2015 Mazda CX-9: problems, recalls and reliability
2 recalls and 35 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine (48% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · latest recall Oct 2018
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 35 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The contact owns a 2015 Mazda CX9. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle shut off. The contact stated that the engine was overheating. The contact restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle stalled again. The vehicle continued to coast into a parking lot. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the water pump, timing chain, cam phaser, timing chain tensioner, and an engine replacement were needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 124,000.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jan 2024
“The issue is with the design of the Water Pump on this vehicle. From my understanding, this is a common issue with the 2015 Mazda CX-9. What happens is once the water pump starts to fail due to the design, the vehicle starts to stall randomly which poses a safety issue to my family when driving. The vehicle was inspected by a dealership in the area and was ultimately fixed. I was informed that the water pump has been redesigned by the manufacturer to prevent this issue from happening again.”Owner report · Engine · Sep 2023
“Water pump failed and leaked coolant into oil. Known issue by Mazda but they have failed to warn consumers. Repairs roughly 4000 dollars. Luckily I caught before engine failed due to lubricant dilution from coolant. Potentially a very dangerous flaw.”Owner report · Engine · Jan 2023
Show 7 more owner reports
“The contact owns a 2015 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the temperature gauge began to accelerate rapidly. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the road for approximately 3 hours, until the engine cooled down. The contact stated she added water and continued driving to her destination. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,435.”Owner report · Engine · Oct 2021
“The wiring harness on the headlight for my Mazda CX-9 has and continues to melt, causing the bulb to be useless. The only issue that will seem to correct this issue is installing new headlights. According to my research this is a problem that is common to Mazda CX-9 vehicles.”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Aug 2021
“I was driving into the highway and my vehicle just shut off. I was in the car with my children and I was scared that we were going to be rear ended. I had my mechanic look at the car and he advised me that the water pump leaked and the coolant leaked into the oil. I'm having another mechanic provide me with an estimate of how much the repair is going to cost. After the car shut off and I tried to turn it in again the batter, engine and oils light went off and I had the car towed to the local mechanic.”Owner report · Power Train · Jul 2021
“We purchased a 2015 mazda cx9 with 30,000 miles three years ago. At the start of the month, the car suddenly overheated while driving and the engine failed! The mechanic said the water pump failed, the coolant mixed with the engine oil and the engine was done. $$7944.41 additionally, the overheated engine caused the transmission fluid to burn to a point the the transmission failed. $$4864. This happened at 65,000 miles, 5,000 miles past warranty. After researching the problem, we learned that this is a common problem on mazdas that use the duratech engine. There are thousands of examples and a class action lawsuit.”Owner report · Engine · Oct 2020
“Code p0016 came up one day prior to engine failure. 30 miles after check engine line came up loss power. Upon inspection water pump failure at 85000 miles. Engine most likely toasted”Owner report · Engine · Oct 2020
“I have a problem with getting in my car and finding spiders and spider webs. I have been bitten by them and so has my fianc. I got in the car yesterday and a web was coming from the air conditioning vent to the gear handle. *tr”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jun 2020
“Tl* the contact owns a 2015 mazda cx-9. While driving 68-70 mph, the vehicle stalled. In addition, smoke was detected from the engine and the check engine, battery, and oil warning indicators were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the water pump blew up and coolant entered the engine. The contact called heritage mazda bel air (1800 belair rd, suite c, fallston, md 21047, (410) 575-1351) and was informed that the repairs were not covered under the warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and provided reference number: 1-2464193497. The failure mileage was 83,183.”Owner report · Engine · Dec 2019
When filing, owners marked a crash in 1 of these complaints and injuries in 5 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 2 campaigns
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Mazda CX-9 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, unless covered in "Zone A," Mazda is recalling certain 2011-2013 Mazda6, 2011-2012 CX-7, and 2011-2015 CX-9 sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless covered in Zone A or Zone B, Mazda is recalling certain 2010-2013 Mazda6, 2010-2012 CX-7, and 2010-2015 CX-9 vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 2, 2015, 2013-2014 Mazda2 vehicles manufactured July 3, 2013, to August 8, 2014, 2014-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured January 19, 2013, to December 2, 2015, and 2013-2015 CX-9 vehicles manufactured December 6, 2012, to July 31, 2015. The lower mounting nuts and bolts that attach the front strut assembly to the steering knuckle may loosen, allowing the steering knuckle to separate.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lower mounting nuts and bolts that secure the front strut assembly to the steering knuckle. If the bolts are loose, they will be replaced and then correctly tightened, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin May 20, 2016. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 9316D.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2015 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact CX-9 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 2015 Mazda CX-9 reliable?
NHTSA has 35 owner complaints and 2 recall campaigns on record for the 2015 Mazda CX-9. The most complained-about area is engine (48% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2015 Mazda CX-9 problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 65,000 miles or less.
Does the 2015 Mazda CX-9 have open recalls?
2 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module. 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.