NHTSA Complaint #11591065 — 2018 MAZDA CX-5

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to report a serious issue with the 2018 Mazda CX-5, specifically regarding the structural integrity of the cylinder head. This defect leads to significant oil leakage, toxic smoke entering the vehicle, and substantial repair costs for owners. Despite these problems, it appears Mazda has not initiated a recall, despite being aware of the issue. My wife owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5 with approximately 80,000-90,000 miles. Recently, after she returned home from work, we noticed gray, billowing smoke emanating from the hood. The smell of burning oil and rubber permeated our garage and home, making it difficult to breathe. We took the car to an independent technician at AAMCO, who, after a thorough evaluation, concluded that the cylinder head was cracked. Given the car's mileage and overall condition, they were extremely surprised and double-checked all other possibilities before reaching this conclusion. They informed us that this issue seems widespread, as evidenced by their online research (links provided below). For further verification, I drove the car to a Mazda dealership, which took about an hour due to avoiding the highway. During the drive, I continuously smelled burning oil, which raises significant health concerns, especially for my pregnant wife. The dealership acknowledged that this issue occurs with the CX-5 and quoted us $5,350 before tax for repairs. While my wife and I are fortunate enough to afford this repair, many consumers may not have $5,500 readily available to fix a manufacturing defect. This situation underscores the urgent need for Mazda to address this problem through a recall. Sincerely, [XXX] A few links below: [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)