2018 Mazda CX-5: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 347 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine (48% of complaints); the 2017 and 2020 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 5 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Nov 2021
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 347 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from under the hood. No warning light was illuminated. The contact's wife pulled over and discovered that there was oil leaking onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the #5 and #7 cylinder heads were cracked and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jun 2026
“Cylinder head suddenly cracked, causing heavy oil leakage onto hot exhaust manifold. Car started to smoke heavily. Vehicle turned off before potential engine fire.”Owner report · Power Train · Jun 2026
“Sunroof blew out while driving down interstate highway. There was no impact that we are aware of, just a complete failure of the sunroof glass. The sunroof was closed, with the shade also closed, so no glass fell down into the vehicle. The glass blew out with a very loud explosion that startled and disoriented all within the vehicle causing us to swerve and look around for what had happened. The glass has been inspected and is being repaired by a local auto glass shop today. No warning lamps or otherwise. I have pictures of the glass if needed.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · May 2026
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“2018 Mazda CX-5 AWD with 2.5 L engine, non turbo. Car has 98,914 miles. Rear differential started leaking oil. Dealer stated that the differential needs to be replaced, for $5,003.33. Manual does not provide for oil change intervals. Lifetime oil. 98K must be the life expectancy. Has not been fixed yet. Sitting in the garage dripping oil onto a piece of cardboard. independent shop looking for a low mileage used differential.”Owner report · Power Train · May 2026
“I am experiencing "ghost touch" from the faulty laminate on the touch screen. Can literally see it degrading. It is a widely known issue and is dangerous cause I'm cruising along at 70 on the highway then all of a sudden my car randomly changes to different screens or changes sound settings. Very distracting and disconcerting. Unbelievable this hasn't been a recall - government is certainly complicit in this now.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Apr 2026
“another case of a 2018 cx-5 cracked cylinder head. 70k miles and regularly maintienced. no warning other than oil showing on the ground. took it in to mazda dealership and they came back after looking at it and declared it was a cracked cylinder head priced at 6.8k. after looking it up it appears to be a casting issue that has affected many mazdas but mazda corp. will not take fault.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Apr 2026
“2018 CX-5, VIN [XXX] , 60,182 miles. Skyactiv-G 2.5L with cylinder deactivation (VIN 8th digit M). Head gasket leak diagnosed by independent mechanic and confirmed by Mazda dealer, who referenced Service Action SA-073/24. Oil actively leaking onto garage floor and contacting exhaust manifold, causing burning smell and potential fire risk. Defect was first documented by dealer at 52,966 miles within powertrain warranty. This is a known manufacturing defect affecting the cylinder head casting on 2018+ CX-5 models with cylinder deactivation INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”Owner report · Engine · Apr 2026
“Upon acceleration it's not shifting gears properly. The rpm's rev but the vehicle doesn't go faster. Traffic behind me continued to accelerate to where i was concerned about being rear ended. I Have not taken it to anyone yet..it has done this a couple of times. Even though it's a 2018 it only has 25000 miles on it. The dealer is an hour away and i"m afraid to drive it there because i don't want to cause more problems. No warnings lights or messages.”Owner report · Power Train · Apr 2026
“The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle he could smell a burning odor, and added that he noticed a puddle of oil on his driveway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed to have a cylinder crack causing the cylinder to leak oil all over the engine. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 104,000.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Apr 2026
“The head gasket on the engine is cracked and is leaking oil and causing the oil to burn when car is driven. The problem was identified by a local mazda dealership and it is a well documented and known issue among SkyActive non-turbo engines. There were no warning lights or messages on the car, other than the smell of burning oil and smoke coming from the engine after driving. I have a toddler and the smoke and burning smell coming into my car every time I drive is concerning to our health. Mazda is well aware that the cracked head gasket issue extends beyond their turbo engines but did not include the non turbo engines in their extended warranty.”Owner report · Engine · Mar 2026
When filing, owners marked a crash in 19 of these complaints and injuries in 6 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3, Mazda6, 2019 CX-3, 2018-2019 MX-5, CX-5, CX-9, and 2019-2020 Mazda2 vehicles. The impeller inside the low-pressure fuel pump may crack and deform, potentially causing the fuel pump to fail.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pumps, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 18, 2022. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 5321K.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018-2019 CX-5, Mazda6, and 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. A software error in the powertrain control module (PCM) may cause the engine to stall.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the PCM software, free of charge. The recall began August 20, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3719F.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda CX-5 vehicles. In the event of a side impact or rollover crash, the side curtain air bags may not properly unfold during deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 226, "Ejection Mitigation."
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the curtain air bags, free of charge. The recall began July 31, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 2718F.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2018 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 2018 Mazda CX-5 reliable?
NHTSA has 347 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2018 Mazda CX-5. The most complained-about area is engine (48% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2018 Mazda CX-5 problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 16,500 miles or less.
Does the 2018 Mazda CX-5 have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump. 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.