NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 128 owner complaints for the 2018 Mazda CX-9.
2Safety recalls
128Owner complaints
4Complaints citing a crash
1Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 28, 2026
Recalled components: fuel system and electrical system. Most-described problem: overheating or coolant loss (65 complaints, 51%). Most-reported area: engine (76 complaints, 59%). Mazda replaced the CX-9 with the CX-90 for 2024.
2 safety recalls for the 2018 Mazda CX-9
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
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.
The wiring harness may disrupt electrical communications and disable the passenger frontal air bag, turn signals, and/or engine starting system.
Risk: The passenger frontal air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury. Inoperable turn signals prevent the driver from signaling to other drivers, increasing the risk of crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will repair the wiring harnesses, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3419E.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 CX-9 vehicles.
NHTSA listing: CX-9. Mazda campaign 3419E.
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.
What owners report
Owners have filed 128 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 CX-9. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Overheating or coolant loss65 · 51%
Engine failure or replacement17 · 13%
Loss of power or limp mode5 · 4%
Check engine light5 · 4%
Smoke or a burning smell5 · 4%
Stalling or shutting off while driving4 · 3%
Backup camera problems4 · 3%
Misfires or rough running3 · 2%
Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these.
Areas named in complaints
Engine76 · 59%
Electrical system15 · 12%
Powertrain13 · 10%
Brakes11 · 9%
Fuel and propulsion system5 · 4%
Forward collision avoidance4 · 3%
Most named: automatic emergency braking (3)
Backover prevention and rearview camera3 · 2%
Unknown or other19 · 15%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Mazda CX-9 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 2021 CX-9 drew the most (21) and the 2018 drew 11.
Owner complaints
2018: 128 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
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
Safety recalls
2018: 2 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Mazda CX-9
Model year
Recalls
2016
0
2017
0
2018
2
2019
2
2020
1
2021
1
2022
0
2023
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.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Mazda CX-9 SUV AWD
Rollover risk 15.1%
Mazda CX-9 SUV FWD
Rollover risk 15.9%
Questions
What are the most common 2018 CX-9 problems?
In the 128 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Mazda CX-9, the problems described most are overheating or coolant loss (65), engine failure or replacement (17), and loss of power or limp mode (5). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2018 Mazda CX-9 safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2018 Mazda CX-9 earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my CX-9 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 Sep 29, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 28, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: CX-9.
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.