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2023 Mazda CX-5 problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
23%
25 of 109 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2023 Mazda CX-5. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 23% of relevant complaints.

Better than 83% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 17 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 20%).

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 2023 Mazda CX-5 have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 25 of 109 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2023 Mazda CX-5 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (23%). For comparison, the 2022 scores 39%. 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
25
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
126
this model year
Fires reported
0
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
2
17 crashes · 8 injuries

Complaints by component

SERVICE BRAKES27 · 21%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE20 · 16%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM18 · 14%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER18 · 14%
ENGINE14 · 11%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING11 · 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 2023 Mazda CX-5

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES07/22/2023CRASH1 INJURED
Brand new 2023 Mazda CX-5 with 150 miles on it experienced unintended acceleration while braking. Pulled into a parking spot with my foot on the brakes but the car didn't stop & even accelerated over a sidewalk and into a building. I experienced a bruise from the seatbelt. Airbags did not deploy. Someone could have bee…

One of 25 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 2023 Mazda CX-5?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns on the 2023 Mazda CX-5, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. 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.

2 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module23V275000 · Apr 2023
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2022-2023 CX-30 and 2023 CX-50 vehicles. The anti-lock brake system (ABS) Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU) may be damaged, which can result…
trailer hitches23V135000 · Mar 2023
Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2023 CX-50 vehicles equipped with a Mazda Genuine Accessory trailer hitch. The trailer hitch harness may detach and become damaged, which…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model; one of NHTSA's listings did not answer when this page was built, so the list may be incomplete. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2023 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 2023 Mazda CX-5

Does the 2023 Mazda CX-5 have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 25 of 109 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2023 Mazda CX-5 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (23%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2023 Mazda CX-5?

No. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns on the 2023 Mazda CX-5, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Mazda CX-5 years are better?

The 2023 has the lowest engine and transmission complaint share of the Mazda CX-5 years we track (23%). The other years run higher.

Should I buy a 2023 Mazda CX-5?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2023 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. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.