2012 Mazda CX-9 problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
221 owner complaints analyzed
4 distinct recall campaigns
58,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2012 model year. Data snapshot: . 170 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Service Brakes is the most frequently named component, appearing in 139 of 221 complaints (62.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 143 | 64.7% |
| Engine operation | 21 | 9.5% |
| Transmission and shifting | 13 | 5.9% |
| Steering behavior | 10 | 4.5% |
| Fuel system concerns | 3 | 1.4% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 1 | 0.5% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 139 |
| Engine | 25 |
| Air Bags | 23 |
| Power Train | 18 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 |
| Suspension | 9 |
| Steering | 7 |
| Unknown Or Other | 6 |
Service Brakes: 139; Engine: 25; Air Bags: 23; Power Train: 18; Vehicle Speed Control: 11; Suspension: 9; Steering: 7; Unknown Or Other: 6
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 21 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 46 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 47 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 31 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 22 |
| 150,000 and above | 3 |
Under 25,000: 21; 25,000 to 49,999: 46; 50,000 to 74,999: 47; 75,000 to 99,999: 31; 100,000 to 149,999: 22; 150,000 and above: 3
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (47). 51 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 7 |
| 2014 | 24 |
| 2015 | 30 |
| 2016 | 42 |
| 2017 | 42 |
| 2018 | 19 |
| 2019 | 16 |
| 2020 | 19 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 7 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 |
2012: 2; 2013: 7; 2014: 24; 2015: 30; 2016: 42; 2017: 42; 2018: 19; 2019: 16; 2020: 19; 2021: 5; 2022: 7; 2023: 5; 2024: 1; 2025: 2
Pattern summary
Service Brakes leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 143 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 21 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 13 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10493756 · 2013-01-22 (January 22, 2013)
I HAD AN INCIDENT YESTERDAY RESULTING IN A MINOR COLLISION. MY ACCELERATOR STUCK, MY ENGINE KEPT REVVING, AND I COULD NOT STOP. I KEPT APPLYING THE BRAKES BUT IT FELT AS IF EVERYTHING LOCKED UP. I REARENDED THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME NO DAMAGE TO THEIR CAR AND ONLY MINOR TO MINE. I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. MY HUSBAND CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY ARE WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM MAZDA CORPORATE. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 15,049 miles reported. Look up ODI 10493756 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10509996 · 2013-04-29 (April 29, 2013)
OUR 2012 MAZDA CX9 SPORT FWD LOST ALL BRAKE BOOST ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. MY WIFE COMPLAINED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP WHEN BACKING. I DROVE THE VEHICLE AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AFTER SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASING PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE MAZDA DEALER ADVISED IT WAS INDEED THE BRAKE BOOSTER. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY MAZDA AND NHTSA. OUR VEHICLE WAS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD WITH LESS THAN 10000 MILES AT THE POINT OF FAILURE. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 9,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10509996 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10546909 · 2013-10-06 (October 6, 2013)
INCIDENT -1 TRAVELING ABOUT 45 MPH DECELERATING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, THE CAR STALLS OUT LEAVING ME WITH NO CONTROL OF STEERING AND LITTLE ABILITY TO BRAKE. INCIDENT 2- MAKING RIGHT TURN (DECELERATING) CAR STALLS OUT LEAVING ME WITH NO STEERING AND LITTLE BRAKING CONTROL. INCIDENT 3- PULLED UP INTO DRIVEWAY ON SLOPE. PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE TO BACK OUT, CAR STALLED OUT LEAVING ME WITH VERY LITTLE ABILITY TO BRAKE. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 12,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10546909 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10548756 · 2013-10-21 (October 21, 2013)
I HAVE A MAZDA 2012 THAT SPONTANEOUSLY STALLS WHILE DECELERATING. IT ALSO STALLS PREDICTABLY ON AN INCLINE. MAZDA CORPORATION HAS STATED "THE STALLING ON AN INCLINE IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF ALL CX-9 MODELS" AND ARE NOT WILLING TO FIX IT. THEY HAVE INFORMED ME THAT STALLING WHILE DECELERATING IN MY CAR HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO BE RECREATED BY THEIR TECH SO THEY ARE DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT. I HAVE BEEN IN TWO NEAR MISS ACCIDENTS. THE CAR LOSES POWER STEERING AND BRAKING AND THE DRIVER HAS LITTLE TO NO CONTROL WHEN IT STALLS. PLEASE WATCH THIS VIDEO OF …
Owner-reported narrative. 17,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10548756 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10632790 · 2014-09-12 (September 12, 2014)
ON 8/29/14, MY CAR WOULD NOT STOP AND CONTINUED TO MOVE WHEN I PRESSED ON THE BRAKES TO STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, ALMOST HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. SCARY! AGAIN AT THE NEXT STOP SIGN, THE CAR CONTINUED WITHOUT STOPPING WHEN I PRESSED ON THE BRAKES. MAZDA TOLD ME THAT MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY SO I WENT TO A MECHANIC WHO REPLACED A DEFECTIVE MASTER CYLINDER. A WEEK LATER, MY CAR STALLED TWICE WHEN I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. THEN THE BRAKES "HISSED" WHEN I PRESSED ON THEM. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS VERY HARD TO PRESS AND THE CAR WOULD CONTINUE TO CO…
Owner-reported narrative. 64,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10632790 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10715970 · 2015-05-12 (May 12, 2015)
I EXPERIENCED UNEXPLAINED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THERE WAS ONE CAR STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME AND ONE BEHIND ME. FROM THE ONSET OF THE INCIDENT IT TOOK JUST A VERY FEW SECONDS, PROBABLY BETWEEN TWO AND FOUR, FOR THE ENGINE TO REV TO AN EXTREMELY HIGH SPEED. WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENINGS I COULD FEEL THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTING TO MOVE FORWARD FORCEFULLY WHILE I WAS APPLYING THE BRAKES VERY HARD. I SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. I THEN SHIFTED INTO PARK. I TURNED THE IGNITION ON AGAIN…
Owner-reported narrative. 35,982 miles reported. Look up ODI 10715970 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10823203 · 2016-01-30 (January 30, 2016)
WHEN PUMPING GAS IN THE FUEL TANK, THE GAS SPEWS OUT WHEN THE PUMP STOPS. THIS CAUSES THE GAS TO SPILL DOWN THE SIDE OF THE CAR.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10823203 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11032254 · 2017-10-08 (October 8, 2017)
MULTIPLE TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP AND AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (CEL) COMES ON WITH A DIAGNOSIS OF EVAPORATING SYSTEM / LOOSE GAS CAP. MULTIPLE DIAGNOSTICS FEES, A GAS TANK PRESSURE TEST AND 3 GAS CAPS LATER AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN FIXED. I NOTICED A FEW ONLINE FORUMS WITH SEVERAL OTHERS COMPLAINING OF THE SAME ISSUE ACROSS A WIDE RAGE OF YEARS AND MAZDA MODELS. THERE IS A DESIGN PROBLEM WITH MAZADA EVAPORATING, FUEL AND EMISSIONS SYSTEMS. THE DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. BEYOND REPLACING THE GAS CAP AND C…
Owner-reported narrative. 40,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11032254 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10908268 · 2016-09-20 (September 20, 2016)
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE TURNPIKE AT 70 MPH AT NIGHT MY ENTIRE DASH BOARD, INCLUDING SPEEDOMETER, WARNING LIGHTS AND TEMPERATURE CONTROLS AND HEAD LIGHTS AND BACK LIGHTS WENT BLANK AND DARK. PULLED OFF ROAD AND SHUT ENGINE OFF. WAS GOING TO CALL ROAD SERVICE, BUT TURNED ENGINE ON AND EVERYTHING CAME ON. DROVE ANOTHER 15 MINUTES AND THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD AND HEAD LIGHTS WENT OUT. PULLED OFF ROAD AND SHUT OFF ENGINE AND TURNED IT ON AGAIN AND ALL WAS WORKING AGAIN. GOT HOME SAFELY WITHOUT MORE PROBLEMS. SAME PROBLEMS WITH DASHBOARD DURING DAY…
Owner-reported narrative. 27,379 miles reported. Look up ODI 10908268 at NHTSA ↗