10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
48,124 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2013 Mazda CX-5 engine problems

engine problem

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2013 Mazda CX-5 Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #42

Aug 042022

CX-5

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The car battery will not turn off when I turn off the vehicle.

- Boise, ID, USA

problem #41

May 012021

CX-5

  • miles
My car won't shut off! I put it in park and turn it off and the accessories stay on. It is getting worse and worse and has taken up to 7 times of turning it off and on, backing it up and forward before it will just turn off for me. I get scared that it won't turn off. I found this forum online and it seems this is a very common problem that is not being addressed by Mazda. https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discussion-t49115_ds799849 Not being able to turn my car off is a very big safety risk for me and my 2 year old son.

- Troy, NY, USA

problem #40

May 132021

CX-5

  • 58,000 miles
After fixing the electrical problem with the car not fully turning off, the car suddenly died in traffic and wouldn't restart. Replacing mass air sensor, O2 sensor, and plugs, the car will die in traffic when coming to a stop, but restarts immediately. The code says this is a PCM problem. Internet research says this is not uncommon resulting in safety recalls in other year models. 2013 should also be recalled.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #39

Apr 032021

CX-5

  • 100,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The ignition on my 2013 Mazda Cx-5 would not turn off after putting the vehicle into park. The engine would start with the gearshift lever in park, but once I drove to a destination, pulled into a parking lot, and put the gearshift into park, the vehicle would not entirely turn off. It would take several attempts to manipulate the gearshift around to get the car to turn off. The vehicle's electrical system would still be active, including radio, dash lights, headlights, and other electrical systems would all remain on. After contacting a local Mazda dealership in town, a "park safety switch" in the gearshift lever is being affected, and it is a known problem affecting Mazda Cx-5 vehicles. However, there have not been any recalls issued for this problem. Thanks to a quick google search such as "Mazda Cx-5 will not turn off", I found out about this issue. There are several youtube videos, posts on reddit and Mazda forums discussing this issue. Having a vehicle with an issue where you cannot turn the car off because the car "thinks" that the vehicle is not in park is unsafe and a safety hazard and can cause an accident or worse.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #38

Mar 042021

CX-5

  • 130,000 miles
While driving my vehicle on the interstate the car lost the ability to accelerate. All of the dashboard lights came on and I had to coast to the side of the interstate. After restarting the vehicle I was able to drive it but I cannot take the vehicle over 30 mph now without it shuttering and having acceleration issues. This is a serious and life threatening issue that needs to be fixed free of charge. I have found other reports of this happening but I see no recall information. This needs to be fixed before Mazda has lawsuits filed against them. This is a manufacturing error and not a usage error. Please look into this.

- Spencerville, OH, USA

problem #37

Nov 202020

CX-5

  • 107,000 miles
Several months now, I'm having to turn my car back on to turn the radio off and completely shut the car down. This has been going on since the summer of this year. I have to crank it up, put it out of park into drive, and put it back in drive. After that, it turns off. I have push to start and had the car for four years pre-owned. Yesterday, my sister and I were stranded because my car didn't start. The dealership said it was the air intake oxygen sensor. They replaced it plus they put in a new car battery. My husband and I thought it was weird, but now I'm wondering if the car itself is completely shutting down when I turn it off. Now, this is making me scared to drive the car. The repair cost me 490 something.

- Boiling Springs, SC, USA

problem #36

Jun 012012

CX-5 4-cyl

  • 2,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2013 Mazda Cx-5. the contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked with the check engine, traction control, and tire pressure monitor system warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to lester glenn Mazda (101 NJ-37 E, toms river, NJ 08753, (888)422-5041) however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the local dealer. The failure mileage was 2,000.

- Redbank, NJ, USA

problem #35

Mar 252017

CX-5

  • 25,000 miles
When I put it in park and press button to shut it off, the auxiliary power stays on. This makes the car where it cannot be locked and drains the battery. It is a safety hazard.

- Louisville, GA, USA

problem #34

Sep 212019

CX-5

  • 147,000 miles
I was driving my Mazda 2013 Cx-5 on the highway, when it suddenly lost power and would not accelerate. I pressed the the accelerated all the way to the floor and my vehicle would not accelerate. The engine light, low tire, and traction symbols all were lid up on the dashboard. I drove the vehicle back home at 20 mph as this is the maximum top speed the vehicle would accelerate. I will check to see if there is a recall for this safety issue that can be life threatening.

- Corpus Christi, TX, USA

problem #33

Aug 132019

CX-5

  • 80,000 miles
Initially the check engine light came on with no notice drivability concern. Used obd scanner and retrieved two codes: P0172 running rich, P013A downstream O2 slow switch. Two days later the car stalled two time, both times right after vehicle stopped completely with brake pedal applied. Stopped driving the vehicle for severe safety concern and will send the car to the dealership. Vehicle has not been modified, and has 80K miles, 6.5 yrs of service, with regular scheduled maintenance.

- Troy, MI, USA

problem #32

Oct 092015

CX-5

  • 27,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I bought the car certified pre-owned with 20K miles. After a few months I was at an intersection, once the cross traffic cleared I took my foot off the brake and pressed the accelerator. The car just glided, it had no power for 5 seconds. I repeatedly pressed the the gas pedal but nothing happened until after 5 seconds when the revolutions instantly increased to around 5000 RPM. This was the first time this happened at around 27,000 miles. I figured it was a small glitch. Through my 3 years of ownership (putting on 57,000 miles) this has been occurring more and more frequently. I am very hesitant when crossing intersections and attempting lane changes. This now occurs at least twice a month while in traffic. The other issue occurs when I shift from park/reverse to drive, while on level ground, the car suddenly jerks forward and revolutions increase suddenly, with my food either on the brake or as soon as I remove it but before I press the gas pedal. Another issue is while I'm accelerating, at 20-25 mph as the automatic transmission is shifting from either 2 to 3rd or 3rd to 4th (I haven't been able to determine yet). When transmission misses the gear change it causes the revolutions to suddenly increase for a fraction of a second. When the gear is engaged it is accompanied by a clunky slamming sound. This happens pretty quickly and has not yet made the car lose speed or handling. After 3 years of ownership with recorded routine scheduled maintenance completed and standard commuter use of 60% highway and 40% city style driving I don't feel the transmission and/or engine are safe or reliable. I have taken it to the dealer since it is still under limited power-train warranty but they just tell me that is normal for economy style cars. I can not let my parents borrow the car because I feel these issues might surprise them while in traffic and lead to a collision.

- Lombard, IL, USA

problem #31

Jun 072018

CX-5

  • 87,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Mazda Cx-5. the contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to turn off. The vehicle finally turned off ten minutes later after several attempts. The vehicle was also leaking oil. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that a malfunctioning sensor caused the leak. The manufacturer and dealer were not notified. The failure mileage was 87,000.

- Henrieata, NY, USA

problem #30

Feb 122018

CX-5

  • miles
My car bucks loses exhilaration and will keep bucking until I pull over turn ignition off.city streets & highway. Started happening one year ago at 32,000 mile. Dash board lights up and engine light stays on! then resets after a threw trips !! Mazda dealer has tried to fix !so far no answer.I am afraid of my Mazda. I do not feel safe when I drive! I have 42,000 mile now.

- Arcadia, CA, USA

problem #29

Jan 292018

CX-5

  • 77,000 miles
The engine is refusing to turn off when I hit the off button and it is in the park position. It takes up to 5-6 times to get the engine to shut down by restarting it, playing with the gears and finally shutting down. This could be a sensor problem. I just had the check engine light fixed as it wouldn't turn off either.

- College Point, NY, USA

problem #28

Jan 122018

CX-5 4-cyl

  • 75,000 miles
[xxx] the engine does not idle. When I would slow to stop for a stop light or stop sign, the ngine would quit and require restarting the engine. The check engine light remained illuminated continuously, and, the red battery light would illuminate. A service station diagnosed the problem as either an old battery, and/or, an alternator. Ourisman Mazda, 801 rockville pike, rockville, Maryland 20852 [301-424-7800] advised me this morning, Saturday, 01/13/2018, that: 1.)the problem is the mass air flow filter that required replacement. 2.)there are no recalls for Mazda mass air flow sensor failures. 3.) total parts and labor are approximately, $575. 4.)the dealership said that the 5 years / 100,000 warranty did not apply to the mass air flow filter. 5.)when I brought the car to ourisman Mazda, on 01/12/2018, to have the problem diagnosed. I was asked when and where I last filled the gas tank, (as if a mass air flow failure mimics contaminated fuel. The car was purchased, new, in December 2012, , and has approx.., 75,000 miles of urban / Suburban driving, not under dusty conditions. The risk is that the car could unexpectedly stall and with no way to recover quickly. Parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Potomac, MD, USA

problem #27

Mar 072017

CX-5

  • 65,000 miles
When turning off eng, via pressing the electronic start/stop button. The radio stays on. Unless you press the button to turn on the accessories, then pressing brake down, then moving the automatic shift lever from park to drive, to park again and pressing the start/stop button again, then the radio will turn off. This has been happening for many months.

- Riverside, CA, USA

problem #26

Sep 112017

CX-5

  • 104,000 miles
Mazda Cx-5 2013 check engine light - coolant sensor P011A. Heater is no longer warm air. Dealer advises to replace the heater core at $1768. Hard to believe as car is in mint condition, never missed a service

- Diamondhead, MS, USA

problem #25

Dec 282017

CX-5

  • 66,000 miles
While my wife was driving to drop our children off to go to work all of a sudden the check engine, low tire and traction control light came on. When all lights came on the engine lost power and could not go above 20 mph.

- Fredericksburg, VA, USA

problem #24

Dec 142017

CX-5

  • 85,000 miles
The traction light automatically kicks on even if there is no bad weather. The lights flash on and the car becomes sluggish as if the traction is on. I have to pull over to turn the car off and restart. The engine light stays on for a least 24 hours. This has happened at least 5 times. Last time it happened 12/14/2017 and happened on highway and I couldn't do anything until I got off the highway.

- Upper Marlboro, MD, USA

problem #23

Nov 102017

CX-5

  • 57,500 miles
After a lube, oil filter service Friday morning at the Mazda dealership, in the evening while driving at sixty mph on a major highway, we experienced an engine loss of power. Reduced down to twenty mph, we safely steered to the breakdown lane and avoided a serious injury or worse. We continued home on city streets going ten mph up hills and maybe thirty downhill. Steering and brakes were normal. I am reporting this incident because of seriousness of the possible accident and am asking for your diagnosis of the possible causes of this engine failure. Thank you for any assistance.

- Chestnut Hill, MA, USA

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