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2011 Mazda CX-9

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most CX-9 years

Owner complaints for the 2011 Mazda CX-9 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 61.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

137 reports with mileage · 33 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Service Brakes. Review the 97 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

7 crash reports3 fire reports1 injury reports

Service Brakes complaints

97 reports
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61,000 miles · Mar 4, 2015
Service Brakes

I ACTUALLY NOTICED WHEN I STARTED MY VEHICLE UP AND PRESSED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, IT SEEMED TO SLOWLY SINK ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND MADE A HISSING NOISE. THE NOISE ONLY STOPPED WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL. AS I WAS DRIVING, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS I HAD DRAMATICALLY REDUCED STOPPING PERFORMANCE WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE…

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I ACTUALLY NOTICED WHEN I STARTED MY VEHICLE UP AND PRESSED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, IT SEEMED TO SLOWLY SINK ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND MADE A HISSING NOISE. THE NOISE ONLY STOPPED WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL. AS I WAS DRIVING, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS I HAD DRAMATICALLY REDUCED STOPPING PERFORMANCE WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE. I'VE GONE THROUGH SEVERAL STOP SIGNS AND HAVE ALMOST REAR ENDED OTHER VEHICLES. THIS SEEMS TO HAVE SUDDENLY HAPPENED, I FIRST NOTICED IT ON 3/1/15. THIS WASN'T HAPPENING ON OR BEFORE 2/26/15. I SUSPECT THE POWER BOOSTER OR MASTER CYLINDER HAVE FAILED, THOUGH I'M CONCERNED THAT THIS HAPPENED WITH ONLY 61,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10692072

43,000 miles · Oct 9, 2014
Service Brakes

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA CX9. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE CONTACT HEARD A HISSING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT BRAKES. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THE PEDAL SANK TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE BRAKE BOOSTER WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE BRAKE BOOSTER WAS REPL…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA CX9. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE CONTACT HEARD A HISSING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT BRAKES. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THE PEDAL SANK TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE BRAKE BOOSTER WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE BRAKE BOOSTER WAS REPLACED AND THE FAILURE WAS REMEDIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,000.

NHTSA ODI #10643583

28,942 miles · Aug 27, 2014
Service Brakes

THE BRAKE BOOSTER FAILED. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BRAKE FELT HARD AND THE CAR WOULDN'T BRAKE - HAD TO PRESS VERY HARD TO BARELY AVOID HITTING ANOTHER CAR IN FRONT. ON THE WAY TO THE DEALER, IT WAS SCARY AND COULD HAVE EASILY GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT. I AM LUCKY IT DIDN'T HAPPEN ON A HIGHWAY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BRAKE BOOSTER - I…

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THE BRAKE BOOSTER FAILED. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BRAKE FELT HARD AND THE CAR WOULDN'T BRAKE - HAD TO PRESS VERY HARD TO BARELY AVOID HITTING ANOTHER CAR IN FRONT. ON THE WAY TO THE DEALER, IT WAS SCARY AND COULD HAVE EASILY GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT. I AM LUCKY IT DIDN'T HAPPEN ON A HIGHWAY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BRAKE BOOSTER - IT WAS UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT NOT RECALLED. THOUGH THE DEALER WAS QUICK TO FIX THE PROBLEM, I BELIEVE THIS IS A REALLY DANGEROUS AND LIVES CAN BE LOST! I EXPECTED A DEFECTIVE BRAKING SYSTEM SHOULD HAVE INITIATED A RECALL!!! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10628935

53,098 miles · Aug 27, 2014
Service Brakes

I WENT TO HAVE NEW TIRES PUT ON THE CAR AND ON THE WAY TO THE TIRE SHOP WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES THE PEDDLE BECAME HARD AND WAS DIFFICULT TRYING TO STOP THE CAR.AFTER THE NEW TIRES WERE PUT ON THE SAME THING ON THE WAY HOME, STILL HAS A HARD BRAKE PEDDLE WHEN THE BRAKES ARE BEING APPLIED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10628848

51,000 miles · Aug 20, 2014
Service Brakes

I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 40MPH WHEN I PRESSED ON THE BRAKES AND IT WAS HARD AND WOULD NOT STOP. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES WHEN IT FINALLY SLOWED DOWN BUT IT SLOWLY ROLLED TO A STOP. AFTER A FEW DAYS OF DRIVING LIKE THIS I KNEW TO START BREAKING WAY IN ADVANCE BUT NOW THE CAR WOULD SUDDENLY TURN OFF WHEN AT A COMPLETE STO…

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I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 40MPH WHEN I PRESSED ON THE BRAKES AND IT WAS HARD AND WOULD NOT STOP. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES WHEN IT FINALLY SLOWED DOWN BUT IT SLOWLY ROLLED TO A STOP. AFTER A FEW DAYS OF DRIVING LIKE THIS I KNEW TO START BREAKING WAY IN ADVANCE BUT NOW THE CAR WOULD SUDDENLY TURN OFF WHEN AT A COMPLETE STOP WHILE WAITING AT A RED LIGHT. THE WHOLE ENGINE WOULD TURN OFF AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD TURN ON. I WOULD TURN THE ENGINE KEY OFF AND THEN TURN IT ON AND THE ENGINE WOULD TURN ON AFTER THE SECOND TRY. I WAS FREAKING OUT EVERY TIME IF GOT INTO THE CAR BECAUSE I KNEW IT WOULD STOP ON ME WHENEVER I WOULD STOP AT A LONG STOP LIGHT. I FINALLY TOOK MY CAR TO A MAZDA SERVICE CENTER AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE BRAKE BOOSTER. IT'S BEEN 5MONTHS AND MY CAR IS RUNNING GREAT. I HOPE THIS IS THE END OF THIS BRAKE BOOSTER NIGHTMARE BECAUSE IT WAS A REALLY SCARY EXPERIENCE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10626918

29,000 miles · Jul 12, 2014
Service Brakes

WITHOUT WARNING, THE BRAKES FAILED. THEY SEEMED LOCKED TO THE FLOOR, IMPOSSIBLE TO PRESS. NO SIGNAL INDICATORS NO WARNING. JUST SUDDENLY NO BRAKES. VERY CRITICAL PROBLEM AND ACCIDENTS INVOLVING LOSS OF LIFE IS PROBABLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10610085

77,000 miles · Jul 8, 2014
Service Brakes

BRAKES MAKES A HISSING SOUND WHEN YOU STEP ON IT AND IT IS HARD. UPDATED 03/4/2015 *JS

NHTSA ODI #10609106

57,119 miles · Jun 23, 2014
Service Brakes

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA CX-9. WHILE DECELERATING FROM APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DIFFICULT TO DEPRESS. THE VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING A HISSING SOUND AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER W…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA CX-9. WHILE DECELERATING FROM APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DIFFICULT TO DEPRESS. THE VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING A HISSING SOUND AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,119.

NHTSA ODI #10605146

70,203 miles · Jun 13, 2014
Service Brakes

I WAS GOING APPROX 40 MPH, AND WENT TO HIT THE BRAKE PEDAL AT A LIGHT, AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS INCREDIBLY HARD AND WOULD NOT PUSH DOWN. I LIFTED MY FOOT UP AND TRIED AGAIN. THE PEDAL WAS STILL VERY HARD BUT I WAS ABLE TO PUSH (VERY HARD!) AND GET TO A STOP. I DID STOP PASS THE LIGHT AS IT TOOK ME LONGER TO STOP THE CAR, BUT L…

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I WAS GOING APPROX 40 MPH, AND WENT TO HIT THE BRAKE PEDAL AT A LIGHT, AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS INCREDIBLY HARD AND WOULD NOT PUSH DOWN. I LIFTED MY FOOT UP AND TRIED AGAIN. THE PEDAL WAS STILL VERY HARD BUT I WAS ABLE TO PUSH (VERY HARD!) AND GET TO A STOP. I DID STOP PASS THE LIGHT AS IT TOOK ME LONGER TO STOP THE CAR, BUT LUCKILY THERE WERE NO CARS AHEAD OF ME, NOR ANY GOING THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. *JS

NHTSA ODI #10598240

56,530 miles · Jun 10, 2014
Service Brakes

FIRST I WAS BACKING OUT FROM A PARKING SPOT AND ALMOST HIT A CAR WAITING BEHIND ME BECAUSE THE CAR DID NOT STOP, I FIRST DID NOT THINK ANYTHING OF IT, I THOUGHT I DID NOT STEP ON THE BRAKES WELL, BUT AFTER WHILE DRIVING I NOTICED THAT IT WAS HARD TO BREAK AT THE RED LIGHT...I DECIDED TO DRIVE HOME, AND MY CAR WOULD NOT STOP AND …

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FIRST I WAS BACKING OUT FROM A PARKING SPOT AND ALMOST HIT A CAR WAITING BEHIND ME BECAUSE THE CAR DID NOT STOP, I FIRST DID NOT THINK ANYTHING OF IT, I THOUGHT I DID NOT STEP ON THE BRAKES WELL, BUT AFTER WHILE DRIVING I NOTICED THAT IT WAS HARD TO BREAK AT THE RED LIGHT...I DECIDED TO DRIVE HOME, AND MY CAR WOULD NOT STOP AND WAS ROLLING THE STOP SIGNS, NO MATTER HOW HARD I STEPPED ON THE BREAKS THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS WAS VERY SCARY, I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO CRASH. I TRIED PUMPING THE BREAK AND WOULD HEAR SOME TYPE OF AIR COMING OUT FORM UNDERNEATH. THEY NEED TO RECALL ALL OF THESE VEHICLES! I COULD HAVE KILLED MYSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE CROSSING THE STREET!! I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE IT EVEN THOUGH IT IS AT THE DEALERS GETTING FIXED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10597374

Official recalls

4

19V782000 · Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Oct 31, 2019

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2007-2012 CX-7, CX-9, and 2009-2012 Maza6 vehicles. These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 16V356 and 17V012.

18V717000 · Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Oct 12, 2018

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Mazda CX-9 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, unless covered in "Zone A," Mazda is recalling certain 2011-2013 Mazda6, 2011-2012 CX-7, and 2011-2015 CX-9 sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless covered in Zone A or Zone B, Mazda is recalling certain 2010-2013 Mazda6, 2010-2012 CX-7, and 2010-2015 CX-9 vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F.

17V429000 · Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Jun 29, 2017

Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2009-2011 Mazda6, and 2007-2011 CX-7 and CX-9 vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began on August 30, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recall 16V356 and all vehicles that were not remedied under that campaign are now covered by this one.

15V451000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm; Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint

Jul 20, 2015

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2007-2014 CX-9 vehicles manufactured October 24, 2006, to December 28, 2013. The affected vehicles have front suspension ball joints that may corrode from water leaking into the fitting.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Over time, the ball joint corrosion may result in the front lower control arm separating from the ball joint, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace both the left and right lower control arms, free of charge. The recall began on September 14, 2015. The recall will begin with model year 2007-2009 vehicles registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The second phase will be for model year 2010-2014 vehicles in the same states. Finally, all remaining vehicles will be remedied. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 8515G.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2007-2014 CX-9 vehicles manufactured October 24, 2006, to December 28, 2013. The affected vehicles have front suspension ball joints that may corrode from water leaking into the fitting.

Consequence: Over time, the ball joint corrosion may result in the front lower control arm separating from the ball joint, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace both the left and right lower control arms, free of charge. The recall began on September 14, 2015. The recall will begin with model year 2007-2009 vehicles registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The second phase will be for model year 2010-2014 vehicles in the same states. Finally, all remaining vehicles will be remedied. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 8515G.

Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2007-2014 CX-9 vehicles manufactured October 24, 2006, to December 28, 2013. The affected vehicles have front suspension ball joints that may corrode from water leaking into the fitting.

Consequence: Over time, the ball joint corrosion may result in the front lower control arm separating from the ball joint, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace both the left and right lower control arms, free of charge. The recall began on September 14, 2015. The recall will begin with model year 2007-2009 vehicles registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The second phase will be for model year 2010-2014 vehicles in the same states. Finally, all remaining vehicles will be remedied. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 8515G.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

3

PE19006 · Inadvertent Curtain Air Bag Deployment

Opened May 2, 2019 · Closed Jan 15, 2021

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags; Air Bags:side/window; Air Bags:side/window:curtain

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE19-006) on May 2, 2019 to investigate two Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) and Early Warning Reporting data related to allegations of inadvertent deployment (IAD) of side curtain airbags in Model Year (MY) 2010 through 2013 Mazda CX-9 vehicles. ODI sent an Information Request (IR) to Mazda North America Operations, LLC. to gather information about the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. In the 20 months since opening the PE, ODI has received three additional VOQs. To date, there have been a total of 11 IAD incidents within the identified population of 104,360 vehicles. Of the 11 incidents, no serious injuries were reported. The last known incident occurred in December 2020.Mazda's response to ODI's IR letter identified the root cause as a manufacturing issue of the Bosch SMG076 Roll Rate Sensor within the Restraint Control Module (RCM). During the manufacturing calibration process, small particles may be generated that could affect roll sensor capacitance, which could lead to a loss of curtain airbag protection or an erroneous deployment command. On November 19, 2012, a revised Roll Rate Sensor calibration process was launched, establishing a clean point for the issue. In its responses to ODI, Mazda has assessed the condition as a low risk to motor vehicle safety, with low incident frequency not warranting action. Any RCM data indicating a malfunctioning Roll Rate Sensor will result in the illumination of the airbag warning light. In the event of an erroneous curtain airbag deployment, there is no contact with properly seated occupants. Additionally, the condition is not affected by deterioration or wear, and known incidents established a random pattern of occurrence.During the investigation, ODI examined the injury risk to vehicle occupants from curtain airbag deployments. It was determined that the subject vehicles do not pose a substantial risk to out of position occupants, as testing data falls within Technical Working Group (TWG) reference values. Modeling simulation based on data provided by Mazda for properly seated occupants during static and dynamic airbag deployments indicated sufficient head clearance and no risk of brain injury. ODI analysis reveals that inadvertent deployment incident rates of curtain airbags in the subject vehicles are low through approximately ten years in service. Incident frequency does not meet values warranting recall action, but rather align closely with baseline frequency of general inadvertent deployments which are known to occur in rare driving conditions. Additionally, warranty analysis of RCM failures resulting in a loss of curtain airbag protection revealed low claim rates.Based on the analysis conducted, this investigation has been closed. The closing of this investigation does not foreclose the Agency from taking further action, if warranted, or the potential for a future finding that a safety-related defect exists, based upon additional information the Agency may receive.The five ODI complaints cited above can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under the following identification numbers: 10905492, 11165925, 11270089, 11310044, 11385219.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Air Bags

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE19-006) on May 2, 2019 to investigate two Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) and Early Warning Reporting data related to allegations of inadvertent deployment (IAD) of side curtain airbags in Model Year (MY) 2010 through 2013 Mazda CX-9 vehicles. ODI sent an Information Request (IR) to Mazda North America Operations, LLC. to gather information about the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. In the 20 months since opening the PE, ODI has received three additional VOQs. To date, there have been a total of 11 IAD incidents within the identified population of 104,360 vehicles. Of the 11 incidents, no serious injuries were reported. The last known incident occurred in December 2020.Mazda's response to ODI's IR letter identified the root cause as a manufacturing issue of the Bosch SMG076 Roll Rate Sensor within the Restraint Control Module (RCM). During the manufacturing calibration process, small particles may be generated that could affect roll sensor capacitance, which could lead to a loss of curtain airbag protection or an erroneous deployment command. On November 19, 2012, a revised Roll Rate Sensor calibration process was launched, establishing a clean point for the issue. In its responses to ODI, Mazda has assessed the condition as a low risk to motor vehicle safety, with low incident frequency not warranting action. Any RCM data indicating a malfunctioning Roll Rate Sensor will result in the illumination of the airbag warning light. In the event of an erroneous curtain airbag deployment, there is no contact with properly seated occupants. Additionally, the condition is not affected by deterioration or wear, and known incidents established a random pattern of occurrence.During the investigation, ODI examined the injury risk to vehicle occupants from curtain airbag deployments. It was determined that the subject vehicles do not pose a substantial risk to out of position occupants, as testing data falls within Technical Working Group (TWG) reference values. Modeling simulation based on data provided by Mazda for properly seated occupants during static and dynamic airbag deployments indicated sufficient head clearance and no risk of brain injury. ODI analysis reveals that inadvertent deployment incident rates of curtain airbags in the subject vehicles are low through approximately ten years in service. Incident frequency does not meet values warranting recall action, but rather align closely with baseline frequency of general inadvertent deployments which are known to occur in rare driving conditions. Additionally, warranty analysis of RCM failures resulting in a loss of curtain airbag protection revealed low claim rates.Based on the analysis conducted, this investigation has been closed. The closing of this investigation does not foreclose the Agency from taking further action, if warranted, or the potential for a future finding that a safety-related defect exists, based upon additional information the Agency may receive.The five ODI complaints cited above can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under the following identification numbers: 10905492, 11165925, 11270089, 11310044, 11385219.

Air Bags:side/window:curtain

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE19-006) on May 2, 2019 to investigate two Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) and Early Warning Reporting data related to allegations of inadvertent deployment (IAD) of side curtain airbags in Model Year (MY) 2010 through 2013 Mazda CX-9 vehicles. ODI sent an Information Request (IR) to Mazda North America Operations, LLC. to gather information about the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. In the 20 months since opening the PE, ODI has received three additional VOQs. To date, there have been a total of 11 IAD incidents within the identified population of 104,360 vehicles. Of the 11 incidents, no serious injuries were reported. The last known incident occurred in December 2020.Mazda's response to ODI's IR letter identified the root cause as a manufacturing issue of the Bosch SMG076 Roll Rate Sensor within the Restraint Control Module (RCM). During the manufacturing calibration process, small particles may be generated that could affect roll sensor capacitance, which could lead to a loss of curtain airbag protection or an erroneous deployment command. On November 19, 2012, a revised Roll Rate Sensor calibration process was launched, establishing a clean point for the issue. In its responses to ODI, Mazda has assessed the condition as a low risk to motor vehicle safety, with low incident frequency not warranting action. Any RCM data indicating a malfunctioning Roll Rate Sensor will result in the illumination of the airbag warning light. In the event of an erroneous curtain airbag deployment, there is no contact with properly seated occupants. Additionally, the condition is not affected by deterioration or wear, and known incidents established a random pattern of occurrence.During the investigation, ODI examined the injury risk to vehicle occupants from curtain airbag deployments. It was determined that the subject vehicles do not pose a substantial risk to out of position occupants, as testing data falls within Technical Working Group (TWG) reference values. Modeling simulation based on data provided by Mazda for properly seated occupants during static and dynamic airbag deployments indicated sufficient head clearance and no risk of brain injury. ODI analysis reveals that inadvertent deployment incident rates of curtain airbags in the subject vehicles are low through approximately ten years in service. Incident frequency does not meet values warranting recall action, but rather align closely with baseline frequency of general inadvertent deployments which are known to occur in rare driving conditions. Additionally, warranty analysis of RCM failures resulting in a loss of curtain airbag protection revealed low claim rates.Based on the analysis conducted, this investigation has been closed. The closing of this investigation does not foreclose the Agency from taking further action, if warranted, or the potential for a future finding that a safety-related defect exists, based upon additional information the Agency may receive.The five ODI complaints cited above can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under the following identification numbers: 10905492, 11165925, 11270089, 11310044, 11385219.

Air Bags:side/window

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE19-006) on May 2, 2019 to investigate two Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) and Early Warning Reporting data related to allegations of inadvertent deployment (IAD) of side curtain airbags in Model Year (MY) 2010 through 2013 Mazda CX-9 vehicles. ODI sent an Information Request (IR) to Mazda North America Operations, LLC. to gather information about the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. In the 20 months since opening the PE, ODI has received three additional VOQs. To date, there have been a total of 11 IAD incidents within the identified population of 104,360 vehicles. Of the 11 incidents, no serious injuries were reported. The last known incident occurred in December 2020.Mazda's response to ODI's IR letter identified the root cause as a manufacturing issue of the Bosch SMG076 Roll Rate Sensor within the Restraint Control Module (RCM). During the manufacturing calibration process, small particles may be generated that could affect roll sensor capacitance, which could lead to a loss of curtain airbag protection or an erroneous deployment command. On November 19, 2012, a revised Roll Rate Sensor calibration process was launched, establishing a clean point for the issue. In its responses to ODI, Mazda has assessed the condition as a low risk to motor vehicle safety, with low incident frequency not warranting action. Any RCM data indicating a malfunctioning Roll Rate Sensor will result in the illumination of the airbag warning light. In the event of an erroneous curtain airbag deployment, there is no contact with properly seated occupants. Additionally, the condition is not affected by deterioration or wear, and known incidents established a random pattern of occurrence.During the investigation, ODI examined the injury risk to vehicle occupants from curtain airbag deployments. It was determined that the subject vehicles do not pose a substantial risk to out of position occupants, as testing data falls within Technical Working Group (TWG) reference values. Modeling simulation based on data provided by Mazda for properly seated occupants during static and dynamic airbag deployments indicated sufficient head clearance and no risk of brain injury. ODI analysis reveals that inadvertent deployment incident rates of curtain airbags in the subject vehicles are low through approximately ten years in service. Incident frequency does not meet values warranting recall action, but rather align closely with baseline frequency of general inadvertent deployments which are known to occur in rare driving conditions. Additionally, warranty analysis of RCM failures resulting in a loss of curtain airbag protection revealed low claim rates.Based on the analysis conducted, this investigation has been closed. The closing of this investigation does not foreclose the Agency from taking further action, if warranted, or the potential for a future finding that a safety-related defect exists, based upon additional information the Agency may receive.The five ODI complaints cited above can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under the following identification numbers: 10905492, 11165925, 11270089, 11310044, 11385219.

PE15022 · Lower Ball Joint Separation

Opened Jun 9, 2015 · Closed Aug 20, 2015

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint

In an July 7,2015 letter to NHTSA, Mazda identified a safety defect that could result in lower ball joint separation in approximately 193,484 model year (MY) 2007 through 2014 Mazda CX-9 vehicles (NHTSA Recall No. 15V-451,Mazda 8515G).Mazda indicated that damage to the ball joint boot may allow water to enter the front suspension ball joint fitting during use which may result in premature ball joint wear and a progressively looser joint.In January 2014, Mazda implemented redesigned lower control arms in production vehicles to improve the durability of the lower ball joints.The redesign involved changing the shape of the top surface of the ball joint boot cover and adding a suspension plate to the undersurface of the knuckle.Mazda's recall will replace the defect lower control arms with the redesigned parts.ODI's analysis of information collected during PE15-022 identified a total of 62 ball joint separation incidents, including 34 identified in ODI complaints and 31 identified in Mazda complaints and field reports (3 of the Mazda records involve vehicles/incidents that were also reported to ODI).When Mazda's design change was implemented, most of the field experience related to lower ball joints involved complaints of noise and premature wear-out.Only 1 of the ODI and 6 of the additional Mazda separation complaints identified in ODI's analysis were reported prior to January 2014.Significant increases in the number and trend in separation complaints were observed in 2015, when 30 of the ODI complaints and 16 of the additional Mazda complaints were reported.The report trend appears to be accelerating, with 29 of the reports received after ODI opened PE15-022 on June 9, 2015.There has been one crash reported to ODI related to the alleged defect (VOQ 10746510). This investigation is closed based on Mazda's recall.The 34 VOQs associated with this investigation are: 10747358, 10746510, 10744897, 10743509, 10736229, 10735938, 10734763, 10734302, 10734290, 10733813, 10732578, 10732217, 10732154, 10731850, 10730736, 10730280, 10730143, 10730114, 10726622, 10726480 10726448, 10726168, 10725839, 10725567, 10725488, 10725427, 10725390, 10717510, 10714469, 10695142, 10668978, 10648429, 10640541, 10546535

PE14005 · Brake Booster Failure

Opened Feb 10, 2014 · Closed Jun 26, 2014

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist

In March 2014, Mazda Motor Corporation (Mazda) initiated Special Service Program SSP93 to extend the warranty coverage for a specific brake booster fault condition on model year (MY) 2007-2013 Mazda CX-9 vehicles.According to Mazda's dealer communication for SSP93, the subject vehicles may exhibit a condition were the brake pedal is harder than usual to depress. Complainants report hearing air leakage (hissing) from the driver-side foot area during braking.The Mazda program extends the warranty coverage for repairing this condition to unlimited time and mileage for repairs performed between March 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015 and to 7 years or 90,000 miles for repairs performed after March 31, 2015.In its response to the Office of Defects Investigation's (ODI) information request letter for PE14-005, Mazda identified a problem with booster diaphragms developing tears near the outer seal/circumference that can result in noise and degraded booster performance as the tears grow in length (Figures 1-3).The tears allow leakage from the ambient to the vacuum sides of the diaphragm that reduces the differential pressure across the diaphragm and produces a hissing noise after the tears have reached 10-12 mm in length.The problem was caused by wear of the mold used for the diaphragm forming process, which resulted in increased thickness and stress in the bending area of the diaphragm.Continuous operation in environments with high ambient temperatures accelerates the hardening of the diaphragm material, further increasing the stress in the bending area and contributing to tear initiation and propagation rate.Analysis of failure data indicates that the tool wear condition affected vehicles produced after June 2010 and operated in hot states (Figures 4-6).In February 2013 the supplier introduced a new mold and changes to the diaphragm thickness monitoring process to correct the condition in production vehicles.Analysis of complaint and supplier test data indicates that the diaphragm tear condition is a progressive failure that develops slowly over time.Smaller tears have little effect on system performance.As the tear continues to grow, the effects become more evident.The hard pedal and increased effort are experienced during initial pedal application, but are diminished as the pedal is pressed further by the driver and the tear is partially sealed by the outer wall of the booster.This change from a hard to a soft pedal feel is described by some drivers as a spongy pedal.For tear lengths that were observed in warranty return parts, testing demonstrated that most booster performance can be recovered with increasing pedal apply speed and apply force.None of the tears measured in return parts grew large enough to cause a complete loss of brake booster function. The booster diaphragm tear condition results in partial reduction in booster function that progresses gradually over time with audible and pedal feel symptoms available to the driver.The condition does not result in a sudden loss of power braking assist.The effects are evident during initial pedal apply and are reduced by increased pedal apply force and rate.ODI has not identified any accidents associated with the booster diaphragm tear condition in the subject vehicles.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will continue to monitor complaints and other information relating to the alleged defect and take further action in the future if warranted.VOQs (24) associated with this investigation:10482005, 10486941, 1048793