Diagsheet

Compact SUVs · 9 model years, 2014 to 2026

Honda CR-V vs Mazda CX-5: problems and reliability

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the CX-5 looks better on 3 and the CR-V on 2, with 2 too close to call.

Honda CR-V

Honda CR-V

7,390 complaints · 18 recalls

Mazda CX-5

Mazda CX-5

1,972 complaints · 9 recalls

Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Sep 27, 2026

Counts are not adjusted for sales. The more cars of a model there are on the road, the more complaints it draws, so the raw totals above say a lot about sales. Everything below compares shares of each model's own complaints, the mileage problems start at, recalls per model year and each model's years against its own median.

Scorecard

Measure, 2014 to 2026CR-VCX-5
Complaints that report a crash3.7%4.9%
Complaints that report a fire0.4%0.7%
Complaints that report an injury2.6%2.3%
Median miles when problems are reported22,00035,000
Recall campaigns per model year2.01.0
Do-not-drive recalls00
NHTSA investigations50

The shaded side is lower (for miles, higher). Values within about a tenth of each other count as too close to call.

What owners complain about

The system CR-V owners complain about most is engine, and it is the same for the CX-5. Complaints citing collision avoidance make up 16% of all CR-V complaints, against 2.9% on the CX-5. The CX-5 leans the other way on exterior lighting: 9.5% of its complaints, against 1.1% for the CR-V.

Honda CR-VMazda CX-5

Engine24%26%
Electrical16%19%
Collision avoidance16%2.9%
Fuel and propulsion14%4.5%
Transmission and drivetrain7.2%11%
Brakes8.0%9.0%
Steering11%1.2%
Exterior Lighting1.1%9.5%
Windshield and wipers2.4%5.7%
Structure2.4%5.3%

Share of each model's complaints that cite each system, from NHTSA's own component codes. One complaint can cite several systems, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

The most reported problems

The most reported problem on the CR-V is phantom braking (9.8% of its complaints). On the CX-5 it is infotainment problems (15% of its complaints), against 4.7% on the CR-V.

ProblemCR-VCX-5
Check engine light or misfire5.6% 413most in 2017 · 58k mi14% 285most in 2018 · 53k mi
Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails4.7% 350most in 2017 · 14k mi15% 289most in 2019 · 47k mi
Engine stalls or loses power while driving9.6% 708most in 2018 · 26k mi9.2% 182most in 2014 · 53k mi
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early8.3% 612most in 2018 · 17k mi9.2% 182most in 2016 · 26k mi
Brakes on its own (automatic emergency braking)9.8% 724most in 2018 · 25k mi1.3% 25
Battery dies or the car will not start5.0% 369most in 2017 · 24k mi3.9% 77most in 2014 · 55k mi
Burns oil or oil level rises4.3% 318most in 2017 · 9k mi4.6% 90most in 2021 · 20k mi
Engine leaks oil0.2% 1612k mi7.5% 147most in 2019 · 52k mi

Share of each model's own complaints, with the count beside it. "Most in" links to the symptom sheet for the model year with the most reports of it, and the mileage is the median from reports that gave one.

When problems start

CR-V owners report problems earlier. Half the CR-V complaints that give a mileage come before 22,000 miles; for the CX-5 the halfway point is 35,000. 77% of CR-V reports and 65% of CX-5 reports come before 50,000 miles. Older model years have had longer to reach high mileage, so a window that runs to recent years pulls both medians down.

Honda CR-VMazda CX-5

Under 25k54%37%
25k to 50k23%28%
50k to 75k12%21%
75k to 100k5.9%8.7%
100k to 150k4.3%4.5%
Over 150k1.3%0.4%

Share of the complaints that state a mileage: 3,569 for the CR-V and 1,072 for the CX-5.

Worst and best years

The 2018 CR-V draws 4.3 times the complaints of a typical CR-V year for its age. The 2016 CX-5 draws 3.0 times the complaints of a typical CX-5 year for its age.

Honda CR-V

Every CR-V model year

Mazda CX-5

  • Years to avoid: 2016, 2018 and 2019
  • Best years: none since 2016 is clearly better

Every CX-5 model year

Honda CR-VMazda CX-5

Each model year against its own model's median. CR-V: 2014 0.7, 2015 1.0, 2016 0.6, 2017 3.2, 2018 4.3, 2019 2.5, 2020 0.9, 2021 1.0, 2022 0.9, 2023 2.3, 2024 2.4. CX-5: 2014 1.5, 2015 0.7, 2016 3.0, 2017 1.0, 2018 2.5, 2019 2.2, 2020 1.0, 2021 1.6, 2022 0.8, 2023 1.0, 2024 0.9.2014 CR-V: 0.7 times its median2014 CX-5: 1.5 times its median'142015 CR-V: 1.0 times its median2015 CX-5: 0.7 times its median'152016 CR-V: 0.6 times its median2016 CX-5: 3.0 times its median'162017 CR-V: 3.2 times its median2017 CX-5: 1.0 times its median'172018 CR-V: 4.3 times its median2018 CX-5: 2.5 times its median'182019 CR-V: 2.5 times its median2019 CX-5: 2.2 times its median'192020 CR-V: 0.9 times its median2020 CX-5: 1.0 times its median'202021 CR-V: 1.0 times its median2021 CX-5: 1.6 times its median'212022 CR-V: 0.9 times its median2022 CX-5: 0.8 times its median'222023 CR-V: 2.3 times its median2023 CX-5: 1.0 times its median'232024 CR-V: 2.4 times its median2024 CX-5: 0.9 times its median'241x

Each bar is that model year's complaints for each year on the road, divided by the same figure for a typical year of the same model (the dashed line). Measuring each model against itself takes the sales gap between the two out of the picture, so they can share a scale. Years too new to judge are left out.

Recalls and investigations

The CR-V draws more recalls: 2.0 campaigns per model year against 1.0 for the CX-5. A recall counts once however many cars it covers, so this figure does not grow with sales the way complaint totals do.

Honda CR-V

18 recall campaigns and 5 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: fuel system (5), airbags (4) and equipment (3).

  • 23V-858 (fuel system) covers 8 model years
  • 26V-332 (airbags) covers 5 model years

Investigations

  • EA24002: Inadvertent automatic emergency braking (open)
  • PE22011: Rear differential seizure (closed)
  • PE22003: Inadvertent automatic emergency braking (closed)

Mazda CX-5

9 recall campaigns and 0 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: fuel system (2), structure (1) and steering (1).

  • 16V-644 (structure) covers 3 model years
  • 16V-064 (fuel system) covers 3 model years

Whether a particular car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Crashes, fires and injuries

A larger share of CX-5 complaints report a crash: 4.9%, against 3.7% for the CR-V. Fire reports: 29 for the CR-V and 13 for the CX-5. Complaints on file report 4 deaths in the CR-V and 0 in the CX-5 for these model years.

Honda CR-VMazda CX-5

Report a crash3.7%4.9%
Report a fire0.4%0.7%
Report someone hurt2.6%2.3%

Share of each model's complaints in which the owner reported it. These are owners' own accounts as filed with NHTSA, and one report on its own doesn't prove a defect.

Questions

Is the Honda CR-V or the Mazda CX-5 more reliable?

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the CX-5 looks better on 3 and the CR-V on 2, with 2 too close to call. NHTSA complaint totals cannot settle it alone: the CR-V has 7,390 complaints and the CX-5 1,972 for the 9 model years from 2014 to 2026 that both have on file, and those totals follow how many of each were sold.

Which has more recalls, the CR-V or the CX-5?

The CR-V has 18 recall campaigns and the CX-5 9 across the 9 model years from 2014 to 2026 that both have on file. The CR-V draws more recalls: 2.0 campaigns per model year against 1.0 for the CX-5.

What are the most common problems on the CR-V and the CX-5?

The most reported problem on the CR-V is phantom braking (9.8% of its complaints). On the CX-5 it is infotainment problems (15% of its complaints), against 4.7% on the CR-V.

More comparisons

Every comparison