Reliable Auto DB

2018 Mazda CX-9 reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2018 Mazda CX-9 holds 128 complaints after 9 years, a rate of 4 per year. That is more complaints per year than most CX-9 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 3. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Fuel pump and Wiring.

2012 Mazda CX-9
Photo by Ethan Llamas, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC0
Complaints

128

Per year

4

Recalls

2

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (76 of 128), then Electrical system (15) and Powertrain (13). Those filings include 4 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 2 that report an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 CX-9 has 61 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2019 has 53 complaints, 3 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

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 2018 Mazda CX-9. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall Fuel pump 2021-11-12 · NHTSA campaign 21V875000
Summary Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3, Mazda6, 2019 CX-3, 2018-2019 MX-5, CX-5, CX-9, and 2019-2020 Mazda2 vehicles. The impeller inside the low-pressure fuel pump may crack and deform, potentially causing the fuel pump to fail.
Remedy Dealers will replace the fuel pumps, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 18, 2022. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 5321K.
Recall electrical system, wiring 2019-05-30 · NHTSA campaign 19V403000
Summary Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 CX-9 vehicles. The wiring harness may disrupt electrical communications and disable the passenger frontal air bag, turn signals, and/or engine starting system.
Remedy Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will repair the wiring harnesses, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3419E.

Complaints by component (128 total)

Engine
76
Electrical system
15
Powertrain
13
Service brakes
11
Fuel and propulsion system
5
Forward collision avoidance
4
Back-over prevention
3
Steering
3
Visibility and wipers
3
Air bags
2
Engine and engine cooling
2
Fuel system, gasoline
2
Seats
2
Child seat
1
Exterior lighting
1
Lane departure
1
Seat belts
1
Structure
1
Suspension
1
Show 11 more Show less
Crash-flagged

4

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

2

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

1201722018520193202052021212022392023302024102025122026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "While driving at highway speed in heavy rain the oil light suddenly came on followed within 30 seconds by an urgent need to immediately stop the car due to overheating. There was no radiator fluid left due to the sudden…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-17
  • "My 2018 Mazda Cx-9 equipped with the skyactiv-g 2.5T developed a serious cylinder-head/cooling-system failure. The vehicle began to lose coolant with no apparent external leak and subsequently displayed and engine…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-15
  • "I was driving home from work and may car started overheating out of nowhere. I was stuck in traffic and white smoke was exiting my exhaust. I pulled over and all of my coolant leaked out of my car. Took it the shop and…"
    Engine · filed 2026-08-08
  • "The cylinder head on this 2018 Mazda CX-9 (Skyactiv-G 2.5T engine) cracked, allowing engine coolant to leak and intermix with engine oil, causing loss of coolant and catastrophic engine failure. The vehicle became…"
    Engine · filed 2026-07-15
  • "My passenger heated seats malfunction while I was driving. As I was driving on the highway I smelled something burning. I didn't know where the smell was coming from it was strong . Then while I'm driving on the highway…"
    Seats · filed 2026-06-08

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 Mazda CX-9 SUV AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2018 Mazda CX-9 SUV FWD 5 stars 4 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-9 two-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 22 28 24 MPG $2700
CX-9 four-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Four-wheel drive 20 26 23 MPG $2800

Specs and fitment

2nd generation (TC), 2016–2023
Body styles SUV
Oil SAE 5W-30 (SKYACTIV-G 2.5T turbo) , 5.1 qt capacity
Tire size 255/50R20, 255/60R18 (trim dependent)
Towing capacity 3,500 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 19V-403 covers certain 2018 Mazda CX-9 vehicles: the wiring harness may disrupt electrical communications and disable the passenger frontal air bag, turn signals, and/or engine starting; dealers repair the harnesses. Campaign 21V-875 covers certain 2018-2019 CX-9 vehicles (with Mazda3, Mazda6, CX-3, CX-5, MX-5, and Mazda2 in the same campaign) where the low-pressure fuel pump impeller may crack and cause an engine stall; dealers replace the fuel pumps. Confirm open campaigns by VIN; multi-model unit counts are shared.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Mazda CX-9 Next year 2019 Mazda CX-9 See every Mazda CX-9 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Mazda CX-9 reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2018 Mazda CX-9 holds 128 complaints after 9 years, a rate of 4 per year. That is more complaints per year than most CX-9 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 3. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Fuel pump and Wiring.

What are common problems with a 2018 Mazda CX-9?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (76 of 128), then Electrical system (15) and Powertrain (13). Those filings include 4 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 2 that report an injury.

Is the 2018 Mazda CX-9 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 CX-9 has 61 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2019 has 53 complaints, 3 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Mazda CX-9 been recalled?

The 2018 Mazda CX-9 has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Mazda CX-9?

Owners have filed 128 complaints about the 2018 Mazda CX-9 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Mazda CX-9 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Mazda CX-9 is 23.5 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-9 use?

US CX-9 manuals specify SAE 5W-30 for the SKYACTIV-G 2.5T turbo engine.

What generation is the 2018 Mazda CX-9?

2nd generation / TC (2016-2023).

What tire sizes does a Mazda CX-9 use?

Second-gen US sizes include 255/60R18 and 255/50R20; first-gen pages list 245/60R18 and 245/50R20.