2011 Mazda CX-9

170 complaints on file, page 1 of 9.

1. Filed Jun 30, 2026Failure Jun 30, 2026Akron, OHPower train, Suspension

   The front driver-side lower ball joint suffered a catastrophic structural failure and sheared completely apart while moving. This vehicle was previously serviced under Safety Recall Campaign 15V451000 / Mazda Recall 8515G for this exact defect. The recall remedy part failed a second time, collapsing the front wheel assembly, ripping the CV axle completely out of the transmission casing, causing a hazardous transmission fluid spill, and leaving the vehicle stranded and immobilized in the middle of a live roadway in the dark

   NHTSA complaint 11747329
2. Filed Aug 1, 2025Failure Jul 28, 2025173,000 milesBrooklyn, NYAir bags, Vehicle speed controlCrash

   The contact owns a 2011 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle at a slow speed in the driveway, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration, lurched forward, and crashed into a tree before coming to a stop. The contact was unable to stop the vehicle during the sudden unintended acceleration. During the failure the vehicle sustained front end damages, but no air bags had deployed. No injuries were reported. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact stated that twice in the day before the unintended acceleration, the vehicle jerked forward in traffic however, the contact attributed the issue to the brake pedal not being firmly depressed or the clutch not properly engaged while shifting gear. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 173,000.

   NHTSA complaint 11677734
3. Filed Jul 15, 2025Failure Jul 12, 2025Douglasville, GAAir bags

   While driving the side airbags exploded and I had to stop in the middle of the street, get vehicle towed to mazda dealer in Alpharetta, GA Now, im without a vehicle. What do I do now?

   NHTSA complaint 11673826
4. Filed May 2, 2025Failure Apr 21, 2025125,000 milesSmithville, OHStructure, Control arm

   The contact owns a 2011 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a turn, the contact lost control of the vehicle, and the front driver's side suspension lowered to the ground. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the subframe was severely rusted, causing the control arm to detach. The contact was informed that the subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

   NHTSA complaint 11658375
5. Filed Dec 20, 2024Failure Dec 10, 2024Colorado Springs, COPower train

   I had an issue with the AWD not engaging and the 4x4 light illuminating when driving on snow and ice. No indicators when driving under normal conditions. I had no traction and had difficulty maintaining control of the vehicle while driving at speeds less than 25 mph. I had difficulty gettting momentum from a stop as the tires were spinning and engaging tracion. I took the car into a Mazda dealership for a full circle inspection and found that the 4x4 light was illuminating due to worn-out splines connecting the transfer case. The technician was able to spin the driveshaft, indicating the splines are damaged and need to be replaced. Recommendations were to replace the transmission and transfer case with a repair estimate of $5469.61. Additionally, the technician observed some seeping of oil coming from the tiing cover and reccommends re-sealing it as well as replacing the water pump ( another known failure issue in which Mazda is aware of). Cost estimate of $4319.78. The technician also observed a crack in the right rear differential mount with a repair cost of $442.10. In short, Mazda knew about all these problems. They issued a warrenty extention from my research back in 2014 but never issued any recalls. In short, I didn't own this vehicle in 2014, I purchased in 2016. I was never aware of any warrenty extentions to include these issues and if I was aware, I would have had the services done for repairs. My safety as well as my family's and others are at risk if I lose control of the vehicle due to the AWD not engaging when needed.

   NHTSA complaint 11631793
6. Filed Oct 20, 2024Failure Oct 20, 2024Mount Holly, NCService brakes

   Brake booster failure. The power assisted braking has stopped working. There are no leaking vacuum hoses and the check valve is working. The brake pedal travels to the floorboard.

   NHTSA complaint 11620856
7. Filed Sep 26, 2023Failure Apr 21, 2023Bethlehem, PAEngine

   Driving kids to school a few months ago. Car started to smell like burning rubber. I thought it was the garbage truck ahead of us. As we turned the corner 2 blocks later, the car dead stopped and we all went flying forward. It jerked so hard, we are lucky our necks didn't snap. I put the car in park and turned it off. I waited a few minutes as I was too worked up, and started the car again. We got about 50ft before a very loud noise began, almost as if something was dragging underneath. I stopped, and had it towed home. I then had it towed to mechanic. They said bad TRANSFER CASE & DRIVE SHAFT. - TRANS PAN GASKET. I am a single mom with no money to afford to have it fixed in fear of it going bad again. They quoted me 3,500 here in PA.

   NHTSA complaint 11546714
8. Filed Feb 7, 2023Failure Feb 3, 202367,000 milesColorado Springs, COService brakes

   The contact owns a 2011 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the brakes. The contact stated that the brake pedal was firm and difficult to depress while attempting to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 67,000.

   NHTSA complaint 11506010
9. Filed Oct 3, 2022Failure Sep 1, 2022Chagrin Falls, OHService brakes

   Braking trouble recent in weeks in 2011 Mazda CX-9 vehicle. Had mechanic (Euro Motorsports in Chagrin Falls OH) check it out. Turned out to be a faulty Brake Booster. Mechanic test drove car; braking failed and he almost rear-ended another vehicle. He found on line a Mazda service notice dating from April 4, 2014 called SSP93. Mazda issued an extended warranty of 7 years or 90,000 miles, whichever came first, to have defective part replaced by an improved part. But we were never informed by Mazda of Bedford, where we bought the vehicle. Currently, our vehicle has about 83,000 miles. Never knew there was a problem until recent trouble with the braking. There are thousands of CX-5, Cx-7, and Cx-9 vehicles in operation in U.S. right now; probably many owners have no idea there is a brake defect in their vehicles that could cause a serious accident, potentially fatal. Mazda should have done a recall in 2014, not an extended warranty. Although Brake Boosters are supposedly good for at least 150,000 miles of driving, our brake failure at around 83,000 miles proves otherwise. NHTSA should order Mazda to recall all vehicles with the defective brake part and replace them at Mazda's expense, probably hundreds of dollars each time. We do not want to have our brake booster replaced by our regular Euro Motosports mechanics because a recall must typically be repaired by the dealer. We already filed a complaint with State of Ohio Attorney General's office, but their people say the complaint must first go through BBB. No urgency on their part at all, even when informed potentially fatal flaw in the brakes. To avoid dangerous accidents, NHTSA should act more swiftly. Thanks.

   NHTSA complaint 11487622
10. Filed Aug 22, 2022Failure Aug 20, 2022Albuquerque, NMElectrical system

    The front door windows no longer work. Most recently, the drivers side back door will NOT open. The lock is completely jammed - will not open or shut, which is a safety hazard for my child. The plastic parts in this car are failing and putting my family at risk.

    NHTSA complaint 11480657
11. Filed Nov 10, 2021Failure Jul 14, 2021West Valley City, UTEngine

    Defective water pump located inside the engine that when failure occurs can cause coolant to leak into engine causing complete engine failure. This is a major safety hazard due to the fact that these cars with defective water pumps can break down with very little warning in the middle of a freeway! I have contacted Mazda who refuses to do anything due to it being outside warranty but will not acknowledge the safety concern sudden engine failure can cause on a perfectly maintained car. In California there is currently a lawsuit against Mazda for this issue and hundreds of other Ford and Mazda owners who have been caught in very dangerous situations due to this water pump failure issue. The situation we were involved in could have gone very differently and that was my family in the vehicle that Mazda seems to care about a couple thousand dollars more then the value of life... is just ridiculous! Please do the research yourself so no one has to loose their life over this.

    NHTSA complaint 11440057
12. Filed Sep 12, 2021Failure Sep 5, 2021Glen Mills, PAEngine, Power train

    When getting off highway engine began to knock. Engine stalled and would not restart. Upon inspection the water pump was found to have failed and leaked engine coolant into oil. This caused engine to have a complete failure. No check engine light illuminated but when car was scanned multiple codes were found. The car was also found to have a bad Transfer Case.

    NHTSA complaint 11432665
13. Filed Aug 6, 2021Failure Jul 24, 2021144,000 milesRichmond Heights, OHEngine

    The contact owns a 2011 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated while driving 60 mph, upon approaching oncoming traffic, the vehicle unexpectedly shut-off. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and pulled the vehicle off to the shoulder. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. Due to the failure and the warning light, the contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the mechanic informed her that coolant had leaked into the oil cylinder and they referred her to a dealer for assistance. The contact then had the vehicle towed to the dealer where they diagnosed the vehicle with a defective water pump as well as engine failure. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and stated that the failure was caused due to poor maintenance. No further assistance was provided. The vehicle had yet to be repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.

    NHTSA complaint 11428032
14. Filed Apr 6, 2021Failure Apr 1, 202180,106 milesNewbury Park, CAService brakes

    SIRT: I PURCHASED MY 2011 MAZDA CX 9 FROM MY CLOSE FRIEND [XXX] ON DEC.05 OF 2014! [XXX] HAD NOT BEEN ISSUED A SPECIAL SERVICES PROGRAM ABOUT THE BRAKE BOOSTER! WELL I NEVER RECEIVED THIS INFO EITHER? IN FACT I HAD TWO RECALL THAT WERE TAKEN CARE OF BY THE LOCAL MAZDA DEALER HERE IN THOUSAND OAKS CALIF. THIS KNOWN BRAKE BOOSTER DETONATION HAS BEEN KNOWN BY MAZDA.IOT IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION AND IS NOT TO SAFE TO DRIVE THE CAR AT ALL- I WILL NOT DRIVE THE CAR AND SEETHE ORIGINAL MATTER SHOULD HAVE BEEN LET IT BE KNOWN TO MYSELF AND FEEL THE MATTER SHOULD BE ADDRESSED ASAP BY MAZDA -THANK YOU [XXX] ADDING BACKING -VERY HARD BRAKE - WHEN DRIVING IT HAD TO REALLY STAND HARD ON THE BRAKE TO STOP CAR B! ALL INDICATIONS POINT TO A BRAKE BOOSTER FAILURE ! TO SUMMARIZE IO WAS NEVER NOTIFIED BY MAZDA ABOUT THE SPECIAL SERVICE PROGRAM FOR THE REPAIR OF THIS EXTREMELY UNSAFE BRAKE PROBLEM! INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

    NHTSA complaint 11406762
15. Filed Mar 27, 2021Failure Jan 4, 202089,000 milesGordo, ALEngine, Steering

    WATER PUMP LEAKING IN ENGINE MIXING WITH OIL

    NHTSA complaint 11405170
16. Filed Feb 15, 2021Failure Feb 15, 2021Lithonia, GAAir bags

    I PURCHASED A VEHICLE FROM A BUY HERE PAY HERE AND LATER REALIZED AFTER TWO WEEKS OF HAVING THE CAR THAT HAS A RECALL FOR THE AIRBAG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE...BUT THE CAR WAS SOLD AS IS FROM AUTO SALES IN BUFORD GA

    NHTSA complaint 11396246
17. Filed Dec 29, 2020Failure Feb 10, 2020118,000 milesFrederick, MDPower train

    WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON A COUNTY ROAD, WITH THE SPEED UNDER 40 MPH, AND FOLLOWING THE BEND IN THE ROAD TO LEAD TO GETTING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR JERKED FORWARD AS IF I HIT SOMETHING. AS I CONTINUED TO DRIVE, THE CAR WAS MAKING LOUD CLINKING SOUNDS AND WAS JERKING IN MOTION. NO WARNING LIGHTS WENT ON. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE, CLANGING NOISES COULD BE HEARD AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO JERK FORWARD. THE CAR WAS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC, IT WAS DETERMINE THE PROBLEM WAS THE TRANSFER CASE. THE SPLINES BETWEEN THE TRANSMISSION AND TRANSFER CASE HAD BEEN EATEN AWAY BY RUST. THE SEAL HAD NOT KEPT WATER OUT AS IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO. A NEW TRANSFER CASE WAS ORDERED AS WELL AS A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE REPLACEMENT TRANSFER CASE HAD SHOWN SIGNS OF THE SAME ISSUES WITH THE SPLINES. ANOTHER (2ND ONE) TRANSFER CASE HAD TO BE ORDERED. I HAD PURCHASED THIS CAR IN FEBRUARY 2019 USED. THE CAR HAD A CLEAN TITLE, NO ACCIDENTS AND WAS SERVICED REGULARLY. WITHIN 1 YEAR, I HAD TO PAY OUT $5,000.00 TO REPLACE TRANSFER CASE AND TRANSMISSION. I LOST THE USE OF MY CAR FOR OVER 3 WEEKS (DUE TO THE PROBLEMS WITH GETTING A TRANSFER CASE THAT WAS GOOD). WHEN YOU GOOGLE THIS ISSUE, MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD SIMILAR ISSUES.

    NHTSA complaint 11385491
18. Filed Nov 13, 2020Failure Oct 29, 2020126,000 milesPortland, OREngine

    WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT ON A HIGHWAY THE WATER PUMP BEARING FAILED CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK AND MIX WITH THE ENGINE OIL. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO MAKE A RATTLE NOISE AND SMOKE OR STEAM CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR WAS COVERED WITH COOLANT AND WHAT APPEARED TO BE OIL. THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO A MECHANIC. ONCE AT THE MECHANIC THE TOOK THE ENGINE OUT TO GET TO THE WATER PUMP, ONCE EVERYTHING WAS PUT BACK TOGETHER IT WAS FOUND THAT THE FAILURE ALSO CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE VVT ACTUATER AND ALTERNATOR. THE ENGINE IS COMPLETELY SHOT.

    NHTSA complaint 11374566
19. Filed Aug 29, 2020Failure Aug 28, 2020100,000 milesCentereach, NYPower train, Service brakes

    THE BRAKE PEDAL SEEMS HARD TOO STOP THE CAR WHEN IN MOTION ON PUBLIC STREETS, VEHICLE CONTINUES TOO ROLL UPON PUMPING BRAKES, HAVE TOO CONTINUOUSLY PUMP THE BRAKE HARD TOO STOP THE VEHICLE, HAD THE FRONT BRAKES REPLACED RECENTLY, AND BRAKE PEDAL IS STILL NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY, POSSIBLY THE BRAKE BOOSTER.

    NHTSA complaint 11351938
20. Filed Jul 15, 2020Failure May 20, 2020158,000 milesCharlotte, NCAir bags

    I CAME OUTSIDE TO MY CAR ONE MORNING AND STARTED THE VEHICLE.. I NOTICED THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS BLINKING, AND IT NEVER WAS BEFORE.. SO I SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF TO VISUALLY INSPECT IT.. WHAT I FOUND WAS THE PASSENGER CURTAIN AIRBAG HAD MALFUNCTIONED.. IT DIDN'T DEPLOY FULLY, BUT IT PUCKERED MY HEADLINER SO NOW IT'S JUST HANGING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE.. I INFORMED MAZDA OF THIS AND I WAS TOLD IT'S ONLY A RECALL ON PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR, BUT NO RECALLS FOR CURTAIN AIRBAGS.. WHAT CAN I DO

    NHTSA complaint 11339490