2021 Mazda CX-5 Reliability & Problems

1. 1.Oil consumptionSeriousAbout 1 in 3 complaints9,100–19,300 mi43%

   Owners describe a low oil light, oil low on the dipstick and having to add a quart between changes, and some say it has happened since new. The middle report is at about 12,000 miles, and most reports fall between about 9,000 and 19,000 miles. No recall is mentioned in these reports.

   What owners describe

   • Low oil warning light52%
   • Low oil before change is due13%
   • Oil low on the dipstick6%

   Fix

   Most common repair owners describe: oil topped off (2 reports).

   Repair worked in 25% of complaints that describe one (complaints lean toward repairs that failed)

   Mileage

   12,000 mi

   Middle half 9,100–19,300 mi · 32 reports

   Repair cost

   —

   Fewer than 10 owners report a repair cost

   How common

   43%

   63 of 147 complaints

   Crash, fire or injury

   0%

   of these complaints

Check the oil level between changes and watch for the low oil warning light. Keep a note of how much oil you add and when, so you can show it to a dealer. Stop driving and top up the oil if the warning light comes on. Re-check the VIN for recalls from time to time.

47 problems found in all 147 complaints. One complaint can describe more than one problem, so counts add up to more than the total. Not counted as a defect: 1 describing no vehicle defect. Typical miles, repair cost and fix rate show only when enough owners report them.

• Complaints. NHTSA's owner complaint file, counted as unique complaint numbers for make MAZDA, model CX-5, model year 2021. Data through Oct 4, 2026.
• Verdict. Judged from this model year's own complaints, not against other models, using shares rather than counts. Serious known problems: one serious problem (transmission, engine or stalling, steering, brakes, airbags, fire, fuel leaks) is in a quarter or more of complaints; or a smaller but clear cluster comes with an unusual share of crash, fire, injury or loss-of-power reports or early failures; or an urgent recall or NHTSA investigation matches a top complaint. Some known problems: one of those signals on its own. No pattern of serious problems: none of them; this doesn't mean the vehicle is trouble-free. Too few complaints to judge: under 50 complaints. Why this verdict: Checked: the largest serious problem class is engine failure or stalling (stalling while driving, misfires and head gasket failures, fuel pump and injector failures), 3% of complaints; safety-related complaints are 7% (typical: 17%), and there's no do-not-drive or park-outside recall or open serious NHTSA investigation..
• No grade or class ranking. Raw complaint counts favor models that sell fewer cars, so we don't score or rank this vehicle against other models until we can adjust for sales.
• Trouble spots and history. Complaints grouped by the part owners chose when filing. The history grid counts complaints filed in each model year's first 3 years so older and newer years compare fairly; years with fewer than 3 complete years are marked too new.
• Named problems. Every one of the 147 complaints was researched and classified by its problems, severity, symptoms, repairs and any cost the owner mentions; the counts, costs and fix rates on this page are tallies of those classifications. Quotes are verbatim excerpts, checked against the original text. Engines are decoded from partial VINs with NHTSA's vPIC service.
• Repair costs and fix rates. Shown only when at least 10 owners report a repair cost, or at least 10 complaints describe whether a repair worked.
• Not adjusted for sales. Not affiliated with NHTSA. Page updated Nov 5, 2026.