Reliable Auto DB

2017 Mazda CX-5 reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2017 Mazda CX-5 has 148 complaints with NHTSA after 10 years, or 10 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most CX-5 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 15. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Trailer hitch.

2013 Mazda CX-5
Photo by EurovisionNim, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

148

Per year

10

Recalls

1

Years on the road

10

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (44 of 148), then Engine (15) and Service brakes (14). Those filings include 5 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Next to 2016 and 2018

The 2016 CX-5 has 510 complaints, 62 per year, and the 2018 has 118 complaints, 0 per year. The 2017 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2018.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2017 Mazda CX-5. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

Recall trailer hitch 2017-11-21 · NHTSA campaign 17V744000
Summary Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2017 CX-5 vehicles equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness. This harness may be routed such that there is insufficient clearance between the harness and the exhaust muffler, allowing the wiring harness to contact the muffler.
Remedy Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reroute the trailer hitch harness away from the muffler, replacing the harness if it is damaged, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 20, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1617K.

Complaints by component (148 total)

Electrical system
44
Engine
15
Service brakes
14
Fuel and propulsion system
13
Structure
12
Visibility and wipers
12
Powertrain
11
Speed control
6
Lane departure
5
Air bags
4
Forward collision avoidance
4
Back-over prevention
3
Seats
3
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
Seat belts
2
Engine and engine cooling
1
Equipment
1
Exterior lighting
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Suspension
1
Tires
1
Visibility
1
Show 15 more Show less
Crash-flagged

5

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

3

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

420172120186201916202016202119202223202316202419202582026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The radio is uncontrollable by driver. The radio the self dial from Bluetooth. Even if not connected, the radio surprises this driver by playing the radio unexpectedly at the highest rate. Due to the buttons not…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-06-30
  • "There is a consistent issue with the “ghost touch“ and the electrical system so when you’re going down the road, the musical will change. The music will blast up or down randomly it’ll get stuck and it’s very…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-06-28
  • "Infotainment system randomly makes its own selections. Turns volume up and down, changes settings, changes stations... etc. Anything that can be controlled on the screen is at risk of being randomly hijacked. Once, my…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-05-30
  • "The contact owns a 2017 Mazda CX-5. While driving the vehicle, the engine overheat warning suddenly illuminated on the dashboard cluster panel. The contact pulled over immediately, restarted the engine, and coasted the…"
    Engine and engine cooling · filed 2026-05-22
  • "Last week, the airbag warning light illuminated on my dashboard. Please be aware that this marks the fourth occurrence of this issue. Each time I bring the vehicle to the dealership, they provide a different…"
    Air bags · filed 2026-05-21

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2017 Mazda CX-5 SUV AWD 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2017 Mazda CX-5 SUV FWD 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
CX-5 two-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 24 31 27 MPG $2400
CX-5 four-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Four-wheel drive 23 29 26 MPG $2500

Specs and fitment

2nd generation (KF), 2017–present
Body styles SUV
Oil SAE 0W-20 (gasoline SKYACTIV-G 2.5; 5W-30 where manual specifies) , 5.1 qt capacity
Tire size 225/55R19, 225/65R17 (trim dependent)
Towing capacity 2,000 lbs

Known issues for this generation

Safety recall 19V-497 (Mazda 3719F) covers certain 2018-2019 CX-5 vehicles (and certain Mazda6 and 2019 Mazda3) whose powertrain control module software can stall the engine; dealers reprogram the PCM free of charge. Safety recall 21V-875 (Mazda 5321K) covers certain 2018-2019 CX-5 vehicles among other Mazda models whose low-pressure fuel-pump impeller may crack or deform and fail, which can stall the engine; dealers replace the fuel pumps. The published unit totals for both campaigns include other Mazda nameplates, not CX-5 alone. Safety recall 18V-426 (Mazda 2718F) covers a limited 2018 CX-5 build run whose side curtain air bags may not unfold properly in a side impact or rollover, failing FMVSS 226; dealers replace the curtain air bags.

Compare

Previous year 2016 Mazda CX-5 Next year 2018 Mazda CX-5 See every Mazda CX-5 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2017 Mazda CX-5 reliable?

The 2017 Mazda CX-5 has 148 complaints with NHTSA after 10 years, or 10 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most CX-5 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 15. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Trailer hitch.

What are common problems with a 2017 Mazda CX-5?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (44 of 148), then Engine (15) and Service brakes (14). Those filings include 5 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Is the 2017 Mazda CX-5 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2016 CX-5 has 510 complaints, 62 per year, and the 2018 has 118 complaints, 0 per year. The 2017 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2018.

Has the 2017 Mazda CX-5 been recalled?

The 2017 Mazda CX-5 has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2017 Mazda CX-5?

Owners have filed 148 complaints about the 2017 Mazda CX-5 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2017 Mazda CX-5 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2017 Mazda CX-5 is 26.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a Mazda CX-5 use?

US CX-5 manuals specify SAE 0W-20 for SKYACTIV-G gasoline engines.

What generation is the 2018 Mazda CX-5?

2nd generation / KF (2017-on).

What tire sizes does a Mazda CX-5 use?

First-gen pages often list 225/65R17; second-gen trims also use 225/55R19 among other sizes.