2017 Mazda CX-5 Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 11about this part
- Share
- 7%of 150 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 11,700miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2017 Mazda CX-5, 7% of the 150 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 11,700 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“My car unexpectedly accelerated once about a month ago.and today 10/18/2018 in parking both times. I avoided hiting a vehicle each time by quickly stomping on my brakes.today I touched another car.luck had in stopped in time with no damage. I was parking rearward the first time and forward today 10/18/2018 in motion.on a city street.”
NHTSA complaint #11141351, filed 2018-10, 3,179 miles“My car only has 65k miles on it and the rear differential failed and needs to be replaced. I am seeing this posted online by many Mazda CX-5 owners well under the mileage this typically happenes but out of the warranty period. Mazda should start a recall or compensate owners for this. its never been in an accident simply a commuter car used around town”
NHTSA complaint #11724653, filed 2026-03“Rear differential failed at roughly 80,000 miles. Depending on failure, unexpected loss of traction or a locking up of the drivetrain could occur. We were lucky to catch it before then. Dealer confirmed issue with no clear cause. No warning lamps/messages/etc indicated that the part was failing. The only thing we noticed was increased highway noise, which could easily be ignored by someone who is not as aware of good/bad car noises.”
NHTSA complaint #11645743, filed 2025-03“Rear differential failed around 97,000 miles. We were three months past our certified pre-owned warranty. Total cost to repair was around $4400 after a discount on parts and labor through our Costco membership. Contacted Mazda to see if they’d be willing to provide any assistance to cover the repair, they declined. Service advisor told us that it was a catastrophic failure that we did not cause. We purchased this car in 2020 and have always had it serviced at the dealership and at no point did they bring it up as it being an issue. The rear differential should not fail.”
NHTSA complaint #11691959, filed 2025-10“The contact owns a 2017 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear differential needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11673657, filed 2025-07, 80,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 11032003May 1, 2026This bulletin supersedes the previously issued bulletin(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red. 01-008/23 06/05/23 Some vehicles may exhibit rattling noises from the…
- 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…
- 11026354Nov 27, 2025When inspected, the differential or PTO oil is dark or black. This is considered normal and NO repair should be performed. During production, differential ring and pinion gears…
- 11026350Nov 8, 2025Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) Diagnostic Guidelines Diagnostic Guidelines When diagnosing NVH concerns, it is essential to first classify the issue into one of three…
- 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…
- 11009654Oct 24, 2024The SKYACTIV-DRIVE FW6A-EL AT uses “Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) Type: FZ”. Only use “ATF-FZ” to fill or top off the fluid level. ATF-FZ is specially designed for use in…
- 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…
- 10252507Mar 6, 2024Due to limitations, certain vehicles from 2016 to current models might display an inaccurate transmission part number in the Global Electronic Parts Catalog (GEPC). To provide…
- 10251387Feb 12, 2024Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as…
- 10246127Nov 14, 2023Some vehicles may exhibit a chirp noise (stick-slip noise) from the automatic transaxle (AT) when shifting from 3 to 4 while driving. This may be caused by the automatic…
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 6% |
| 2025 | 3 | 10% |
| 2024 | 3 | 6% |
| 2023 | 3 | 4% |
| 2022 | 5 | 8% |
| 2021 | 17 | 11% |
| 2020 | 8 | 7% |
| 2019 | 32 | 12% |
| 2018 | 42 | 12% |
| 2017 | 11 | 7% |
| 2016 | 51 | 10% |
| 2015 | 19 | 14% |
| 2014 | 50 | 13% |
| 2013 | 38 | 20% |
Other parts of the 2017 Mazda CX-5
44 complaintsOther or unknown
35 complaintsEngine
16 complaintsFuel system
16 complaintsBrakes
14 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
13 complaintsBody and structure
12 complaintsVehicle speed control
7 complaintsLane departure
5 complaintsAir bags
4 complaintsForward collision avoidance
4 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2017 Mazda CX-5
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 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