Reliable Auto DB

2013 Mazda Mazda6 reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2013 Mazda Mazda6 holds 23 complaints after 14 years, a rate of 1 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Mazda6 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 3. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Structure, Inflator, and Latch.

2012 Mazda Mazda6
Photo by Vauxford, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

23

Per year

1

Recalls

4

Years on the road

14

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (5 of 23), then Suspension (5) and Air bags (4). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 2 that report an injury.

Next to 2012 and 2014

The 2012 Mazda6 has 99 complaints, 3 per year, and the 2014 has 137 complaints, 14 per year. The 2013 has fewer complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014.

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 2013 Mazda Mazda6. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (4)

Recall Structure 2019-04-25 · NHTSA campaign 19V323000
Summary Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Mazda6 vehicles sold, or ever registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland,Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The front cross member may corrode after exposure to road salt.
Remedy Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the cross member and either install a side member and drain hose and apply wax to protect from rust, or install a drain hose and an improved front cross member, free of charge. The recall began June 13, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 2818I. Note: This recall is an expansion of Recall 18V-631.
Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2018-10-12 · NHTSA campaign 18V717000
Summary Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Mazda CX-9 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, unless covered in "Zone A," Mazda is recalling certain 2011-2013 Mazda6, 2011-2012 CX-7, and 2011-2015 CX-9 sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless covered in Zone A or Zone B, Mazda is recalling certain 2010-2013 Mazda6, 2010-2012 CX-7, and 2010-2015 CX-9 vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Remedy Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F.
Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2018-01-09 · NHTSA campaign 18V018000
Summary Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2013 Mazda6 and CX-9 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, unless covered in "Zone A," Mazda is recalling certain 2010 Mazda6, CX-7 and CX-9 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Additionally, unless covered in Zone A or Zone B, Mazda is recalling certain 2009 Mazda6, CX-7, and CX-9 vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Remedy Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F.
Recall latches, locks, and linkages, doors, latch 2013-09-24 · NHTSA campaign 13V425000
Summary Mazda is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Mazda6 vehicles manufactured February 4, 2008, through August 24, 2012. The door latch mounting screws may become loose.
Remedy Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will apply a thread locking adhesive to the door screws and retorque them, free of charge. The recall began on October 29, 2013. Owners may contact Mazda at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's recall number is 7013I.

Complaints by component (23 total)

Service brakes
5
Suspension
5
Air bags
4
Exterior lighting
4
Structure
3
Seats
2
Visibility and wipers
2
Electrical system
1
Fuel and propulsion system
1
Powertrain
1
Seat belts
1
Steering
1
Wheels
1
Show 5 more Show less
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

2

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

22014120154201712018620191202042021220231202412026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2013 Mazda Mazda6. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V018000 (Air Bags). The dealer confirmed the recall but was unable to perform the recall repair. The dealer informed…"
    Air bags · filed 2026-09-14
  • "The contact owns a 2013 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that the vehicle had been repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V631000 (Suspension, Structure) where a coating was sprayed on the passenger side lower control…"
    Suspension, Structure · filed 2024-07-12
  • "I JUST BAUGHT A 2013 MAZDA6 THE REAR CRADEL AND CROSS MEMBER WAS COMPLETY RUSTED AWAY ONE MOUNT WAS COMPLETY RUSTED OFF .THE SPRINGS WAS ALMOST READY TO FALL OUT THE BOTTEM OF THE SPRING PURCH .IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS…"
    Suspension, Wheels, Service brakes · filed 2023-12-19
  • "My car has approx 115,000 miles. I took it to Bass Mazda to have spark plugs and serpentine belt changed simply for maintenance purposes. After leaving dealership my car was pulling to the right. My steering wheel was…"
    Steering, Suspension · filed 2023-01-04
  • "2013 Mazda 6 VIN [XXX] 1)Fuel tank leak. yes it is available for inspection 2)Gas leak with danger of fire or explosion. 3) Yes 4) No 5)Yes Reoccurring The 2014 Mazda 6 had a recall for the exact same problem I am…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2021-12-30

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2013 Mazda Mazda6 4 DR FWD 4 stars 3 stars 4 stars 5 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.

Specs and fitment

2nd generation (GJ, late), 2012–2013
Body styles Sedan
Oil SAE 0W-20 (gasoline SKYACTIV-G 2.5; 5W-30 where manual specifies) , 4.5 qt capacity
Tire size 215/55R17

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA recall 17V-393 covers certain 2014-2015 Mazda6 vehicles where water could enter the electric parking brake actuator and corrode it, so the parking brake may not hold. Recall 14V-170 covers certain 2014 Mazda6 vehicles for a fuel tank that may crack and leak. Confirm open campaigns by VIN.

Compare

Previous year 2012 Mazda Mazda6 Next year 2014 Mazda Mazda6 See every Mazda Mazda6 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Mazda Mazda6 reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2013 Mazda Mazda6 holds 23 complaints after 14 years, a rate of 1 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Mazda6 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 3. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Structure, Inflator, and Latch.

What are common problems with a 2013 Mazda Mazda6?

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (5 of 23), then Suspension (5) and Air bags (4). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 2 that report an injury.

Is the 2013 Mazda Mazda6 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2012 Mazda6 has 99 complaints, 3 per year, and the 2014 has 137 complaints, 14 per year. The 2013 has fewer complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014.

Has the 2013 Mazda Mazda6 been recalled?

The 2013 Mazda Mazda6 has 4 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 2013 Mazda Mazda6?

Owners have filed 23 complaints about the 2013 Mazda Mazda6 with NHTSA.

What engine oil does a Mazda Mazda6 use?

US Mazda6 manuals specify SAE 0W-20 for SKYACTIV-G 2.5L engines (5W-30 where the manual specifies).

What does NHTSA campaign 17V-393 cover on the Mazda6?

Certain 2014-2015 Mazda6 vehicles (with 2014-2016 Mazda3): water can enter the brake caliper so the parking-brake actuator shaft corrodes and binds; dealers check and replace corroded shafts.

What tire sizes does the Mazda6 use by generation?

Second gen (2012-2013) lists 215/55R17. Third gen (2014-2021) lists 225/45R19 on this site.