TireKick

Reported years

Power Train owner reports: Mazda CX-5 years in the records

Owner reports are bound to model year 2017. A year on this list does not mean every car has the problem.

Years we reviewed

What to inspect

  1. 1Ask the inspector to test the named system and note any warning lights, noises, leaks, or stored codes.
Sources and limits
Source recordEvidence: Medium confidence

The records describe a problem worth checking before purchase.

“My car only has 65k miles on it and the rear differential failed and needs to be replaced. I am seeing this posted online by many Mazda CX-5 owners well under the mileage this typically happenes but out of the warranty period. Mazda should start a recall or compensate owners for this. its never been in an accident simply a commuter car used around town”
NHTSAcomplaintMar 2026Open source record
Source recordEvidence: Medium confidence

The records describe a problem worth checking before purchase.

“Rear differential failed around 97,000 miles. We were three months past our certified pre-owned warranty. Total cost to repair was around $4400 after a discount on parts and labor through our Costco membership. Contacted Mazda to see if they’d be willing to provide any assistance to cover the repair, they declined. Service advisor told us that it was a catastrophic failure that we did not cause. We purchased this car in 2020 and have always had it serviced at the dealership and at no point did they bring it up as it being an issue. The rear differential should not fail.”
NHTSAcomplaintOct 2025Open source record
Source recordEvidence: Medium confidence

The records describe a problem worth checking before purchase.

“The contact owns a 2017 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear differential needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.”
NHTSAcomplaintJul 2025Open source record
Source recordEvidence: Medium confidence

The records describe a problem worth checking before purchase.

“Rear differential began to leak. Mechanics (3) looked at the part and discovered play in both right and left side axles leading into rear differential along with loud clanking noises inside the differential itself. Seal areas on both sides of unit had extensive play. Diagnosed with worn gears inside rear differential. Vehicle is only 8 years old (bought brand new) and has 74,110 miles. Complaint filed with Mazda claiming that gears and rear differential should not have failed given the mileage. Mazda has advised me that the car was out of warranty (5yrs/60k mileage) that the repairs were not covered. They wanted me to drive my car to a local Mazda dealer but I declined since driving it may/would have caused more damage to differential. Advised them to have their mechanic go to my local repair facility where part was replaced and pick up the differential for verification. Research online has indicated other owners has suffered identical issues. Have not heard anything back from Mazda. Total cost to replace $3,993.49”
NHTSAcomplaintJun 2025Open source record