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2021 Mazda CX-30

Gas Compact SUV

2026202520242023202220212020
Specs & fuel economyRecallsComplaintsCrash ratings
B
Safety Signal
84 / 100
BSafety Signal · 84 / 100
2Recalls · NHTSA campaigns
100Complaints · owner reports
5★Crash rating · NHTSA overall
28 mpgFuel economy · best combined

The 2021 Mazda CX-30 is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 5 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the CX-30 2WD, is EPA-rated at 28 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 100 complaints, most often about engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy (EPA)

ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
CX-30 2WDGasFWD2.5L 4-cyl253328$2,250
CX-30 2WDGasFWD2.5L 4-cyl253328$2,250
CX-30 4WDGas4WD2.5L 4-cyl243126$2,400
CX-30 4WDGas4WD2.5L 4-cyl243126$2,400
CX-30 4WDGas4WD2.5L 4-cyl turbo223025$2,500

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.

Out of factory warranty soon?

The 2021 Mazda CX-30 is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (2)

Tires

high
599 vehicles

Problem: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2021 Mazda3 and CX-30 vehicles. Air may suddenly leak from the tire air valve.

Risk: A sudden air leak from the tire air valve may cause a loss of vehicle control while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace all four tire air valves with new parts, free of charge. The recall began April 6, 2021. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 4721B.

NHTSA campaign 21V101000 · reported Feb 22, 2021 · Mazda North American Operations

Structure

high
13,857 vehicles

Problem: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2020-2021 CX-30 vehicles. When fully opened, the power liftgate may partially lower unexpectedly when the vehicle is parked facing uphill on a slope.

Risk: If the power liftgate unexpectedly lowers while a person is accessing the rear storage area of the vehicle, it can increase their risk of injury.

Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will update the power liftgate control module software and inspect the serial number of the power liftgate drive unit, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 8, 2021. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 4621B.

NHTSA campaign 21V086000 · reported Feb 18, 2021 · Mazda North American Operations

Owner complaints

100 complaints filed

10 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 13 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.

Filed by year — 2021: 8 · 2022: 37 · 2023: 23 · 2024: 17 · 2025: 7 · 2026: 8

Most-cited components

  • Engine — 49
  • Electrical System — 13
  • Forward Collision Avoidance — 13
  • Unknown Or Other — 10
  • Visibility/Wiper — 9
“The contact owns a 2021 Mazda CX-30. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle accelerated independently and hit a brick pillar. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained injuries on her neck, back, and also had headaches. The contact…”Feb 23, 2022 · Vehicle Speed Control · NHTSA owner report
“At about 3,605 miles, I received a low engine oil warning. The car is only 4 months old. When i took the car to the dealer, apparently there is a TSB that was issued in October 2021 about the problem. I bought the car in November was not advised of this issue. At this time, it appears at this time Mazda is unable to de…”Feb 9, 2022 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“Multiple warning messages came on including "Pus button start malfunction. Have the vehicle inspected." "In-vehicle network malfunction. Have the vehicle inspected." "Auto light system malfunction. Turn on/off lights manually." "Power steering malfunction. Have the vehicle inspected." "Driver attention alert disabled."…”Jan 23, 2022 · Steering · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆15%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆16%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Other CX-30 model years

A

2026 CX-30

0 recalls · 3 complaints

A

2025 CX-30

1 recalls · 26 complaints

B

2024 CX-30

2 recalls · 30 complaints

A

2023 CX-30

1 recalls · 23 complaints

A

2022 CX-30

1 recalls · 33 complaints

D

2020 CX-30

3 recalls · 33 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 42852, 43159, 42857, 43163, 43578). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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