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2022 Mazda CX-5: engine and transmission complaints

ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
39%
15 of 38 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

39% of relevant owner complaints on the 2022 Mazda CX-5 are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.

Better than 55% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 25 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 24%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
15
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
63
this model year
Fires reported
2
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
0
5 crashes · 1 injuries

Complaints by component

EXTERIOR LIGHTING23 · 37%
ENGINE13 · 21%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER9 · 14%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM6 · 10%
POWER TRAIN5 · 8%
SERVICE BRAKES4 · 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 2022

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

ENGINE05/16/2026
Timing chain cover ended up leaking oil everywhere. Was told this was a known issue with Mazda CX-5 and there was even a service bulletin out.
POWER TRAIN08/26/2025
Transmission failure, currently reproducible but car is at dealer to be evaluated/repaired. I was safe as I was still in my driveway, however if I was in traffic I would be at risk of an accident, by the time you realize you are not moving you have already let off the brake and could be rolling, fear is that if it happ…
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE06/29/2025
The timing chain cover gasket failed and is leaking oil at 66,000 miles. It is currently being addressed at Borgman Mazda in Grand Rapids. No crash or safety risk. There were no warning lamps, it was found by an separate inspection not from the dealership.

Three of 15 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Before you buy a 2022 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.