Mazda bulletin SA-025-23a
What it saysWhen the Telematics Control Unit (TCU) replacement is necessary due to a failure, use MDARS to activate the new TCU after replacement. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Mazda filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Dec 5, 2023, received Jan 6, 2024, about the electrical system. It names 23 model years (2019–2024). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationWhen the Telematics Control Unit (TCU) replacement is necessary due to a failure, use MDARS to activate the new TCU after replacement. Use the information in this service alert to initialize the new TCU until the procedure on MGSS is updated.. CAUTION: DO NOT swap TCU with another vehicle as the TCU is VIN locked after activation. A TCU swap with another vehicle will disable Connected Services on both vehicles. If TCU activation is not performed, connected vehicle functions will not operate. This will have a negative impact on the customer because they will need to return to the dealer for repairs.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SA-025-23a | Service bulletin | Dec 5, 2023 | 10248389 | not found |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 23 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,392 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 193 of them name Electrical System — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
On 14th, 2026, while traveling at approximately 60 mph on the northbound 55 Freeway near the Katella exit, my vehicle suddenly began to shake violently without any prior warning. In response, I attempted to slow down by applying the brakes; however, the speedometer rapidly increased even as I maintained firm pressure on the brake pedal.
2023 Mazda Mazda3 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jan 22, 2026 · ODI 11712753
Google search shows Mazda has common problem with their front sensing camera, people are reporting the issue for different Mazda models across the board for the last few years including newer models as well. My car display shows few malfunction warning messages. Following captured from MyMazda app. 1. Forward sensing camera malfunction.
2020 Mazda Mazda3 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jun 16, 2024 · ODI 11594653
The contact owns a 2022 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated that the vehicle was being operated with the front driver's side seat warmer activated to the highest heat level. After driving for several hours, the vehicle was parked. While exiting the vehicle, the contact experienced pain in the rear thigh area of each leg.
2022 Mazda CX-9 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Apr 1, 2026 · ODI 11728503
In depth: 2024 Mazda CX-90 electrical problems →
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the electrical system
Source: same model, same component group205 other manufacturer communications filed against these Mazda models under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Mazda list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09-027-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 29, 2026 | DESCRIPTION Some CX-70 and CX-90 PHEV vehicles may fail to start (enter READY mode) in cold weather, but the vehicle can often be started su… |
| SA-012-26d | Service bulletin | Sep 18, 2026 | DESCRIPTION Some customers may experience a message "TCU Malfunction. Have the Vehicle Inspected" in the instrument cluster. Additional sym… |
| SA-042-26a | Service bulletin | Sep 17, 2026 | Mazda Connected Services - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SAs listed below. The chang… |
| SA-041-26a | Service bulletin | Sep 11, 2026 | DESCRIPTION If you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, DTC(s) stored...), interview the customer b… |
| SA-038-26b | Service bulletin | Sep 10, 2026 | This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued service alert listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. SA-038/26 08/18/26 and 06… |
| SA-015-26e | Service bulletin | Sep 4, 2026 | This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red. SA-015/26 05/27/26, 04/20/26, 04/09/2… |
| SSPE2 | Over-the-air update | Sep 2, 2026 | Subject: Announcement of Special Service Program (SSPE2) Ethernet Communication – Over The Air (OTA) Update Concerns and Manufacturer Servic… |
| SSPE2 MSP67 | Over-the-air update | Aug 22, 2026 | Subject: Announcement of Special Service Program (SSPE2) Ethernet Communication – Over The Air (OTA) Update Concerns and Manufacturer Servic… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Mazda, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Mazda SA-025-23a a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the SA-025-23a repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every Mazda warranty extension on file lists the ones Mazda has filed.
Which vehicles does SA-025-23a cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 23 model years: 2024 Mazda CX-30, 2023 Mazda CX-30, 2022 Mazda CX-30, 2021 Mazda CX-30, 2020 Mazda CX-30, 2024 Mazda CX-5 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.