Car · Mazda problems

2016 Mazda CX-5 problems

512 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Mazda CX-5. The most reported area is exterior lighting (31% of them). NHTSA also lists 321 service bulletins and 4 recall campaigns.

Counts are what owners told NHTSA, as filed. NHTSA does not confirm each report, and a complaint is not proof of a cause. Injuries: 13. Deaths: 0.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 512 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

• Exterior lighting161 · 31%
• Electrical system72 · 14%
• Service brakes69 · 13%
• Other or unknown57 · 11%
• Power train (transmission and drive)51 · 10%
• Visibility and wipers48 · 9%
• Engine and engine cooling39 · 8%
• Fuel system20 · 4%

15 smaller areas not shown (112 complaints in total).

Do not compare models by these numbers. NHTSA has no sales count for each model, so a model with more complaints may just have sold more cars. Use them to see which areas owners write about, not to rank cars.

Service bulletins

NHTSA's database lists 321 repair bulletins from Mazda for the 2016 Mazda CX-5. A bulletin is a repair instruction sent to dealers. It is not a recall and does not mean your car is covered. The 8 newest:

1. SA-041-26aReceived October 3, 2026

   Electrical system

   DESCRIPTION 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...

2. SA-021-26Received May 5, 2026

   Body and structure

   SA-010/23 02/09/23 DESCRIPTION Some customers may experience one or more electrical malfunctions after a vehicle body repair.

3. SA-026-26Received May 5, 2026

   Engine and engine cooling

   The changes are noted in Red text.

4. SA-029-26Received May 5, 2026

   Power train (transmission and drive)

   SA-011/24 02/12/24, 06/06/24, 07/29/24 DESCRIPTION Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems.

5. SA-031-26Received May 5, 2026

   Body and structure

   DESCRIPTION Some vehicles may require the replacement of a damaged VIN plate or vehicle certification label.

6. 01-008-26Received May 3, 2026

   Power train (transmission and drive)

   The changes are noted in Red.

7. SA-001-26Received February 3, 2026

   Some customers may report an odor or water in the HVAC system and upon inspection, the cabin air filter may be found to be wet.

8. SA-005-26Received February 3, 2026

   There are currently 2 methods for cutting a new auxiliary key blank.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2016 Mazda CX-5. Recall repairs are free at a Mazda dealer. The 3 to look at first:

1. 20V063000February 6, 2020

   Exterior lighting

   The LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL) may fail while driving.

2. 16V644000September 6, 2016

   Structure

   On the affected vehicles, the lift gate support struts may corrode, possibly causing the struts to break and/or the lift gate to drop unexpectedly.

3. 16V203000April 11, 2016

   Steering

   The lower mounting nuts and bolts that attach the front strut assembly to the steering knuckle may loosen, allowing the steering knuckle to separate.

See all 4 recalls for the 2016 Mazda CX-5, or check your VIN below to see which are open on your car.

Common repairs in this area (not a diagnosis)

These are repair jobs that sit in the areas owners report most. A complaint may need a diagnosis first: the same symptom can come from many causes, and a serious one such as engine failure is not fixed by a cheap part. They are not a forecast of what your CX-5 will need. Ranges are US estimates for all makes.

Start with a diagnosis

• Diagnostic scan (check engine light)$55 to $250

Exterior lighting 161 complaints · 31%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Electrical system 72 complaints · 14%

• Battery replacement$150 to $470
• Alternator replacement$360 to $930
• Starter replacement$280 to $740
• Battery cable replacement$100 to $340

Service brakes 69 complaints · 13%

• Brake pad replacement (front)$190 to $400
• Brake rotors and pads (front)$320 to $790
• Brake pad replacement (rear)$180 to $420
• Brake caliper replacement (one wheel)$240 to $590
• Brake fluid flush$75 to $180

Power train (transmission and drive) 51 complaints · 10%

• Transmission fluid service$140 to $480
• Transmission solenoid replacement$290 to $1,200
• Torque converter replacement$880 to $2,475
• Clutch replacement (manual transmission)$1,000 to $2,050

Check a quote you got

Check your VIN

Complaints and bulletins cover a whole model year. Only the VIN shows what is open on your car.

By VIN By year, make and model

VIN (17 characters, on the dashboard by the windshield or the driver door jamb)

0 of 17 characters

Look up this VIN

Recall and complaint data comes from NHTSA, the US government's vehicle safety agency, and is cached for up to a day. Recall repairs at a dealer are free. A recall that is not listed may not apply to your car or may not be filed yet. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls too.

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2016 Mazda CX-5: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2016 Mazda CX-5?

Of the 512 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Mazda CX-5, 161 (31%) name exterior lighting, and 72 (14%) name electrical system. A complaint can list more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%. These are owner reports, not proven causes.

Is the 2016 Mazda CX-5 reliable?

These numbers cannot say. NHTSA complaints have no sales count to compare against, so a high number on one model does not mean it fails more than another. Use them to see which areas owners write about, then check your own VIN for open recalls.

Do these complaints include crashes or fires?

Owners marked 31 of the 512 complaints as involving a crash and 10 as involving a fire. They also reported 13 injuries and 0 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2016 Mazda CX-5 have?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2016 Mazda CX-5. Recall repairs are free at a Mazda dealer. Enter your VIN to see which ones are open on your car.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a repair instruction a maker sends to its dealers. It is not a recall, and it does not mean your car is covered. NHTSA lists 321 repair bulletins for the 2016 Mazda CX-5.

More

• 2019 CX-5 problems
• 2018 CX-5 problems
• 2014 CX-5 problems
• 2016 recalls
• All Mazda recalls
• Mazda problems by model
• Check-engine codes

Sources

• NHTSA complaint and technical service bulletin files, checked October 29, 2026
• NHTSA recalls

Complaint, bulletin and recall counts come from NHTSA as filed. Repair prices are estimates from our own ranges. Not a repair shop, estimates only.