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2019 Mazda CX-5: engine and transmission complaints

HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
59%
153 of 259 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

59% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2019 Mazda CX-5 are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.

Worse than 79% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 10 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 57%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
153
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
269
this model year
Fires reported
2
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
2
7 crashes · 5 injuries

Complaints by component

ENGINE130 · 48%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER49 · 18%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM46 · 17%
POWER TRAIN31 · 12%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM16 · 6%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE16 · 6%

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%
109 of 117
2019
59%
153 of 269
2020
28%
27 of 106
2021
63%
87 of 144
2022
39%
15 of 63
2023
23%
25 of 125

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 compact SUVs with no elevated signal in 2019

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

POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES03/05/2025CRASH1 INJURED
On [XXX], I was the operator of a 2019 Mazda CX-5 in Los Angeles, California. I parked the vehicle on an incline on or around [XXX] in Los Angeles, California, and then exited the vehicle. The vehicle remained stationary for some time, until it suddenly began rolling backwards at a speed that pushed me to the ground wh…
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL12/06/2019CRASH1 INJURED
ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2019, AS I WAS APPROACHING MY HOME, I ACTIVATED MY GARAGE DOOR OPENER AND THE GARAGE DOOR OPENED AS I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY. I STOPPED THE CAR, A 2019 MAZDA CX-5, IN THE DRIVEWAY, PLACED IT IN PARK, GOT OUT OF MY VEHICLE AND ENTERED THE GARAGE. WHILE IN THE GARAGE FOR APPROXIMATELY 2-3 MINUT…
POWER TRAIN09/08/2026
1. January 2025 Diagnosis (Inside Powertrain Warranty): I presented the vehicle (2019 Mazda CX5, 36K miles) with severe transmission jerking and shift lurching at a local Mazda dealership. Technicians diagnosed teh issue as described in TSB 05-004/23 and applied a software flash to the PCM/TCM stated in TSB 05-004/23.…

Three of 153 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)

ENGINE
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018-2019 CX-5, Mazda6, and 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. A software error in the powertrain control module (PCM) ma…
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3, Mazda6, 2019 CX-3, 2018-2019 MX-5, CX-5, CX-9, and 2019-2020 Mazda2 vehicles. The impeller insi…

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

Before you buy a 2019 Mazda CX-5

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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.