2016 Mazda CX-5 Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 39about this part
- Share
- 8%of 511 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 28,175miles
- Trend
- RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 39 complaints about the engine of the 2016 Mazda CX-5, 8% of the 511 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 28,175 miles. 6 of these say a crash was involved and 2 a fire, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I went to the dealership and they informed me that the hydraulic belt tensioner was leaking. They quoted me $400 for repair and stated this is a wear item yet the manual and user guide provided by Mazda do not state that this is required to be replaced only inspected. My car has less then 46,000 miles and this part was nearly at the point of failure. If this part fails and the belt gets too loose or snaps, your car will shut down. …”
NHTSA complaint #11323177, filed 2020-05, 45,591 miles“Body: about one month after I purchased the vehicle, the paint became brittle. There is a large rock chip, scratches on the hood, and chips on the door. Electrical: the seat heater on the driver's side turns on intermittently without the power being turned on. Transmission: the rmss continue to increase when I take my foot off of the gas at high speeds (interstate). I do not have the cruise control on. They rev about 10,000 and then come back down.”
NHTSA complaint #10971770, filed 2017-04, 8,000 miles“I was pulling into a parking space at natural grocers. When the car was going 2-3 MPH into the space getting ready I thought to stop, the engine revved up like a jet engine. The car then jumped a concrete side walk, hit the brick building, and broke a gas line. The car then came to rest back in the parking spot. The air bag deployed, my first reaction was what the hell just happened . A man walking out of a store heard the hiss of the gas line and then called 911. He came to the car and told me to move away because the gas line could blow up. …”
NHTSA complaint #11076442, filed 2018-03, 15,000 miles“The problem is that this vehicle allows you to turn it off being still in d (without even shifting it to p ). It doesn't warn you at all if you forget to shift to p . It has happened to me that a couple of times I have turned off the vehicle, got off of it and vehicle remains in d , without giving you any beep of warning. The other day, I stopped/parked my vehicle in a parking slot and turned it off and I forgot to shifted to p . It passed a couple of minutes, while I was doing my makeup and hair that the car started moving. …”
NHTSA complaint #10910112, filed 2016-09, 5,000 miles“On 8/4/2016 in miami fl at 3:45 pm. I was waiting at a stop my foot on the breaks when the engine started self accelerating. It stopped once I put my car on neutral”
NHTSA complaint #10893321, filed 2016-08, 1,820 milesRelated service bulletins
- 11034447Jun 19, 2026This SA supersedes the previously issued SA(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red. SA-061/25 12/17/25 DESCRIPTION If you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g…
- 11032103Apr 21, 2026This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA listed below: The changes are noted in Red. SA-011/24 02/12/24, 06/06/24, 07/29/24 DESCRIPTION Mazda has developed factory…
- 11032101Apr 16, 2026This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued M-Tip(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. MT-002/19 09/30/19 and 12/19/19 DESCRIPTION If an engine assembly is…
- 11026351Nov 6, 2025Some customer's might state that they notice fluid or oil leaking/dripping on the ground when the vehicle is parked. For this concern, inspect the vehicle for any trace of a…
- 11007019Aug 15, 2024If you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, DTC(s) stored...), interview the customer before proceeding with normal MGSS diagnosis by…
- 11007010Aug 7, 2024Some customer's might state that they notice fluid or oil leaking/dripping on the ground when the vehicle is parked. For this concern, inspect the vehicle for any trace of a…
Engine: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | 24% |
| 2024 | 7 | 15% |
| 2023 | 10 | 15% |
| 2022 | 13 | 20% |
| 2021 | 80 | 54% |
| 2020 | 17 | 16% |
| 2019 | 132 | 49% |
| 2018 | 180 | 51% |
| 2017 | 16 | 11% |
| 2016 | 39 | 8% |
| 2015 | 14 | 11% |
| 2014 | 39 | 10% |
| 2013 | 42 | 22% |
Other parts of the 2016 Mazda CX-5
161 complaintsBrakes
72 complaintsElectrical system
71 complaintsOther or unknown
58 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
51 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
47 complaintsFuel system
20 complaintsAir bags
19 complaintsBody and structure
19 complaintsSeats
17 complaintsVehicle speed control
13 complaintsSuspension
11 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2016 Mazda CX-5
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology