2015 Mazda CX-5 Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2015 Mazda CX-5 most often describe cracks that appear in the windshield or sunroof with no obvious impact, and a set of drivetrain and throttle symptoms in which the vehicle loses power, lurches, or revs unexpectedly. Windshield glass complaints cluster at very low mileage, while transmission and power-loss reports tend to arrive between roughly 50,000 and 80,000 miles. Several owners also describe liftgate struts that let the hatch drop, a condition connected to a recall campaign.

1. 1
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield cracks without an impact

   • 13 complaints (10%)
   • median 5,400 mi at 0.3 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • filed 2014–2017

   Complaints describe cracks appearing in the windshield while the vehicle sat parked, often overnight or over a few hours, with no stone chip found at the origin. Many cracks begin at the top center or base of the glass and spread within a day, sometimes forming an L or S shape near the mirror and rain-sensor area. Owners who took the vehicle in report the dealer attributing the damage to a rock strike, in some cases after pointing to different spots on the glass. Mostly reported under 10,000 miles, often within the first year and in cool or cold conditions.

   What to check: Inspect the glass carefully for existing cracks or repairs, especially along the top edge and around the mirror mount, and ask whether the windshield has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “2 weeks after the purchase of a new 2015 Mazda cx5 we noticed a crack in the windshield. Exactly on the top portion of the windshield in the middle coming down to a t. We took the car to the dealer of purchase and a service employee looked at it started digging in a spot and stated that a rock must of hit the windshield because he found a hole. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10706580, filed 2015-04, 700 miles

   “Cracked windshield we were filling up gas at a gas station & suddenly we heard a pop sound. I tried to go around the car & see what happened but did not notice anything. The car was still pumping gas when this happened. Next day, there was nothing in the morning but after parking at work for couple hours & coming back to the car, we noticed a big crack on the screen.”

   NHTSA complaint #10702550, filed 2015-03, 3,500 miles
2. 2
   Vehicle speed control

   Sudden acceleration or unintended braking at low speed

   • 16 complaints (12%)
   • median 39,437 mi at 3.2 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2015–2025

   Owners describe the engine revving and the vehicle surging forward while their foot was on the brake, typically while parking or pulling into a space at walking pace, in some cases ending against a curb, post, or fence. A few complaints describe the opposite: cruise control failing to hold speed, or the speed dropping on its own at highway pace. One owner reports a dealer performing a PCM/TCM update per a manufacturer bulletin. Reported across a wide mileage range, from a few hundred miles to about 75,000 miles, usually at very low speed in parking situations.

   What to check: During the test drive, practice slow parking-lot maneuvers and check that the brake pedal holds the car firmly at idle; ask whether any throttle or transmission control software updates have been applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Was turning right onto side city street to park, was going maybe 2 miles an hour because I was going to park. The car engine self accelerated and I could not control it, hit a chain link fence and sheared off a natural gas meter to a home. The break pedal did not stop the car, I was in drive put into park and shut the engine off”

   NHTSA complaint #11361681, filed 2020-09, 85,600 miles

   “I just purchased this vehicle in september 2014. While I was driving on interstate 15 at approximately 70mph all a sudden I had no more power I could not accelerate, when I pushed the gas pedal nothing would happen. I pulled over to the side of the road and stopped put it in park and put it back in drive and it went. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10689777, filed 2015-02, 6,500 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Engine stalls, ticks, or loses power

   • 13 complaints (10%)
   • median 35,850 mi at 2.9 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $2,367 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2014–2024

   Owners report stalling without warning at city speeds, loss of power with several warning lights on, and in some cases a loud ticking from the engine that a dealer traced to internal damage requiring major repair. Others describe rough running or a violent shake under cruise control with the check engine light on. Dealers in some complaints attributed a power loss to bad fuel rather than a component fault. Reported from under 1,000 miles up to very high mileage; several cases between about 30,000 and 60,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Listen for ticking or knocking at cold start and at idle, check for stored codes or an illuminated check engine light, and ask for service records covering oil changes and any engine repairs.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “We were driving across wyoming on the interstate with the cruise control on at 75mph. Suddenly there was a violent shake in the car like the engine was locking up. We tried to pull off the highway and it did it again as we were pulling over. When we got the car stopped the check engine light was on and a message on the display that engine diagnostics were required. I called the dealer in ft collins co and my dealer in denver but they said they could not tell me what to do. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11032640, filed 2017-10, 35,850 miles

   “Accelerating onto the freeway, the engine lost power and the check engine as well as several dash warning lights illuminated. The vehicle would not respond to the accelerator pedal, and would only go 45-50mph. I took it to the dealer and after reading out the data on the engine computer, I was told the problem was most likely bad gas. I was directed to just burn through the gas in the tank. When the car was returned to me from the garage it was running fine and I was not told anything had been done to correct the problem. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10694171, filed 2015-03, 675 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission hesitates, lurches, or loses power

   • 14 complaints (11%)
   • median 55,587 mi at 5.0 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2024

   Complaints describe the vehicle refusing to accelerate past low speed, jerking or lurching as if it were braking on its own, and revving without the car moving. Several owners say the problem appeared after highway driving and that restarting the engine sometimes restored motion temporarily. Some report a dealer performing a PCM/TCM program update, after which the symptom returned for at least one owner. Reported from about 15,000 miles upward, most often between roughly 50,000 and 85,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test drive at highway speed and during slow parking maneuvers, watching for hesitation or harsh shifts, and ask whether any transmission software update or fluid service has been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “After a 700 mile trip from arizona to california on the highway, my Mazda's CX-5 would no longer accelerate. When pressing the accelerator and reaching 5 MPH the car would suddenly feel as if it were breaking, causing the car to lurch forward. This occurred when trying to drive down the street. Imagine if this were to happen while I was driving down the highway at 70 MPH.”

   NHTSA complaint #11316034, filed 2020-03, 60,074 miles

   “My car's transmisson would just break down in the middle of the highway 69 at prescott, arizona and finally stop there and cannot move around or pull over at all. If this issue happens, this would cause a servere rear ended accident and a potential cause of accident. Luckily, there was telephone connection and we can call a cop and a towing truck. Otherwise, it will cause serious car accident and trafific jam. This issue must be dealt with . …”

   NHTSA complaint #11363474, filed 2020-10, 71,500 miles

Buying note. This model year shows two recurring themes worth checking on a used example: glass that cracked early in life, and drivetrain or throttle behavior that shows up mainly in slow-speed and highway test drives. A thorough test drive plus a look at recall and service history will tell you more than the mileage alone.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.