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Research · Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD

2015 Mazda CX-9Recalls, problems, MPG & safety

NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 35 owner complaints for the 2015 Mazda CX-9. Most complaints involve engine (17) and power train (3). The EPA rates it 19 mpg combined, and NHTSA gives it 4 stars overall.

Check a VINAdd to my garage
Combined MPG
19mpg
EPA · 2 versions
NHTSA overall
4of 5 stars
NCAP crash tests
Safety recalls
2campaigns
Latest Oct 2018
Owner complaints
35
Top: engine
Fuel cost / yr
$3,300est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

2 NHTSA campaigns · applies to some vehicles, check your VIN

Air bags: inflator module

Park It: do not driveFree remedy

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.

Air bagsReported Oct 12, 2018NHTSA 18V717000

Steering

Free remedy

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 2, 2015, 2013-2014 Mazda2 vehicles manufactured July 3, 2013, to August 8, 2014, 2014-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured January 19, 2013, to December 2, 2015, and 2013-2015 CX-9 vehicles manufactured December 6, 2012, to July 31, 2015. The lower mounting nuts and bolts that attach the front strut assembly to the steering knuckle may loosen, allowing the steering knuckle to separate.

SteeringReported Apr 11, 2016NHTSA 16V203000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 11, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

35 complaints filed with NHTSA · Mar 2015 – Apr 2025
  1. Engine17
  2. Power train3
  3. Service brakes3
  4. Exterior lighting2
  5. Air bags2
  6. Fuel/propulsion system1
  7. Engine and engine cooling1
  8. Electrical system1
  9. Seats1

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

By model year

Complaints for each CX-9 model year we’ve synced.

View as table
Model yearNHTSA complaints
200786
2008172
200959
2010195
2011171
2012221
201368
201454
201535
201699
201761
2018128
201954
202019
202141
202211
202313
Crashes reported
1
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
5
Deaths reported
0
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 11, 2026 · Full problem breakdownNHTSA vehicle page
03 —Common problems

What owners report most

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaints, by component

Engine

17 reports
“My Mazda has been serviced regularly, in fact my next oil change isn't for 2,000 more miles. I was driving when I heard this weird noise. I looked at the dash and the oil light was flashing and the temperature was over heating. I could also feel the vehicle getting sluggish. I pulled over on the interstate. All the lights were on by this time. I popped the hood and there wasn't any coolant in the resivour anymore. I let the car cool down and I added some water as I was 1 mile from the exit where there was a gas station. I had to baby the car to the exit and shut it off whenever it got hot. The oil was full and seemed overfull even..... Mechanic is guessing the coolant leaked if the engine.... I was stranded for hours with 4 children...”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 3, 2025EngineODI 11652669

Power train

3 reports
“We have a 2015 Mazda CX-9 Touring with All-Wheel Drive (AWD). The issue that has been happening is a flashing check engine light (CEL) indicator showing up in the gauge cluster. This issue originally started in October of 2023. I was on the highway doing at least 55 miles per hour (mph). Before the light actually came on, I had already felt the vehicle shaking, and also noticed the acceleration was sluggish. In the blink of an eye, the CEL came on and started flashing. After that point, the CEL stayed on. I was able to get to my destination safely. We took the vehicle to a shop, and told the mechanics the issue, but they could not re-create what happened. We stopped driving the vehicle as much after this first encounter. A couple of months later, the issue still persisted, and we took it to another shop. They changed the spark plugs, and the vehicle had been driving CEL-free for several months. Recently, we were going to take the vehicle out for a drive, and noticed the vehicle shaking (before the CEL officially came on) again. The CEL flashed and came on. As of this moment, the CEL pops up and stays on when starting the vehicle. I put in a code reader, and the…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 14, 2024Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11608589

Service brakes

3 reports
“MY BRAKE PEDDLE BEGAN HISSING AND MY VEHICLE DOES NOT WANT TO STOP WHEN IN MOTION, I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A MAZDA DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED IT WAS THE BRAKE BOOSTER WHICH IS A PROBLEM MAZDA HAS BEEN HAVING, BUT MY VEHICLE IS NOT IN THE YEARS SPECIFIED IN THE WARRANTY EXTENTION. THE DEALERSHIP STATED MAZDA IS NOT WILLING TO HELP OR FIX THE ISSUE, AND THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. IT IS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM THE EARLIER MODELS HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING AND ARE BEING FIXED AND MINE IS NOT. MAXDA IS AWARE OF THIS DEFECT AND WILL NOT HELP ME. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS 58K MILES AND SHOULD HAVE THESES ISSUES. THE HARD BRAKE PEDDLE AND HARD BRAKING OCCURS ON ROADWAYS, IN DRIVEWAYS ANYTIME THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. IT IS UNSAFE AND I HAVE AVOIDED SEVERAL COLLISIONS.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 4, 2018Service brakesODI 11155966
All 2015 CX-9 problemsSend a problem to a mechanic on findmechanic.ai
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026
04 —Key specs

Engines, transmissions & drive

2 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
Engines
3.7L 6-cyl
Transmissions
Automatic (S6)
Drive
Front-Wheel Drive · 4-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.

Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 11, 2026EPA listing
05 —Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy by version

City / highway / combined, annual fuel cost and CO₂
EPA
VersionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
CX-9 2WD
Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.7 L · Front-Wheel Drive
172419$3,300456
CX-9 4WD
Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.7 L · 4-Wheel Drive
162219$3,300480
  • CX-9 2WD
    Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.7 L
    17 city · 24 hwy · $3,300/yr
    19
    mpg comb.
  • CX-9 4WD
    Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.7 L
    16 city · 22 hwy · $3,300/yr
    19
    mpg comb.
Estimate your fuel costCost of ownership
Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 11, 2026 · Fuel cost is EPA’s annual estimate (15,000 mi, 55% city)
06 —Safety

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

2 tested variants
Overall rating
4/ 5
4 of 5
Mazda CX-9 SUV FWD
Frontal crash
3 of 5
Side crash
5 of 5
Side pole
5 of 5
Rollover
4 of 5
Rollover risk
15.1%
Overall
4 / 5
Mazda CX-9 SUV AWD
Frontal crash
3 of 5
Side crash
5 of 5
Side pole
5 of 5
Rollover
4 of 5
Rollover risk
14.3%
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Nov 11, 2026Vehicle 9072Vehicle 9071
07 —Maintenance

Maintenance basics

General guidance, not the OEM schedule. Check your owner’s manual.
General guidance
ItemMilesTimeNote
Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi6–12 monthsFollow the oil-life monitor if fitted
Tire rotation5,000–7,500 miEvery oil changeCheck pressure monthly
Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi1–2 yearsSooner in dusty areas
Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi1–2 years
Brake fluid—2–3 yearsAbsorbs moisture over time
Coolant60,000–100,000 mi5–10 yearsLong-life coolants last longer
Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi—Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end
12V battery—3–5 yearsHeat shortens battery life
  • Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi
    6–12 months
  • Tire rotation5,000–7,500 mi
    Every oil change
  • Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Brake fluid—
    2–3 years
  • Coolant60,000–100,000 mi
    5–10 years
  • Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi
    —
  • 12V battery—
    3–5 years
Typical intervals for modern cars. Severe service (towing, short trips, extreme heat or cold) shortens them.
09 —FAQ

2015 CX-9 questions

How many recalls does the 2015 Mazda CX-9 have?

2 safety recalls as of Nov 11, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.

What are the most common 2015 Mazda CX-9 problems?

Owners filed 35 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are engine (17), power train (3), service brakes (3). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.

What MPG does the 2015 Mazda CX-9 get?

The EPA rates the 2015 Mazda CX-9 at 19 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (2 versions rated).

How safe is the 2015 Mazda CX-9?

NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gives the 2015 Mazda CX-9 4 out of 5 stars overall.

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Nov 11, 2026