Problems · NHTSA complaints

2010 Mazda CX-9 problems

Owners filed 195 complaints about the 2010 Mazda CX-9 with NHTSA between Apr 2010 and Jun 2026. The most-cited component is service brakes (88).

Complaints
195
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
7
Reported by owners
Fires
5
Reported by owners
Injuries
6
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Service brakes88
  2. Engine23
  3. Power train23
  4. Air bags18
  5. Suspension16
  6. Vehicle speed control9
  7. Electrical system6
  8. Structure6
  9. Engine and engine cooling5
  10. Service brakes, hydraulic4
  11. Wheels4
  12. Steering4
  13. Exterior lighting4
  14. Seats3

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20104
20114
20129
201321
201422
201512
201627
201722
201819
201921
20209
20218
20228
20233
20243
20250
20263

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Service brakes

88 reports5 crashes
“My wife was taking my daughters for marching band and all of a sudden she tried to press the brakes but the brakes felt too hard and she was unable to stop the car safely. She had to take immediate action by moving the car to the shoulder to stop the car. There were no warning signs on the screen. The car was taken to the mechanic and the dealership. The dealership said that this was a brake booster issue which would be fixed for $1500. This is a serious issue which if had happened on the highway would have been tragic. Mazda and the dealership refuse to fix this free of cost since they say that they had already communicated about "an extension of warranty" to fix this problem in 2015 - at which time there were no issues with the brakes.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 21, 2024Service brakesODI 11609995

Engine

23 reports
“The contact owns a 2010 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated while conducting a routine check, he noticed that the coolant and the oil levels were low. An independent mechanic diagnosed that the coolant was leaking into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. An unknown dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 27, 2022Engine and engine cooling, EngineODI 11499001

Power train

23 reports4 fires
“I had engine failure with a complete loss of power and a shuttering of the steering wheel while pulling into a parking lot and going less than 30 miles per hour. The temperature gauze went from cold to hot suddenly. There were no leaks of coolant or oil and no signs that the engine was out of water or that the water pump had "melted". On the final car repair trip we found out that the engine has an internal water pump that failed and resulted in oil & water getting into the engine. The engine light NEVER came on, I had complained about the tire pressure light blinking on and off in November 2021 and the deceleration issue I was having. The dealer did a coolant flush 11/2021. In early March 2022 the engine shut off as I was backing out of the driveway. I took it to a repair shop nearby they could not find anything wrong except that the car went into limp mode. They also did a coolant flush and radiator cap exchange since I forgot I had just done one on Nov. Less that a week later the engine failed again. We towed the car to the dealer for the third trip in less than four months. I am really disappointed that Mazda failed to recall the engine. I could have been…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 9, 2022Power train, Electrical system, EngineODI 11460271

Air bags

18 reports2 crashes1 fire4 related recalls
“The contact owns a 2010 Mazda CX-9. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V782000 (Air Bags). The contact called the dealer and was advised to tow the vehicle to the dealer for the recall repair. The contact stopped driving the vehicle due to the recall. The contact attempted to call the dealer for an alternative mode of transporting the vehicle to the dealer, but the calls were not returned. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 27, 2026Air bagsODI 11713717

Suspension

16 reports1 related recall
“Front suspension broke while my husband was driving back from a fire as he is a volunteer firefighter. He states car did not have any lights on dash to report there was a problem. The next thing he knew he heard a loud squealing noise and lost control of the vehicle taking him off road in a small ditch. As the axle broke it went upward and hit both belts and shredded them. He was not able to move or drive the car at all. I am the owner of this vehicle had I been driving I would have totaled and crashed,also I do have A [XXX] son I drive to school most days. Thank goodness my husband is a heck of a driver. I have contacted the Mazda manufacturer and they are stating that the vehicle was already fixed that they will not do a safety remedy. As I found out there was a 8515G recall for the front suspension interior corroding. I just purchased this vehicle on 2/24/2026 it broke on 3/19/2026. The vehicle states to have been fixed in 2017. I have the inspection papers from the previous dealer from whom I bought it from in 2021 and the one from the dealer that I purchased it and that inspection was in 2025. There has been no inspections after I purchased or after the…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 23, 2026SuspensionODI 11726414

Vehicle speed control

9 reports
“TOOK MY CAR TO DEALER 2-3 TIMES FOR THE BRAKES, WAY BEFORE MY WARRANTY WAS ANY WHERE NEAR EXPIRING, BECAUSE I KEPT HEARING A GRINDING SOUND. THEY KEPT TELLING ME NOTHING WAS WRONG, THAT MY BRAKES HAD SOME GRAVEL ON THEM AND THEY JUST CLEANED THEM. I DON'T TRAVEL ON DIRT ROADS OR ANYTHING, CITY ROADS/HIGHWAYS. NO OUT OF TOWN TRAVEL AT ALL, ACTUAL ONLY IN TOWN TRAVEL, HOME/WORK. MY 2ND CONCERN IS, WHILE DRIVING SOMETIMES MY SPEED SEEMS TO SHIFT, AS IF THE GEARS ARE SHIFTING. 3RD CONCERN IS, I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE, DON'T RECALL WHAT IT WAS ABOUT BUT I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND I WAS TOLD THEY DONE THAT WORK LAST TIME I CAME IN BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IT WAS DONE, SINCE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN HONEST WITH ME BEFORE. THEY DIDN'T EVEN LOOK AT THE LETTER. IF I RECALL CORRECTLY BRAKE COMPLAINTS/ SERVICE STARTED 2011 OR 2012 TO 2014....”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 15, 2017Suspension, Vehicle speed control, Service brakesODI 11005438
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.