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2015 Mazda CX-5 problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
27%
33 of 133 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2015 Mazda CX-5. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 27% of relevant complaints.

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

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2015 Mazda CX-5 have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 33 of 133 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2015 Mazda CX-5 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (27%). For comparison, the 2014 scores 23% and the 2016 scores 30%. 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
33
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
133
this model year
Fires reported
0
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
4
11 crashes · 7 injuries

Complaints by component

STRUCTURE27 · 20%
POWER TRAIN19 · 14%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER16 · 12%
SERVICE BRAKES14 · 11%
ENGINE14 · 11%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL12 · 9%

The years either side

2010
no data
2011
no data
2012
too few complaints
2013
36%
70 of 194
2014
23%
84 of 377
2015
27%
33 of 133
2016
30%
99 of 510
2017
23%
32 of 148
2018
93%
111 of 119
2019
59%
154 of 270
2020
27%
27 of 107
2021
63%
90 of 147
2022
39%
15 of 63
2023
23%
25 of 126

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 2015 Mazda CX-5

What one owner reported

UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION 07/17/2025CRASH
I was near a red light and applied the brakes, but the car accelerated and ran into the truck stopped in front of me. This happened around May of 2024. I took the car to the Elk Grove Mazda dealer. They ran diagnostic and road tests but found nothing wrong. The car had the same problem again sometime later inside my ga…

One of 33 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 2015 Mazda CX-5?

Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2015 Mazda CX-5 involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 4 in total. 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.

fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: filler pipe and cap16V064000 · Feb 2016

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Mazda CX-5 vehicles manufactured June 27, 2013, to February 2, 2016. The affected vehicles have a fuel filler pipe that may rupture in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."

Risk: A rupture of the fuel filler pipe may result in a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.

Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will alter the attachment between the fuel filler pipe and the left rear side of the bracket of the fuel filler pipe, free of charge. The recall began on February 25, 2016. Owners…

3 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
structure: body: hatchback/liftgate16V644000 · Sep 2016
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 vehicles manufactured November 18, 2008, to June 8, 2013, 2012-2015 Mazda5 vehicles…
steering16V203000 · Apr 2016
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 2, 2015, 2013-2014 Mazda2 vehicles manufactured July 3, 2013, to…
visibility: windshield16E002000 · Jan 2016
Pilkington North America, Inc. (Pilkington) is recalling certain replacement windshields, model FW04026 GTY, manufactured November 23, 2015, to December 16, 2015 for use in Mazda CX-5 vehicles that…

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

Checking one particular 2015 Mazda CX-5? 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.

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Questions people ask about the 2015 Mazda CX-5

Does the 2015 Mazda CX-5 have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 33 of 133 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2015 Mazda CX-5 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (27%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2015 Mazda CX-5?

Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2015 Mazda CX-5 involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 4 in total: 16V064000 (fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: filler pipe and cap). Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

Which Mazda CX-5 years are better?

Among the Mazda CX-5 years we track, the 2014 (23%), the 2017 (23%) and the 2023 (23%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2015 (27%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2015 Mazda CX-5?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2015 Mazda CX-5 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.

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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.