The Lane Check

Cars › Mazda › CX-9 › 2011

2011 Mazda CX-9 problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
26%
38 of 145 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2011 Mazda CX-9. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 26% of relevant complaints.

Better than 77% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 25 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 22%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
Share this car

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2011 Mazda CX-9 have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 38 of 145 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Mazda CX-9 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (26%). For comparison, the 2010 scores 28% and the 2012 scores 21%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
38
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
170
this model year
Fires reported
3
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
4
7 crashes · 2 injuries

Complaints by component

SERVICE BRAKES100 · 59%
POWER TRAIN25 · 15%
AIR BAGS22 · 13%
ENGINE15 · 9%
SUSPENSION8 · 5%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM5 · 3%

The years either side

2010
28%
49 of 195
2011
26%
38 of 170
2012
21%
40 of 221
2013
39%
22 of 68
2014
47%
24 of 54
2015
63%
19 of 35
2016
74%
72 of 99
2017
80%
49 of 61
2018
68%
84 of 128
2019
47%
25 of 53
2020
too few complaints
2021
62%
23 of 39
2022
too few complaints
2023
too few complaints

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2011 Mazda CX-9

What one owner reported

SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN06/30/2026
The front driver-side lower ball joint suffered a catastrophic structural failure and sheared completely apart while moving. This vehicle was previously serviced under Safety Recall Campaign 15V451000 / Mazda Recall 8515G for this exact defect. The recall remedy part failed a second time, collapsing the front wheel ass…

One of 38 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2011 Mazda CX-9?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns on the 2011 Mazda CX-9, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

4 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module19V782000 · Oct 2019
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2007-2012 CX-7, CX-9, and 2009-2012 Maza6 vehicles. These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module18V717000 · Oct 2018
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Mazda CX-9 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana,…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module17V429000 · Jun 2017
Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2009-2011 Mazda6, and 2007-2011 CX-7 and CX-9 vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of…
suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint15V451000 · Jul 2015
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2007-2014 CX-9 vehicles manufactured October 24, 2006, to December 28, 2013. The affected vehicles have front suspension ball…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2011 Mazda CX-9? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

Get a history report from EpicVIN Before you pay: EpicVIN’s $1 offer is a 3-day trial (up to 5 reports) that renews at $49.99 a month unless you cancel. Other plans are listed under “View all our packages” at checkout. We may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It does not change what this page reports.

Questions people ask about the 2011 Mazda CX-9

Does the 2011 Mazda CX-9 have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 38 of 145 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Mazda CX-9 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (26%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2011 Mazda CX-9?

No. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns on the 2011 Mazda CX-9, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Mazda CX-9 years are better?

Among the Mazda CX-9 years we track, the 2012 (21%) has a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2011 (26%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2011 Mazda CX-9?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2011 Mazda CX-9 shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

Check a VIN

Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.