Power Train Problems of Mazda CX9 - part 1

Mazda CX9 owners have reported 78 problems related to power train (under the power train category). The most recently reported issues are listed below. Also please check out the statistics and reliability analysis of Mazda CX9 based on all problems reported for the CX9.

1 Power Train problem of the 2018 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 09/08/2025

My 2018 Mazda cx-9 safety issue scbs / sbs, las / ldws, master and/or hbc warning lights forward sensing camera (fsc) stops functioning cause my car run rough even depress accelration and those light came on dashbaord -forworad Smart city brake support malfunction -Smart brake system -front camera sensor malfunction.

See all problems of the 2018 Mazda CX9 🔎.

2 Power Train problem of the 2019 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 06/12/2025

Vehicle jumps while driving. And sometimes stalls.

See all problems of the 2019 Mazda CX9 🔎.

3 Power Train problem of the 2021 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 05/22/2025

My vehicle is part of Mazda's 2021-2022 Mazda valve stem seal settlement. The dealership had yet to call me in for the repair of said valve seal repair as I was on a list. The settlement is suppose to extend out the powertrain warranty on the vehicle 2 years/24,000 to 7 years/84,000. My vehicle has 60,083 miles on it. One of the cylinders on my vehicle lost compression. The dealership and Mazda both say they will not cover the cost for repair as they only are covering things in the powertrain relate to oil consumption. The cylinders are part of the powertrain and carbon buildup from excessive oil burning because of the defective seal causes valve damage or sticking which will cause compression loss. Mazda is actively denying what they agreed to in the settlement and costing people money for repairs that should be covered.

See all problems of the 2021 Mazda CX9 🔎.

4 Power Train problem of the 2020 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 04/12/2025

The vehicle was overheating and a message came up that power will be reduced. Then it would go away and come up every 3 minutes while driving. I brought it to the service center, we filled it up with coolant and the issue kept coming back this time with a lot of white smoke coming out at vehicle start up. My mechanic said this is a bigger issue most likely to do with a coolant leak at the cylinder head. There is a technical service bulletin but no recall as of yet.

See all problems of the 2020 Mazda CX9 🔎.

5 Power Train problem of the 2017 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 02/19/2025

I was driving the vehicle on the highway when the vehicle started to overheat, lights started blinking, the car was smoking, losing power and acceleration. This car has a recall on the cyclindwr head which when cracks causing the car to loose coolant and oil. If it cracks while you’re driving especially on the highway the car will immediately loose coolant and oil thus causing a very dangerous driving condition. There was no indicator prior to the failure that there was anything wrong with the car. No check engine lights, no coolant lights nothing. Prior to this happening I smelled coolant in the car cabin , took it to my mechanic who tested the coolant system and found no leak. At the time he was unaware of the known issue these cars have with the cylinder head. The problem has been confirmed by Mazda and they notified me within the month of March of the problem and the extended warranty to replace the known manufacturer defect cylinder head. The Mazda dealer now has my car and acknowledges the cracked cylinder head caused the problem but said because I didn’t immediately stop on the highway and kept driving until I got to a safe location I was negligent and are refusing to fix the car which now has a blown engine, etc. It is available for inspection now at the Mazda dealer. My safety was put at risk because I could have died on the highway if the car completely stopped working, it was dangerous driving it when it first started happening because it started out of nowhere the car was fine I was driving 50+ mph and it started smoking, overheating etc. I could have also killed someone else. It is a disgrace that not only they won’t fix my car they want to say they won’t because I’m negligent? I drive my kids to and from school everyday do you think I’m going to risk their safety in an unsafe car? they should not only fix the car but compensate me for putting mine and my children’s lives at risk. A complete disgrace.

See all problems of the 2017 Mazda CX9 🔎.

6 Power Train problem of the 2011 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 12/10/2024

I had an issue with the awd not engaging and the 4x4 light illuminating when driving on snow and ice. No indicators when driving under normal conditions. I had no traction and had difficulty maintaining control of the vehicle while driving at speeds less than 25 mph. I had difficulty gettting momentum from a stop as the tires were spinning and engaging tracion. I took the car into a Mazda dealership for a full circle inspection and found that the 4x4 light was illuminating due to worn-out splines connecting the transfer case. The technician was able to spin the driveshaft, indicating the splines are damaged and need to be replaced. Recommendations were to replace the transmission and transfer case with a repair estimate of $5469. 61. Additionally, the technician observed some seeping of oil coming from the tiing cover and reccommends re-sealing it as well as replacing the water pump ( another known failure issue in which Mazda is aware of). Cost estimate of $4319. 78. The technician also observed a crack in the right rear differential mount with a repair cost of $442. 10. In short, Mazda knew about all these problems. They issued a warrenty extention from my research back in 2014 but never issued any recalls. In short, I didn't own this vehicle in 2014, I purchased in 2016. I was never aware of any warrenty extentions to include these issues and if I was aware, I would have had the services done for repairs. My safety as well as my family's and others are at risk if I lose control of the vehicle due to the awd not engaging when needed.

See all problems of the 2011 Mazda CX9 🔎.

7 Power Train problem of the 2017 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 11/12/2024

Coolant leak cylinder head. It was running and I could smell coolant on the minifalda and it shout down.

8 Power Train problem of the 2018 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 09/20/2024

Coolant leaks at cylinder head , Mazda of America knows issues but not willing to recall , they hava a bulletin number 01-002/23 . Pls help.

9 Power Train problem of the 2019 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 08/14/2024

2019 cx-9 gt, 30k miles, in August found coolant leaking under the car. This was 5 months past the warranty (but only 30k miles!). After doing research online, I found this is a massively common issue with all engines from several years encompassing 2019, where the coolant leaks due to a cracked cylinder head. There is a TSB from Mazda, which requires replacement of the engine, once the crack is developed. I immediately called Mazda corporate on 8/15/2024 and opened the case with them. They said they can try to assist, but first I have to take the car to the dealer for diagnosis of the problem. Had to wait 2 weeks, then leave the car, they did a full inspection and confirmed cracked cylinder head. Dealer opened up claim with Mazda (which apparently is separate from the case I made when I called the corporate). I had to go back because Mazda warranty dept. Was asking the dealer to prove the engine was overheating, which it hasn't yet, because I kept adding coolant, so the engine never overheated. But the dealer lowered the coolant and had the engine overheat a little bit just to generate the computer code the warranty dept was requiring. This itself was an unnecessary additional potentially damaging scenario, completely unnecessary when the crack in the cylinder head was already found, and the coolant leak is clearly present. After all this, Mazda lowered their original quote from $10k to $6k and expect me to pay this to replace the engine. I called the corporate (customer relations) many times, but they said if the warranty dept. Decided this, they cannot change it. And there's no way to talk to warranty dept. Directly (not customer facing). We purchased a brand new factory assembled car for well over $40k. Due to a very common, Mazda acknowledged, engine manufacturing defect, the major component of the vehicle, its engine, requires replacement at only 30k miles! this is not a reasonable expectancy when purchasing any vehicle.

10 Power Train problem of the 2015 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 08/08/2024

We have a 2015 Mazda cx-9 touring with all-wheel drive (awd). The issue that has been happening is a flashing check engine light (cel) indicator showing up in the gauge cluster. This issue originally started in October of 2023. I was on the highway doing at least 55 miles per hour (mph). Before the light actually came on, I had already felt the vehicle shaking, and also noticed the acceleration was sluggish. In the blink of an eye, the cel came on and started flashing. After that point, the cel stayed on. I was able to get to my destination safely. We took the vehicle to a shop, and told the mechanics the issue, but they could not re-create what happened. We stopped driving the vehicle as much after this first encounter. A couple of months later, the issue still persisted, and we took it to another shop. They changed the spark plugs, and the vehicle had been driving cel-free for several months. Recently, we were going to take the vehicle out for a drive, and noticed the vehicle shaking (before the cel officially came on) again. The cel flashed and came on. As of this moment, the cel pops up and stays on when starting the vehicle. I put in a code reader, and the code that came up was “po304 cylinder 4 misfire detected. ” we are figuring out what our next plan(s) is/are with the vehicle. I looked at some forums for the 2007-2015 Mazda cx-9 generation, and I noticed that someone mentioned that there was an issue with the injector pigtail wire (one of the fuel injectors). They also mentioned spark plugs and coil plugs. But they still had an issue and it seemed to be not resolved. I'm wondering if this issue could have a direct or indirect connection with the takata airbag recall that was issued on August 13th, 2024 with a "do not drive" alert.

See all problems of the 2015 Mazda CX9 🔎.

11 Power Train problem of the 2016 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 08/02/2024

August 2nd I noticed a smell of coolant coming from my car. I looked under my car and noticed it leaking green coolant. I took it to Mazda where they had it for 7 days to then give me a $6,300 estimate with possible added expenses. They diagnosed it as a cracked cylinder head and needs a gasket as well. I am a single mother and have work but I cannot afford that repair especially since Mazda is not going to honor there vehicle and what they stand by. With this issue with the coolant leak and the cracked cylinder the vehicle could have overheated and go into limp mode and come to a sudden stop with my children in the car while driving on the road. I could be hit as this puts my family at risk of injury while we go to school or work. Mazda has done nothing but tell me to submit a claim with customer service which I have. I had my case manager call me once and left a voicemail and I have called multiple times and have not heard back. There was no warning of this until I found forums and other stories that this unfortunately has happened to hundreds of Mazda owners.

See all problems of the 2016 Mazda CX9 🔎.

12 Power Train problem of the 2018 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 07/29/2024

Engine is leaking coolant apparently due to a cracked engine block caused by a manufacturing defect in the casting. Mazda has a technical service bulletin, subject:leaks at cylinder head and the number is 01-013/21. But they refuse to help cover their mistakes and now we owners are stuck with replacing an entire engine out of pocket. Shame on Mazda.

13 Power Train problem of the 2018 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 06/10/2024

My car started leaking coolant from cylinder, it is known issue for these models, unfortunately Mazda cooperation doesn’t cover the expenses, there is service bulletin about it, so basically so many car got affected or will affect from this problem. It is manufacturer fault, not about customer usage or mistake.

14 Power Train problem of the 2017 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 05/16/2024

There was a coolant leak on my Mazda Cx9 signature with a 2. 5t engine, and when driving the engine temperature started increasing slightly before taking off and turning red. I had to pull off to the side of a busy interstate road very quickly and shut the vehicle down before it overheated any more. Once I got the vehicle to the dealership, they told me it was a cracked cylinder head leaking coolant, and that it was an extremely common problem for the 2. 5t Mazda engines around about 60k miles, and they were actively working on one in the shop where I was for the same problem. Mazda is not currently helping with engine swap or any repairs as a result and is sticking the customer with the bill.

15 Power Train problem of the 2016 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 03/15/2024

I started smelling coolant after exiting the vehicle from a drive. Coolant level was very low. Adding coolant did not last long. I could not see where the leak was. The dealership evaluated and determined I had a cracked cylinder head and the car is leaking coolant near the rear of the engine. This could cause the engine to seize should coolant get into the engine. The dealer (new rochelle Mazda) explains the cylinder head needs replacing. The dealer also observed bad rear sway bar links. One was detached. The car is serviced at the same dealership every 5k miles. The car has approximately 85k miles. The cylinder head has been repaired by the dealer under the extended warranty. Safety risk was moderate as the car could have stalled on the highway. The component was inspected by the warranty company and dealer only. The only warning lamps that showed up once were both brake indicator lights came on and the climate control would not warm the car.

16 Power Train problem of the 2018 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 02/06/2024

My vehicle had a coolant leak st the cylinder head around the exhaust manifold. The problem was confirmed by an independent service. No warning lamps, message or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure did not appear. The problem was detected because coolant was dropping from the powertrain to the floor. When tha catalyst was removed it was found broken due to the high temperature but the car never display a high temperature warning lamp and the temperature display remains in normal position. The car could get on fire since no warnings or signal of high temperature was registered. After the situation occurred, I found a technical service bulletin (no 01-01321) from Mazda north american operations regarding this issue but since the problem occurred after the powertrain warranty the dealer did not accept to repair it. The probability that my car could get in fire was high since no warning lamps were display.

17 Power Train problem of the 2018 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 12/15/2023

At 102,000 miles I have a cracked cylinder head.

18 Power Train problem of the 2008 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 10/10/2023

Once you get to 70mph it starts shaking like if a the wheels will fall off.

See all problems of the 2008 Mazda CX9 🔎.

19 Power Train problem of the 2021 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 10/10/2023

I was in a parking lot and came to a stop and placed the car in reverse to back into a parking space. The back-up camera was on and I began to back into the parking space when the car suddenly lurched/jerked forward and accelerated on its own. The car jumped the parking lot median strip and I hit a tree head on. I had my seatbelt on and the airbag deployed. The car then reversed back off the median into the parking lot. I turned off the car. Insurance company will have it inspected. The vehicle is a total loss. I was injured with a large lower abdomen hematoma and airbag burns on arms, wrists, and chest as well as various bruising. I was fortunate to have not hit pedestrians who were walking in the lot or other vehicles that were parked in the lot. There were no warning lights, messages, sounds. The brake assist did not engage. It was frightening.

20 Power Train problem of the 2018 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 10/09/2023

Went in to the mechanic to get a regular oil change and noticed a liquid slushing sound after starting the car up. Was informed that there is a major coolant leak somewhere in the car. Took it to Mazda dealership right away who confirmed that it is a cracked cylinder head. I got lucky that the car did not overheat on the road and happened to catch it in the nick of time. No check engine lights or low coolant lights came on at all.

21 Power Train problem of the 2012 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 07/01/2023

The water pump suddenly started leaking and the mechanics I talk to said this is a very common problem with this vehicle and type of engine. Sounds like owners are left to foot the bill for this costly and difficult repair of a defective product. Hopefully more owners come forward and report their experience in this regard.

See all problems of the 2012 Mazda CX9 🔎.

22 Power Train problem of the 2016 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 04/29/2023

While driving on the freeway in stop and go traffic the engine warning light came on. A few minutes later the data screen stated that I needed to pull over immediately as my engine was overheating. I was on a stretch of the 5 freeway north of oceanside with no exits for several miles. I pulled over and when the light went off I got back on the freeway to try to make it to an exit. I repeated this process until I was able to exit and pulled in at the first mechanic I came to. The vehicle was losing power at that point. Pulling in and out of the traffic was hazardous to both me and the other drivers. When they inspected my car, they determined that the coolant had been leaking for a significant period of time as demonstrated by the worn spot on the pipe it had landed on. Further inspection revealed a blown head gasket. When a new head gasket was ordered from the local Mazda dealership, the mechanic was surprised to learn that Mazda had four of these parts in stock as most dealerships would have to order the part. The Mazda service department told him that they had four head gaskets in stock because this happens pretty often. My research on this site and on the Mazda forum indicates that this is a known defect to Mazda. This vehicle has just over 56,000 miles on it. It is regularly serviced. There was no warning light prior to this incident, in fact, the blue light indicating the engine was cool had regularly appeared whenever I started the vehicle. I have the replaced head gasket in my possession, should inspection of the part be necessary. I have reported this issue to Mazda but have been advised it is unlikely they will reimburse me.

23 Power Train problem of the 2018 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 03/30/2023

The vehicle has a cracked cylinder head as a result of stress put on the block from a bad exhaust manifold design. This is a known issue to Mazda and service bulletin was sent out to all their dealerships in 2021. Mazda only offered to pay a very small portion of the repair and puts the rest of the cost on the customer. Luckily I caught the issue early but this could have been dangerous if the car overheated and the engine failed on the highway. There are countless other stories of consumers having the same issue with the cx-9 and cx-5 of the same year. Many resulting in engine failure.

24 Power Train problem of the 2018 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 03/18/2023

I own a 2018 Mazda cx – 9 with only 53,300 miles. I noticed something was wrong with my engine and had no idea what the issue was. My car would not shut off immediately when I turned it off and the fan was on super high speed. The day before my appointment with my mechanic, the engine light turned on. I was stuck in a parking lot and a friend suggested I use his car to go buy coolant just in case it was needed. Sure enough, I was completely out of coolant. When my mechanic inspected the car he told me I had a coolant leak and suggested I take it to the dealer as they would know immediately what the problem was. I started researching to see if this was a defect and sure enough, Mazda has been aware of the defect with the cylinder head (TSB) not supporting the turbo of the engine causing it to crack and mix with the engine oil in various models for years, yet continue to sell cars with this known defect. I understand that it may not be life threatening yet! but it could have been should my engine had blown while I was on the freeway causing a horrific accident. How are they allowed to continue manufacturing and sell cars with a known issue for years and not even be reuqired to make a recall to have the part replaced with a stronger one? this is issue is happening to 100's of customers worldwide. This is something that should be investigated.

25 Power Train problem of the 2018 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 02/11/2023

This weekend Mazda cx-9 started leaking coolant from the firewall side.

26 Power Train problem of the 2018 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 02/08/2023

Coolant leak into cylinder head, resulting in overheating and blown head gasket. Repair cost was $7k to resurface cylinder head and replace gasket. Repair did not fix issue, likely due to unseen cracks or warping to cylinder head. Will require rework, likely entire engine replacement, as the defect cannot be corrected.

27 Power Train problem of the 2016 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 01/23/2023

I took my car into the dealership and was told that I had a cracked cylinder head and the car is leaking coolant near the rear of the engine. This could cause the engine to cease should coolant get into the engine. The dealer (north park Mazda, san antonio) has confirmed this as the issue. I have received a video of the inspection from the dealership explaining the issue. The vehicle displayed a warning that it was overheating which is what prompted me to bring the vehicle in for service.

28 Power Train problem of the 2022 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 12/01/2022

Concern is still present. The vehicle vibrates the entire chassis at highway speeds. Mazda states it’s normal but it may vibrate other components loose which could cause an accident. The issue is in the drivetrain.

See all problems of the 2022 Mazda CX9 🔎.

29 Power Train problem of the 2019 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 10/28/2022

The engine developed a sudden coolant leak on the rear of the engine. A warning comes up stating that the car could overheat and lose power. After a few minutes and no sign of the car overheating, the car loses power and slows down on its own. The car has not yet been seen by the dealer or a repair shop due to no appointments available. Mazda USA has issued a TSB stating the issue with the engine and they state that a design flaw causes the cylinder head to crack because of the external forces from the exhaust system over bumps. The failure appeared all of a sudden with no warning lights or indications, it just started leaking a small amount of coolant one day. Now I'm waiting for Mazda USA to tell us how they are going to remedy this issue and provide assistance. According to their TSB this affects three different vehicle models with the same 2. 5l turbo engine built from 2016 to 2020.

30 Power Train problem of the 2012 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 10/27/2022

After hearing low rumbling sound and smelling burnt oil, car was taken to dealer for check up. They informed me of known issue, front ptu leaking oil due to design flaw that put the ptu so close to the exhaust. I am seeing that other owners of this model are also reporting fires due this same exact problem, apparently unbeknownst to me Mazda has provided extended warranty up to 90k miles but not actually informed the owners of this as a potential catastrophic problem. My personal review has informed me that fire seem to be most common between 110,000 and 130,000 mile ranges.

31 Power Train problem of the 2018 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 10/06/2022

The cars engine makes loud rattling noise and slips gear. The vecicle jerks hard and feels as if transmission is slipping. Car hesitates when I shift into gear, followed by a jerking and jolting into gear. My brakes are replaced frequently. Mazda at 65643 miles on car found excess operating noise coming from engine coolant/water pump due to internal bearing failing. They replaced the water pump. Software (pyd8-18881-f) replaced. The vehicle has 74000 miles and has same problem. When stopped at a traffic signal it lunges forward at times. And shifts slow to fast gears. This problem is not resolved. The first time it was allegidely fixed was 22dec2021 it is now 05oct 2022.

32 Power Train problem of the 2016 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 08/22/2022

Due to Mazda's known problem in the design of their engine at just over 80,000 miles the head and turbo of my engine have cracked. They have issued a service bulletin to their dealerships, which acknowledges this as a common problem. (technical service bulletins (tsbs) are official communications between Mazda & its dealerships that describe processes for troubleshooting or fixing certain common problems. ) unfortunately, for most Mazda cx-9 owners this bulletin was issued after most have just passed their 60,000-mile warranty, thus allowing them to get away with designing an engine for a fairly expensive car that is only good for 80,000 miles. Mazda further acknowledges this as a problem as newer engines are no longer designed the same way to avoid the problem and any parts put on the engines that are failing are of the new design because the oem parts will just fail again. Dealing with Mazda customer service is a joke, they are rude, refuse to answer questions and will not call you back with answers when they say they will.

33 Power Train problem of the 2016 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 06/03/2022

Our head gasket is needing to be replaced and sounds like this is an apparent Mazda problem how wide spread it is. The cost is over $5,000 for this single repair, possibly over $6,000 if head is cracked. I only have a parts list showing $1,700 in parts. Service manager said about 18 hours at $189hr totalling $3,402.

34 Power Train problem of the 2010 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 03/15/2022

I had engine failure with a complete loss of power and a shuttering of the steering wheel while pulling into a parking lot and going less than 30 miles per hour. The temperature gauze went from cold to hot suddenly. There were no leaks of coolant or oil and no signs that the engine was out of water or that the water pump had "melted". On the final car repair trip we found out that the engine has an internal water pump that failed and resulted in oil & water getting into the engine. The engine light never came on, I had complained about the tire pressure light blinking on and off in November 2021 and the deceleration issue I was having. The dealer did a coolant flush 11/2021. In early March 2022 the engine shut off as I was backing out of the driveway. I took it to a repair shop nearby they could not find anything wrong except that the car went into limp mode. They also did a coolant flush and radiator cap exchange since I forgot I had just done one on Nov. Less that a week later the engine failed again. We towed the car to the dealer for the third trip in less than four months. I am really disappointed that Mazda failed to recall the engine. I could have been seriously hurt if I had been traveling at high speeds. The Cx9 had less than 135,000 miles at 12 years old.

See all problems of the 2010 Mazda CX9 🔎.

35 Power Train problem of the 2010 Mazda CX9

Failure Date: 12/31/2021

The awd system failed leaving the car dangerous to drive in rain and snowy weather. Car is still stuck in my driveway as the front wheels are spinning and no power to the rear wheels. My mother's awd with similar m+s tires drove out with no problems. Waiting for the snow to melt to be able to take my car into the shop. Reading online this seems like a known Mazda issue.



CX9 Service Bulletins
CX9 Safety Recalls
CX9 Defect Investigations