What are the most reported problems on the 2021 Mazda CX-9?

Engine is the biggest group. Owners describe oil level warnings in the stories we read.

Has the 2021 Mazda CX-9 been recalled?

The by-year facts show 1 recall for this year. See the Recalls section on this page for the details.

What is the gas mileage of the 2021 Mazda CX-9?

See the fuel economy section on this page, which is built from EPA data.

Is the 2021 Mazda CX-9 reliable?

NHTSA has 40 owner complaints on file. They are unverified reports, so read the problem groups and the safety section together.

Is 2021 the best year for the Mazda CX-9?

See the by-year comparison section on this page. Counts there are not adjusted for sales.

2021 Mazda CX-9 Problems, Recalls and MPG

NHTSA has 40 owner complaints on file for this SUV^[1]. The engine group is named in 21 of them^[2].

40owner complaints^[1]

1recalls^[3]

23–24MPG combined (EPA)^[4]

5★NHTSA overall rating^[5]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Safety
Engine and size
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

Here are the complaint groups in the NHTSA file, biggest first.

Engine. 21 complaints^[2]. Owners describe the low oil light coming on again and again, with the oil level needing a top up between changes. Some say a service bulletin exists but no recall has covered it.
Unknown or other. 6 complaints^[6]. These do not name a clear component.
Power train. 5 complaints^[7]. In the stories we read, owners describe the car moving on its own while parked or backing up, and a sudden loss of power on the freeway.
Brakes. 4 complaints^[8]. Owners describe brakes that felt like they gave out, plus clicking and squeaking that came back after repairs.
Forward collision avoidance. 4 complaints^[9]. Owners describe a string of warning messages on the dash at highway speed, followed by the car slowing down.
Speed control. 3 complaints^[10].
Back over prevention. 2 complaints^[11].
Air bags. 2 complaints^[12].

Recalls

Newest first. Each recall covers only certain vehicles, so not every 2021 CX-9 is necessarily included.

Seats › Mid/Rear Assembly (21V750), September 2021. About 8,648 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, injury. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[13]

Fuel economy

EPA ratings depend on the engine and drive. Annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not prices when the car was new.

Version	City / highway / combined MPG	Annual fuel cost
CX-9 2WD, 2.5L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[4]	22 / 28 / 24	$2,800
CX-9 4WD, 2.5L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, 4-Wheel Drive^[14]	20 / 26 / 23	$2,900

Safety ratings

Version	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV AWD^[5]	5	4	5	4	15.9%
SUV FWD^[15]	5	4	5	4	15.1%

Engine and size

Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles.

Engine	Horsepower
2021 Mazda CX-9 with 2.5L 4-cylinder^[16]	227 hp

These are Canadian-market specifications from Transport Canada, so US models can differ slightly.

Version	Length	Width	Height	Wheelbase	Curb weight
CX-9 4DR SUV AWD^[17]	200 in	78 in	68 in	115 in	4,387 lb

How 2021 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each CX-9 model year. The 2021 is highlighted^[3].

Show the numbers

Model year	Complaints	Recalls
2007	86	5
2008	172	5
2009	59	6
2010	195	6
2011	170	4
2012	221	4
2013	68	4
2014	54	3
2015	35	2
2016	107	0
2017	61	0
2018	128	2
2019	53	2
2020	19	1
2021	40	1
2022	11	0
2023	13	0

NHTSA's counts for the CX-9 show 40 complaints and 1 recalls for 2021^[3]. Among the 17 model years listed, 4 have fewer complaints than 2021 and 12 have more^[3]. The fewest complaints are for 2022 (11) and the most are for 2012 (221)^[3]. These counts are not adjusted for sales, so treat them as a rough guide. The chart above shows every year.

Should you buy a used 2021 CX-9?

The file for this model year is not large^[1]. Engine reports lead the list, and owners describe oil level worries more than anything else^[2]. A few other stories involve power loss and warning messages, so ask about those on a test drive. The by-year facts show 1 recall for this year^[3]. These are unverified owner reports, so check the recall and comparison sections before you decide.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most reported problems on the 2021 Mazda CX-9?: Engine is the biggest group^[2]. Owners describe oil level warnings in the stories we read.
Has the 2021 Mazda CX-9 been recalled?: The by-year facts show 1 recall for this year^[3]. See the Recalls section on this page for the details.
What is the gas mileage of the 2021 Mazda CX-9?: See the fuel economy section on this page, which is built from EPA data.
Is the 2021 Mazda CX-9 reliable?: NHTSA has 40 owner complaints on file^[1]. They are unverified reports, so read the problem groups and the safety section together.
Is 2021 the best year for the Mazda CX-9?: See the by-year comparison section on this page. Counts there are not adjusted for sales^[3].

Keep exploring

Other model years of the Mazda CX-9

2010 195 complaints, 6 recalls
2011 170 complaints, 4 recalls
2012 221 complaints, 4 recalls
2013 68 complaints, 4 recalls
2014 54 complaints, 3 recalls
2015 35 complaints, 2 recalls
2016 107 complaints, 0 recalls
2018 128 complaints, 2 recalls
2019 53 complaints, 2 recalls
2020 19 complaints, 1 recall
2021 this page
2022 11 complaints, 0 recalls
2023 13 complaints, 0 recalls

Compare all model years of the Mazda CX-9

All Mazda models

Similar cars from 2021: small suvs

2021 Kia Telluride 373 complaints, 5 recalls
2021 Lincoln Corsair 43 complaints, 23 recalls
2021 Mitsubishi Outlander 19 complaints, 3 recalls
2021 Tesla Model Y 1,091 complaints, 23 recalls
2021 Volkswagen Atlas 645 complaints, 17 recalls
2021 Volkswagen Tiguan 143 complaints, 5 recalls

All small suvs we cover

Facts and sources

NHTSA has 40 owner complaints on file for the 2021 Mazda CX-9 (7 mention a crash, 0 a fire, 1 injuries, 0 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
21 complaints name the engine component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
Owner complaints and recalls for every Mazda CX-9 model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for CX-9 2WD, 2.5L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 22 city / 28 highway / 24 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,800. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV AWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 4 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 15.9%. NHTSA vehicle records
6 complaints name the unknown or other component group (2 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
5 complaints name the power train component group (2 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
4 complaints name the brakes component group (2 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
4 complaints name the forward collision avoidance component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
3 complaints name the speed control component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
2 complaints name the back over prevention component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
2 complaints name the air bags component group (2 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 21V750, filed September 27, 2021: Seats › Mid / Rear Assembly. NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for CX-9 4WD, 2.5L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, 4-Wheel Drive: 20 city / 26 highway / 23 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,900. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV FWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 4 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 15.1%. NHTSA vehicle records
EPA Test Car List, 2021 Mazda CX-9 with 2.5L 4-cylinder: rated 227 hp. www.epa.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, CX-9 4DR SUV AWD: length 200 in, width 78 in, height 68 in, wheelbase 115 in, curb weight 4,387 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov

Complaints submitted to NHTSA by owners; unverified reports, one complaint can name several components. Complaint counts are not normalized by sales; compare years of the same model, not different models. EPA annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new. Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles. Dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US models.

2021 Mazda CX-9: problems, recalls and fuel economy