Mazda
Mazda CX-9 years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2016 and 2018. Best years: 2020, 2022 and 2023.
The 2016 and 2018 Mazda CX-9 draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2016 has 105 complaints (10 for each year on the road) and 2018 has 128 complaints (14 for each year on the road), against a median of 5 a year across the 10 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2018 is overheating (69 reports).
- 233complaints
- 2recall campaigns
- 2model years with a page
Newest report Sep 21, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2016
Most reported: overheating (52 reports, median 75,000 miles) and misfire (41 reports, median 80,000 miles).
2018
Most reported: overheating (69 reports, median 76,000 miles) and misfire (52 reports, median 68,000 miles).
Best years
2020
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2022
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2023
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2018 has the most complaints of any Mazda CX-9 year here: 128 of 233 (55%).
- Problem across the years
- Overheating is the top problem in every model year with a page, 121 reports in all. Pooled across the years, half of the 51 owners who gave a mileage for overheating were under about 75,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 4% of Mazda CX-9 complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2016, 5 of its 105 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- None of the 2 model years where owners report overheating has a recall on the same system.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2024 at 56 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 15. So far in 2026, 15 more have come in.
Photo: Mr.choppers, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2014 (53), 2015 (35), 2017 (61), 2019 (53), 2020 (19), 2021 (39), 2022 (10), 2023 (13).
Year by year
2018 Mazda CX-9 avoid
128 owner complaints, 14 for each year on the road (2.8 times the model median). Most reported: overheating (69 reports, median 76,000 miles), misfire (52 reports, median 68,000 miles) and infotainment (17 reports). 4 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 21V-875 on the fuel system and 19V-403 on the electrical system.
2016 Mazda CX-9 avoid
105 owner complaints, 10 for each year on the road (1.9 times the model median). Most reported: overheating (52 reports, median 75,000 miles), misfire (41 reports, median 80,000 miles) and engine failure (16 reports). 3 reports involved a crash and 3 people were hurt. No recalls.
Questions
What Mazda CX-9 years should you avoid?
The 2016 and 2018 Mazda CX-9 draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2016 has 105 complaints (10 for each year on the road) and 2018 has 128 complaints (14 for each year on the road), against a median of 5 a year across the 10 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2018 is overheating (69 reports).
What are the best years for the Mazda CX-9?
The 2020, 2022 and 2023 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2020 has 19 (3 a year), 2022 has 10 (2 a year) and 2023 has 13 (3 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Mazda CX-9?
Overheating, with 121 reports across the 2 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2016 and 2018.
How many recalls does the Mazda CX-9 have?
2 recall campaigns cover the Mazda CX-9 model years 2016 to 2018 on this site.
How many Mazda CX-9 complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
4% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2016 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for overheating on the Mazda CX-9?
No. None of the 2 model years where owners report it has one on the same system.