Mazda Reviews

Mazda chooses to hide behind strict mileage numbers rather than standing behind the structural integrity of their powertrains and taking care of their customers. Because of a known engineering flaw they refused to fix, I am now stuck with a completely useless vehicle and a massive repair bill for a brand-new engine. I used to love this car, but Mazda’s complete lack of corporate responsibility, poor customer service, and refusal to help with a known defect means I will never buy a Mazda again. Prospective buyers beware: when their engineering fails, they will leave you stranded.

I contacted Mazda Customer Service on Monday and was told a case would be opened and I would hear back within 24–48 hours. On Wednesday, I was told my claim was denied. When I asked why, the representative couldn't provide an explanation. I asked to speak with a supervisor and was told I would have to wait another 48 hours or longer.

Later that day, I missed a call from the supervisor. When I tried calling back, I was told she wasn’t available and that a note would be added to my case so that I could receive a call back more quickly. I was told I might hear back Thursday morning. Thursday morning came and went. No call. When I called Thursday afternoon, I was once again told the supervisor wasn't available, nobody else could help me, and another note would be added to the system.

Finally, on Friday afternoon, the supervisor called. But what did I get after an entire week of waiting? The exact same answer I had already received on Wednesday. My vehicle wasn't covered. The supervisor couldn't explain why. She couldn't answer my questions. She couldn't offer any assistance or resolution. She couldn’t explain why I was told a supervisor would be able to assist me when that clearly was not the case. She couldn’t explain why there was nobody else in management I could speak to for assistance.

However, she did admit one thing: the non-turbo CX-5 engine could potentially be added to the Customer Service Program in the future. Think about that. I'm being asked to spend $7,200 out of pocket today for an engine-related failure that Mazda may decide to cover in the future. So what exactly is a customer supposed to do? Spend thousands of dollars on a repair, hoping it may eventually be covered? Or trade in the vehicle and potentially lose out if Mazda expands the program? This isn't just about the money anymore. It's about how Mazda treats its customers when something goes wrong.

I spent an entire week without my vehicle trying to get a straight answer. I made multiple calls, waited for callbacks that didn't happen, and repeatedly had to chase Mazda for basic communication. When I finally reached a supervisor, I received no explanation, no meaningful assistance, and no indication that Mazda actually cared about resolving the problem.

I bought a Mazda because I believed I was buying a quality, reliable vehicle from a company that would stand behind it. Instead, at 88,000 miles, I'm staring at a $7,200 repair bill and a company that refuses to explain why it won't stand behind an engine failure that is similar to one it has already acknowledged in other CX-5s. Mazda didn't just fail to fix my car. They failed to take care of a customer who genuinely loved their product. I was a loyal Mazda customer. After this experience, I will never buy another Mazda.

If you're considering buying a Mazda, don't just think about how the car performs when everything is going right. Instead, think about how Mazda will treat you when something goes wrong. I strongly encourage you to think twice before giving your money to a company that clearly has shown little accountability, little concern for its customers, and little willingness to stand behind its products. Your purchase deserves to be backed by a company that values its customers.

I am very much able to pay the past due payments and future payments now that I fixed some things. She wouldn’t allow us to have just 4 days since payday is usually a Friday. She purposely sent out a bailiff to search for the car because I needed 4 days to pay the rest of the arrears in full. Just ridiculous. How would I survive and pay bills if I lose my car and can’t get to work? She had no sympathy whatsoever. Told her the situation she said “for three months!!?” Yes, with 4 question marks at the top of her lungs. I didn’t know people aren’t allowed to make mistakes and go through hard times. Always remember you mean nothing to these people, your money is the only person they care about.

I called back and was told I would receive a call that day (friday). Tuesday rolled around so I called and spoke with the case manager and informed them now the fob open my trunk while I was in work! I let her know this. She informed me she will contact the dealer asap and see what they have done and report back, I emailed twice asking for an update to no avail, I called and was informed the case manager has left for the day and I should get a call within 24-48 business hours, this will now bring us to the next week, I feel as if they got me in a vehicle and now dancing around just replacing the fob, 2 working fobs is part of my lease agreement that just began at the very end of December.

The other brake issue is one that is a head-scratcher. The emergency brake automatically engages when the CX50 is in park as a safety feature. The CX50 will have a loud “BANG” when the rear brake disengages after being parked overnight. The “BANG” has varying levels loudness; the worst being if the car has been driven in the rain. The CX50 was left in an inside parking garage for a week. It was difficult to move in reverse as the rear brakes would not release under normal throttle. The throttle was increased, the car squatted, and the rear brakes released with the loudest “BANG” yet. The car lurched out of it’s parking space. I felt very fortunate that no person or vehicle was close before I could jump on the brakes. There has been a litany of small annoying everyday issues with phones, milky backup camera, and phantom “hands-on-wheel” warnings. The past Mazda quality does not shine through to their CX50.

I bought this last Miata from Mazda of Knoxville. Salesman was fine but, when I had my issue, the GM seemed to just not care. When I got in this car I noticed that the gear shifting was a little "scratchy" and it took a little to get it into 1st and then 2nd gears. But, I was excited about the new car that I had driven 375 miles to purchase as it was the only one that met my specs in the southeast. I only had to stop twice between the dealership and entering the interstate. It was cold and I hoped that the issue would improve once it warmed up.

For the next 200+ miles I was in 6th gear on the interstate and did not have to shift gears. However, once I hit Atlanta traffic I had to stop twice. Each time it was harder and harder to get the car back to 1st gear and then getting to second was also very tough. Once through Atlanta it was back to interstate for another 150 miles, no gear shifting. When I got off my exit (still 30 miles from home) it was nearly impossible to change gears. However, it was late at night and, if I wanted to have my car towed, I would be driven to the nearest Mazda dealership, which was back the way I had just come, would have put me close to 100 miles from home (with no overnight bag, no toiletries and, most importantly, no CPAP machine) with no way to get home.

So, I slowly made my way to my house, knowing that the gears were getting harder to shift every time. I had the car towed to J.C. Lewis Mazda in Savannah the next AM. Was going to ride with the tow truck driver to the dealership and get a loaner. I called before getting in the truck to find that all of the loaners were booked through February (presently end of January). So, I called to see if my warranty would pay for a rental while my car was fixed. The dealership told me I needed to call Roadside Assistance and they would help me. I did, and was told that they did not handle that and transferred me over to Mazda Customer Experience.

I was told by MCE that the dealerships handled rentals for their customers. Then I received a call From JC Lewis Mazda the next day to let me know that the clutch was dead (no kidding, duh!) and it was a wear and tear item and would not be covered by the warranty. Really!?! So, back to Mazda Customer Experience to plead my case. Because of my previous Miatas I have plenty of experience changing gears in these vehicles. I had the car less than 24 hours, had put 375 miles on it (350 of it highway miles without changing a gear).

MCE opened a case for me and gave me a case manager (who I spoke to twice over the next ten days, she was always on the phone with another case, away from her desk, gone home for the day, or promised to call me back as soon as she got off the phone). I spoke with MCE 8 or 9 times during this period. The agents answering the phone were always friendly and polite but could never get through to my case manager.

I received a call from the service rep at JC Lewis on the second day and he said that they had sent initial photos to Mazda who had decided to warranty the repair and I did not have to worry about the cost as they would pay for it totally. I was ecstatic! So, I told him to certainly order the parts and do the repair. The very next day he called back and said they sent further photos to Mazda as they started taking the clutch apart and Mazda changed their mind and said it was driver-caused damage and it would not be covered. I called MCE numerous times after that to plead my case but got nowhere as my case manager was just never available.

Had to get the car fixed no matter who paid for it so I let the dealership complete the repair. Replaced the clutch and a pressure plate. The cost? $4645.43!!!!! Absolute robbery! Then, as I was driving home from getting the repaired vehicle my case manager actually called and said that she was going to call the dealership and see when they could get the parts in to do the repair and to find out what the next step would be. I had to tell her that I was driving the repaired vehicle as we were speaking. She said she would still speak with the dealership to get an itemized bill. And, since I was a loyal customer she was going to talk with corporate to see if they would consider a Good Will repair for me.

Then, she called back one last time a couple of days later to say that she was going to offer me a 1 or 2 year extension on my scheduled service. I said that that sounded like the decision had been made to not pay for the repair. She said that if that meant they would not reimburse me then, yes, I was correct. This has shown me that, no matter how Mazda handled stuff like this in the past, they have become just another giant corporation that only now cares about the bottom line with no room for a heart.

This experience has certainly soured me on Mazda. I will never darken another Mazda dealership door. And, it has completely taken the joy out of driving their (now my) car. I am so soured that I plan to get rid of this car as soon as I can (once the original dealership sends me the paperwork to be able to pay taxes and get my tag in another state from them). To me, this is just really poor business and I truly thought they were better than that. Goodbye, Mazda!

I received information that this part had production issues from several Mazda parts centers and when I called Mazda corporate, they were unable to confirm or deny if this was true. This part was not in stock anywhere in the United States and was on backorder indefinitely overseas. Mazda corporate kept going around this by saying "technically it's not recalled," however, every worker in the parts department explained that the part had issues, which is why they didn't have stock in it.

I was continuing to make payments on a vehicle that I wasn't driving AND had no foreseeable repair date. I tried to contact Mazda Financial and they told me that they didn't have the authorization to refund me any of my payments. My insurance company kept redirecting me to Mazda corporate, saying this was their problem. I had two case managers, Leonard and LeAnne, and would go weeks without hearing anything just to hear that they were still "looking on how to expedite the process".

It wasn't until I went to my local dealership that someone finally helped me. Matt ** issued me a loaner vehicle AND refunded me the two payments I had made while I didn't have my vehicle. Mazda corporate is such a waste of time and a horrible experience. They are LUCKY to have good employees. Please do not waste your time going through circles with their customer service team. Go to your dealership for help.

Two weeks later we were told Mazda would cover $2000 of the roughly $7000 repair including taxes. We were told we do not qualify for csp11 because we are 1000 miles over the allowance of 120,000 miles. Mind you from everything we read this issue happens right around 120,000 miles and saying “sorry, you’re 1000 miles over“ is completely ridiculous and unacceptable.

In our family we not only have this 2019 cx9 but also a 2014 cx5 and 2015 Mazda 3. We also have a son turning 16 and we were planning on looking at Mazda. There is zero chance we will ever be dealing with Mazda again. To top things off we were charged $275 for diagnostics to prove that the issue falls under csp11 only to be denied csp11. They also threw in an oil change for the destroyed engine that needs replaced. The reason for the oil change is because when the car first was diagnosed Fred Beans told me there’s no issue with the car at all. I already knew there was an issue from codes and white smoke coming out the exhaust so I insisted they researched further with a leak down test or some other method. After two weeks of wasted time and money, we picked up the car to take it elsewhere. Thanks for nothing Mazda and Fred Beans

Please pull your car over to a safe place and park it but they say there's nothing wrong with my car so I'm kind of afraid to drive it now and I have absolutely no recourse because I they know what they're doing. I can't lemon lot because to do that I have to have them do actual work on the car for the problem three times. So what they're doing is they say there's no fault code so they won't touch the car. So they haven't done any work so you can't file the lemon law. So it's nice little trick that they've worked out

Mazda provided me only a $1,500 partial reimbursement (covering the part) but left me with $2,574.34 in out-of-pocket labor and repair costs—costs that CSP11 fully reimburses for turbo owners. This practice is arbitrary, discriminatory, and violates the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which requires fair and consistent treatment of warranty obligations. Mazda should not be allowed to acknowledge a defect, reimburse one group of owners in full, and deny equal treatment to others experiencing the same failure.

• Require Mazda to reimburse non-turbo owners (including myself) for all out-of-pocket repair expense

My first attempt at resolving this issue was on July 8th, and since then, I have endured endless calls and attempts to get someone within Mazda to recognize the broken system that defines their treatment of customers. It is unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed. Thankfully, this is a lease vehicle. I will never return to Puente Hills Mazda for service again. And while this is only the second Mazda I have leased—first a CX-9 in 2013, and now a CX-90 in 2024—it will most certainly be my last.

On the corporate side, the experience has been just as disheartening. Nearly 80 calls in 60 days have led me nowhere. Every interaction begins with verification of my details, followed by being placed on hold, only to be told, “They’re working on it.” No meaningful progress, no callbacks, and no accountability. A few weeks ago, Aisha placed me on an 18-minute hold, briefly clicked back onto the line, and then disconnected the call. Marquita followed soon after, refusing to connect me to a supervisor, and predictably disconnected as well despite my explicit request not to. These are not isolated incidents but symptoms of a broken system where front-line agents lack the tools or authority to provide even basic updates.

To be fair, there have been bright spots. Agents like Courtney and Jose took the time to listen, demonstrate empathy, and provide accurate information, even if their hands were tied by a system designed to stall. But two individuals cannot make up for an operation so dysfunctional that it leaves customers feeling stranded and ignored. I have even attached my mobile provider’s call records to show the sheer volume of attempts made—dozens of hours of wasted time that have only deepened my frustration.

What began as a serious safety issue has devolved into a matter of basic accountability and decency in seeing a case through to resolution. Mazda’s customer experience operation, coupled with Puente Hills’ predatory approach to service, reveals a systemic incompetence and disregard for customer safety. There is no path for true escalation, no accountability, and no closure. If Mazda’s leadership does not step in to overhaul this broken process, I fear many other customers will be subjected to the same cycle of neglect and blame-shifting.

This is not a problem that can be fixed overnight, and there is no “knight in shining armor” within Mazda corporate who will rescue customers from the endless cycle of blame, stalling, and scripted responses when they attempt to escalate a legitimate concern. The system is fundamentally broken, and my experience is proof of that.

1. Driver-Side Fender (Part #KB7W-52-211) – $280.34

2. Front Bumper (Part #KSD4-50-031A-9U) – $295.03

3. Battery (Part #KJ0118520D) – $148.32

The website calculated a shipping cost of $36.95 to my address in Lexington, KY, resulting in a total charge of $760.64 (attached receipt). I received immediate confirmation from Eich Mazda that my payment was processed and the order status is "Payment Confirmed." However, today I received a call from Mr. ** at Eich Mazda, who stated: This is unacceptable. As a customer, I relied on Mazda’s official platform to provide accurate shipping estimates, which directly influenced my decision to purchase from Mazda instead of third-party sellers. Retroactively increasing costs due to internal website or dealer errors is unreasonable and breaches the agreed terms at checkout.

My requests are as follows:

1. Ship the fender and bumper immediately with the original shipping cost of $36.95, as quoted and paid.

2. Cancel and refund the battery ($148.32) if shipping is prohibited.

3. Confirm a revised shipment timeline for the remaining items.

I also urge Mazda to resolve technical inaccuracies in the shipping calculator on MazdaUSA.com. Competitors like Chevrolet provide seamless ordering experiences, and I expected the same from Mazda.

I realized this last night when my bill was off and I called. The main complaint is that the girl I spoke with last night had NO CLUE of what do to. She told me to call the old county tax office and maybe they will refund the taxes. I called Mazda this morning, the guy I spoke with said "Um, we don't do that" when I told him Mazda needs to update the DMV of the move (per the county tax office). The new county I live in's tax office said that that is not accurate... but that they would notify the DMV for Mazda, if Mazda could just send them an email that the vehicle moved.

I called Mazda back, and the 3rd dumb rep I talked to said "Ummm, no we can't do that. We don't do that." I was now losing my you-know-what. Are you kidding me?! So, you are telling me I am out of luck and will just have to pay taxes to a place I don't live anymore, because you don't know how to do your job? I told the rep to put me through to a manager, because this make zero sense and if it doesn't get figured out, I will bring the car back TODAY. Well, I told the manager the situation and her tone of voice was almost dumfounded that this wasn't already done and that everyone I spoke to said they "don't do that." She said, yes, we send the info to Mazda's TAX OFFICE, and they will send it to the DMV.

I am happy the issue was fixed, but the fact that THREE reps I talked to were absolutely boxes of rocks on something I feel like should be basic knowledge for them?! A leased vehicle with a new address (new county) means update the DMV for tax purposes. Like seriously what the hell, people! You NEED to train your people better, because this is beyond ridiculous. DO BETTER, MAZDA! I have driven Mazdas for years, but this makes me really want to leave them. Absolutely absurd.

I replied to the store repair advisor text "to fix the oil leak problem. NOTHING ELSE". The repair advisor had indicate the he will text me with additional cost and what they are doing before before he leave work that day. As a consumer, what can we do. We rely on repair stores to have the integrity to have professionals who know how to isolate the problem quickly and not drag a repair to several days. I really do not know whether I am getting my car back in working condition... etc. As of April 17, 2025 morning, I still do not have an info or the cost of the repair.

The service department has had the car since 2/4/2025 and had no luck determining the issue. They have changed the battery, the computer and wiring harnesses. According to the service manager, Mazda field techs have also inspected the car and all they keep saying is that it is an electrical issue, but Mazda techs keep telling the service dept. to do further inspections and feel that it was an outside element that caused the issue (weather, rodent, or jumped backward). If that ends up being the case, then it will not be covered under the warranty.

There also has been no evidence of or damage of an outside element. The service department has requested that we go through our insurance company to have the repairs. I contacted my insurance company on Friday 2/28/25 and an adjuster went out on 3/3/2025 and gave an estimate of $5473. I asked the adjuster if he was given a reason for the issue. He said no and they only gave him a list of items needed to fix the car. They also advised the adjuster that there was no visible damage. The list of items in the estimate are the same items we were told were replaced and did not fix the problem. SO, how does replacing the same items we were told were already replaced and did not fix the problem, now suddenly will fix the problem? Also, if there is no visible damage, how is this NOT a covered warranty issue. How can they lay blame on an outside element as cause when there is no evidence.

I feel that Mazda USA does not want to admit that it is a faulty electrical issue on their end, so they do not have to cover the cost of fixing the car. Mazda USA keeps stating the car was jumped backwards, which it absolutely was not!!! We contacted Mazda USA ourselves when this occurred, and they opened a case to investigate but Mazda came back and said it is not a warranty issue, and the car was jumped backwards. Again, this car was NOT jumped backwards ever!!!! But Mazda thinks it is okay to go through my insurance, and then I must pay the deductible and then my insurance rate will go up. Something seems way off!

My dealership has changed out all the defective parts and have discovered another wiring harness that connects to the starter has a short in it. They sent a supplement to my insurance company and requested another $4,518.07. The part that needs to be ordered is also now on backorder until June 7th. My car has been there since February 4th, and I won’t get it back until June!!!! Totally unacceptable!!! Updated as of 4/9/25 – my dealer was pro-active and was able to secure one of the last available parts and received it this morning 4/9/25.

My insurance company has agreed to the adjustment but now this whole situation is costing $9,491.83 which should be paid by Mazda USA because to this day we believe it was a warranty issue not an outside element causing the electrical failure. Mazda USA does not want to admit there was an issue somewhere within the components of the car. Mazda USA does not do right by their customers and the dealerships unfortunately have their hands tied because they are at the mercy of Mazda. I will NEVER buy another Mazda or recommend to anyone a Mazda! My next step is contacting the local television networks (NYC metro area) and telling them this story on how Mazda does not help their customers and only looks out for themselves! Typical greedy business!!!

Suddenly, when an issue arises, they refuse to acknowledge it, seemingly dismissing my concerns because of a minor cosmetic paint job on my passenger door, which was the result of a small incident in a parking lot. This lack of accountability and transparency is incredibly disappointing. I cannot recommend Mazda to anyone based on this experience, and I am seriously considering pursuing legal action to resolve these issues. It's disheartening that a company with such a strong reputation has treated me this way.

Mazda’s corporate case manager, Leonard, takes weeks to return calls. When he does, he constantly talks over me, dismisses concerns, and condescendingly shifts responsibility instead of addressing the core issue—this vehicle has never performed as advertised. Rather than showing accountability, his default response to my frustration is a robotic and disdainful, "I'm sorry you feel that way," which only highlights Mazda’s lack of ownership in this situation.

To make matters worse, every level of Mazda is denying responsibility. Leonard at corporate says he can't authorize a buyback and that I should go to the dealer for help, the dealer says corporate is the only one that can assist, and Mazda Finance says they can't help. *No one* at Mazda is willing to take ownership of this defective vehicle, leaving me stuck in an endless loop of finger-pointing.

Consumer Reports gives the 2024 CX-90 PHEV a reliability score of 4 out of 100—the lowest of any vehicle in the 2020s. My engine failed after just 709 miles. I am far from the only person dealing with major failures in this model. The prior lowest-rated vehicle was the 2022 Ford F-150 Hybrid (7/100), followed by the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid (14/100), the Mercedes GLE (19/100), and the Chevrolet Silverado (35/100). The CX-90 PHEV is the worst of the 2020's worst.

Mazda corporate, if you’re reading this, review the call recordings. Leonard’s tone, dismissiveness, and lack of professionalism are exactly as described. Instead of empty apologies, Mazda should make right their having produced a vehicle with the worst reliability score in recent history—and even more ashamed of how they are treating their customers.

An estimate from a reliable shop is $6K+. A shop we’ve been going to for 28 years so I trust them long before an overpriced and unreliable dealer shop. Would I recommend a Mazda at this point? NO! Just look at their history of problems on the net and don’t gamble with your hard earned money! If it leaks oil, It’s probably a Mazda! Since we’re well out of warranty, and with a very reliable shop across the street, we didn’t bother contacting Mazda. There is NO evidence that they have attempted to address this problem for years.

At this point, I was asked to come back with the car. After a quick check, they reset the warning and said I had nothing to worry about, and it was related to leftover contaminated fuel that should go away after driving for a while. A few days later the check engine light came back again!!!! I went back to the dealership and now was told a different story. The alarm was related to Catalyst Efficiency (P0421), and I will need to drive with this alarm for a while and see if it disappears. If not, I must return and pay a hefty repair charge to replace the Catalyst!!!! You can imagine my frustration because: 1) It took them more than two months to find out what was going on, and now I'm stuck with the repair cost rather than being able to charge the gas station. 2) They obviously didn't bother to do a test drive before releasing the car to me (very unprofessional).

I opened a case with Mazda to complain about this case, and they were completely useless. They kept ignoring the case despite my following up for two months now. Everything is good with Mazda until something is wrong, and then you realize how useless and unprofessional they are. That is the end of the road for me with Mazda after being a loyal customer for the last 10 years.