— Five Mazda owners have filed a class action lawsuit that contends the seat heaters (seat warmers) are defective and can burn occupants in these vehicles.
- 2016-2017 Mazda CX-9
- 2018 Mazda6
- 2024 Mazda CX-30
- 2023 Mazda CX-50
- 2023 Mazda CX-5
The class action provides a "reasonable estimate" of the cost per vehicle for seat heater repairs and concludes Mazda may be looking at paying at least $662,492,128.17 to repair about 301,549 vehicles.
Mazda Seat Warmer Lawsuit — The Plaintiffs
Illinois plaintiff Micah Prochaska purchased a used 2017 Mazda CX-9 in 2018, but seven years later in 2025 the seat heater allegedly caused the passenger seat to burn.
The plaintiff complains a jacket left on the seat was burned and a large hole was burned through the seat. He also complains he saw smoke coming from the seat as he was trying to drive home.
California plaintiff Sharmee T. Anderson complains she was burned by the seat heater in her 2023 Mazda CX-5 which caused "a half-dollar sized blister on left leg." She says she was diagnosed and treated for second degree partial burns.
California plaintiff Patrick Sandoval purchased a new Mazda6 in November 2018. He says he "suffers from neuropathy, which limits the feeling throughout his body and in particular his lower extremities and buttocks."
Mazda provides warnings about conditions where a consumer should not use a seat heater, but in 2020 the plaintiff activated the seat warmer system in his Mazda6. Due to "his neuropathy, he was unable at first to feel the excessive heat coming from his Vehicle before it was too late."
"Upon inspection, after Plaintiff Sandoval felt excessive heat coming from the Vehicle’s seat, Plaintiff Sandoval noticed he had several burns on his legs and buttocks caused by the heat warmer, which led him to never again use his Vehicle’s seat warmer system. The excessive heat emitted from his Vehicle’s seat warmer system also aggravated a prior spinal injury he had." — Mazda heated seat lawsuit
The plaintiff sold his Mazda6 in May 2023 and purchased a new Mazda CX-50 in June 2023 hoping the seat heater wouldn't have the same alleged defects.
"However, upon activating the seat heating system on his new 2023 CX-50, he again noticed the seat was 'insanely hot' which caused him to stop using the seat warmers altogether. Plaintiff Sandoval was unable to use them as advertised." — Mazda class action
Minnesota plaintiff Russell J. Quinn purchased a 2016 Mazda CX-9 in 2016, but more than nine years later smoke was coming from the heated passenger seat. The plaintiff asked Mazda to repair the seat and seat heater for free but the request was denied considering the vehicle and components were nine years old.
The plaintiff then asked a Mazda dealer to disconnect the seat heating system, but he was "incredibly charged" $650 to disconnect the Mazda seat heating system.
And Georgia plaintiff Tina Rogers owns a 2024 Mazda CX-30 equipped with a seat warmer that reportedly burned her leg.
The Mazda Seat Warmer Lawsuit
The plaintiffs assert Mazda manufactured, marketed and sold vehicles with defective seat warmers capable of causing fires and injuries. The plaintiffs say they relied on Mazda's messaging about safe and dependable vehicles that supposedly turned out to be the opposite.
Mazda allegedly knows about the seat heaters but has failed to warn consumers or let owners know about the purported dangers. Those dangers include not only personal harm but property damage, and because of the safety risk the Mazda vehicles are supposedly worth less than they should be.
According to the class action:
"As a direct and proximate result of Defendants' negligent, reckless, grossly negligent, willful disregard, wrongful actions, inactions and or conduct, Plaintiffs have suffered harm from purchasing and using the Vehicles."
The seat heater class action not only includes Mazda but also unnamed defendants listed as Does 1 through 100.
The Mazda seat heater class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California: Prochaska, et al., v. Mazda Motor of America, Inc., et al.
The plaintiffs are represented by Singleton Schreiber.
