Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Mazda CX-9, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine5
- Electrical system4
- Fuel/propulsion system3
- Unknown or other3
- Service brakes2
- Forward collision avoidance2
- Power train2
- Structure1
- Back over prevention1
- Visibility/wiper1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 4 2020 CX-9 vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 2 people died inside them, and 1 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2020 Mazda CX-9 failed the safety check 1.14% of the time — 3% less often than the average 2020 passenger car (1.18%). Median odometer at inspection: 33,220 miles.
6,929first inspections
1.14%failed on safety
33,220 mimedian odometer
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In New Zealand
748 2020 cars are on the New Zealand register; 1% arrived as used imports, 98% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 2 variants; 2 of 2 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Mazda CX-9 SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | 15.9 % |
| 2020 Mazda CX-9 SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | 15.1 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Standard
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 1 variant: combined 10.5 L/100 km (about 22 mpg US), CO₂ 244 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| CX-9 4WD · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Regular gasoline | 11.6 | 9.1 | 10.5 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 2020 Mazda CX-9.
| 2021591 24 Sept 2021 | Seats And Restraints Issue: On certain vehicles, the forward/backward slide mechanism for the left side of the second-row seat may allow the seat to slide forward in a crash. No… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
21V750000 · Seats27 Sept 2021 · 8,648 vehicles
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2020-2021 CX-9 vehicles equipped with 60/40 split bench second-row seats. The left-side second-row seat may unexpectedly slide forward during a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Mazda told its dealers about the 2020 Mazda CX-9: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011141 | Some customers may report concerns with interior upholstery surface stains particularly on high contact areas (e.g.: seats, steering wheel, door panels, shifter...etc.). This may be caused by skin oils or chemicals such as hand lotions. |
| 11011136 | CSP11 - COOLANT LEAKS AT CYLINDER HEAD WARRANTY EXTENSION For certain 2019-2020MY CX-5, 2016-2020MY CX-9, 2018-2020MY Mazda6 that are equipped with SKYACTIV-G 2.5T engine, the warranty coverage for specific repair of the coolant leak at cylinder head is extended to: 10 years (120 months) or 120,000 miles (192,000 km) whichever comes first, from the original warranty start date CONDITION OF CONCERN On certain subject vehicles, the coolant may leak at the cylinder head around the exhaust manifold. |
| 11011134 | Some vehicles may have coolant leaks at the cylinder head around the exhaust manifold (as shown below). There may be cracks at the stud bolt hole (1) or at the outside of the exhaust manifold flange (2) on the cylinder head. |
| 11009661 | Please review the entire Dealer Email below announced on October 17, 2024 for full details regarding this campaign. Warranty Information is at the bottom of the TSB Parts and Warranty information and Repair Procedures will be available by October 25, 2024. Until that time if a vehicle is presented to your dealer with a complaint and CSP11 is visible in eMDCS, please click here and follow instructions in TSB 01-002/23 COOLANT LEAKS AT CYLINDER HEAD and hold claims until the Parts and Warranty Information is available in eMDCS and MGSS. |
| 11009660 | Mazda Motor Corporation has decided to conduct a Customer Service Program (CSP11) to extend the limited powertrain warranty to 10 years or 120,000 miles, whichever occurs first, for necessary repairs if the covered vehicle has coolant leaks at the cylinder head, around the exhaust manifold. A dealer must inspect and confirm the covered vehicle is exhibiting coolant leaks at the cylinder head around the exhaust manifold matching Technical Service Bulletin 01-002/23 (Feb. 10, 2023) for the repair to be covered. |
| 11009659 | Mazda Motor Corporation has decided to conduct a Customer Service Program (CSP11) to extend the limited powertrain warranty to 10 years or 120,000 miles, whichever occurs first, for necessary repairs if the covered vehicle has coolant leaks at the cylinder head, around the exhaust manifold. A dealer must inspect and confirm the covered vehicle is exhibiting coolant leaks at the cylinder head around the exhaust manifold matching Technical Service Bulletin 01-002/23 (Feb. 10, 2023) for the repair to be covered. |
| 11009658 | Mazda Motor Corporation has decided to conduct a Customer Service Program (CSP11) to extend the limited powertrain warranty to 10 years or 120,000 miles, whichever occurs first, for necessary repairs if the covered vehicle has coolant leaks at the cylinder head, around the exhaust manifold. A dealer must inspect and confirm the covered vehicle is exhibiting coolant leaks at the cylinder head around the exhaust manifold matching Technical Service Bulletin 01-002/23 (Feb. 10, 2023) for the repair to be covered. |
| 11009654 | The SKYACTIV-DRIVE FW6A-EL AT uses Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) Type: FZ. Only use ATF-FZ to fill or top off the fluid level. ATF-FZ is specially designed for use in the SKYACTIV-DRIVE series AT. It is a low viscosity formula with less friction for better fuel economy. NOTE: ATF-FZ is colored blue for easy identification. |
| 11009644 | Some vehicles exhibit brake related concerns such as brake noise, brake judder or brake dragging. If you encounter a customer complaint for any one of these symptoms, refer to the following information to understand why symptoms may occur, and to better assist the customer in resolving their specific brake concern. |
| 11009634 | Some customers may complain that the power liftgate (PLG) may open unintentionally while the vehicle is parked or stopped. Due to the shape of the 7th generation remote transmitter, the power liftgate button may be long pressed unintentionally in a pocket or a bag. To eliminate this concern, the keyless control specification has been modified. The button press time has been increased from 0.5 seconds to 1 second. |
| 11008577 | Some customers may complain about scratches on the instrument cluster lens. |
| 11007029 | For improvement of electrical diagnosis, the SKYACTIV Wiring Terminal Test Kits has been delivered all the dealers. The terminal test kit enables you: To check pin fit drag of all PCM terminals used in SKYACTIV vehicles and compare suspect terminal drag with a known good terminal. To measure the voltage/resistance avoiding any terminal damage. |
| 11007022 | Some vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage such (melted, separating, etc.) when parked near a glass building or Low-E windows. This may be caused by the sun's reflection. |
| 11007019 | If you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, DTC(s) stored...), interview the customer before proceeding with normal MGSS diagnosis by asking if any aftermarket devices have been installed. Aftermarket devices may be the cause of the electrical concern. Below are a few examples of unusual electrical concerns caused by aftermarket devices. |
| 11007018 | Interior parts made of resin have antistatic coating to prevent dust from sticking on the surfaces, and depending on the conditions of use, the antistatic components may crystallize slightly, giving an appearance of white stains on the surface. To remove the stains, wipe the stained surface with a towel soaked with water mixed with a small portion of a neutral detergent. If the white stains reappear again, simply wipe them again in the same way. |
| 11007013 | Auxiliary key blank cutting procedure. There are currently 2 methods for cutting a new auxiliary key blank. A. Auxiliary Key Trace Cut Method B. Auxiliary Key Code Cut Method |
| 11007010 | Some customer's might state that they notice fluid or oil leaking/dripping on the ground when the vehicle is parked. For this concern, inspect the vehicle for any trace of a fluid or oil leak and use the following examples as a guide to determine if it is severe enough to require a repair, or just to clean the area and monitor it at the next service. |
| 11007009 | Some vehicles exhibit brake related concerns such as brake noise, brake judder or brake dragging. If you encounter a customer complaint for any one of these symptoms, refer to the following information to understand why symptoms may occur, and to better assist the customer in resolving their specific brake concern. |
| 11006998 | Use the symptom troubleshooting tables below to diagnose MAZDA CONNECT concerns. |
| 11006987 | In accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer. NOTE: Tampering with a motor vehicle odometer is strictly prohibited by Federal, and State laws. It is the dealers responsibility to comply with Federal, State, and local laws concerning odometer and related documentation requirements when providing a repair or replacement. Mazda vehicles are manufactured with tamper-proof speedometers. When a speedometer is replaced, the new speedometer will read zero (0) miles. This procedure is extremely important to accurately represent actual vehicle mi |
| 11006917 | Some customers may complain that their liftgate does not open. This can mean a range of things, from the liftgate not unlatching to the power liftgate (PLG) not opening automatically. If you confirm that the customer's concern is that the liftgate does not unlatch correctly, follow the repair information below. |
| 11005671 | Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle-specific workshop manual or owner's manual. Services performed outside of Mazda's factory scheduled maintenance are not recommended. These services are unnecessary and create unneeded expenses for your customers. |
| 11005551 | At PDI or when new vehicle is delivered, some customers may complain about wrinkles on the leather seat cushion and/or seat back surface. NOTE: This repair is not a permanent fix, it is meant to make new seats look their best when the vehicle is first presented to the customer. Wrinkles may not be completely removed after the repair is completed. Leather is a natural material and may develop some wrinkles due to aging and wear during normal useage. |
| 11005550 | Some vehicles may experience the seat ventilation system still on after the engine has been turned off, in some cases this causes the battery to be completely discharged and not rechargeable. This is caused by a deterioration in the seat ventilation control unit. To eliminate this concern, the material for the circuit of the seat ventilation control unit has been modified. |
| 11005549 | Some customers may complain that the power liftgate (PLG) may open unintentionally while the vehicle is parked or stopped. Due to the shape of the 7th generation remote transmitter, the power liftgate button may be long pressed unintentionally in a pocket or a bag. To eliminate this concern, the keyless control specification has been modified. The button press time has been increased from 0.5 seconds to 1 second. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)