2026 Mazda CX-50
The 2026 Mazda CX-50 is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas compact SUV with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the CX-50 4WD, is EPA-rated at 38 mpg combined. NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year so far (Safety Signal A). Owners have filed 14 complaints, most often about the forward collision avoidance. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $29,900 to $42,900 across 10 trims.
| Trim | Powertrain | Drive | MSRP | HP | Torque | MPG comb | Seats | Cargo (2nd row) | Wheels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 S Select | Gas | AWD | $29,900 | 187 hp | 185 lb-ft | 26 mpg | 5 | 31.4 cu-ft | 17 in |
| 2.5 S Preferred | Gas | AWD | $32,400 | 187 hp | 185 lb-ft | 26 mpg | 5 | 31.4 cu-ft | 17 in |
| 2.5 S Meridian Edition | Gas | AWD | $33,150 | 187 hp | 185 lb-ft | 26 mpg | 5 | 31.4 cu-ft | 18 in |
| 2.5 S Premium | Gas | AWD | $34,900 | 187 hp | 185 lb-ft | 26 mpg | 5 | 31.4 cu-ft | 20 in |
| 2.5 Turbo | Gas | AWD | $37,900 | 227 hp | 310 lb-ft | 25 mpg | 5 | 31.4 cu-ft | 20 in |
| 2.5 Turbo Meridian Edition | Gas | AWD | $40,400 | 227 hp | 310 lb-ft | 25 mpg | 5 | 31.4 cu-ft | 18 in |
| 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus | Gas | AWD | $42,900 | 227 hp | 310 lb-ft | 25 mpg | 5 | 31.4 cu-ft | 20 in |
| Hybrid Preferred | Hybrid | AWD | $34,750 | 219 hp | 163 lb-ft | 38 mpg | 5 | 29.2 cu-ft | 17 in |
| Hybrid Premium | Hybrid | AWD | $38,150 | 219 hp | 163 lb-ft | 38 mpg | 5 | 29.2 cu-ft | 17 in |
| Hybrid Premium Plus | Hybrid | AWD | $40,150 | 219 hp | 163 lb-ft | 38 mpg | 5 | 29.2 cu-ft | 19 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| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CX-50 4WD | Hybrid | 4WD | 2.5L 4-cyl | 39 | 37 | 38 | $1,750 |
| CX-50 4WD | Gas | 4WD | 2.5L 4-cyl | 24 | 30 | 26 | $2,600 |
| CX-50 4WD | Gas | 4WD | 2.5L 4-cyl turbo | 23 | 29 | 25 | $2,700 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 50010, 50011, 50009.
The cheapest ownership win
Insurers price the 2026 CX-50 very differently, and the gap between the best and worst quote on the same car and driver is usually larger than any option you are weighing on this page.
How to compare cover →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 databaseNo NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2026 Mazda CX-50. 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 2026 Mazda CX-50, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2026 Mazda CX-50
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-50 →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 2 injuries · 0 deaths reported
2.1 per 10,000 built · Mazda reported 65,817 CX-50 built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2026: 14
Most-cited components
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.
The fuel filler door on my 2026 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid premium was defective and would not open due to a sticking fuel tank shut-off valve -- a documented known issue across the 2023 through 2025 CX-50 lineup. The vehicle was delivered brand new with this pre-existing defect without disclosure.
I own a brand-new 2026 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid that is currently under the manufacturer's warranty. I am reporting an intermittent failure of the vehicle to respond normally to a selected driving direction. During the first incident on August 28, 2026, I had shifted the vehicle into Reverse.
On several occasions, moving the gear selector from Reverse to Drive, the transmission has failed to engage Drive, with the dashboard displaying "D" and the vehicle moving in reverse upon throttle application. Fortunately, objects, pets or pedestrians were not present behind the vehicle during the occurrences.
The contact's daughter owns a 2026 Mazda CX-50. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 40 MPH and decelerating to turn into a parking lot, the front passenger’s side wheel detached and fell in underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and was then towed to the dealer.
Was braking with traffic and all of a sudden the emergency braking kicked on and brought the car to a stop from about 40 miles per hour with no immediate threat of collision. Brakes were being applied manually and had plenty of room infront of the vehicle and traffic was not stopped. Nearly caused the vehicle behind to collide into me.
Component: Air Bags – Knee Airbag / Trim Panel During a collision, on July 3rd with the Mazda CX‑50, the knee airbag deployed and a hard plastic trim panel from the lower dashboard was forcibly ejected. This panel struck my knee and caused a laceration across my kneecap.
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
Source: NHTSA NCAP| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | — |
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | — |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsMost often about: Electrical System, Unknown Or Other, Structure, Engine, Wheels.
- DRW60 Warr b Service campaign2026-09-25 · Structure — Body
- Subject: Notification of Dealer Re-Work (DRW60) – 2026MY CX-50 and CX-50 Hybrid - Rear Door Glass Holder Detach Issue Dear Mazda Dealer Colleagues, Mazda Motor Corporation has decided to conduct a Dealer Re-Work on certain 2026MY CX-50 and CX-50 Hybrid vehicles. Please see the description, model, year, and VIN range below. Concern Outline: On certain subject vehicles, the rear door glass holder ma
- SA-012-26d Service bulletin2026-09-18 · Electrical System
- DESCRIPTION Some customers may experience a message "TCU Malfunction. Have the Vehicle Inspected" in the instrument cluster. Additional symptoms that may occur: Connected Vehicle One Time Passcode (OTP) may fail. Connected Vehicle Remote functions may fail. The following DTC's may be stored: B1252:87-8B:TCU - COMMUNICATION ERROR WITH CONNECTIVITY MASTER UNIT (CMU) U0198:00-03:CMU - COMMUNICATION
- SA-042-26a Service bulletin2026-09-17 · 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 bulletin2026-09-11 · 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 bulletin2026-09-10 · 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 bulletin2026-09-04 · Electrical System
- 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
- SSPE1 Warr c Emissions2026-08-20 · Unknown Or Other
- Special Service Program (SSPE1) - 2026 CX-50 Hybrid – Battery Label Concern Mazda Motor Corporation has decided to conduct a Special Service Program (SSP) on certain 2026MY CX-50 vehicles produced from September 8, 2025 through September 26, 2025. If you receive this notice, your vehicle is included in this SSP. What is the problem? On certain CX-50 Hybrid vehicles, inappropriate battery labels we
- SA-039-26a Service bulletin2026-08-19 · Electrical System
- 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.
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 complaintsCodes 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.
| Code | What it means | Most often filed under | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| B1252 B1252 on Mazda → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Unknown Or Other | 12 bulletins |
| U0198 U0198 on Mazda → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Unknown Or Other | 12 bulletins |
| C0023 | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 4 bulletins |
| B14F0 B14F0 on Mazda → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Unknown Or Other | 2 bulletins |
| C1001 C1001 on Mazda → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Unknown Or Other | 2 bulletins |
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.
Compare the 2026 CX-50 with
Any vehicle, your weights →| Head-to-head | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Toyota RAV4 · Compact SUV · grade A | CX-50 +10.8 |
CX-50 by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2026 CX-50
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsHow much does the 2026 Mazda CX-50 cost?
Manufacturer pricing runs from $29,900 for the 2.5 S Select AWD to $42,900 for the 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus AWD, across 10 trims. Those are MSRPs from the manufacturer's own press material; they exclude destination, options, taxes and whatever the dealer adds. Every trim and price is listed above.
Does the 2026 Mazda CX-50 have any recalls?
No NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2026 Mazda CX-50. 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 2026 Mazda CX-50?
NHTSA gave the 2026 Mazda CX-50 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 2026 Mazda CX-50?
Across the 3 EPA-rated configurations of the 2026 Mazda CX-50, the best EPA combined figure is 38 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What do owners complain about on the 2026 Mazda CX-50?
Owners have filed 14 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Mazda CX-50, most often about forward collision avoidance, power train, suspension. Of those, 1 involved a crash, 2 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
Are there service bulletins for the 2026 Mazda CX-50?
The manufacturer has filed 152 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2026 Mazda CX-50, most often covering electrical system, unknown or other, structure. The most recent is dated 2026-09-25. 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.
Which 2026 Mazda CX-50 trim is the best value?
$13,000 separates the cheapest of the 10 trims from the most expensive, so the answer depends on which of the differences you would actually use. Every trim has its own page here with the manufacturer's full specification and equipment list, plus a short summary of exactly what it adds over the base trim — worth reading before a dealer frames the walk-up for you. The trim-by-trim ladder shows what every step up costs and what it makes standard.
Is the 2026 Mazda CX-50 better than the 2026 Toyota RAV4?
The Mazda CX-50 wins clearly, 95.1 to 84.3, on tech & comfort, safety, price. The Toyota RAV4 is ahead on fuel & range and space & cargo. We publish a full side-by-side of the 2026 Mazda CX-50 against the 2026 Toyota RAV4 — specifications by family, equipment feature by feature, safety record and ownership costs. You can re-weight what matters to you and the verdict recalculates.
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.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 3 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | none | EPA emission certificates | The EPA published no certificate we could match to a configuration on this page. |
| Recalls | none | NHTSA recall campaigns | No 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 complaints | 14 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | 2 tested | NHTSA NCAP | Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them. |
| Service bulletins | 152 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | none | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | No defect investigation has been opened. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No 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 NHTSA | none | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | We had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | 10 trims | Manufacturer press kit | Transcribed 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.