The impeller inside the low-pressure fuel pump may crack and deform, potentially causing the fuel pump to fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pumps, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 18, 2022. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 5321K.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3, Mazda6, 2019 CX-3,2018-2019MX-5,CX-5,CX-9, and 2019-2020 Mazda2 vehicles.
A software error in the powertrain control module (PCM) may cause the engine to stall.
Risk: An unexpected stall increases the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the PCM software, free of charge. The recall began August 20, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3719F.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018-2019CX-5, Mazda6, and 2019 Mazda3 vehicles.
In the event of a side impact or rollover crash, the side curtain air bags may not properly unfold during deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 226, "Ejection Mitigation."
Risk: If the air bags do not deploy properly in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the curtain air bags, free of charge. The recall began July 31, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 2718F.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda CX-5 vehicles.
NHTSA listing: CX-5. Mazda campaign 2718F.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2018 Mazda CX-5.
What owners report
Owners have filed 356 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 CX-5. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Median 20,900 miles at failure, from 26 reports with mileage
Powertrain42 · 12%
Brakes33 · 9%
Median 3,300 miles at failure, from 17 reports with mileage
Electrical system30 · 8%
Fuel and propulsion system20 · 6%
Fuel system19 · 5%
Forward collision avoidance13 · 4%
Most named: warnings (8); automatic emergency braking (6)
Unknown or other58 · 16%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Mazda CX-5 recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2018 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2016 CX-5 drew the most (187) and the 2018 drew 62.
Owner complaints
2018: 356 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Mazda CX-5
Model year
Complaints
2013
194
2014
377
2015
133
2016
512
2017
150
2018
356
2019
273
2020
110
2021
150
2022
65
2023
67
2024
47
2025
29
2026
19
Safety recalls
2018: 3 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Mazda CX-5
Model year
Recalls
2013
1
2014
3
2015
3
2016
4
2017
1
2018
3
2019
2
2020
0
2021
0
2022
0
2023
0
2024
0
2025
0
2026
0
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 356 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Mazda CX-5, the problems described most are oil leaks (86), smoke or a burning smell (84), and excessive oil consumption (36). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2018 Mazda CX-5 safe?
In NHTSA crash tests the 2018 Mazda CX-5 earns 4 to 5 stars overall, depending on the version. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2018 Mazda CX-5?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2018 Mazda CX-5.
How do I check if my CX-5 has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Mazda dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: CX-5.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.