Automatic Emergency Braking problems of the 2025 Mazda CX-5

I have a serious safety issue with my 2025 Mazda Cx-5, purchased new in January 2026 from island Mazda on [xxx]. A few days before the critical alert, I noticed the car stopping on its own before pressing the brake. While driving on the highway, I received a “faulty sensor” alert that went away. On July 10, 2026, I received a critical vehicle malfunction alert in the mymazda app. The app gave no specific details. I called Mazda customer experience. They confirmed via email the system labels it as a parking brake malfunction and instructed me not to drive the vehicle. They advised it could stop at any time or not stop. I also experienced pulling and unprompted braking while driving. On xxx, I called island Mazda service multiple times (calls went to a call center). No callbacks. I went in person. General manager [xxx] was unavailable; sales manager [xxx] advised towing to [xxx]. The car was towed xxx at 1:29 pm. No confirmation call. I called again at ~2 pm. Technician [xxx] called first. Service manager [xxx] later called and was rude/dismissive. He yelled when I mentioned lemon law saying he can no longer speak to me when I mention that, downplayed the issue, refused to discuss documentation, and suggested I test drive the unsafe vehicle with them to figure out whats wrong. He spoke over me and said it would take a long time to fix because they are busy. He said he would forward my case to someone else and I agreed he is not capable of handling this appropriately. This is a brand new vehicle under warranty. I have a [xxx] son with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (rare condition requiring stress-dosing for injury). I do not feel safe driving it since the alert never even appeared in my actual car just the Mazda app on my phone I do not trust the dealership after this treatment to fix it. Requesting full investigation into the defect and dealership handling. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

At about 6:50am July 7th 2026, I was getting in the exit lane of interstate 50 to exit. I merge into the lane and being applying my breaks since I was going about 55-60mph. However, my vehicle did not slow down. I began to press harder, it still did not slow down, so I pressed as hard as I could because I was rapidly approaching stopped vehicles. The vehicle began to make a grinding sound, it started shaking, and then a "break" light appeared on the instrument panel. After this it came to a sudden and violent stop. I have taken it to the dealership for similar issues many times since I got the vehicle in October 2025. Each time they state that they cannot replicate the issue and the vehicle operates as it should. It is under warranty so I have not taken anywhere other than the Mazda dealership.

The automatic emergency braking system prematurely and overly-aggressively takes over when I have full control of the situation. When it takes control it locks up all four wheels, each time almost causing a rear-end collision. It has done this on a total of 4 occasions under normal congested traffic situations. On or about 6/14/26 I was driving westbound on the massachusetts turnpike. There was a sudden traffic stop. I had sufficient distance to stop before colliding with the car in front of me and further had the passing side breakdown lane to divert into if necessary. The emergency braking software took over and locked up the wheels causing the person behind me to have a rear-end collision with my car. There was little-to-no damage and no injuries. The dangerous turnpike traffic conditions discouraged making a police report. Conclusion: system is overly aggressive and creates undue risk of personal injury. The risk far outweighs any benefit the system offers. - plans to report issue to Mazda during next maintenance appt -no warning lights -problem is re-occurring but not with independent entity (yet).

Life-threatening, unoccupied rollaway vehicle with personal injury. Possible and/or suspected issues: "not-p" switch circuit malfunction; "false park"; lack of cross-module redundancy; lack of bcm and pcm redundancy; diagnostic blind spot; lack of occupancy-brake interlock; systematic safety failure culminating in unintended, driverless, runaway zombie vehicle with personal injury. Background info: * low mileage, mainly in-town errands driving. * not previously reported quirks, possible latent defects: liftgate opening that was hit-or-miss requiring multiple unlock trunk-unlock doors + get out of the car manual attempts; intermittent off-shutdown double-tap issue to power off car; ill-timed "rear seat alert". * reported "engine won't start" resulting in three key fob battery replacements and a locked key fob. Day of incident: * auto-lock and the ebs were not used. * driver intent was to park and unload, then permanently park. Car was in-park twice before ultimately placed in reverse and backed into position, facing downhill on a slight slope and along a left-side stone retaining wall. * driver thought vehicle was fully in park. * attempted open liftgate via "open trunk, open door" routine, which did not work, so I exited the vehicle to try the manual liftgate button, which also did not work. * three back-and-forth "unlock trunk/doors + manually press liftgate button" did not work. * note: upon opening the door or anytime after, I did not hear an audible warning that the car was not fully in park. Nor did the car move/creep in any direction. * deducing I must need to shut off the car to open the liftgate -- I leaned in and depressed the on/off button. * this caused the car to move forward, driverless, door open and scraping the stone wall, across a secondary road, over an 11" curb, and down a hill before stopping due to a tree. * I was injured. Pinned between a narrowing door and the car, I tried to turn the wheel right before being knocked down/falling.