NHTSA Complaint #11552140 — 2017 MAZDA CX-5

I got my rear brakes replaced. Within a few days I noticed drag on each of the rear brakes would seize up at times causing excessive heat and a burning smell. When I took it into my local Mazda Service Center, I was told by the Service Manager and the Service Tech that this is a known issue with Mazda CX5s, that when the Mazda is not put into “maintenance mode” when replacing the rear brakes, it can cause damage to the parking brake motors and calipers. They said my vehicle was allegedly put into maintenance mode before brake service and that the issue can still happen even when the precautions are taken. Upon doing some brief online research I am finding that I am far from the first person to experience this unsafe defect. My safety and the safety of those on the road with me are at an extreme risk as my brakes could overheat and fail, causing a deadly accident. I believe this needs to be addressed by the manufacturer on all 2016/2017 CX5 models immediately as more and more are needing rear brake replacements, causing more and more risk on the roadways. Please hold Mazda accountable for this defect in their parking brake mechanism and require them to replace calipers and parking brake motors when performing rear brake replacements, and even better would be to recall all CX5 models to ensure a safe parking brake mechanism is on every vehicle Mazda sells. I was a huge fan of Mazda and planned to purchase more of their vehicles in my lifetime until this incident happened. I always service at authorized Mazda Service Centers to ensure I get expert level service and avoid mistakes or shortcuts being made.