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Transmission and drivetrainPart report

2012 Mazda MAZDA5 Transmission and drivetrain Problems

Complaints
3about this part
Share
8%of 37 total for the year
Median mileage
94,500miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 3 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2012 Mazda MAZDA5, 8% of the 37 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 94,500 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.

“When put into 1st or 2nd gear, this vehicle drives in reverse. It caused our vehicle to unexpectedly back into a major highway. After getting off the road in 3rd gear, multiple drivers have tested this with the same result... The vehicle travels in reverse while in 1st or 2nd gear. There was no sign of this prior to this incident, it happened suddenly and nearly caused a major accident.”

NHTSA complaint #11064524, filed 2018-01, 67,000 miles

“It's very common in the Mazda 5 cars for the emission components to fail often and affects the fuel economy which causes loss of fuel, money etc. It's also a safety concern as the evap leaks could release fuel vapors to the atmosphere and polluting it. As well as fire hazards due to the fuel leaks. I've noticed many customers approaching the dealer due to this problem which kind of gives us the feeling that this a very common issue with the MAZDA5 vehicles.”

NHTSA complaint #11301036, filed 2020-01, 122,000 miles

“While accelerating from a complete stop at a traffic light on a multi-lane roadway, the vehicle suddenly lost all engine power without prior warning. The engine RPM dropped immediately to 0, causing the vehicle to stall in the middle of an active intersection and creating an immediate risk of a side-impact collision from oncoming traffic. All warning lights on the instrument cluster illuminated upon stalling. To clear the intersection safely, the vehicle was placed into Neutral and restarted. …”

NHTSA complaint #11754718, filed 2026-08

Related service bulletins

Transmission and drivetrain: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
201328%
201238%
201024%
200935%
200846%
200758%
200634%

Other parts of the 2012 Mazda MAZDA5

Fuel system
8 complaintsBrakes
7 complaintsBody and structure
7 complaintsTires
7 complaintsAir bags
4 complaintsSteering
4 complaintsSeats
2 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
2 complaintsElectrical system
1 complaintsEngine
1 complaintsSuspension
1 complaintsWheels
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2012 Mazda MAZDA5

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 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