2013 Mazda CX-5: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 194 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is electrical system (25% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · latest recall Sep 2016
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 194 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Shifter switch has gone out and no longer recognizes the car is in park, causes battery drainage because car cannot fully turn off. Car not recognizing gears can cause car accidents and possible loss of life. This issue can be found online as a known defect in mazda cx-5 that has not been recalled. Vehicle has been inspected and issue has been verified.There were no warning lights, sounds or symptoms of potential failure before failure.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Dec 2025
“The lower control arm or axel on the front passenger side broke as I was backing out of a parking spot. It is still at the mechanic however that is what is required to put the wheel back on the vehicle. My understanding is that this is the second time I have had this problem with the lower control arm on this vehicle. That could be very dangerous if that happens while on the highway and I'm concerned there is a fundamental problem with this car if it has happened twice. The first time the car was only a few years old. It was around 2016 if I recall correctly and Mazda fixed it.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Nov 2025
“When in the highway and changing lanes and you try to excelerate it doesnt take off ..instead just acts as if i had over excelerated but not speeding up.. i have almost been ran over because i could not get enough speed to switch lanes.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Jun 2025
Show 7 more owner reports
“Turn the car off--but it does not turn off. I've had my battery run down so many times. The problem is a sensor in the gear shifter that is not telling the vehicle it's in park. This is a huge reoccurring safety issue.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Oct 2022
“When you shut the car off the radio and other components do not shut down. You have to start the car back up and put in gear then back in park and shut the car off (sometimes two or three times) to get everything to shut down. This is getting worse over time.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jan 2022
“On Saturday afternoon 7/24 I was leaving a parking lot when my drivers side wheel detached from my front axle rod. I have around 90k miles on the vehicle. There was no indication of a part coming loose. Never noticed vibration of wheel or any resistance during movements. This should be a recall on the vehicle.”Owner report · Suspension · Jul 2021
“My car does not turn off when you push the ignition button. I spoke to Mazda's parts manager about this, and his wife had the same issue and the same model and year as my car. He told me that it is the Parking Lever switch. I feel that not being able to turn your car off is a safety issue. I filed a safety issue with my 2013 Mazda CX-5 on May 26, 2022.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jul 2021
“After fixing the electrical problem with the car not fully turning off, the car suddenly died in traffic and wouldn't restart. Replacing mass air sensor, o2 sensor, and plugs, the car will die in traffic when coming to a stop, but restarts immediately. The code says this is a pcm problem. Internet research says this is not uncommon resulting in safety recalls in other year models. 2013 should also be recalled.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · May 2021
“My car won't shut off! I put it in park and turn it off and the accessories stay on. It is getting worse and worse and has taken up to 7 times of turning it off and on, backing it up and forward before it will just turn off for me. I get scared that it won't turn off. I found this forum online and it seems this is a very common problem that is not being addressed by Mazda. https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discussion-t49115_ds799849 Not being able to turn my car off is a very big safety risk for me and my 2 year old son.”Owner report · Engine · May 2021
“The contact owns a 2013 MAZDA CX5. The contact stated while attempting to shut off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to turn off due to the transmission not being fully in PARK. The contact stated that there was an unknown flashing red warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and the contact was awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.”Owner report · Power Train · Apr 2021
When filing, owners marked a crash in 6 of these complaints and injuries in 8 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 1 campaign
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.
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.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2013 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact CX-5 by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2013 Mazda CX-5 reliable?
NHTSA has 194 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 2013 Mazda CX-5. The most complained-about area is electrical system (25% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2013 Mazda CX-5 problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 43,625 miles or less.
Does the 2013 Mazda CX-5 have open recalls?
1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning structure:body:hatchback/liftgate. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.