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Mazda MAZDA5Model year report

2008 Mazda MAZDA5 Problems

Compared with other Mazda MAZDA5 years

Typical for this model

56/100 1.2× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with a typical complaint level and no open NHTSA investigation: 2010

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
67filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
38,750miles, 60 complaints with mileage
Recalls
1campaigns on record
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
24 mpgcombined, 2.3L 4-cyl FWD · 22 city / 28 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2008 Mazda MAZDA5 (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe the power steering assist cutting out, usually with the steering warning light on and steering effort suddenly very heavy; many say a restart restores it. The other recurring themes are uneven, premature tire wear on the inner edges and rear suspension hardware — loose bolts on newer cars, broken shock mounts and leaking struts on higher-mileage ones. The rest of the sample is spread thinly across doors, sunroof glass, electrical and engine concerns.

  1. Steering

    Power steering assist cuts out while driving

    • 32 complaints (48%)
    • median 31,000 mi at 2.5 yrs old (29 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2009–2024

    Owners describe the power steering warning light coming on and the wheel suddenly taking much more effort to turn, sometimes mid-turn at low speed, in traffic, or pulling out of a parking space. Many say switching the car off and restarting brings the assist back, while others had it stay out until the vehicle sat and cooled. Complaints mention dealers replacing the power steering pump or control module, and some say the dealer could not duplicate the fault or told them the car was outside warranty coverage. Reported from a few thousand miles to well past 150,000, with many clustered between roughly 15,000 and 50,000; several describe it after idling, in hot weather, or at parking speeds.

    Recall 10V374000

    What to check: Ask whether the power steering pump or control module has been replaced, and check by VIN whether the electric power assist recall applies to this car and was performed. On a test drive, confirm the steering warning light stays off and that assist is present after a long idle and at parking speeds.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was about to parallel park in reverse and the power steering died. A light showed up on the dashboard indicating the same. Because it was a busy street a bunch of cars and bike riders were backing up behind me. I muscled the car into the spot without the power steering. When I shut the car off and restarted it, the power steering worked again.”

    NHTSA complaint #10330052, filed 2010-05, 74,900 miles

    “While I was driving my 2008 Mazda 5 in late march 2010, the power steering stopped working. The problem persisted until we got it fixed. The mechanic gave the following diagnostic, 'c1099 power steering circuit fault hydroelectric power steering pump intermittently shuts down. Mazda TSB references this issue. Recommend perform TSB per Mazda and reevaluate.' the repair cost around $1,000.”

    NHTSA complaint #10341335, filed 2010-07, 51,615 miles
  2. Tires

    Premature uneven tire wear and cupping

    • 7 complaints (10%)
    • median 17,000 mi at 1.9 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2009–2013

    Owners report the inner edges of the tires wearing down and cupping well before the rest of the tread, in some cases needing a second set within the first 25,000 miles. Complaints say the dealer checked alignment, found the rear slightly out of specification, or recommended repeated alignments, and that uneven wear and road noise came back afterwards. A few describe the wear as a characteristic of the car's alignment settings rather than something that was corrected. Mostly reported between about 9,000 and 60,000 miles, often first noticed at a routine rotation or alignment visit.

    What to check: Run a hand over the inner edge of each tire and look for cupping or a big difference between inner and outer tread depth, and ask for alignment records. Ask whether the tires on the car are a matched set and how many miles they have covered.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Mazda 5 premature tire wear on toyo tires. The Mazda has 24712 miles, but only ~15000 are on the toyo tires due to running snow tires all winter and there is cupping and inner tire wear. Alignment was checked at Mazda and rear was slightly out of spec (-0.03). Mazda denies ever hearing of a tire problem on their Mazda 5s, when the topic is all over their web. When I purchased the car the saleman assured me Mazda had resolved the premature tire wear that had been seen in the uk where the Mazda 5 appeared before the USA.”

    NHTSA complaint #10282467, filed 2009-08, 15,000 miles

    “Premature tire wear is a huge problem. Had to replace the front 2 factory toyo tires at 8,777 miles (sep 2008) due to even wear that placed the tires in the red . Replaced the same two front tires (which were falken) at 24,437 miles (july 2009) because of even tire wear that placed the tires in the red . I am now on my third set of tires at only 24,500 miles. Both times that tire replacement occurred, vehicle was taken to local Mazda dealership for alignment check and to verify what the cause of the abnormal, premature wear is. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10278691, filed 2009-07, 8,777 miles
  3. Suspension

    Loose rear suspension bolts and broken shock mounts

    • 6 complaints (9%)
    • median 31,500 mi at 2.6 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2008–2017

    Owners describe popping or knocking noises from the rear and, on inspection, loose bolts on the rear suspension, in some cases twice within the first couple thousand miles. Others report broken rear shock mounts — one owner had mounts break at roughly 80,000 and again near 120,000 miles — and struts and shocks found leaking or fractured when a front-end knock was investigated. Loose-bolt reports came within the first few thousand miles, while broken shock mounts and leaking struts were reported from about 46,000 miles upward.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Listen for popping or clunking over bumps at low speed, and ask whether the rear suspension bolts have been re-torqued or any shock mounts replaced. A service bulletin notes that a light oil film on struts and shocks is often normal, so ask for the inspection result rather than judging by oil residue alone.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “We bought a 2008 MAZDA5 and have had to take it to the dealer twice for loose bolts on the rear right suspension. The car has less than 2000 miles on it. We are concerned about the safety of the car.”

    NHTSA complaint #10245449, filed 2008-10, 1,200 miles

    “Going down the road and all of a sudden it sounds like a rock banging in the rear driver side wheel well. It turns out to be a broken shock mount. This is the second one that has broken. One broke at ~80,000 miles and now this at ~120000. Search the internet and it is a known problem.”

    NHTSA complaint #10746183, filed 2015-08, 120,000 miles

Buying note. The complaints for this model year concentrate on the power steering assist dropping out and on rear suspension and tire-wear problems, all of which can be checked before you buy. A pre-purchase inspection covering steering assist, rear suspension hardware and tire wear patterns, plus a VIN check for the power steering recall, is worth arranging.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 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. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the 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 67 consumer complaints for the 2008 Mazda MAZDA5. 60 of the complaints include a mileage, and 65% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 38,750 miles. Of all complaints, 4 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 4 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign and 221 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 3 Mazda MAZDA5 model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 56 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: Equipment (2), Vehicle speed control (2), Brakes (1), Latches, locks and linkages (1), Seat belts (1).

Example complaints

Steering: “We were driving from reagan airport to kensington, maryland. While changing lanes on I-495, the power steering gave out on our MAZDA5 with 39k miles on it. We were able to drive home with great effort. We took the car to the Mazda dealership and they know about this problem, that it is typical for mazda5s.”

NHTSA complaint #10324198, filed 2010-04, 39,000 miles

Suspension: “I bought 4 kumho tires sized 205 50r17 for this car in september of 2015. In august of 2017, at about 25000 miles on the tires, one of them developed what we later learned was a belt separation. The symptoms were a severe vibration, and severe pull. We replaced two of the tires. 10 months later the car developed exactly the same symptoms, and it was discovered that another of the tires had a belt separation. I replaced all 4 tires with another brand. I called kumho to report the issue, as they clearly had a bad run of tires for me to have to out of one set. …”

NHTSA complaint #11103068, filed 2018-06, 162,000 miles

Tires: “Van has 15,000 miles and is approx 14 months old. Vehicle was diagnosed with excessive tire wear in the front and tire cupping in the rear, creating excessive road/tire noise inside of the vehicle cabin.”

NHTSA complaint #10263798, filed 2009-03, 15,000 miles

Body and structure: “When temperatures drop below freezing, rear sliding doors have difficulty latching to the point where they can't be properly closed. This exact issue is described in recall #06v463000 for which my vehicle's VIN/year is not included. I would like my vehicle to be included in this recall so I can have the issue addressed by the dealer.”

NHTSA complaint #10936154, filed 2016-12, 120,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

65% of the 60 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 18,549 and 66,000 miles.

10%0–1030%10–2525%25–5015%50–755%75–10010%100–1505%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (60 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 38,750 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.

’08’1031’12’14’16’18’21’24
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 2008 Mazda MAZDA5. 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
MAZDA5 · hatchback FWDnot rated5 / 5———

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 2008 Mazda MAZDA5 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
5 FWD2.3L 4-cyl5-speed manual222824$2,800
5 FWD2.3L 4-cyl5-speed automatic212723$2,900

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 2008 Mazda MAZDA5 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

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. 221 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 221 bulletins →

Other model years of the Mazda MAZDA5

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2015945,0001—24—Not enough data
20141279,0001—24—Not enough data
20132438,0001—24—Stable
20123743,0001—2423 · FewerFalling
20105751,5001—2443 · TypicalStable
20096442,3052—2472 · MoreFalling
20086738,7501—2456 · TypicalFalling
20076165,0001—22Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20067850,5002—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Mazda MAZDA5 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2008 Mazda MAZDA5?

Owners of this model year most often describe the power steering assist cutting out, usually with the steering warning light on and steering effort suddenly very heavy; many say a restart restores it. The issues reported most often: Power steering assist cuts out while driving; Premature uneven tire wear and cupping; Loose rear suspension bolts and broken shock mounts.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2008 Mazda MAZDA5 have?

NHTSA recorded 67 consumer complaints for the 2008 Mazda MAZDA5 as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2008 Mazda MAZDA5 is reported most often?

Steering is named most often, in 37 complaints (55% of the total), followed by suspension with 9.

Has the 2008 Mazda MAZDA5 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2008 Mazda MAZDA5 get?

The EPA rates the 2008 Mazda MAZDA5 (5, 2.3L 4-cyl) at 24 mpg combined, 22 city and 28 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,800 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2008 Mazda MAZDA5 reported?

Among the 60 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 38,750 miles and the middle half falls between 18,549 and 66,000 miles; 65% 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.