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2015 Mazda CX-9: engine and transmission complaints

VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
63%
19 of 30 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

63% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2015 Mazda CX-9 are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.

Worse than 84% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 5 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 54%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
19
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
35
this model year
Fires reported
0
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
2
1 crashes · 5 injuries

Complaints by component

ENGINE17 · 49%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER9 · 26%
POWER TRAIN3 · 9%
SERVICE BRAKES3 · 9%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING2 · 6%
AIR BAGS2 · 6%

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%
82 of 126
2019
47%
25 of 53
2020
too few complaints
2021
61%
22 of 38
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.

Cleaner alternatives

Same car, a better year

Other midsize SUVs with no elevated signal in 2015

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners reported

ENGINE04/03/2025
My Mazda has been serviced regularly, in fact my next oil change isn't for 2,000 more miles. I was driving when I heard this weird noise. I looked at the dash and the oil light was flashing and the temperature was over heating. I could also feel the vehicle getting sluggish. I pulled over on the interstate. All the lig…
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM08/14/2024
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 …
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING02/01/2024
The contact owns a 2015 Mazda CX9. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle shut off. The contact stated that the engine was overheating. The contact restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle stalled again. The vehicle continued to coast into a parking lot. There were no warning lights il…

Three of 19 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (2)

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
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…
STEERING
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 manuf…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2015 Mazda CX-9

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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.