2021 Mazda CX-5 problems and recalls

54% of owner complaints on the 2021 Mazda CX-5 related to the Engine (80 of 148).

148
Complaints
0
Recalls
10
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
8
Injuries
66.5
Severity index

Severity index 66.5 Medium. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 66.5p25 46p75 80cleanestworst
Severity index against the quartile range for all tracked vehicles.

Ranked 31 of 94 by severity index among 2021 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 67% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2021 ranking.

Components cited in complaints

EngineEngine: 80 complaints (54.1%)80 54%Power TrainPower Train: 17 complaints (11.5%)17 11%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 17 complaints (11.5%)17 11%Electrical SystemElectrical System: 12 complaints (8.1%)12 8%Forward Collision Avoid…Forward Collision Avoidance: 11 complaints (7.4%)11 7%Service BrakesService Brakes: 11 complaints (7.4%)11 7%Vehicle Speed ControlVehicle Speed Control: 8 complaints (5.4%)8 5%Lane DepartureLane Departure: 7 complaints (4.7%)7 5%
A single complaint can cite more than one component, so shares total over 100%.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
ENGINE8054.1%
POWER TRAIN1711.5%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1711.5%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM128.1%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE117.4%
SERVICE BRAKES117.4%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL85.4%
LANE DEPARTURE74.7%

Complaints filed per year

023462021: 152022: 462023: 262024: 222025: 172026: 22 (partial year)21224623242526
Complaints by the calendar year they were filed. The hatched bar is the current year to date.
YearComplaints
202115
202246
202326
202422
202517
2026 (year to date)22
Filings in 2023 to 2025 were close to 2021 to 2022 (65 against 61).

Other Mazda CX-5 model years

Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 14 years side by side.

Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-10-13. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.