2018 Mazda CX-5 · symptom sheet
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early
- 33owner reports
- 10,000median miles
- 8involved a crash
Newest report May 12, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026
33 of the 348 complaints on this car describe brake wear.
Tick what matches of 33 reports
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the caliper (5 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the brakes covers the 2018 model year as of Sep 9, 2026.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 2,112 and 24,000 miles, from the 15 reports that gave a mileage.
What owners wrote
“Two bolts simultaneously dislodged brake caliper which, in turn, disconnected brake fluid hose resulting in loss in brake responsiveness.”
Filed Nov 7, 2023
“Parking brake system malfunction. Flashing brake light and the parking exclamation point light on. When I try to release the emergency parking brake it continues to light up on the dashboard as well as yellow flashing light on the physical brake similar problem with 2016 model. Seen multiple people with similar problem but no solution Restarting the car multiple times makes the light go away eventually”
Filed May 4, 2023
“I had my brakes replaced and when they reactivated the parking brake, it's only working on one side of the car. The mechanic informed me that the car has a faulty actuator and this is a very common problem with my car.”
Filed Aug 11, 2022
“Car has 38000 miles and the caliber needed replaced yesterday. Brakes started grinding a day before that slightly in the morning by the time I got off work and drove home it was so loud I was terrified to break at all. Mechanic said heâs not seen calipers seize up like that in a newer model car.”
Filed Feb 10, 2022 · 38,000 miles
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 8 of 33 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.
Other problems on this car
- Check engine light or misfire 129 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 46 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 29 reports
- Burns oil or oil level rises 29 reports