2012 Mazda MAZDA5: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 37 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is fuel/propulsion system (22% of complaints); the 2014 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 2 new complaints in the last 90 days · 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 37 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Sentury Touring (Discount Tire) 205/55/R16. Both front tires have inner wear to the point of shredding in the same location on *both* front tires. Both tires went out at the same time and could have caused a serious accident. Discount tire stated it was an alignment issue. The alignment shop (30 minutes after new tires were installed after dual blowout) stated that my alignment was perfectly within spec and also stated there was no indication of tire rub on any portion of the vehicle.”Owner report · Tires · Sep 2024
“The contact owns a 2012 Mazda MZ5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.”Owner report · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Sep 2022
“This vehicle ejects a significant amount of fuel from its fuel filler port during every refueling. The volume of fuel and the distance the gasoline travels in a hazardous environment poses an avoidable risk that can result in a catastrophic event with potential fatalities. In addition, the cumulative quantity of fuel needlessly spilled negatively impacts the environment at a time of heightened environmental concerns. For these reasons, this known issue should be elevated from a simple technical service bulletin (#01-013-15-3048) to a safety recall before fatalities result from a known manufacturing defect.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Aug 2022
Show 7 more owner reports
“During July of 2021 brake pedal went all the way down with no braking. Pumping the pedal restored braking. After the 3rd incident, had the master cylinder replaced on July 30, 2021 by certified mechanics. Brakes seemed fine, but on Aug 11, 2021 brake pedal went all the way down producing no braking on 3 occasions. Pumping the pedal restored braking. Took vehicle back to garage. Mechanics have not gotten it to fail. Possible new parts are bad? Could anti lock brake system cause this? Its been a really good car for 155,000 miles, but now I'm afraid to drive it.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Aug 2021
“Rear-ended while stopped by truck going under 20 mph. Our heads struck headrests and driver and front passenger seats instantly reclined back onto front of children's car seats. They're legs would have been crushed at the knees if they were in the accident. Our necks were sore from whiplash.”Owner report · Seats · Apr 2021
“It's very common in the mazda 5 cars for the emission components to fail often and affects the fuel economy which causes loss of fuel, money etc. It's also a safety concern as the evap leaks could release fuel vapors to the atmosphere and polluting it. As well as fire hazards due to the fuel leaks. I've noticed many customers approaching the dealer due to this problem which kind of gives us the feeling that this a very common issue with the mazda5 vehicles.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Dec 2019
“While driving my steering wheel got really harden almost impossible to turn. I nearly crash. I was lucky I was going slow. This has happened in more than 1 ocassion. I was driving in city.”Owner report · Steering · Aug 2019
“Every time I fill up the gas tank gas shoots out the filler receptical. I must always stand away from the filler to avoid getting any gas on myself. Gas runs down the side of the car. I am concerned this could cause a fire. I had to give a date below but this has been happening for years.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Dec 2018
“When put into 1st or 2nd gear, this vehicle drives in reverse. It caused our vehicle to unexpectedly back into a major highway. After getting off the road in 3rd gear, multiple drivers have tested this with the same result... The vehicle travels in reverse while in 1st or 2nd gear. There was no sign of this prior to this incident, it happened suddenly and nearly caused a major accident.”Owner report · Power Train · Jan 2018
“Liftgate struts which according to mazda were replaced pursuant to recall failed causing liftgate to fall resulting in minor injury to my hand.”Owner report · Structure · Jan 2018
When filing, owners marked a crash in 4 of these complaints and injuries in 7 - 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.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2012 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact MAZDA5 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 2012 Mazda MAZDA5 reliable?
NHTSA has 37 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 2012 Mazda MAZDA5. The most complained-about area is fuel/propulsion system (22% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2012 Mazda MAZDA5 problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 51,500 miles or less.
Does the 2012 Mazda MAZDA5 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.