Second generation (KF)
2021 Mazda CX-5
The most reported problem on the 2021 Mazda CX-5 is oil consumption, with 42 complaints, usually around 8,000 miles.
- 147owner complaints
- 0recalls
- 9involved a crash
- 11,000median miles at failure
Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
What is your CX-5 doing?
Each one opens a sheet built from the owner reports of that problem on the 2021 model year.
Is the 2021 Mazda CX-5 reliable?
The 2021 Mazda CX-5 has 147 owner complaints on file with NHTSA, below the median of 216 for 2021 SUVs on this site. Of the 13 CX-5 model years since 2014, it has the 6th most complaints. Complaint counts rise with sales as well as faults, so read what owners report below before deciding.
At a glance
- Next to the 2020 and 2022
- The 2021 stands out from the model years on either side. It draws 24 complaints for each year on the road, while the 2020 draws 15 and the 2022 13.
- Top problem
- Oil consumption leads with 42 of the 147 complaints (29%), ahead of misfire at 14. Oil consumption tends to show up early. Of the 27 owners who gave a mileage for it, half were under about 8,000 miles and a quarter under about 6,000.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 9 of the 147 complaints (6%) report a crash, a fire or an injury, about the 6% typical of vehicles on this site. Counted separately (one report can carry more than one), 9 reports mention a crash and 7 people were hurt. The most crash reports, 3 of 9, fall under brake wear.
- Recalls behind the top problems
- There's no recall on file for this model year, so the problems above are owner complaints with no campaign behind them.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2022 at 46 and have dropped every year since, to 17 in 2025. So far in 2026, 21 more have come in.
When each problem shows up
Each bar covers the middle half of the mileages owners reported for that problem. A quarter saw it earlier, a quarter later. The tick is the median. Most reported: burns oil or oil level rises, 42 complaints.
middle half of reports, median tick. The heavier grey bars have 75 or more reports.
Behind you
Around your mileage
Ahead of you
How this compares
147 complaints is 1.3 times fewer than the median 2021 model on this site and 1.5 times fewer than the median 2021 SUV. Among the 9 CX-5 model years here it ranks 6th for complaints. Counts follow sales volume as much as reliability, so a truck that sells 700,000 a year draws more reports than a sedan that sells 200,000.
Service bulletins for the 2021 Mazda CX-5
Mazda filed 499 bulletins and other notices with NHTSA that list the 2021 Mazda CX-5. 69 of them deal with a problem owners have reported on this car, 5 of those a warranty extension. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
Burns oil or oil level rises 5 bulletins · 42 complaints
SPECIAL SERVICE PROGRAM SSPD5 - WARRANTY EXTENSION - MULTI-MODEL - VALVE STEM SEALS CLASS ACTION In conjunction with a Class Action Settlement, Mazda Motor Corporation has decided to conduct an extension of the Engine powertrain warranty related to excessive oil consumption.
Some vehicles may have a "LOW ENGINE OIL LEVEL" warning message and an engine oil level warning light on in the instrument cluster with DTC P250F:00 stored in memory, and the oil level has actually decreased to near low.
3 more on this problem
Some vehicles may have a "LOW ENGINE OIL LEVEL" warning message and a CHECK ENGINE light illuminated in the instrument cluster with DTC P250F:00 stored in memory, and the oil level has actually decreased to near low.
Some vehicles may have a "OW ENGINE OIL LEVEL" warning message and a CHECK ENGINE light illuminated in the instrument cluster with DTC P250F:00 stored in memory, and the oil level has actually decreased to near low.
Some customers may complain about high engine oil consumption. Before attempting any repairs, verify the complaint by using the guideline below to determine if an engine repair is necessary: Engine Oil Consumption Inspection Guideline 1.
Check engine light or misfire 15 bulletins · 14 complaints
Subject: TSB 01-001/26 Warranty and Parts Kit Update INCLUDES: Warranty Extension Program - Special Service Program (SSP) D8 Check Engine Light ON with DTC P0126:00, 2018-2025 CX-5, 2019-2023 Mazda3, 2019-2022 CX-3, 2018-2021 Mazda6, 2020-2023 CX-30 Dear ...
Some customers may experience a check engine light ON with DTC P0126:00 (Thermostat stuck open) and one or more of the following symptoms: Engine takes longer to warm up. Engine temperature gauge fluctuates.
13 more on this problem
Some vehicles may display some (or all) of the following symptoms: • Check engine light on with DTC P061B • Light increase in engine rpms during acceleration • Transmission will not shift past 4th gear • Various U codes (U0401 ABS, U0401, U0415 FSC, U0301, ...
SSPD8 - Check Engine Light ON with DTC P0126:00 - WARRANTY EXTENSION For certain 2018-2025MY CX-5, 2019-2023MY Mazda3, 2019-2022MY CX-3, 2018-2021MY Mazda6, 2020-2023MY CX-30 that are equipped with the suspected coolant control valve, the warranty coverage ...
SSPD8 - SPECIAL SERVICE PROGRAM WARRANTY EXTENSION MULTI-MODEL - CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON WITH DTC P0126:00.Mazda Motor Corporation has decided to conduct a Special Service Program (SSP) to extend the warranty coverage for a specific repair of the fail-safe thermostat in the coolant control valve on certain ...
Some vehicles may experience an engine no start/no crank with either of the following DTC's stored: P0615:12 - Starter relay circuit malfunction B112A:12 - IG2 relay circuit malfunction This may be caused by water contamination/corrosion at electrical ...
On certain subject vehicles, the check engine light is illuminated with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0126, due to the fail-safe thermostat being stuck open. Additionally, you may notice one or more of the following symptoms: -Engine takes longer to warm up.
Some vehicles may have the check engine light on with DTC P0524:00 or P055F:00 stored in memory. Contamination in the engine oil may cause the engine oil solenoid valve to become stuck, resulting in improper operation of the oil pump and improper oil pressure.
Some customers may experience the check engine light ON with DTC P0126:00 (Thermostat stuck open) and one or more of the following symptoms: The engine takes longer to warm up The engine temperature gauge fluctuates The low coolant temperature indicator ...
Some customers may complain about a poor acceleration and rough idling or the CHECK ENGINE light ON with DTC P030X:00 (only turbo engines are applicable; non-turbo engines are NOT applicable). - In most cases, P030X is stored, but sometimes not.
Some vehicles may experience the Check Engine Light ON with DTC P0171 (Fuel Trim too Lean) and possibly DTCs P030X (Misfire). Vehicles having this concern should use the following Inspection/Repair procedure.
Some vehicles may have a ¢LOW ENGINE OIL LEVEL¢ warning message and a CHECK ENGINE light illuminated in the instrument cluster, along with DTC P250F:00 stored in memory. DTC P250F:00 - Engine oil level signal: engine oil level low.
Plus 3 older ones not listed here.
Engine leaks oil 2 bulletins · 12 complaints
Some customer's might state that they notice fluid or oil leaking/dripping on the ground when the vehicle is parked. For this concern, inspect the vehicle for any trace of a fluid or oil leak and use the following examples as a guide to determine if it is ...
Some vehicles may exhibit oil seepage or oil leak onto the engine front cover, which becomes more apparent with dust adhesion.
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 3 bulletins · 11 complaints
Some vehicles exhibit brake related concerns such as brake noise, brake judder or brake dragging. If you encounter a customer complaint for any one of these symptoms, refer to the following information to understand why symptoms may occur, and to better ...
Front Brake Noise Symptom 1: Some vehicles may exhibit a click noise when first moving forward or reverse from a stop OR when first applying the brakes while moving forward at slow speeds.
1 more on this problem
Some vehicles may exhibit a squeak noise from the rear brakes while braking lightly. The squeak noise may occur more frequently when driving at slow speeds. The noise is caused by poor contact between the guide plate and the mounting support.
Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 35 bulletins · 10 complaints
This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued service alert listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. SA-038/26 08/18/26 and 06/15/26 DESCRIPTION Some customers may complain about any of the following: 1.
This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued service alert listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. SA-038/26 06/15/26 DESCRIPTION Some customers may complain about any of the following: 1.
33 more on this problem
This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued Service Alerts listed below: The changes are noted in Red. Infotainment Reboot With Navigation Card Installed This Service Information is no longer valid.
This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued bulletin(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. SA-006/23 01/23/23 DESCRIPTION Some customers may complain about the infotainment system and/or the MyMazda App showing incorrect clock and/or ...
DESCRIPTION Some customers may complain about SiriusXM Travel Link, Traffic Plus showing expired even though the customer purchased a paid subscription. SiriusXM audio packages do not include SiriusXM Travel Link, Traffic Plus.
DESCRIPTION Some customers may complain about any of the following: 1. Infotainment Center Display does not provide the Authorization Code (OTP) during the MyMazda App Connected Vehicle enrollment. 2. Remote function(s) inoperative.
This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red. SA-009/25 08/22/25 and 02/18/25 DESCRIPTION Some customers may experience a Connected Vehicle failure. The MyMazda App may display an Error Code.
Some customers may complain about any of the following: 1. Infotainment Center Display does not provide the Authorization Code (OTP) during the MyMazda App Connected Vehicle enrollment. 2. Remote function(s) inoperative.
Some vehicles may have one of the following DTCs stored in memory along with a system status notice on the Multi-information display OR display a system status notice with no DTC: C1001:92 - Forward sensing camera (FSC) poor field of view [Gen 6 vehicles] ...
Some customers may experience a Connected Vehicle failure. The MyMazda App may display an Error Code. This document provides Error Code description and recovery information to assist with repairs.
Some vehicles may exhibit a partially missing image (shown in the circles below) from the Active Driving Display (ADD) on the front window and/or display.
Some customers may complain about the Active Driving Display not displaying turn by turn (TBT) travel direction or navigation information.
Plus 23 older ones not listed here.
Engine rattles or ticks 3 bulletins · 8 complaints
A tapping/rattling noise may be noticed from the valve train area. This operating condition can occur on new vehicles which have been delivered to Mazda dealers (due to loading and unloading from transport trucks or customers moving their vehicles in and out ...
Some customers may complain about an unusual thumping / rattling noise coming from the engine compartment. The noise is most pronounced under the following conditions: - Engine at idle - Transmission in drive - Foot on the brake pedal - A/C OFF - Audio OFF ...
1 more on this problem
Some vehicle may exhibit a tapping noise from the engine during idling; etc., and synchronized to the engine rpm. The tapping noise may be caused by the switchable hydraulic lash adjuster (HLA), which may not work properly due to air bubbles accumulated in ...
Engine stalls or loses power while driving 1 bulletin · 6 complaints
Some customers may complain about a tapping or knocking noise coming from the rear seat after fuel fill. The concern will likely occur if the fuel tank is overfilled (more fuel is added after the fuel pump nozzle shuts off automatically) or filled up normally ...
Windshield cracks or distorts 5 bulletins · 6 complaints
DESCRIPTION Some vehicles may require the replacement of a damaged VIN plate or vehicle certification label. To obtain a replacement VIN plate (bulkhead-mounted and visible through the lower-left area of the windshield), contact DAG (Dealer Assistance Group) ...
Some vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage such (melted, separating, etc.) when parked near a glass building or Low-E windows. This may be caused by the sun's reflection.
3 more on this problem
Some vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage when parked near a glass building or Low-E windows. This may be caused by the sun's reflection.
Whistling Noise From Front Door Window Glass or Windshield When Driving At Highway Speed: Some customers may complain about a whistling noise heard from the top of the A-pillar area and/or the top of windshield area when driving at highway speeds.
Some vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage when parked near a glass building. This may be caused by the suns reflection.
Complaints filed by year
46 complaints came in 2022, 3.1 times the year before. Owners file in waves when a problem gets press or an investigation, so a spike measures attention as much as failures.
Recalls that include the 2021 Mazda CX-5
Whether your car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
No recalls on file for this model year.
Guide Buying one used? How to research one car’s history before you pay
Questions
What is the most common problem on the 2021 Mazda CX-5?
Oil consumption, with 42 of the 147 complaints. Owners who gave a mileage for it put the median at about 8,000 miles.
At what mileage do 2021 Mazda CX-5 problems start?
Of the 69 complaints that give a mileage, a quarter came by about 4,000 miles and half by about 11,000.
Is the 2021 Mazda CX-5 better or worse than the 2020 and 2022?
Counted per year on the road, the 2021 has more complaints than both the 2020 and the 2022: 24 a year against 15 and 13.
How many 2021 Mazda CX-5 complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
9 of them (6%). The typical vehicle on this site is at 6%.
Is there a recall for oil consumption on the 2021 Mazda CX-5?
No recall on file for the 2021 Mazda CX-5 is on the same system as oil consumption. Another recall may still cover your car, so check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.