NHTSA — Engine Problems

2021 Mazda CX-5 (Page 1 of 3)

9.5

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
967 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2021 Mazda CX-5 engine problems

engine problem

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2021 Mazda CX-5 Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #55

Feb 042024

CX-5

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I thought this was for a mechanical issue (not a safety issue). Check engine light came on not blinking. Was code p0126 covered in bulletin 01-005/23 - Coolant Control Valve. I'm on the Facebook CX-5 page and I see that many people have had this issue. One person had the same problem twice on the same car. I would like very much to have the correct NHTSA link to report this problem so that others may report it as well. In my case check engine light came on far from home. A local dealer said it would be safe to drive home which I did (about 180 miles). But a problem that occurs many times on a given car model perhaps should be a recall. The only charge was about $75 from the garage who read the code and diagnosed the problem. It was covered under warranty so there was no further charge to me.

- East Falmouth, MA, USA

problem #54

Feb 052024

CX-5

  • miles
I had driven about 10 miles when the Check Engine light came on when I was far from home. Not blinking. It was not on when I first turned the car on. No symptoms other than check engine light. Got to a garage who got a code p0126 that is covered under TSB 01-005/23 coolant control valve. Called dealer who said it would be safe to drive home 180 miles. I did that. Awaiting appointment tomorrow to get it fixed. I belong to a Mazda Facebook group where lots of others are reporting this same problem - some for a second time!

- East Falmouth, MA, USA

problem #53

Feb 052024

CX-5

  • miles
I had driven about 10 miles when the Check Engine light came on when I was far from home. Not blinking. It was not on when I first turned the car on. No symptoms other than check engine light. Got to a garage who got a code p0126 that is covered under TSB 01-005/23 coolant control valve. Called dealer who said it would be safe to drive home 180 miles. I did that. Awaiting appointment tomorrow to get it fixed. I belong to a Mazda Facebook group where lots of others are reporting this same problem - some for a second time!

- East Falmouth, MA, USA

problem #52

Oct 272023

CX-5

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Excessive oil leak after 11,000 miles/car purchased new from dealer. There is currently a class action suit regarding this issue. Dealer denies problem, offering to top off oil only.

- Clementon, NJ, USA

problem #51

Oct 012023

CX-5

  • miles
I have an oil consumption on my cx-5 turbo. Have to add 1/2-3/4 quart 4k after service interval oil change.

- Madison, WI, USA

problem #50

Jul 142023

CX-5

  • miles
On 8/7/2023 I noticed that there had been intermittent engine oil level alarms on my phone's Mazda app over the previous several weeks starting on 7/14/2023. In none of the instances did the low oil level light on the instrument cluster light up. I checked the oil level and it was at the bottom of the indicating range on the dipstick. I added 1 quart of oil to bring the level to the top of the indicating range. The oil had last been changed by a Mazda dealer on 10/31/2022 at a vehicle mileage of 13,699. On 8/18/2023 when I took the vehicle in to the Mazda dealer to check this issue the mileage was 20,432, a difference of 6,733 miles. That mileage was well within the owner's manual prescribed service interval mileage. There is no oil on the floor of the garage under where the car is parked leading me to believe the oil has been leaking into the combustion chamber. My vehicle is covered under Mazda Technical Service Bulletin 01-012/21 which offers a possible explanation. I suggest my VIN should be added to TSB 01-003/23 which covers the repair. Without fixing this oil leak, my engine is at risk of catastrophic failure due to low oil level.

- Annapolis, MD, USA

problem #49

Jun 152022

CX-5

  • 19,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2021 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the oil light illuminated. The contact stated he stopped at a local gas station and purchased a quart of oil and topped off the oil level. The vehicle was driven to the dealer. The contact stated that after servicing the vehicle, the dealer informed him that the manufacturer had denied the repair because the check engine light was not illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.

- Omaha, NE, USA

problem #48

Sep 092021

CX-5

  • miles
The car is burning oil and has been since brand new, to the extent that I must drive around with spare oil in the back. First time it came on I didn-??t believe it to be real.. A new modern vehicles shouldn-??t be losing or burning oil. Mazda has released a TSB (01-11/22) regarding this issue but has yet to issue a repair or recall. It infuriates me as I love everything the else about the car but this will affect my Mazdas longevity, including emissions equipment, and Mazda is not standing by the reliability of its product. Makes me lose trust in the manufacturer, and I can-??t see myself ever buying a Mazda again so long as Mazda refuses to to Stan by it-??s product and disregard their own reliability reputation.

- Kissimmee, FL, USA

problem #47

Jun 212023

CX-5

  • miles
My car have barely 10k miles and every 3k miles the oil engine light turn on. I thought was a leak but there is no leak or spilled oil anywhere. I find out that lots of 2021 mazda engine have the same issue and that BURN oil for a valve fail that Mazda still didnt recall. To confirm i had a mechanic check for it and they state that engine is burning oil and is not supposed to, expecially because the car barely have 10k miles in almost 3 years driving and that many other customers with same year and vehicle have the same issue.

- Madera, CA, USA

problem #46

Nov 162022

CX-5

  • miles
Vehicle drives very "rough" at low speeds less than 30 mph. The car feels like it is jumping and can't tell at what year it should be driving in. This is very noticeable when driving around residential areas. This is a common issue with the Mazdas with the Skyactive engines. Dealership in Raleigh knew about this problem and said that there is nothing they can do except possibly provide an update to the computer software. I have written to Mazda corporation regarding this and of course, no response was received. Mazda needs to acknowledge this problem with their special transmission/engines and FIX this. I shouldn't be having these kinds of issues with a vehicle that has less than 13,000 miles

- Garner, NC, USA

problem #45

May 242023

CX-5

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Just before taking the vehicle for a second oil change at a total of 11,664 miles or approximately 7,000 miles between changes, I noticed that the oil level was at least 1 quart below normal. I added oil to make sure that it was above the add point on the dipstick. I researched and found several other complaints about other 2021 Mazda turbo engines with the same complaint. I'm concerned that this excessive use of oil will damage the internal parts of the engine.

- Abingdon, MD, USA

problem #44

May 152023

CX-5

  • miles
I was on vacation and returning home when I got a message on my Mazada App that there was an issue detected. It was time for an oil change which I intended doing when I returned home. The message stated that I had Low oil level and to add 1 qt. of engine oil. The "oil" light illuminated on the dashboard and I immediately pulled over and turned the vehicle off for 5 minutes as stated in the owners manual. When I restarted the car the "oil" light was off but I was very fearful of driving the car as I had 6 hours of driving left to get home. I found an instant oil change facility and immediately had the oil changed and refilled to full. I contacted the dealer to record this incident. The car has 25,000 miles on it and I religiously take the vehicle to the Mazada garage for all required services. This is the first time this happened with this vehicle. My advice from the dealer was to keep checking the oil level every week.

- East Millsboro, PA, USA

problem #43

Apr 052023

CX-5

  • miles
The low oil light has come on a total of 3 times already for me and I'm only at 18k miles. I have gotten 4 oil changes already. The 2021 models burn oil like crazy and Mazda has not put out an official recall yet. There's a TSB (01-012/21) and a class action lawsuit (8:22-cv-01055 )

- Massapequa, NY, USA

problem #42

Mar 302023

CX-5

  • miles
I have only 20k miles on my car and my engine's oil consumption has suddenly jumped. Despite checking my oil frequently, my oil becomes low and the oil warning light comes on. The oil warning light last came on while I was traveling on a snowy 2 lane canyon road while leaving a ski resort in Utah. I had to immediately stop my car on a busy, icy road to add more oil. I almost got hit by a sliding car and killed. I went to the dealer with this problem and they told me they could not help me unless my oil light was on. Driving with a oil light on in the winter is dangerous. The engine could seize and leave me stranded on the side of the road. The dealership said to run the car low on oil with the oil light on and them come in.

- Draper, UT, USA

problem #41

Mar 082023

CX-5

  • miles
The engine low oil light comes on every ~3000 miles when Mazda recommends an oil change at every 7,500 miles. For some reason this engine eats oil and has consistently reproduced the check engine light every 3k miles. Mazda hasn't issued an official recall but has published a technical service bulletin.

- Broomfield, CO, USA

problem #40

Mar 032023

CX-5

  • miles
Engine burns excess oil and must be topped off before service is due. The dealership acknowledges this is a problem on all 2021 Mazda turbo engines. Mazda has no fix. The first time occurred when I was driving in the country in July 2022 and the check oil light came on. Today, March 3, my check oil light lit up. I am not due for service for another 1800 miles. I have read it is a valve stem problem which causes oil to leak into the engine which can cause the car to stall among other issues such as unnecessary wear and tear. A class action suit has been filed in California (Heinz vs Mazda) November 15, 2022.

- Montgomery , AL, USA

problem #39

Dec 202021

CX-5

  • miles
The car is consuming excessive engine oil. Between 3000-4000 miles the low engine oil light comes on. I was on the highway and had to pull over. I was told we don-€™t need oil change until 5000 miles. Not feeling safe to drive long distance. Dealership acknowledged seal is causing the leaks, but said Mazda won-€™t cover the cost unless check engine light is on. Also the break pads are moving slightly when breaking, dealership said it-€™s normal due to break pads are moving back and forth when breaking. However, I can hear the breaks clicking.

- Whitestone, NY, USA

problem #38

Dec 252022

CX-5

  • miles
My car is a 2021 CX-5, Turboed AWD vehicle. It keeps consuming oil. I took it to the dealership, Sandy Sansing Mazda in Pensacola, where I purchased the car. The technicians informed me that these models are known to consume oil. They did not tell me that when I bought it in September of 2022! They had a technical service bulletin, which works as a policy for the company, with a range of VIN numbers that indicated the vehicles with those VIN numbers are likely to have a manufacturing defect that allows oil to leak into the combustion chamber. My car's VIN number falls within that range. While I purchased this vehicle to drive long distances, including to see and care for my mother in NC, who was recently diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, and to Alaska from FL, my newish (pre-certified) car runs out of oil quickly. It must be causing internal damage (plugs, wires, exhaust, and the cylinders). When I asked the Mazda techs to fix the issue, they informed me they would not uphold the warranty, because I put oil in the vehicle. I was 400 miles away from home on a trip, on a Sunday, when a light in my car came on that indicated the car was low on oil. Why wouldn't I put oil in it? It is not safe to drive a vehicle with no oil, as it could cause the engine to stop working. One time, my oil pump went out in a 2002 Tacoma, and my camshaft welded itself together, or to other parts of the engine, at 70 mph down a highway. I lost power steering, power brakes, power in general. The timing belt was instantly shredded. It's not safe to drive cars that consume oil so rapidly between recommended changes. Mazda would not uphold their warranty responsibly, and they have known about the defect for some time, yet they are still selling cars that are unsafe to drive.

- Pace, NC, USA

problem #37

Dec 232022

CX-5

  • miles
Low engine oil light appeared despite standard maintenance service and oil change at Mazda dealer the prior month. Service technician confirmed oil was low by 1 and 3/4 quarts and added oil. Mazda dealership advised there is a service bulletin for my vehicle with this problem dating back to 2021, and that the problem is likely due to a faulty valve, but that they have no planned fix available. I am concerned about the long-term damage of engine oil continually leaking into the combustion chamber. Mazda should be asked to fix this for car owners, not simply top off our oil each time that it leaks.

- St. Louis, MO, USA

problem #36

Jan 032023

CX-5

  • miles
oil consumption on a 2021 Turbo CX-5. problem has been reproduced and confirmed by dealer. warning lights twice. first time told it was normal. happened twice. only on my third maintenance oil change was it acknowledged. had to do a lot of research on my own. caused enormous stress to existing mental health issues. would not have even been addressed had i not stated the issue.

- Bellingham, WA, USA

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