Automatic Emergency Braking problems of the 2026 Mazda CX-5

Severe safety defect involving sudden, unprovoked vehicle braking; while driving my 2026 Mazda cx5 at approximately 10-15 mph or less, the Smart brake support-automatic emergency brake system suddenly activated without any warning or obstacle present. The vehicle violently braked and prepared for impact, causing the wheels to lock up and rendering the car temporarily unmovable. This has occurred already on 4-5 separate occasions on dry roads during daylight. This is a severe, recurring safety defect that nearly caused a rear end collision on all 4-5 occasions. My 2 small children are scared every time we have to get in the car and drive, as I am also. The dealership has been notified, but the safety issue persists. I am looking to get out of this unsafe and unreliable car in fear of my familys life.

I purchased the card week ago, and by Sunday (09/04) it had only about 100 miles on it. I had just pulled out of my parking spot and came to a stop. I cannot say with certainty whether my foot was still on the brake at that exact moment, but I do know the vehicle was stopped. I was trying to adjust the a/c. The Mazda salesperson had previously told me that the climate controls on the screen could be a little finicky. I pressed a button marked with a “+,” believing it was related to the a/c. Immediately afterward, the vehicle suddenly began moving forward very quickly from a stopped position. The acceleration felt extremely fast—faster than I had ever experienced in the vehicle before. I remember seeing something green appear on the display in front of me, but because everything happened so quickly, I cannot accurately recall what my foot was doing at that moment. That is one of the main reasons I would like the vehicle’s event data/“black box” information reviewed. I do remember activating the emergency/parking brake and swerving in an attempt to stop or avoid the other vehicles. The vehicle struck one car, continued moving, and then struck another before it ultimately came to a complete stop. In total, three other vehicles were involved in addition to mine. I contacted Mazda and the dealership regarding obtaining the vehicle data, and I was told that I may need to have law enforcement obtain it through a subpoena. The car was assessed and the cost is too great for repair.

The vehicle's automatic emergency braking (aeb) / Smart brake support system intermittently triggers "false positive" emergency braking events during critical driving maneuvers, specifically while accelerating to merge into highway traffic. During these events, the system violently applies the brakes with no external hazard present. Crucially, the vehicle fails to acknowledge driver override input. Depressing the accelerator pedal fully does not disengage the automatic braking, stripping the driver of vehicle control and exposing the vehicle to a severe risk of being rear-ended at high speed. Simultaneously, the vehicle experiences a persistent "in-unit telematics malfunction" error on the dashboard, accompanied by rapid-fire mobile app notifications (14 alerts in a single day) stating "critical vehicle malfunction: vehicle cannot be driven. " these communication module errors have persisted despite the dealership applying Mazda's latest software updates, indicating a critical network failure or hardware defect that compromises active safety systems.