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Transmission and drivetrainPart report

2013 Mazda CX-9 Transmission and drivetrain Problems

Complaints
5about this part
Share
7%of 68 total for the year
Median mileage
56,500miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2013 Mazda CX-9, 7% of the 68 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 56,500 miles. 1 a fire, according to the filers.

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.

“Purchased this car new, went to have oil change and there was oil underneath. The right pion seal was out. Had car towed and I contacted the dealership I found out the transfer case is out. Prior to this I smelled something like burning oil, but when I contacted the dealership I was told it was probably the undercoating that is used to ship these cars over the ocean.”

NHTSA complaint #10552858, filed 2013-11, 11,000 miles

“My vehicle seemed as if the transmission was slipping between gears on the highway it would take forever to switch into higher gears for higher speeds then when slowing down it would jerk and then finally stop or if I was in traffic where I didn't need to make a complete stop it would jerk to slow down and skip gears and jerk to speed back up while on the high way traveling at normal speed with cruise control set it went from 6th gear to 4th gear for no reason at all! …”

NHTSA complaint #11013134, filed 2017-08, 53,000 miles

“I bought my CX-9 new in 2013, car now has 102,000 miles. Car started to shutter when getting off the exit from a major highway. The problem was discovered with the power transfer unit. Picture indicates heavy spline wear and corrosion. Transmission spline also has corrosion and wear. This was a very dangerous situation. There's no maintenance required by Mazda for the ptu or the transmission. Mazda should issue a recall on both the ptu and the transmission. This is a known issue with Mazda and discussed on many internet forums.”

NHTSA complaint #11338892, filed 2020-07, 102,000 miles

“I was driving down the interstate and my Mazda cx9 caught fire! I didn't realize it since it was under the car and the car beside informed me of it. This was due to the transfer case issues that Mazda had to extend the warranty on them because of so many issues with them. They are covered for 90 thousand miles or 7 years. My transfer case was already replaced once and do to issues and now since my car is past the 7 years but only has 60 thousand miles they will not pay for it. Even though the transfer case they replaced a few years ago should still be under warranty. …”

NHTSA complaint #11316715, filed 2020-03, 60,000 miles

“Trans seems to slip going in and out of 4th gear. Just bought this car 3 days ago and it has been a consistent problem that didn't start until an hour after the purchase once it warmed up. Looks like it's the transfer case, this suv only has 106k on it ! This is absolutely ridiculous, Mazda needs to offer a recall for this issue so those who have the issue don't have to fork out MORE money for an issue that Mazda is well aware of with their vehicles”

NHTSA complaint #11432651, filed 2021-09

Related service bulletins

Transmission and drivetrain: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
202219%
2021513%
2020211%
201959%
20181310%
201747%
201698%
201539%
2014713%
201357%
2012188%
20112515%
20102312%
2009610%
20082716%
20071214%

Other parts of the 2013 Mazda CX-9

Engine
17 complaintsBrakes
16 complaintsAir bags
9 complaintsOther or unknown
9 complaintsSuspension
9 complaintsBody and structure
4 complaintsSeat belts
2 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
2 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
1 complaintsElectrical system
1 complaintsEquipment
1 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2013 Mazda CX-9

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