Mazda CX-9 by Model Year: Problems, Recalls and MPG

Every Mazda CX-9 model year since 2016: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash tests.

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Sep 28, 2026

Every model year since 2016 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 24 mpg combined, arrived in 2016. Mazda replaced the CX-9 with the CX-90 for 2024.

Complaints in each year's first three years

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2021 CX-9 Most described: excessive oil consumption	21	39	1
2016 CX-9 Most described: overheating or coolant loss	12	105	0
2018 CX-9 Most described: overheating or coolant loss	11	128	2
2019 CX-9 Most described: overheating or coolant loss	8	53	2
2020 CX-9 Most reported: engine	6	19	1
2022 CX-9 Most reported: body structure	4	10	0
2017 CX-9 Most described: overheating or coolant loss	3	61	0

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints	Crash test
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	0	12
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	0	10
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	24 mpg Gas	1	39
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	24 mpg Gas	1	19
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	24 mpg Gas	2	53
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	24 mpg Gas	2	128
2017 MPG · Recalls and problems	24 mpg Gas	0	61	Not rated
2016 MPG · Recalls and problems	24 mpg Gas	0	105	Not rated

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2021: 39 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, Mazda CX-9
Model year	Complaints
2016	105
2017	61
2018	128
2019	53
2020	19
2021	39
2022	10
2023	12

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 23 to 24 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2023); highest in 2016.

2023: gas 23 mpg

Show as a table

Mazda CX-9 best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version
2016	24
2017	24
2018	24
2019	24
2020	24
2021	24
2022	23
2023	23

Questions

Which Mazda CX-9 years have the most problems?

A typical Mazda CX-9 year drew only 8 owner complaints in its first three years (the range is 3 to 21), too few to rank the years fairly. The 2023 is left out as a partial model year with few sold.

Which Mazda CX-9 years have the most recalls?

The 2018 and 2019 have the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (2 each). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. No recall for 2016 to 2023 models tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside.

What are the most common Mazda CX-9 problems?

In the 427 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2016 to 2023 models, owners most often describe overheating or coolant loss (159 complaints, most of them for the 2016 and 2018); engine failure or replacement (55 complaints, most of them for the 2016, 2017, and 2018); and loss of power or limp mode (25 complaints, most of them for the 2016, 2017, and 2018). One complaint can describe several problems. Each year's recalls and problems page lists what owners describe for that year.

Which Mazda CX-9 year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 24 mpg combined, first reached by the 2016 gas version.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Sep 29, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 28, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.