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2016 Mazda MAZDA6

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2016 Mazda MAZDA6 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 105.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

54 reports with mileage · 23 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.

  • Electrical System. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

9 crash reports0 fire reports6 injury reports

Forward Collision Avoidance complaints

1 reports
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Mileage unknown · May 23, 2024
Forward Collision AvoidanceVehicle Speed Control

When driving, after a period of 10 - 20 minutes usually, of the adaptive cruise being on (not necessarily in use), the buttons on the steering wheel will re-map. That is, the + button for adjusting the cruise speed up by 1 mph increments will switch with the - button that adjusts the cruise speed down by 1 mph increments. Th…

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When driving, after a period of 10 - 20 minutes usually, of the adaptive cruise being on (not necessarily in use), the buttons on the steering wheel will re-map. That is, the + button for adjusting the cruise speed up by 1 mph increments will switch with the - button that adjusts the cruise speed down by 1 mph increments. This happens reliably... if I've driven the car with adaptive cruise on for more that 10 - 20 minutes, the buttons will re-map. + slows the car down or doesn't work at all (does nothing). - speeds the car up. Also, rarely, the cancel button will speed the car up. Often the cancel button will not work and the only way to disengage the adaptive cruise is to tap on the brake pedal. Less frequently--maybe about 1/3 - 1/2 of the time, the "off" button, which turns the adaptive cruise off entirely, will not work. Note, that this is not the "engage" or "enable" button. These are the buttons that just turn on and off the adaptive cruise and show that it is now ready to be set if on. I discussed this with the dealer. I believe it is a software problem, they cannot find a software problem as they patched the software in the car up to the latest version. They want to replace the steering wheel where the switches are. This is a $750 repair. (I'm not sure if it's the whole steering wheel or the switch cluster on the wheel.) I cannot afford it and I'm not convinced it will work. I believe they are just guessing at a solution. Nothing to my knowledge has ever spilled on the steering wheel to potentially damage the switchgear. Also, this, to me, does not explain how it always works correctly for the first 10 - 20 minutes of driving, then fails reliably after that. This problem has existed for over two years. Since the car has had about 100,000 miles on it.

NHTSA ODI #11590278

Official recalls

1

17V546000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification; Seats; Steering:electric Power Assist System

Aug 31, 2017

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016 Mazda6 vehicles. Debris from the welding process during manufacturing of the front passenger seat frame may damage the occupant classification system (OCS) wiring.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the wiring becomes damaged, there may be a loss of power steering assist and the deactivation of the passenger air bag, increasing the risk of a crash and the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will attach a protective pad on the seat frame. If the OCS harness is damaged, insulating tape will be applied to the harness. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began October 26, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1517H.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016 Mazda6 vehicles. Debris from the welding process during manufacturing of the front passenger seat frame may damage the occupant classification system (OCS) wiring.

Consequence: If the wiring becomes damaged, there may be a loss of power steering assist and the deactivation of the passenger air bag, increasing the risk of a crash and the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will attach a protective pad on the seat frame. If the OCS harness is damaged, insulating tape will be applied to the harness. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began October 26, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1517H.

Steering:electric Power Assist System

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016 Mazda6 vehicles. Debris from the welding process during manufacturing of the front passenger seat frame may damage the occupant classification system (OCS) wiring.

Consequence: If the wiring becomes damaged, there may be a loss of power steering assist and the deactivation of the passenger air bag, increasing the risk of a crash and the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will attach a protective pad on the seat frame. If the OCS harness is damaged, insulating tape will be applied to the harness. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began October 26, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1517H.

Seats

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016 Mazda6 vehicles. Debris from the welding process during manufacturing of the front passenger seat frame may damage the occupant classification system (OCS) wiring.

Consequence: If the wiring becomes damaged, there may be a loss of power steering assist and the deactivation of the passenger air bag, increasing the risk of a crash and the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will attach a protective pad on the seat frame. If the OCS harness is damaged, insulating tape will be applied to the harness. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began October 26, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1517H.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.