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Mazda CX-9Model year report

2009 Mazda CX-9 Problems

Compared with other Mazda CX-9 years

Typical for this model

41/100 0.8× a typical year · 50 = typical

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
59filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
85,000miles, 39 complaints with mileage
Recalls
64 do-not-drive
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
18 mpgcombined, 3.7L 6-cyl FWD · 16 city / 22 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2009 Mazda CX-9 (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe braking trouble: a hissing noise, a pedal that turns firm and then sinks, and longer stopping distances. Many of these reports cluster between roughly 80,000 and 150,000 miles. A second large group of complaints concerns the Takata passenger airbag inflator recalls, mostly about parts not being available. A smaller set describes front-end noises or steering problems tied to lower control arm and ball joint wear.

  1. Air bags

    Takata passenger airbag recall parts unavailable

    Mentioned in 16 of 57 sampled complaints

    Complaints center on the passenger frontal airbag inflator recalls: owners say they were notified but parts were not available, dealers could not give a repair date, and some were told their VIN was not covered. A few report no callback from the dealer about scheduling the repair. Mostly reported between 2016 and 2019, with mileage rarely stated.

    Recall 19V782000 · DO NOT DRIVERecall 18V018000 · DO NOT DRIVERecall 17V457000 · DO NOT DRIVERecall 17V429000 · DO NOT DRIVE1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Check the VIN against open recalls and ask for written confirmation that the passenger inflator recall was completed; a special service program bulletin covers the Takata inflator extended warranty.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Takata recall, I called Mazda america on or around march 1, 2019 about this recall, I explained I would need a vehicle to use as they fixed it, the lady on the phone explained that there dealer in huntersville nc would not have a vehicle to loan for three or four day and that the dealership would call me, its not the 25th of march and no phone calls fron Mazda or there dealer!”

    NHTSA complaint #11191323, filed 2019-03

    “Takata recall - this is ridiculous. I cannot use all 7 seats in my 7-passenger vehicle and there is no end in sight. Parts are not available and nobody can give any reasonable estimates of when they will be available. Please allow people affected to go to their dealers to have the faulty airbags removed/disconnected until parts are available. We need to be able to use our vehicles fully.”

    NHTSA complaint #11006110, filed 2017-07
  2. Brakes

    Brake pedal goes hard or to the floor (brake booster)

    Mentioned in 14 of 57 sampled complaints

    Complaints describe a hissing sound when the brake pedal is pressed, a pedal that becomes very firm and then travels toward the floor, and longer stopping distances or a vehicle that keeps rolling at low speed. Several owners say a shop diagnosed a failed brake booster, and some report a master cylinder leaking fluid into the booster. Others say a booster was replaced and the problem came back or brakes were lost afterward. Reported from about 32,000 to 147,000 miles, with many between 80,000 and 145,000, often in stop-and-go traffic and parking-lot situations.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask whether the brake booster or master cylinder has been replaced and have a shop check for a hiss at the pedal and fluid between the master cylinder and booster. A service bulletin describes brake noise, judder and dragging symptoms, so brake noise alone may not point to the booster.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “2009 Mazda CX-9 - on 5/19/2013 the brakes were fine. The morning of the 20th my wife returned home from work, and said she heard a hissing noise from the brakes. I drove the car to work later that day and noticed the hissing sound. I also noticed that the brake pedal felt normal at first then began to get hard and the car could barley stop.”

    NHTSA complaint #10512950, filed 2013-05, 43,000 miles

    “I was taking my daughter to high school in the morning with my son in the car as well. In the parking lot of the high school, I applied the brakes but the brakes did not work. My foot was all the way to the floor when they finally caught but I was out in the line of traffic and luckily no one hit me and injured my son or myself. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11309653, filed 2020-02, 142,000 miles
  3. Suspension

    Front suspension noise and ball joint wear

    Mentioned in 6 of 57 sampled complaints

    Complaints describe abnormal noises while turning or driving, and shops finding a worn or separated lower control arm or ball joint; one report describes a wheel breaking away from the vehicle at low speed. Several owners mention the front lower ball joint recall and say parts were not available at the time. Reported from about 38,000 to 120,000 miles, often under 75,000.

    Recall 15V4510003 related service bulletins

    What to check: Have the front lower control arms and ball joints inspected, and confirm whether recall 15V451000 was performed for this VIN. A service bulletin notes that some oil film on struts can be normal, so ask for an inspection rather than assuming a leak.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I received a notice that water may enter the front suspension lower arm ball joint fittings during driving. Nothing has happened since receiving a notice in september 2015. They said parts are not available and they will notify me when they are available.”

    NHTSA complaint #10905654, filed 2016-09

    “The contact owns a 2009 Mazda CX-9. While driving approximately 20 MPH, there was an abnormal noise, the ball joints failed, and the vehicle suddenly stopped. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v451000 (suspension); however, the part to do the repair was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.”

    NHTSA complaint #10777770, filed 2015-09, 65,000 miles
  4. Transmission and drivetrain

    Transfer case noise or failure

    Mentioned in 5 of 57 sampled complaints

    Owners describe a whining sound that gets worse into a metallic clunking, or a sudden loss of acceleration with a rattle, and shops diagnosing a broken transfer case. One report describes the transfer case shattering while towing a small trailer, and another describes a humming noise traced to the differential. Reported between about 48,000 and 150,000 miles, with several around 85,000 to 125,000.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Listen for whine or clunk on a test drive, especially while coasting, and ask whether the transfer case or differential has been serviced or replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I have maintained my 2009 Mazda cx9 to date and only have 48,000 miles. I started hearing a weird noise in the front wheel (humming) it got progressively worse . Now my mechanic tells me that the differential is going. This has to be a manufacturers defect due to the low mileage and the upkeep of this vehicle. Assistance with this would be greatly appreciated. In addition, I've looked online and see that other owners are experiencing the same issue.”

    NHTSA complaint #10819267, filed 2016-01, 48,000 miles

    “Car dangerously shudders and hesitates when accelerating & at certain highway speeds increasingly for last two years due to faulty torque converter design per two transmission diagnostics done. It is very dangerous due to the random nature of the shudder and high cost to rebuild transmission is prohibitive for many people driving cx9s at risk”

    NHTSA complaint #11006527, filed 2017-07, 85,000 miles

Buying note. Check that the open airbag recalls were completed and have the brakes, front suspension and transfer case inspected before buying. Ask for service records on the brake booster, water pump and transmission work, since these come up repeatedly in owner reports at higher mileage.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 57 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. Counts refer to that 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.

NHTSA recorded 59 consumer complaints for the 2009 Mazda CX-9. 39 of the complaints include a mileage, and 26% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 85,000 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns (4 marked do-not-drive) and 260 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 12 Mazda CX-9 model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 41 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Wheels (2), Engine cooling (1), Vehicle speed control (1), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1).

Example complaints

Brakes: “My brakes started feeling spongy but hard to push when I would try to come to a stop. It felt at times like my car wasn't going to stop. I stopped driving it and the brake booster was replaced. At that time, I lost brakes completely. The brake peddle goes all the way to the floor when pressed. Hopefully the booster is a bad one.”

NHTSA complaint #11338789, filed 2020-07, 115,000 miles

Air bags: “Hi there ... We got rear ended last year ... I have had no luck getting our Mazda repaired for the last couple of months ... Mazda has not called me back for repair”

NHTSA complaint #11039161, filed 2017-10

Suspension: “The contact owns a 2009 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The contact stated the brake pads and rotors were replaced; however, the abnormal sound persisted. The contact called and informed the dealer of the issue however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V451000 (Suspension) as a possible solution for the failure; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. …”

NHTSA complaint #11584693, filed 2024-04, 120,000 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “There was first a whining sound from the transmission especially during coasting. It progressively got worse making a metallic clunking sound. Dealer says it is a bad transfer case (ptu) which is not covered by ssp92. Otherwise this repair would have been completed by Mazda. Repair estimate is $1315.”

NHTSA complaint #10918582, filed 2016-10, 86,700 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

26% of the 39 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 50,000 and 125,000 miles.

3%0–103%10–2521%25–5021%50–758%75–10041%100–1505%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (39 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 85,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’12’14’1614’18’20’22’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2009 Mazda CX-9. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
CX-9 · sedan FWD/AWDnot rated5 / 5——4 · 14.3% risk

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2009 Mazda CX-9 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
CX-9 2WD3.7L 6-cyl6-speed automatic162218$3,700
CX-9 4WD3.7L 6-cyl6-speed automatic152117$3,950

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2009 Mazda CX-9 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 260 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 260 bulletins →

Other model years of the Mazda CX-9

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20231312,1000523—Too new
20221153,0000523—Not enough data
20214051,093152450 · TypicalRising
20201914,0001524—Stable
20195326,500252431 · FewerRising
201812827,000252454 · TypicalRising
20176133,5000—240 · FewerRising
201610740,0000—2426 · FewerRising
20153560,500241925 · FewerFalling
20145456,294341946 · TypicalFalling
20136855,011441967 · MoreFalling
201222158,0004—19100 · MoreFalling
201117174,0004—1993 · MoreFalling
201019577,3126—18100 · MoreFalling
20095985,0006—1841 · TypicalFalling
200817299,5005—1881 · MoreFalling
20078694,0005—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Mazda CX-9 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2009 Mazda CX-9?

Owners of this model year most often describe braking trouble: a hissing noise, a pedal that turns firm and then sinks, and longer stopping distances. The issues reported most often: Takata passenger airbag recall parts unavailable; Brake pedal goes hard or to the floor (brake booster); Front suspension noise and ball joint wear.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2009 Mazda CX-9 have?

NHTSA recorded 59 consumer complaints for the 2009 Mazda CX-9 as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2009 Mazda CX-9 is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 17 complaints (29% of the total), followed by air bags with 16.

Has the 2009 Mazda CX-9 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for this model year, 4 of them with a do-not-drive advisory. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2009 Mazda CX-9 get?

The EPA rates the 2009 Mazda CX-9 (CX-9 2WD, 3.7L 6-cyl) at 18 mpg combined, 16 city and 22 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,700 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2009 Mazda CX-9 reported?

Among the 39 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 85,000 miles and the middle half falls between 50,000 and 125,000 miles; 26% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.