Skip to content
EnginePart report

2018 Mazda CX-9 Engine Problems

Complaints
76about this part
Share
59%of 128 total for the year
Median mileage
39,500miles
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 76 complaints about the engine of the 2018 Mazda CX-9, 59% of the 128 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 39,500 miles.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“I was waiting in a stationary position, at a red light, behind some other vehicles, with my foot on the brake pedal. All of a sudden, the vehicle started to lurch forward as if someone had stepped hard on the gas pedal! I was struggling to keep the car still by depressing the brake pedal harder, but it wouldn't stop the car. I had to put it in park and turn off the engine to stop the forward thrust of the vehicle.”

NHTSA complaint #11232824, filed 2019-07, 11,000 miles

“Happened to me two times in past three weeks, where I am coming to a stop, or hardly moving, and car suddenly accelerates. Had my foot on the brake and the car was still trying to accelerate. Yesterday, 4/24/21 it took all my strength on the brake to keep the car from pulling into oncoming traffic. I have been driving for 39 years and have owned many cars, and something like this never happened to me. I will be bring the car dealership tomorrow, the car has only 10k miles on it as we don't do a lot of driving with it as we owe two cars. …”

NHTSA complaint #11413732, filed 2021-04, 10,300 miles

“While driving at highway speed in heavy rain the oil light suddenly came on followed within 30 seconds by an urgent need to immediately stop the car due to overheating. There was no radiator fluid left due to the sudden and catastrophic structural failure caused by a known manufacturing defect. Mazda calls it csp-11. They did NOT do a recall even though a situation such as this is clearly life-threatening. They offer an extended warranty to fix the problem fully up to 120,000 miles. Our car has 124,000 miles. …”

NHTSA complaint #11764935, filed 2026-09, 124,000 miles

“I recently bought a Mazda CX-9 and noticed that my vehicle was slightly overheating. The coolant level was very low. I took it back to the dealership I bought it from and they confirmed that there was a crack in the cylinder head and are working on the repair. After further research, I am seeing this is common with these models. Mazda is aware but not taking responsibility.”

NHTSA complaint #11568859, filed 2024-01

“My wife was driving the vehicle when the emergency lights started going off. She had to pull over because the car wouldn't run and said it was overheated. All the maintenance has been done to the car. We took it to the dealership and they said it is a cracked head and it is a known issue. They even issued a extended warranty for it. It is TSB 01-002/23. There should be a recall on this not just a partial credit.”

NHTSA complaint #11742255, filed 2026-06

Related service bulletins

Engine: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
20212153%
2020526%
20192343%
20187659%
20174370%
20166864%
20151749%
20141935%
20131725%
20122511%
2011159%
20102312%
200947%
200863%
200733%

Other parts of the 2018 Mazda CX-9

Other or unknown
20 complaints
Electrical system
15 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
13 complaints
Brakes
11 complaints
Fuel system
7 complaints
Forward collision avoidance
4 complaints
Back-over prevention (rear camera)
3 complaints
Steering
3 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
3 complaints
Air bags
2 complaints
Engine cooling
2 complaints
Seats
2 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2018 Mazda CX-9

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