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2019 Mazda CX-9: engine and transmission complaints

HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
47%
25 of 53 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

47% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2019 Mazda CX-9 are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.

Worse than 59% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
25
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
53
this model year
Fires reported
0
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
2
1 crashes · 0 injuries

Complaints by component

ENGINE23 · 43%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER14 · 26%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM7 · 13%
POWER TRAIN5 · 9%
SUSPENSION4 · 8%
BACK OVER PREVENTION3 · 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 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,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE08/22/2026
It’s now in the shop being torn down for further inspection but it looks to be a cracked cylinder head leak .
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE07/10/2026
The engine cylinder head developed an internal coolant leak, allowing coolant to enter the combustion chamber. This caused engine overheating and smoke coming from the tailpipe while driving. A dealer performed a coolant pressure test confirming coolant leaking into the combustion chamber, and wet/dry compression testi…
ENGINE06/18/2026
My 2019 Mazda CX-9 (VIN [XXX]) suffered catastrophic cylinder head failure on the SKYACTIV-G 2.5T engine at approximately 124,000 miles. The failure is consistent with Mazda TSB 01-013/21 (and successors 01-007/22, 01-010/24), in which Mazda acknowledged that cylinder heads on this engine can crack at the stud bolt hol…

Three of 25 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)

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…
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2019 CX-9 vehicles equipped with Sumitomo Falken ZIEX CT50 A/S tires, size P255/50R20 104V, having date code …

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-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.