2018 MAZDA CX-5 Power Train Problems

2018 Mazda CX-5, 2.5L NA Has been diagnosed with leak in the cylinder head cover, which has resulted in engine oil leaking directly onto the exhaust manifold. This leak produces significant smoke and a strong burning oil smell while the vehicle is running. There are numerous reports on Mazda owner forums describing the same issue occurring in Mazda CX-5 models. Some owners even reported instances of minor fires or active burning under the hood due to oil contacting hot components. Mazda released Technical Service Bulletin TSB #SA-031-21, which includes a redesigned cylinder head for the 2018–2019 CX-5 models. This bulletin demonstrates Mazda’s awareness of the design flaw. The TSB only covers turbo 2.5L engines and not normally aspirated engines. There is substantial evidence that this is a widespread defect in these model years, unrelated to owner misuse or vehicle mileage. Mazda should take full responsibility by issuing a formal recall...

the cylinder head has a crack in it witch sprays oil all over the engine.it also sprays oil on to the very catalitic converter that's very hot .smoke is everywhere and iam afraid it will cause a fire

Smelled smoke (burnt oil) for over a year. Dealer could not address. Finally found that the cylinder heads had cracked and required replacement at $7500. Car was only 51K miles.

I purchased my CX-5 from Mazda dealership when new. The vehicle has been having coolant issues where the Electronically controlled thermostatic valve (ECTV) will open prematurely at 120°F instead of at higher temperatures. This all leads to higher fuel consumption, premature wear and tear on the engine, higher water condensation in the engine oil, poor engine and cabin air performance. I had it diagnosed at the Mazda dealership where I bought it from (Previously it was Sussman Mazda of Abington, now Fred Beans Mazda of Abington in PA) and they said the values are admissible by Mazda and not indicative of a problem. However, my vehicle cannot reach normal operating temperature of 198°F when driven for 50 miles at ambient 28°F for over an hour due to premature opening of the ECTV at lower temperatures. There are no codes showing up relating to the issue, therefore the dealership declined any...

We purchased our vehicle from Riley Mazda in September 2018. Shortly after reaching approximately 50,000 miles, we began to notice that the gauges would fluctuate, and there was a slight burning odor in the car cabin. We replaced the air filters for both the engine and cabin, as well as performed an engine oil change. In October, we had a brake flush done when we inquired about the burning smell coming from under the hood. Despite our concerns, the dealership was unable to identify any problems at that time. On a subsequent visit, we paid a diagnostic fee of $220.00. It was during this visit that the dealership discovered an issue with the engine. The newly identified problems will significantly impair the vehicle's performance and decrease its value. Additionally, we anticipate needing future repairs, which could pose serious safety hazards.

Ticking sound coming from engine. Likely related to the hydraulic lash adjusters. Vehicle has had a recent oil change by a technician.

The cylinder head on my 2018 Mazda CX-5 developed cracks on the exhaust side, leading to significant oil leakage onto the exhaust manifold. This has caused engine damage and safety concerns. The vehicle is currently at a Mazda dealership, where the issue has been inspected and documented. The component is available for further inspection upon request. The oil leaking onto the exhaust manifold creates a serious fire hazard due to the high heat generated in this area. Additionally, the vehicle experienced burning smells and visible smoke coming through the air vents, which could impair visibility or cause distraction while driving. These conditions place the safety of myself, my passengers, and others on the road at risk. The issue has been confirmed by a Mazda dealership. They provided a video showing oil actively dripping from the cracked cylinder head and stated that the engine requires a full replacement. Mazda dealership video:...

This car has a confirmed cracked cylinder head and is leaking oil. This is a known issue and there is a TSB out for it. It happened at $62500 miles and is just outside of the warranty. This has happened to several of these cars. Mazda is not doing "good will" to repair them and there is not yet a recall which there should be. The car suddenly started leaking oil and smoking/burning. It is unsafe and a defective cylinder head. Mazda should be taking responsibility for this

2018 mazda started smoking from under hood and noticed a burning oil smell. Took to mechanic and was told engine head gasket has a huge Crack. Car only has 22k on it and never been in any accident. All appropriate preventative services are up to date. There was no indication light no warning light nothing to identify why the car was leaking oil and smoking until it was looked at. This has multiple.complaints in regards to this specific year and model and needs to be addresses before someone's car catches fire or stalls in the middle of highway

Constant ticking sound coming from engine, most apparent while idling but continues even after oil change and engine warm up. Goes away for short periods of time. Always comes back and is very loud. Sometimes engine block shakes and can be felt through the steering wheel.

Cracked cylinder head. Burning oil smell. Coolant leaking into oil. Car purchased a year ago for $21,500. Dealer I bought it from paid 1/2 after sending it out to Mazda to be diagnosed and fixed.

Noticed an oil smell when driving the vehicle, slightly premature to when it was due for an oil change. Engine was emitting light blue smoke when parked after driving for more than 20 minutes. Took the car to a Mazda dealership to get serviced two days after noticing the issue and was told that the cylinder head was cracked and needed to be replaced. There was oil leaking from the vehicle, which I had not noticed, and it had soaked a lot of the front undercarriage of the car. Research into the effects of an oil leak indicate that it can cause a serious malfunction of the engine and other components of the car, but I did not experience that in the time of noticing the problem and taking the vehicle to get serviced. The problem was diagnosed by the service department at a Mazda dealership and is being repaired...

Noticed a burning oil smell coming from the car along with leaking oil in the driveway. Vehicle has 53000 miles on it and was 3 months out of powertrain warranty but still under the 60000 mileage cap. Local Mazda dealership came back saying that it was a "SA-037/23 Oil leak at cylinder head, cylinder head replacement with parts kit" and quoted $5100 to repair. Dealership stated that the vehicle was unsafe to operate. There were no dash indicator lights or symptoms of overheating to indicate that there was a problem outside of the smell. After the diagnosis was made, we researched and found that this was a commonly reported problem for this model year

2018 Mazda CX-5 with roughly 52,000 miles on it was emitting a burnt rubber smell and white smoke from the engine. Repair shop thought it was a bad timing lock. Replaced that and car continued to emit white smoke and smell like burnt rubber. Engine then began leaking oil. Took the car back to the repair shop and it was confirmed that the engine had a cracked cylinder head. The repair shop said this is a known issue with 2018-2019 Mazdas. In three days time, the engine leaked roughly 1 quart of oil and was deemed not safe to drive by the repair shop.

Vehicle engine has stalled multiple times at low speeds. Vehicle will not restart immediately. In order to get vehicle to restart, gas must be revved while pressing start button to get engine to restart. It appears as if fuel is not being delivered to engine. Electrical components remain functional. Vehicle was inspected by dealer and issue could not be recreated. No issues were found. No warning lights displayed or codes found upon inspection. No symptoms of problem; occurrence is sporadic. It has caused traffic and safety hazards due to stalling in roadways.

Oil leak. Smoke from the engine. Inspected by the local body shop, we were told that the leakage would probably come from cylinder head. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Many incidents have occurred with this vehicle. First occurrence happened 11/25/21. Attempting to pass another vehicle and the car began slowing down and various warnings came on. Pulled off to the side of the road, turned off the vehicle and restarted without any further incident. This same thing happened 2 times in 12/2021 both time attempting to pass another vehicle. 2nd time in December the check engine light came on. Scheduled to be seen by a mechanic with the earliest appointment on 12/31/21. Mechanic recommended taking to a licensed Mazda mechanic. Appointment was on 01/07/22. They looked at the car and fixed the issue. Can't remember the issue at that time. By 05/2022, check engine light came back on and car would start slowing down and shutting off when attempting to pass another vehicle. If RPMs would go to high, car would do this. Check engine light came back on....

Hello, I am writing to you for a possible failure post update to the software as specified in Recall 19V-497 dated 09/06/2022 found on the manufacturer's recall website (https://www.mazdarecallinfo.com/). The status is marked as CLOSED. However, I faced the exact problem yesterday as described in the Safety Risk section of the recall details on their website (Summary section on NHTSA website). Below is my best attempt to describe my event: Event: I made a stop at a red light. As it turned green, I accelerated and the engine shut off/stalled. I pushed the engine stop button, switched gear to "P", and the car won't start at all. I was also not able to press the brake or accelerator. I was not able to move the gearstick. Safety risk: My car stalled in the middle of the road. It was a busy junction. If this occurred on a highway, it is...

oil leak from a cracked cylinder head, common issue seen

Vehicle was brought to dealership for a fuel pump safety recall. I was advised that the belt tightener was leaking and was in urgent need of replacement. Failure of the belt tightener would result in drive train belts loosening with an impact on operation of the vehicle. The car is 4 years old and has less than 12,000 miles on it. Belt tighteners are normally designed to last 75,000+ miles, suggesting a possible defect in this case.

Driving on highway going 70-75 mph, all of a sudden car starts to stall, check engine light lights up informing me keyless, power steering, vehicle system, smart brake malfunction. I almost crashed as I was on I-55 heading to downtown Chicago. My girlfriend and I could have died.

While driving, my car has stopped two times. first time I crashed on the side of road causing all of my tires and rim busted and had to replace all of them. I had no idea what was going on. second time I was taking kids to school where can just stopped in the middle of road and restarted. Recently it was smelling so I took it to dealer where they said its one of the cylinder and its not safe to drive so they replaced it as its under warranty. While my car is been with Mazda dealer I have been using their loaner car. but then received this letter of Safety recall on similar issue i had in the past and i have been trying to contact Mazda but no success. no email, chat or phone call response. I do not feel safe to drive this car which...

Will not accelerate at times no matter how far you press down on gas pedal and will stall right after. I will pull over shut off vehicle and restart. This sometimes corrects the problem right away. Other times it lasts longer. System malfunction light randomly comes on.

I find I have to put my foot down on the gas pedal to the floor to make it literally go at times. Ive heard this cloaking noise several times like its getting ready to conk out. The brakes seems to me don't stop as they should at times I have to go in hard on the brake pedal. The air conditioner does not blow cold an see where previous owner had same issue 2 yrs straight from looking the the service invoices that was left in the truck. The sensor detection does not always work to let me know car/person is around. Coleman Taylor Transmission informed me that this thing does have a issue, the rpm are not as they should be. When I took it back to Kia Gossett about the brakes the used mgr drove it made it seems there were no issues as well as Norcross...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 MAZDA CX-5. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS RESTARTED. WHILE THE PUSH-TO-START WAS ENGAGED, THE VEHICLE REVVED UP HIGH, STALLED, AND RESTARTED. ADDITIONALLY, THE AIR CONDITIONER FAILED TO OPERATE AS DESIGNED. THE RADIO WAS ALSO INOPERABLE. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GUNTHER MAZDA (1800 S STATE RD 7, FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33317, (954) 420-6565) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BATTERY, A/C MOTOR AND AN UNKNOWN CONTROLLER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED SEVERAL TIMES HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED HOWEVER, NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 MAZDA CX-5. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH AND BELOW, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT HAD TO DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WITH FORCE TO INCREASE THE SPEED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO FINDLAY MAZDA (7760 EASTGATE ROAD, HENDERSON, NV 89011, (702) 955-5555) TO BE REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V497000 (ENGINE, POWER TRAIN); HOWEVER, THE REPAIR DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE ANY FAILURE CODES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 1-2318934006. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,800.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 MAZDA CX-5. WHEN THE ENGINE WAS WARMED UP AND THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN PARK, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AUTOMATICALLY DROPPED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE FORWARD AND THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ROGER BEASLEY MAZDA GEORGETOWN (7551 IH 35 SOUTH, GEORGETOWN, TX 78626, 512-591-9313) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,226. *BF*JB

THE CAR TRIES TO LUNGE FORWARD IMMEDIATELY AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. I ALWAYS KEEP MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN I COME TO AN INTERSECTION OR RED LIGHT SO IT HASN'T YET CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AND THE FORCE OF THE BRAKING ACTION SEEMS TO BE ENOUGH TO KEEP IT FROM LUNGING FOR THE TIME BEING BUT YOU CAN FEEL IT TUGGING WANTING TO MOVE FORWARD. AN ENGINE LIGHT RECENTLY CAME ON THE DASHBOARD ALONG WITH A TRANSMISSION LIGHT AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT. I TOOK IT TO LOCAL DEALER AND THEY REPLACED A TRANSMISSION SENSOR BUT THE CAR STILL WANTS TO NUDGE FORWARD AFTER COMING TO A STOP. THE MILEAGE IS ONLY 3500.

JUNE 4 2018 MY BRAND NEW 2018 MAZDA CX 5 THAT I BOUGHT FROM MARIN MAZDA IN SAN RAFAEL CA DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 68 MPH MY CAR SUDDENLY IS SLOWING DOWN- LIKE SELF BRAKING ON ITS OWN- I WAS NOT BRAKING- THIS WAS HAPPING WHILE I WAS ACCELERATING -IT FELT LIKE I WAS TOWING A LARGE TRACTOR - THIS RESISTANCE KEEPS RECURRING CAUSING SAFETY CONCERN AS WELL AS BAD GAS MILEAGE- WHILE THIS ISSUE IS HAPPENING I GET BETWEEN 15 -17 MILES PER GAL. - TOOK PICTURES OF FUEL MONITORING SYSTEM. HAVING TO MAKE MY WAY TO THE NEAREST EXIT WITH CARS HONKING AT ME WAS DANGEROUS. CAR HAD 350 MILES ON IT. TOOK CAR BACK TO MARIN MAZDA A COUPLE DAYS LATER FOR THIS ISSUE AND BECAUSE IT IS VERY LOUD WITH EXCESSIVE ENGINE NOISE WHEN STARTED EVERYDAY. VERY CONCERNING AS TO IT BEING A NEW CAR....

1509 MILES ON MY NEW MAZDA CX 5 PURCHASED AT MARIN MAZDA IN SAN RAFAEL CA. ON MAY 22, 2018 THIS VEHICLE KEEPS HAVING SOME KIND OF WHAT FEELS LIKE A WHEEL RESISTANCE ISSUE. NOT SURE IF IT IS SOMETHING HAPPENING IN THE DRIVE TRAIN OR TRANSMISSION. ALSO NOT SURE IF IT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE WAY THE VEHICLE STARTS EVERYDAY - THIS CAR OVER REVS ITSELF WHEN STARTED FIRST THING TICKING VERY LOUDLY, RATTLING , PINGING ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT NOISES. IT IS TICKING SO LOUDLY BECAUSE IT IS OVER REVVING ITSELF AND THERE IS NO OIL THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE YET. EVEN AFTER IT STOPS OVER REVVING AFTER A FEW MINUTES THE CAR CONTINUES TO HAVE EXCESSIVE ENGINE NOISE THE SERVICE ADVISOR AT MARIN MAZDA INSISTS THAT THIS IS NORMAL FOR MAZDA'S TO SOUND LIKE THIS & IS OK. I DON'T BELIEVE HIM. THIS KIND OF START...

2018 MAZDA CX-5 WHEN I CHECK THE OIL IT IS EXTREMELY OVER FULL AND STRONG ODOR OF GAS WHEN THE DIPSTICK IS PULLED OUT TO BE WIPED OFF. IT IS LIKE 4 INCHES ABOVE THE MAX MARK/ OIL IS VERY THIN. THIS IS AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF GAS IN THERE.I WARM UP MY CAR BEFORE LEAVING AND DRIVE IT REGULARLY EVERYDAY. THIS IS VERY BAD I READ THAT GAS IS NOT A LUBRICANT AND WASHES THE OIL OUT OF WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE LUBRICATING ENGINE. IT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN. CHECKED MANUAL TO MAKE SURE I AM CHECKING IT CORRECTLY. SAYS TO GET TO OPERATING TEMP. WAIT 5 MIN TO LET OIL SETTLE BACK INTO ENGINE THEN CHECK IT. I CONTACT MAZDA CORPS AGAIN, THEY HAVE ME TAKE CAR TO VALLEJO TO INSPECT IT WITH THEIR REGIONAL TECHNICAL SPECIALIST, THEN LEAVE IT THERE FOR REPAIRS. DURING THIS INSPECTION WE DISCOVER...

TAKATA RECALL. I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW MAZDA CX-5 SPORT FROM A MAZDA DEALERSHIP ON 6/4/2018. ON 7/31/ 2018 THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SO I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH ONLY 2,357 ON THE ODOMETER. MY CX-5 WAS IN THE SHOP FROM 7/31/ 2018 UNTIL 8/10/ 2018, DURING THE FIRST CAR REPAIR ATTEMPT, HERITAGE MAZDA TOWSON REPLACED THE OIL PUMP STRAINER, DURING THE SECOND REPAIR ATTEMPT, THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE OIL PRESSURE SWITCH. ON 10/10/2018, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE I WAS TRAVELING TO VIRGINIA BEACH. SO, I TOOK MY CAR TO THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP THERE IN VIRGINIA BEACH TO HAVE MY CAR SERVICED. THE VERY NEXT DAY, I WAS INFORMED BY THE SERVICE CONSULTANT THAT MY MAZDA CX-5 HAD A DEFECTIVE OIL PRESSURE SWITCH AND THAT A REPLACEMENT PART HAD BEEN ORDERED. ON 10/12/2018, WHEN I RETURNED TO THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP, I WAS...

THE VEHICLE WANTS TO KEEP GOING WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. WHEN AT A STOP LIGHT, YOU MUST KEEP YOU FOOT FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE AS THE CAR WANTS TO LURCH FORWARD. WHEN YOU SLOW DOWN WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR ACTS LIKE THE TURBO IS KICKING IN AND WANTS TO LURCH FORWARD. VERY DANGEROUS. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE ENGINE, BUT SOMEONE TOLD ME IT IS THE TRANSMISSION.

ATTEMPT TO STOP AT LIGHT. BRAKES WERE ENGAGED FULLY ENGINE KEPT REVVING UP. CAR KEPT GOING FORWARD. IN MOTION IN CITY STREET. STRAIGHT AND BRAKING. CAR HAS 496 MILES.