The 2012 Mazda CX-9 has 4 safety recalls and 221 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is service brakes (139 complaints).
Recalls4safety recalls
Complaints221filed by owners
Crashes · fires9 · 0reported in complaints
Injuries · deaths8 · 0reported in complaints
3 recalls for this model year carries an NHTSA do not drive advisory. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Safety recalls
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
NHTSA recall 19V782000 · Oct 31, 2019 · 69,879 vehicles · opened after NHTSA action (ODI)
NHTSA advisory: do not drive affected vehicles until repaired.
Problem: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2007-2012 CX-7, CX-9, and 2009-2012 Maza6 vehicles. These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 16V356 and 17V012.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
NHTSA recall 18V717000 · Oct 12, 2018 · 155,436 vehicles · opened after NHTSA action (ODI)
NHTSA advisory: do not drive affected vehicles until repaired.
Problem: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Mazda CX-9 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, unless covered in "Zone A," Mazda is recalling certain 2011-2013 Mazda6, 2011-2012 CX-7, and 2011-2015 CX-9 sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless covered in Zone A or Zone B, Mazda is recalling certain 2010-2013 Mazda6, 2010-2012 CX-7, and 2010-2015 CX-9 vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
NHTSA recall 17V457000 · Jul 18, 2017 · 79,402 vehicles · opened after NHTSA action (ODI)
NHTSA advisory: do not drive affected vehicles until repaired.
Problem: Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2012 CX-7, CX-9 and Mazda6 vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Mazda is recalling certain 2009 CX-7, CX-9 and Mazda6 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Mazda is recalling certain 2007-2008 CX-7 and CX-9 sold, or ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began October 4, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recall 17V-012.
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower ball joint
NHTSA recall 15V451000 · Jul 20, 2015 · 193,484 vehicles · opened after NHTSA action (ODI)
Problem: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2007-2014 CX-9 vehicles manufactured October 24, 2006, to December 28, 2013. The affected vehicles have front suspension ball joints that may corrode from water leaking into the fitting.
Risk: Over time, the ball joint corrosion may result in the front lower control arm separating from the ball joint, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace both the left and right lower control arms, free of charge. The recall began on September 14, 2015. The recall will begin with model year 2007-2009 vehicles registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The second phase will be for model year 2010-2014 vehicles in the same states. Finally, all remaining vehicles will be remedied. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 8515G.
Components: Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower ball joint; Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower arm
Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.
Crash test ratings
2012 Mazda CX-9 SUV AWD
Overall
Not Rated
Frontal crash
Not Rated
Side crash
Not Rated
Rollover
★★★★★
Rollover risk
14.3%
2012 Mazda CX-9 SUV FWD
Overall
Not Rated
Frontal crash
Not Rated
Side crash
Not Rated
Rollover
★★★★★
Rollover risk
15.1%
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.
Fuel economy
CX-9 2WD
19mpg combined
City / highway
17 / 24 mpg
Fuel
Regular Gasoline
3.7 L · 6 cyl · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,550/year to fuel
CX-9 4WD
19mpg combined
City / highway
16 / 22 mpg
Fuel
Regular Gasoline
3.7 L · 6 cyl · Automatic (S6) · 4-Wheel Drive · about $3,550/year to fuel
EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.
What owners report
Problem area
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Typical mileage*
Service brakes
139
4
0
1
56,622 mi
Engine
25
1
0
0
65,000 mi
Air bags
23
2
0
6
75,000 mi
Power train
18
1
0
0
52,526 mi
Vehicle speed control
11
4
0
0
54,000 mi
Suspension
9
1
0
0
36,000 mi
Steering
7
1
0
0
17,804 mi
Unknown or other
6
0
0
0
52,436 mi
Electrical system
5
0
0
0
60,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic Pedals and linkages; Foundation components › Master cylinder
4
0
0
0
58,000 mi
Exterior lighting
3
0
0
0
—
Fuel/propulsion system
3
0
0
0
—
*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.
Recent owner complaints
Jun 8, 2025Vehicle speed control While drive i feel like there is sticking something below the car when i am accelerating. And the acceleration became hard. Also i heard a weird noise at that time. Then a saw a leakage below my car.
Jan 31, 2025Air bags My driver and passenger side curtain airbags randomly deployed without a collision. Thankfully I was at a stop sign when this happened. If it happened while I was driving, Iâm sure I would have wrecked and could possibly be dead. It was loud! I thought Iâd been shot or that Iâd driven over a bomb. We did take the car to someone thatâs certified in airbags and it was stated that this was due to a manufacturerâs defect. I also have lots of pictures. There was no warning when the airbags deployed. Mazda is refusing any responsibility due to the car being outside of the warranty.
Sep 13, 2024Steering Ball joints replaced due to tear in both rubber covers and driver side ball joint very loose. Was previously repaired in July 2015 under recall Number: 15V451000.
Sep 22, 2023Service brakes I was driving normally when I started sowing down and noticed the brakes were harder to push. I finally stopped just before almost rear-ending a vehicle in front of me. It turns out the brake booster, a known problem that was not communicated to me a few years ago, failed and makes braking the vehicle harder, increases distance, and makes the vehicle unsafe to drive. The problem has been reproduced via a diagnostic test at Mazda of Gladstone dealership on 9/27/23. The dealership has been the only people who have inspected the issue. There were no warning signs, no warning lights, nothing. It was scary because I didn't think my vehicle was going to stop. It's completely dangerous. I have not…
Jul 1, 2023Power train The water pump suddenly started leaking and the mechanics I talk to said this is a very common problem with this vehicle and type of engine. Sounds like owners are left to foot the bill for this costly and difficult repair of a defective product. Hopefully more owners come forward and report their experience in this regard
Feb 1, 2023 · 11,000 miles · crashSuspension The contact owns a 2012 Mazda CX9. The contact stated that the vehicle had previously been involved in a crash due to a fractured passenger's side lower control arm. The dealer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle had been repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V451000 (Suspension). The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. An independent mechanic replaced the passenger's side lower control arm; however, the contact stated that after the repair was performed, the engine rattled and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was then taken back to the independent mechanic, who determined that the driver's side lower control arm spacers were missing…
Dec 1, 2022 · 175,000 milesSeat belts The contact owns a 2012 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the front passengerâs side seat belt was tightening intermittently causing discomfort for the front seat passenger. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle had not yet been taken to an independent mechanic or a local dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 175,000.
Jan 4, 2023Service brakes On August 14, 2020, the brake booster along with the master cylinder failed, resulting in very dangerous and frightening driving conditions, and the parts were replaced with Mazda original parts. This was an ongoing issue with the Mazda CX-9âs. I reported it to the NHTSA, complaint number 11480067. On January 4, 2023, the brake master cylinder and booster failed again resulting again in very dangerous and frightening driving conditions. The car was driven only 25,383 miles before the brakes failed the second time. The Mazda parts were defective and continue to be so after many years with no effort by Mazda to improve these parts. Attached are the repair invoices for both incidents. I have…
Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.
NHTSA defect investigations
PE19006 · opened May 2, 2019 · closed Jan 15, 2021Inadvertent Curtain Air Bag Deployment The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE19-006) on May 2, 2019 to investigate two Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) and Early Warning Reporting data related to allegations of inadvertent deployment (IAD) of side curtain airbags in Model Year (MY) 2010 through 2013 Mazda CX-9 vehicles. ODI sent an Information Request (IR) to Mazda North America Operations, LLC. to gather information about the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. In the 20 months since opening the PE, ODI has received three additional VOQs. To date, there have been a total of 11 IAD incidents within the identified population of 104,360 vehicles. Of the 11 incidents, no serious injuries were reported. The last known incident occurred in December 2020.Mazda's response to ODI's IR letter identified the root cause as a manufacturing issue of the Bosch SMG076 Roll Rate Sensor within…
PE15022 · opened Jun 9, 2015 · closed Aug 20, 2015 · led to recall 15V451000Lower ball joint separation In an July 7,2015 letter to NHTSA, Mazda identified a safety defect that could result in lower ball joint separation in approximately 193,484 model year (MY) 2007 through 2014 Mazda CX-9 vehicles (NHTSA Recall No. 15V-451,Mazda 8515G).Mazda indicated that damage to the ball joint boot may allow water to enter the front suspension ball joint fitting during use which may result in premature ball joint wear and a progressively looser joint.In January 2014, Mazda implemented redesigned lower control arms in production vehicles to improve the durability of the lower ball joints.The redesign involved changing the shape of the top surface of the ball joint boot cover and adding a suspension plate to the undersurface of the knuckle.Mazda's recall will replace the defect lower control arms with the redesigned parts.ODI's analysis of information collected during PE15-022 identified a total of 62…