I experienced a slight loss off power and a sudden lag in the power kicking in in low gears and zero acceleration in fourth and fifth. Mazda Horsham tell me that something that was an integral part of the turbo sheared off. They are telling me its a 12.1 hr (book) job at £117 an hour, plus the cost of a new turbo." (See 27-4-2018) Owner told an arm became separated and a rivet that is part of the top of the turbo sheared off. "They reckon the missing bit is in the intercooler." Mazda agreed to pay 100% of the cost of replacing the turbo, parts and labour.

Report of engine failure of unspecified age Mazda CX-2 2.2 Skyactiv diesel at 63,000 miles. Car has full Mazda service histpory but was taken to an independent specialist for an oil pressure problem. Specialist "shocked" at the level of damage (possibly caused by a blocked sump strainer). Unfortunately, because the car was dismantled by an independent, Mazda will not help.

Report of loss of power and engine management light illuminating in a used 2013/63 Mazda CX-5 2.2d AWD bought from a Mazda dealer in 2015. Turbo and cams are damaged and need replacing, with a bill of nearly £3,000 all in. The car has only done 53k miles. Owner says "This is because of a known issue with these engines, I have found the Mazda service documents online and the VIN matches the affected models." Mazda UK has offered 50% of the repair cost, which is more like 40% taking account of the cost of the investigation. Has full Mazda service history.

Cylinder head gasket failure reported on 2013 Mazda CX-5 at 86k miles. Apparently very difficult to repair because both block and head are aluminium. Mazda dealer quoted £2,600.

Front brake calliper pins of 2016 Mazda CX-5 found to be failing at 30,000 miles. Mazda agreed to replace the callipers under warranty, but not the front brake discs or pads because the pads had previously been replaced by Halfords and are regasrded as a wear and terar item not covered by warranty.

Report of Mazda CX-5 Skyactiv diesel in for injector recall. Owner got car back, then 3 days later white smoke out of exhaust and car shuddering. Called AS who ran tests and showed us that it appeared one of the fuel injectors was firing too much fuel into engine. Car got taken back to dealer to fix. They have now run a compression test at a cost of £228. Been advised now that the 3rd cylinder has no power and they will need to strip down engine (£114 per hour for a 12 hour job) to see the cause. Could be piston or rings? They are expecting owner to foot the bill even though he believes it is linked to the reason for the injector recall.

Helpful reader report: "For Mazda diesel drivers, there is actually a way to see when the DPF is actively regenerating. In Mazda infotainment system, there is a page for "Fuel Economy Monitor" and "i-stop" system. It essentially tells you that there are three criteria that need to be fulfilled before the "i-stop" can be functional: engine, battery, and aircon. During most of journeys, all three criteria would be almost always be shown in a "ready" stated (with their respective icon being highlighted), but when active regen is on, the engine would be shown as not ready (for stop & start), the other scenario when engine may not be "ready" is when you just start the journey, and the engine is still cold. So if drivers check this page at the end of their journey (I used to always leave the infotainment system on this page), they would be able to know for sure if the active regen is still on-going."

Report of new engine being fitted to a 2013 Mazda CX-7 Skyactiv D under goodwill after a TSB recall.

Report of misfire from engine of 2013 Mazda CX-5 diesel in July 2018. Local garage identified a problem with the fuel injectors. They tried to fix it (cost £800). Then in October owner received recall R/2018/288 stating there was a potential problem with the injectors causing misfiring and stalling that reqired a software update. Owner contacted Mazda and they checked that the work on the injectors been carried out properly with Mazda parts, but because the work was done in July when the recall was not until September and because an independent local garage did the work, the actual recall software update could not have been carried out by the independent. When owner asked about recompense Mazda said that as the problem arose before the safety recall letter he was not entitled to reimbursement. Owner contacted the ombudsman who agreed with Mazda.

Report of clutch is judder on April 2017 Mazda CX-5 2.2 Skyactiv D at 6,800 miles. Mazda quoted £2,00o for a new clutch and DMF. Accused owner of slipping the clutch. This happened after a software update for a fuelling problem. Owner thinks that SkyActive system where the engine revs to 1800rpm, is a factor in the burning of the clutch causing high spots on the flywheel.

Report of engine failure of 2016 Mazda MX-5 Skyactiv D automatic at 82,000 miles whle towing a caravan in Greece. Caused by failure of the chain drive to the engine oil pump. After repatriation, it was discovered that some oil changes were either late or had been missed, so Mazda refused any goodwill.

2015 Mazda CX-5 2.2 Skyactiv D reported as needing a decoke under warranty in March 2018, then again in July 2019. Work to be carried out free of charge. Dealer needs car for whole day.

Report oil pump chan failure on 2016 Mazda CX5 Sport diesel purchased used for £10,500 in June 2019. After 6 weeks the Fan belt failed and resulted in buyer having to claim on the 3 month warranty provided with the car. Then on 25 Sept 2019 the engine light came on again and upon closer inspection it appears the oil pump has failed and oil chain has snapped. The car has 93,000 miles and Mazda will not assist because the first 12,500 mile service was not carried out until 23,000 miles. This was a cheap car, but supplying dealer could be held liable.

Report of sump oil strainer issue with 2012 Mazda CX5 2.2 Skyactiv diesel purchased in Australia in 2012 and subsequently shipped to the UK in 2016. A few weeks following an annual service at the dealership the car broke down and displayed a red oil warning light. The dealer advised removing the oil sump to investigate. It transpired that the oil strainer was blocked by accumulated carbon that was cleaned and given the all clear with a bill for £500. The dealer suggested this was common for CX-5 diesels of this age and owner was aware that it isn’t unusual for sludge to accumulate in the oil strainer if the car is shut down mid DPF regen. Now Mazda is recalling 35,000 in Australia for this reason.

Confused report of Mazda CX5 being recalled under AJ024/D AJ024B/Cin July 2019. Now indicating low oil pressure. Owner thinks it should be recalled under AJ024E and get a new engine. Mazda Europe says in this case (DTC P0524) only a repair procedure should be followed.

Report of cylinder head warping and cylinder head gasket failing on 2014 Mazda CX-5 2.2 Skyactiv D at 67k miles. The cost of replacing the head gasket and cylinder head has been quoted as £5,000.

Report of slight whine from turbo of 2013 Mazda CX-5 2.2 Skyactiv D at 86k miles. Went in for a service, which included a 'carbon clean'. The following day, the turbo failed after 80 miles on the motorway. Dealer charged £2,000 to replace the turbo. We think the reason for the whining turbo could have been that the turbo bearing oil feed and oil return pipes were partially blocked with carbon, reducing the oil supply to the turbo bearing. It's highly likely that the carbon clean loosened some of this, leading either to a complete blockage of the oil feed pipe or to carbon from the oil feed pipe damaging the turbo bearing. So I think the dealer needs to accommodate the owner over the cost of the new turbo, and he also need to make sure that new turbo bearing oil feed and oil return pipes are fitted or the new turbo will fail.

Report of cylinder head and head gasket failure on 2014 Mazda CX-5 at five and a half years old. Cost of repair was £5,000. Mazda contributed £340. (Might be the same car as 22-11-2019.)

Carbon build up problems on 2015 CX-5 diesel with 55000 miles on the clock and a full Mazda service history. In recent months it has had a few stalls and limp mode journeys and on inspection the dealer reports an error code P0101. Dealer now suggesting the manifold needs removed with an extensive carbon clean.

Report of second turbo failure on 2016 CX-5 diesel. Owner had two new turbos fitted by their local Mazda dealer, first at 50k and second at 90k miles.

Owner reports their 2016 CX-5 AWD diesel has experienced two turbo failures. First at 50,000 miles and the second at 90,000.

Turbo failure report on 2015 CX-5. Owner quoted around £2000 for repair. Neither the dealer or Mazda UK is willing to contribute towards the cost of the fix.

Reader complains that the CX-5's Smart Brake Support 'nearly killed' him when it detected a non-existent obstacle at 70mph and performed an emergency stop on the motorway. Car currently at dealer being investigated.