Short answer: There is no complete, apples-to-apples reliability ranking for every Mazda CX-5 generation. One analysis of NHTSA owner complaints puts 2017 and 2020–2021 below its typical CX-5 complaint rate, while 2013–2014, 2016, and 2018 are above it. Those figures are useful signals, not failure rates. Consumer Reports uses a different method, and Mazda’s report of a 2025 J.D. Power study covers only the 2022 model year.
Which Mazda CX-5 generation is the most reliable?
The available evidence does not establish a definitive winner between CX-5 generations. The sources measure different things: one normalizes owner complaints by estimated U.S. sales, Consumer Reports uses subscriber surveys to assess reliability, and Mazda reports a three-year dependability-study result for one model year. Their findings cannot be combined into a single league table.
Consumer Reports groups the U.S. CX-5 into three redesign periods: the first generation (2013–2016), the second generation (2017–2025), and the redesigned 2026 model. A redesign marks a major change, not proof of a reliability improvement. The 2017 update brought substantial changes despite similar exterior styling; it retained a 2.5-liter four-cylinder option and six-speed automatic. The 2026 U.S. base configuration is described as retaining a 187-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder and six-speed automatic. Consumer Reports’ CX-5 overview
What are the best and worst Mazda CX-5 years?
Milemark’s analysis of 2012–2021 CX-5s calculates NHTSA owner complaints per 10,000 sold, using U.S. sales estimates. Its typical model year is 14.6 complaints per 10,000 sold. The table gives the reported rates and their position relative to that figure; they are not NHTSA-published failure rates.
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| Model year | Complaints per 10,000 sold | Position in Milemark analysis |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 0.2 | Below typical; based on one listed complaint and an estimated sales denominator, so the exceptionally low rate is not robust proof of superior reliability. |
| 2013 | 24.4 | Above typical. |
| 2014 | 38.0 | Above typical. |
| 2015 | Not stated (Milemark analysis). | No rate provided here. |
| 2016 | 45.4 | Above typical; the highest rate among the years listed here. |
| 2017 | 11.6 | Below typical. |
| 2018 | 23.1 | Above typical. |
| 2019 | Not stated (Milemark analysis). | No rate provided here. |
| 2020 | 7.2 | Below typical. |
| 2021 | 8.7 | Below typical. |
| 2022–2026 | Not ranked by Milemark. | Too new for its analysis to rank. |
These are Milemark’s calculations from self-reported NHTSA complaints and U.S. sales estimates, not a count of verified mechanical failures or the percentage of vehicles that broke down. Complaints are not independently verified, and complaint rates alone do not establish what an individual used CX-5 will need. See Milemark’s CX-5 complaint-rate analysis for its method and year-by-year discussion.
Why do other reliability sources give a different picture?
Consumer Reports: 2017 and 2018 are about average
Consumer Reports’ model-year snippets describe both the 2017 and 2018 CX-5 as about average in reliability compared with vehicles from the same year. Its reliability score is based on subscriber surveys. That comparison set and survey method differ from Milemark’s within-CX-5 complaint-rate calculation, so “about average” can coexist with a rate above or below Milemark’s CX-5 typical-year figure. The retrieved information does not support a complete Consumer Reports ranking or detailed year-by-year trouble-spot comparison. Consumer Reports’ 2017 CX-5 overview; Consumer Reports’ 2018 CX-5 overview
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2022 CX-5: a three-year dependability-study placement
Mazda North American Operations reported on February 20, 2025, that the 2022 CX-5 placed in the top three in the Compact SUV category of the 2025 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study. Mazda says the study evaluates 2022 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership and covers 184 potential problem areas across nine categories. This is a reported category placement for one model year, not a ranking of all CX-5 generations. Mazda’s separate figure of 161 problems per 100 vehicles applies to the Mazda brand in the mass-market segment, not to the CX-5 specifically. Mazda’s February 20, 2025, study announcement
Are 2013, 2014, 2016, or 2018 CX-5s years to avoid?
Milemark’s higher complaint rates make these years worth checking carefully, but they do not by themselves justify ruling out every vehicle from those years. Milemark identifies different leading complaint categories: body-control modules and shifting for 2013; body-control modules and water leaks or seals for 2014; wiring harnesses, grounds, and connectors for 2016; and head gasket or cylinder head complaints, followed by infotainment, for 2018. These are complaint clusters, not confirmed defect rates or proof that every example has the issue.
For 2017 and 2020, Milemark identifies infotainment, screen, and software complaints as leading categories; for 2021, oil consumption or leaks lead its list. Use these reports as prompts to ask about the specific vehicle’s service history and to have relevant systems checked—not as a diagnosis. A clean record and a satisfactory inspection of one car matter more to that purchase than a model-year label alone.
How should you compare used CX-5 generations?
- First generation, 2013–2016: Milemark places 2013, 2014, and 2016 above its typical complaint rate. Its data here do not establish a rate for 2015.
- Second generation, 2017–2025: Milemark places 2017 and 2020–2021 below typical, and 2018 above. Consumer Reports calls 2017 and 2018 about average against same-year vehicles. The evidence cited here does not establish a full ranking for 2019 or 2022–2025.
- 2026 redesign: Consumer Reports identifies it as a new generation, but Milemark does not rank it; there is not enough in the cited evidence to assess its long-term reliability.
Age and time in service affect how much complaint evidence can accumulate. Avoid comparing raw complaint totals across years without considering sales or exposure, and do not treat recall counts as an overall reliability score. The cited sources also do not provide a complete, independently verified record for every generation.
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How do you check a used CX-5 before buying?
- Review maintenance and repair records. Look for evidence that the vehicle was serviced consistently and ask for documentation of major repairs or recurring symptoms.
- Arrange an independent pre-purchase inspection. A mechanic can assess the condition of the specific vehicle; this answers a different question from whether a recall remains open.
- Check the VIN with NHTSA. Use the NHTSA recall lookup to see unrepaired recalls reported for that vehicle. A VIN lookup does not show a recall that has already been repaired and may not yet show a recently announced recall if affected VINs have not been identified.
- Look up the model year separately if useful. NHTSA’s year/make/model search provides general recalls, investigations, complaints, and manufacturer communications; it is not a substitute for a VIN-specific check.
NHTSA reviews owner complaints, which can contribute to an investigation, but a complaint alone does not establish that a safety defect exists. Its recall search guidance explains the limits of VIN and year/make/model results.
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- Package Included: 1x driver(left) side mirror.Please confirm the Appearance, Plug and Part numbers of your vehicle before purchasing. Make sure you are getting the correct replacement part for your vehicle
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