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2014 Mazda CX-9

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2014 Mazda CX-9 do not stand out strongly from 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

28 reports with mileage · 26 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.

  • Engine. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports

Power Train complaints

7 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jun 27, 2024
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

I purchased a 2014 Mazda CX-9 back in May of 2020 w/ roughly 60k on the dash. Literally 7 months later w/ about 72k on the dash, the day after Christmas I was driving to work (I worked in the next state over) on the highway my car just shut down. No warnings, no check engine lights NOTHING! It just completely shut off and would …

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I purchased a 2014 Mazda CX-9 back in May of 2020 w/ roughly 60k on the dash. Literally 7 months later w/ about 72k on the dash, the day after Christmas I was driving to work (I worked in the next state over) on the highway my car just shut down. No warnings, no check engine lights NOTHING! It just completely shut off and would not turn on. Thankfully because of the holiday the highway was pretty empty and I was able to swing my car across the interstate so I wouldn’t get hit by oncoming traffic. After getting out and deciding to check my oil I noticed it looked milky. I had no idea what that meant so I had it towed to a Mazda dealership in the state I live in. It was going to cost me almost $8,000 to put in a new engine because the water pump that was placed inside of the engine failed, which in turn caused my engine to seize. The extended warranty I had on my vehicle was worthless so I ended up paying out of pocket. Thankfully Mazda worked with me and had me prove that I kept up maintenance on the truck so the price was chopped in half. This happened right at the beginning of Covid when the entire world was suffering financially. I still had to make my car payments on top of shelling out 4k on a truck I hadn’t even had for a year. This is a huge issue with a lot of people that own the same vehicle and is extremely dangerous! I could’ve killed someone or worse myself when my vehicle stalled out on the highway.

NHTSA ODI #11597219

Mileage unknown · Aug 31, 2022
EnginePower TrainUnknown Or Other

- Water pump failed causing coolant to mix with oil. This repair cost was around $3,900. - Luckily this failure happened on our community road and was able to pull into our driveway. Mechanic stated that if this happened on the highway or regular road, this could have caused a major incident and possibly a blown motor. - No, b…

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- Water pump failed causing coolant to mix with oil. This repair cost was around $3,900. - Luckily this failure happened on our community road and was able to pull into our driveway. Mechanic stated that if this happened on the highway or regular road, this could have caused a major incident and possibly a blown motor. - No, but complaints of similar issues have been reported via my online research. - Just by the mechanic I had my vehicle towed to. - There was no indication of an issue until the water pump failed.

NHTSA ODI #11482138

114,000 miles · Dec 17, 2019
EnginePower Train

I NOTICED A ROUGH NOISE WHEN I STARTED THE 2014 MAZDA CX-9. I CHOSE TO IGNORE IT THINKING IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE COLD WEATHER. GOT TO THE HIGHWAY ON THE WAY HOME TO KANSAS CITY FROM COLUMBUS, OH. SEVERAL MILES LATER WHEN FILLING GAS, I NOTICED A WEIRD SMELL LIKE THAT OF A BURNING RUBBER OR COOLANT. THE CAR GOT ME HOME SAME BUT I …

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I NOTICED A ROUGH NOISE WHEN I STARTED THE 2014 MAZDA CX-9. I CHOSE TO IGNORE IT THINKING IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE COLD WEATHER. GOT TO THE HIGHWAY ON THE WAY HOME TO KANSAS CITY FROM COLUMBUS, OH. SEVERAL MILES LATER WHEN FILLING GAS, I NOTICED A WEIRD SMELL LIKE THAT OF A BURNING RUBBER OR COOLANT. THE CAR GOT ME HOME SAME BUT I NOTICED SLIGHT SMOKING FROM THE ENGINE WHEN I GOT HOME.TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC AND HE ADVISED IT WAS THE WATER PUMP. HE DIDNT HAVE THE RIGHT TOOLS TO REPLACE IT SO I TOOK IT TO A MAZDA DEALERSHIP WHO ADVIED GETTING A NEW ENGINE. IT'S BEEN OVER THREE WEEKS AND I'M STILL WAITING OR THE DEALERSHIP TO FIND AN ENGINE THEY COULD REPLACE WITH. TOTAL COST, $4K - $5K. EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED THAT MAZDA WOULDNT RECALL CARS WITH THIS TYPE OF ENGINE/ WATER PUMP PROBLEM!

NHTSA ODI #11289733

108,000 miles · Aug 29, 2019
EnginePower Train

MY WIFE TOOK OUR 2014 MAZDA CX-9 TO LIBERTY MAZDA FOR A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THAT CAME ON THE EVENING BEFORE SHE ALREADY AND AN APPOINTMENT FOR ANOTHER ISSUE. SHE ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE LIGHT AS WELL. AFTER THEIR FINDINGS THEY TOLD SUE THE CAR HAD A CATASTROPHIC WATER PUMP ENGINE FAILURE. THIS WATER PUMP IS LOCATED INSIDE THE TI…

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MY WIFE TOOK OUR 2014 MAZDA CX-9 TO LIBERTY MAZDA FOR A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THAT CAME ON THE EVENING BEFORE SHE ALREADY AND AN APPOINTMENT FOR ANOTHER ISSUE. SHE ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE LIGHT AS WELL. AFTER THEIR FINDINGS THEY TOLD SUE THE CAR HAD A CATASTROPHIC WATER PUMP ENGINE FAILURE. THIS WATER PUMP IS LOCATED INSIDE THE TIMING CHAIN COVER AND LEAKS COOLANT IN TO THE ENGINE. AT THIS POINT WE WERE HANDED OVER TO A SALES REP. WHO INFORMED US THIS WAS A FOOLISH DESIGN WITH THE WATER PUMP LOCATED IN THE POWERTRAIN BEHIND THE TIMING CHAIN COVER. THIS CAUSES CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE WITH NO WARNING THIS IS WRONG AND SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. WE TALKED TO JASON THE SALES MANAGER WHO REITERATED THE SAME MESSAGE AND SAID HE WOULD PUT IN A GOOD WORD FOR ME IF COOPERATE CALLED ABOUT MY COMPLAINT. HE DID AND COOPERATE OFFERED US THE EPLAN ON A NEW CAR. APPROXIMATELY $2,000.00 FOR A CAR VALUED AT $12-14,000.00 THIS ENGINE WAS MANUFACTURED BY FORD FOR MAZDA AND THE FORD ESCAPES HAVE THE SAME TROUBLE. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME

NHTSA ODI #11252193

Mileage unknown · Nov 26, 2018
EnginePower Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 MAZDA CX-9. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND DETECTED A STRONG ODOR INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO FOUND AN INTERNAL FRACTURE OF AN OIL LEAK. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TRANSFER CASE MAY NEED T…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 MAZDA CX-9. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND DETECTED A STRONG ODOR INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO FOUND AN INTERNAL FRACTURE OF AN OIL LEAK. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TRANSFER CASE MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER (QUIRK MAZDA, 111 MCGRATH HWY, QUINCY, MA 02169, (617) 773-8000) WAS CONTACTED AND INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL CAMPAIGN TO PROVIDE A REMEDY FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #11153696

59,800 miles · Nov 24, 2018
Power Train

NOTICED BURNING SMELL COMING FROM UNDERSIDE OF VEHICLE AND OIL-LIKE SUBSTANCE ON FLOOR OF GARAGE AFTER DRIVING. TOOK TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSFER CASE FAILED AND WAS LEAKING FLUID ON EXHAUST SYSTEM. RESEARCH INDICATES THIS IS A KNOWN DESIGN ISSUE IN MULTIPLE YEAR MODELS OF MAZDA VEHICLES AND I FEEL DUE TO T…

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NOTICED BURNING SMELL COMING FROM UNDERSIDE OF VEHICLE AND OIL-LIKE SUBSTANCE ON FLOOR OF GARAGE AFTER DRIVING. TOOK TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSFER CASE FAILED AND WAS LEAKING FLUID ON EXHAUST SYSTEM. RESEARCH INDICATES THIS IS A KNOWN DESIGN ISSUE IN MULTIPLE YEAR MODELS OF MAZDA VEHICLES AND I FEEL DUE TO THE SIGNIFICANT FIRE RISK OF OIL/LUBRICANT DRIPPING ONTO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, THIS SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO A RECALL.

NHTSA ODI #11153485

29,500 miles · Jul 24, 2018
Power TrainFire

WE WERE ON A CITY ROAD UPHILL AND DRIVING TO A FRIENDS HOME. OUR MAZDA CX-9 GRAND TOURING MADE A RATTLING NOISE, RELEASED A LOT OF WHITE SMOKE, AND LOST ACCELERATION. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE CAR ON THE SHOULDER AND A BY PASSER STOPPED HIS CAR ON OPPOSITE SHOULDER AND ANALYZED THE SITUATION AND SHOUTED MOVE YOUR FAMILY OUT AND …

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WE WERE ON A CITY ROAD UPHILL AND DRIVING TO A FRIENDS HOME. OUR MAZDA CX-9 GRAND TOURING MADE A RATTLING NOISE, RELEASED A LOT OF WHITE SMOKE, AND LOST ACCELERATION. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE CAR ON THE SHOULDER AND A BY PASSER STOPPED HIS CAR ON OPPOSITE SHOULDER AND ANALYZED THE SITUATION AND SHOUTED MOVE YOUR FAMILY OUT AND MOVE FROM THE CAR SINCE ITS ON FIRE UNDERNEATH. WE IMMEDIATELY MOVED OUT AND BY PASSER CALLED 911. ALL THE TIME WHILE WE WAITED AND FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED THE CAR WAS DRIPPING FIRE.

NHTSA ODI #11113446

Official recalls

3

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.

16V203000 · Steering

Apr 11, 2016

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 2, 2015, 2013-2014 Mazda2 vehicles manufactured July 3, 2013, to August 8, 2014, 2014-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured January 19, 2013, to December 2, 2015, and 2013-2015 CX-9 vehicles manufactured December 6, 2012, to July 31, 2015. The lower mounting nuts and bolts that attach the front strut assembly to the steering knuckle may loosen, allowing the steering knuckle to separate.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the steering knuckle separates from the strut assembly, it can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lower mounting nuts and bolts that secure the front strut assembly to the steering knuckle. If the bolts are loose, they will be replaced and then correctly tightened, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin May 20, 2016. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 9316D.

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

1

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