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2023 Mazda CX-5

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26
A
Safety Signal
100 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns 0
Complaints8 crash · 5 injured reported 66
Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA 26 mpg
20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2023 Mazda CX-5 is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the CX-5 4WD, is EPA-rated at 26 mpg combined. NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year so far (Safety Signal A). Owners have filed 66 complaints, most often about the service brakes. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Mazda CX-5 — photograph via Wikimedia Commons
Mazda CX-5 · Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Trims & pricing

Source: manufacturer press kitCompare a trim →
TrimPowertrainDriveMSRPHPTorqueMPG combSeatsCargo (2nd row)Wheels
2.5 SGasAWD—187 hp186 lb-ft26 mpg530 cu-ft17 in
2.5 S Select PackageGasAWD—187 hp186 lb-ft26 mpg530 cu-ft17 in
2.5 S Preferred PackageGasAWD—187 hp186 lb-ft26 mpg530 cu-ft19 in
2.5 S Carbon EditionGasAWD—187 hp186 lb-ft26 mpg530 cu-ft19 in
2.5 S Premium PackageGasAWD—187 hp186 lb-ft26 mpg530 cu-ft19 in
2.5 S Premium Plus PackageGasAWD—187 hp186 lb-ft26 mpg530 cu-ft19 in
2.5 TurboGasAWD—227 hp310 lb-ft24 mpg530 cu-ft19 in
2.5 Turbo SignatureGasAWD—227 hp310 lb-ft24 mpg530 cu-ft19 in

MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
CX-5 4WDGas4WD2.5L 4-cyl243026$2,600
CX-5 4WDGas4WD2.5L 4-cyl turbo222724$2,800

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 45829, 45830.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates
ConfigurationSmog ratingEmission standardWhere it can be sold newSmartWay
CX-5 4WD6–7 / 10Federal Tier 3 Bin 50 / California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards—
CX-5 4WD5 / 10California LEV-III ULEV70 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 70All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

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Factory warranty running out?

The 2023 Mazda CX-5 is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.

What to check before you buy →

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

Recalls (0)

Source: NHTSA recall database

No NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2023 Mazda CX-5. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them.

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2023 Mazda CX-5, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

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Parts & accessories for the 2023 Mazda CX-5

Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.

Find parts for this CX-5 →

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
66complaints filed

8 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 5 injuries · 0 deaths reported

4.3 per 10,000 built · Mazda reported 153,959 CX-5 built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2023: 13 · 2024: 11 · 2025: 20 · 2026: 22

Most-cited components

Service Brakes 12
Engine 12
Exterior Lighting 11
Unspecified 10
Forward Collision Avoidance 10
Electrical System 9

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

Extremely heavy steering causing excessive driver fatigue making it difficult to maintain control of the vehicle at highway speeds (up to 70mph). Dealers unable to reproduce, likely due to it being cold outside when I had time to go.
Steering Apr 13, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11654342
Small amount of weight such as keys or phone is triggering the Occupant sensor in the front passenger seat. This issue just started and I am finding a lot of complaints regarding this
Electrical System Feb 19, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11643803
Engine light came on. Immediately brought to dealer. Always serviced at dealership. One previous occurance of illuminated light reading major engine malfunction. Pulled car to side of road, called dealership who advised turn off and back on. Didn't tell me about ALL the problems that Mazda was aware of.
Engine Jan 13, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11635586
The vehicle continues to have safety features malfunctions with its sensors. The forward facing camera sensor and the Blind Spot Monitoring Sensor continues to malfunctions when driving in clear visibility with light to heavy traffic at random times during a day.
Forward Collision Avoidance Dec 22, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11632012
The driver's side mirror tends to vibrate or shake more than the passenger side mirror, especially at speeds above 50-60 mph or in windy conditions. It has been a common complaint among Mazda owners for quite a while, and it seems to be a design flaw that Mazda has not yet addressed with a permanent solution
Visibility/Wiper May 6, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11587268
At 2:00 on a clear afternoon I was slowly coasting into a right hand turn into a parking space, and lightly tapping the brake to finalize the stop, when the car accelerated HARD forward over a curb and a sidewalk into the brick wall of a building. Airbag was deployed.
Service Brakes Oct 2, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11547758

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.

Reported by Mazda itself: 9 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 9 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 5.8 per 100,000 built. Every CX-5 model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆17%

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

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications
Extended coverage on file 1 filing by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every Mazda warranty extension (9) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 285
Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-17
Kindsas classified by NHTSA 259 service bulletins, 14 warranty extensions, 12 others

Most often about: Electrical System, Engine, Unknown Or Other, Equipment, Exterior Lighting.

  • SA-042-26a Service bulletin
    2026-09-17 · Unknown Or Other
  • Mazda Connected Services - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SAs listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. SA-042/26 06/30/26 DESCRIPTION Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Index General Questions MAZDA CONNECT Indication Setup and Getting Started Dealer Processes Registration / Enrollment / Take-Over Customer Subscription Status WI-FI Gene
  • SA-041-26a Service bulletin
    2026-09-11 · Electrical System
  • DESCRIPTION If you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, DTC(s) stored...), interview the customer before proceeding with normal MGSS diagnosis by asking if any aftermarket devices have been installed. Aftermarket devices may be the cause of the electrical concern. Below are a few examples of unusual electrical concerns caused by aftermarket devices. Example
  • SA-038-26b Service bulletin
    2026-09-10 · Electrical System
  • 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 06/15/26 DESCRIPTION Some customers may complain about any of the following: 1. Infotainment Center Display does not provide the Authorization Code (OTP) during the MyMazda App
  • SA-038-26a Service bulletin
    2026-09-04 · Engine
  • This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued service alert listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. SA-038/26 06/15/26 DESCRIPTION Some customers may complain about any of the following: 1. Infotainment Center Display does not provide the Authorization Code (OTP) during the MyMazda App Connected Vehicle enrollment. 2. Remote functions inoperative. Engine Start / Stop Door Lock / U
  • SA-039-26a Service bulletin
    2026-08-19 · Unknown Or Other
  • This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. SA-039/26 06/15/26 Mazda Connect Symptom Troubleshooting DESCRIPTION Customers having MAZDA CONNECT concerns should have their vehicle repaired using the following repair procedure.
  • SA-053-26 Service bulletin
    2026-08-19 · Wheels
  • This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued bulletin(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. SA-006/23 01/23/23 DESCRIPTION Some customers may complain about the infotainment system and/or the MyMazda App showing incorrect clock and/or tire pressures and/or tire pressure missing. This may be caused by: Incorrect calendar entry (month/day/year) after a battery disconnect Infot
  • 09-024-26 Service bulletin
    2026-08-12 · Structure — Body
  • DESCRIPTION Some vehicles may exhibit a condition in which a warning buzzer (error sound) is heard, and the power liftgate (PLG) does not open or close automatically. When these symptoms happen, DTCs B144F:11 or B144F:13 may be stored. B144F:11 Power liftgate (PLG) drive unit motor circuit malfunction B144F:13 Power liftgate (PLG) drive unit motor circuit malfunction NOTE: The liftgate can be open
  • SA-048-26 Service bulletin
    2026-08-06 · Engine
  • Some vehicle may exhibit the CHECK ENGINE light on with DTC P0524 (Engine oil pressure control system: Oil pressure decrease) and no abnormal engine noise. This may be caused by a malfunction of the oil pressure control valve (located at the rear of the engine block near the oil filter) due to machining contamination inside the electromagnet sleeve and the solenoid plunger remaining during manufac

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

CodeWhat it meansMost often filed underWhere it appears
P0126
P0126 on Mazda →
Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Engine27 bulletins · 1 owner report
U3000
U3000 on Mazda →
Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Electrical System · Battery →12 bulletins
P2B61
P2B61 on Mazda →
Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Engine5 bulletins
B14F0
B14F0 on Mazda →
Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Electrical System · Battery →2 bulletins
C0023Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Engine2 bulletins
C1001
C1001 on Mazda →
Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Electrical System · Battery →2 bulletins
P0524
P0524 on Mazda →
Engine oil pressure has been measured below the safe limit.Engine1 bulletin · 1 owner report

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2023 Mazda CX-5 failed the emissions check on 1.0% of first inspections — lower than the 1.6% for every 2023 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.4% (every 2023 vehicle: 1.1%).

New York inspections 1.0%

failed emissions

7,247 initial inspections of 7,140 vehicles.

MeasureThe 2023 CX-5Every 2023 vehicleBehind it
Failed the emissions check1.0%1.6%7,231
Failed the safety inspection1.4%1.1%7,247
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit0.07%0.16%7,247
Miles driven a year9,63710,038odometer at inspection
Average odometer31,58732,673odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2023 vehicle” is every 2023 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

Common questions about the 2023 CX-5

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2023 Mazda CX-5 have any recalls?

No NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2023 Mazda CX-5. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them, and a clean sheet on a recent model year often just means the vehicle is new.

How safe is the 2023 Mazda CX-5?

NHTSA gave the 2023 Mazda CX-5 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 5-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it A (100/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2023 Mazda CX-5?

Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2023 Mazda CX-5, the best EPA combined figure is 26 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What do owners complain about on the 2023 Mazda CX-5?

Owners have filed 66 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Mazda CX-5, most often about service brakes, engine, exterior lighting. Of those, 8 involved a crash, 5 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2023 Mazda CX-5?

The EPA smog rating for the 2023 Mazda CX-5 runs 5 to 7 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III SULEV30, California LEV-III ULEV70, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 50, Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2023 Mazda CX-5?

The manufacturer has filed 285 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2023 Mazda CX-5, most often covering electrical system, engine, unknown or other. The most recent is dated 2026-09-17. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2023 Mazda CX-5 do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2023 Mazda CX-5 failed the emissions check on 1.0% of first inspections — lower than the 1.6% for every 2023 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.4% (every 2023 vehicle: 1.1%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

DataHeldSourceWhat it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations2 configurationsEPA certification recordsEvery configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates2 configurationsEPA emission certificatesSmog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
RecallsnoneNHTSA recall campaignsNo campaign has been filed. Because the register is complete, an empty row here means there is nothing to find — not that we are missing it.
Owner complaints66NHTSA complaint databaseAlso complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings1 testedNHTSA NCAPOnly the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins285NHTSA manufacturer communicationsEverything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
InvestigationsnoneNHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationNo defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reportsnoneNHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSAnoneNHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patternsWe had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable.
Trims, pricing & equipment8 trimsManufacturer press kitTranscribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

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). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.

JSON for this page · API