2013 Mazda CX-5: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
194 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
39,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2013 model year. Data snapshot: . 141 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 58 of 194 complaints (29.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 45 | 23.2% |
| Braking behavior | 41 | 21.1% |
| Transmission and shifting | 23 | 11.9% |
| Engine operation | 10 | 5.2% |
| Steering behavior | 5 | 2.6% |
| Fuel system concerns | 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 |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | 58 |
| Engine | 42 |
| Power Train | 36 |
| Unknown Or Other | 28 |
| Service Brakes | 24 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 22 |
| Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 15 |
| Seats | 13 |
Electrical System: 58; Engine: 42; Power Train: 36; Unknown Or Other: 28; Service Brakes: 24; Vehicle Speed Control: 22; Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 15; Seats: 13
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 47 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 34 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 15 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 24 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 19 |
| 150,000 and above | 2 |
Under 25,000: 47; 25,000 to 49,999: 34; 50,000 to 74,999: 15; 75,000 to 99,999: 24; 100,000 to 149,999: 19; 150,000 and above: 2
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (47). 53 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 | 8 |
| 2013 | 18 |
| 2014 | 29 |
| 2015 | 12 |
| 2016 | 10 |
| 2017 | 31 |
| 2018 | 27 |
| 2019 | 19 |
| 2020 | 11 |
| 2021 | 11 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 8 |
2012: 8; 2013: 18; 2014: 29; 2015: 12; 2016: 10; 2017: 31; 2018: 27; 2019: 19; 2020: 11; 2021: 11; 2022: 5; 2023: 4; 2024: 1; 2025: 8
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 45 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 41 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 23 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10467530 · 2012-07-24 (July 24, 2012)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MAZDA CX- 5. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 55 MPH WHEN THE DRIVER SIDE EXTERNAL MIRROR VIBRATED.THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1500.
Owner-reported narrative. 10 miles reported. Look up ODI 10467530 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10474373 · 2012-09-09 (September 9, 2012)
I WAS DRIVING AT THE LISTED SPEED ON THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE. WITHOUT WARNING, THE VEHICLE WENT FROM SIXTH GEAR TO FOURTH, RAPIDLY LOSING SPEED IN THE FAR LEFT LANE. THE TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON FLASHING, AND THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON SOLID YELLOW. I PULLED THE VEHICLE ONTO THE SHOULDER TO CHECK THE TIRES, PER THE INDICATOR, AND NOTICED NONE OF THE TIRES WAS DEFLATED. WHEN I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, THE TIRE PRESSURE AND TRACTION LIGHTS WERE SOLID YELLOW, ALONG WITH THE ENGINE AND "AT" TRANSMISSION LIGHT. WHILE THERE WAS NO …
Owner-reported narrative. 6,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10474373 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10477224 · 2012-09-26 (September 26, 2012)
THE PROXIMITY OF THE PEDALS SEEM TO BE TOO CLOSE. SOME FOOTWEAR MAY SNAG WHEN ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE HAVE NOTICED TWICE SINCE PURCHASING CAR ON 9/22. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 235 miles reported. Look up ODI 10477224 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10480805 · 2012-10-17 (October 17, 2012)
PULLING IN TO PARKING SPACE WITH FOOT ON BRAKE. VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP AND COULDN'T TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND JUMP CURB AND RAN INTO SIDE OF BUILDING. BRAKE PEDAL WAS HARD TO PRESS AND EVEN TRIED PUMPING BRAKE, BUT VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. ENGINE SPEED DID NOT CHANGE WHEN PUMPING BRAKE. VEHICLE WAS ONLY THREE WEEKS OLD AND HAD A MAJOR MALFUNTION WITH BRAKING AND STEERING. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 873 miles reported. Look up ODI 10480805 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10484804 · 2012-11-15 (November 15, 2012)
WHEN DRIVING OVER 40MPH, THE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY MAKING ME EXTREMELY DIZZY AND FEELING DISORIENTED. I CAN'T USE THEM AT ALL AND MAKES DRIVING AT THAT SPEED UNSAFE. I BROUGHT IT TO MAZDA TO BE FIXED TWICE ALREADY. THE FIRST TIME, THEY ACKNOWLEDGED AN ISSUE BUT I HAD TO COME BACK BECAUSE THEY NEEDED TO SEND THE DEALERSHIP THE PARTS. WHEN THE PARTS WERE IN, THEY TRIED THE FIX AND THEN I WAS TOLD IT DIDN'T RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THE FIX WAS TO THE HOOD TO STOP THE HOOD AND MIRRORS FROM SHAKING. APPARENTLY, MAZDA ARE AWARE OF THE ISSU…
Owner-reported narrative. 20 miles reported. Look up ODI 10484804 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10485052 · 2012-11-18 (November 18, 2012)
DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE LIGHT, TRACTION CONTROL, AND ENGINE LIGHT ALL CAME ON, AND CAR SLOWED DOWN AND IT WAS LIKE IT WASN'T IN GEAR. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND HAD TO SHUT IT OFF AND RESTART IT FOUR TIME BEFORE ALL THE LIGHTS WENT OFF AND I COULD DRIVE IT AGAIN. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON, BUT IN RAN FINE.THIS ALSO HAPPEN ABOUT A MONTH AGO IN TOWN, I ONLY HAD TO SHUT OFF AND RESTART ONCE, AND ALL THE LIGHTS WENT OFF AND ITS BEEN RUNNING FINE SINCE UNTIL YESTERDAY. I'M TAKING IT TO THE DEALER IN THE MOR…
Owner-reported narrative. 6,820 miles reported. Look up ODI 10485052 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10487545 · 2012-12-06 (December 6, 2012)
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ON FRWY, STARTED LOSING POWER FAST. AS IF THE ENGINE TURNED OFF. AT LIGHT, TRACTION LIGHT, STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. PULLED TO SIDE OF FRWY TURNED CAR OFF, SAT THERE IN DISBELIEF. I THEN TURNED THE VEHICLE BACK ON - ONLY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON. HAD POWER AS IF NOTHING HAD HAPPEN DIAG FOUND CODE P1738, P0847. GALPIN MAZDA CALLED TECH LINE AND THEY WERE TOLD TO PERFORM A REFLASH TO THE PCM. THIS HAPPEN AGAIN ABOUT 2 MONTHS LATER. BUT THIS TIME ALL WARNING LIGHTS TURNED OFF AFTER RESTART…
Owner-reported narrative. 20,414 miles reported. Look up ODI 10487545 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10488066 · 2012-12-12 (December 12, 2012)
THIS EVENING I WAS RUNNING 2 ERRANDS LESS THAN 3 MILES FROM HOUSE. AS I DROVE FROM THE FIRST ERRAND AND ARRIVED AT THE SECOND, THE MALFUNCTION INDICATORS ILLUMINATED: HTTP://1.BP.BLOGSPOT.COM/-0A4BJZANA9E/UMF10EMOZJI/AAAAAAAAAHK/AKLXHAHWFSW/S1600/2012-12-11_CX-5.JPG I PARKED AT MY SECOND ERRAND, TURNED THE CAR OFF, AND DECIDED TO LET IT SIT. WHEN I CAME BACK AND STARTED IT, ONLY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. WITH THE VEHICLE FULL OF PURCHASES, TEMPERATURE NEAR 30 DEGREES, I OPTED TO TRY AND MAKE IT THE 2.3 MILES HOME. I GOT 2 TRAFFIC LIG…
Owner-reported narrative. 6,996 miles reported. Look up ODI 10488066 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
16V644000 · Structure:Body:Hatchback/Liftgate
Reported: 2016-09-06 (September 6, 2016)
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 vehicles manufactured November 18, 2008, to June 8, 2013, 2012-2015 Mazda5 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2010, to June 22, 2015, 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 26, 2015, and 2013-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured December 15, 2011, to December 26, 2015. On the affected vehicles, the lift gate support struts may corrode, possibly causing the struts to break and/or the lift gate to drop unexpectedly.
Consequence: If the lift gate falls unexpectedly, it may hit the user, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: Mazda dealers will replace the both lift gate supports, free of charge, however parts are not currently available. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 9916H.
NHTSA campaign record ↗