AutoUtility currently tracks 117 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2018 Mazda CX-5. Engine & Cooling issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 97 complaints (82.9% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 1 filing cites a crash, 1 reports one or more injuries.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
97 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
17 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
4 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
2 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
26 complaint narratives describe this symptom.
4 complaint narratives describe this symptom.
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was leaking engine oil, and there was white smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact stated that upon further inspection, there was a puddle of engine oil on the ground while the..."
"The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from under the hood. No warning light was illuminated. The contact's wife pulled over and discovered that there was oil leaking onto the ground. The vehicle was..."
"I am writing to formally document a significant engine failure on my 2018 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring (VIN: [XXX], License: [XXX], Odometer: 78,159 miles). The vehicle began exhibiting visible smoke from under the hood and severe oil leakage — oil was actively pooling beneath the car and leaving a..."
"Check engine light on when read it comes back with P0171 code"
"The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that white smoke was coming from the engine compartment whenever the vehicle reached normal operating temperature. The contact stated that smoke entered the passenger’s side compartment through the air vents and was coming from underneath the..."
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Mazda CX-5 | 133 | 11 | 4 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Mazda CX-5 | 510 | 31 | 5 | View 2016 Problems → |
| 2017 Mazda CX-5 | 148 | 5 | 1 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Mazda CX-5 Current Page | 117 | 1 | 3 | Current |
| 2019 Mazda CX-5 | 266 | 7 | 2 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Mazda CX-5 | 106 | 9 | 0 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Mazda CX-5 | 143 | 9 | 0 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 Mazda CX-5 | 62 | 5 | 0 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Mazda CX-5 | 60 | 8 | 0 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Mazda CX-5 | 41 | 4 | 0 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 Mazda CX-5 | 27 | 4 | 0 | View 2025 Problems → |
| 2026 Mazda CX-5 | 13 | 0 | 0 | View 2026 Problems → |
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 16 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 82 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year
Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.
Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.
NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.
EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2018 Mazda CX-5
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2018 Mazda CX-5 is Engine & Cooling, appearing in 97 records (82.9% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Powertrain & Transmission (17) and Driver Assistance & Safety Tech (4).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 117 consumer defect complaints and 3 safety recall campaigns for the 2018 Mazda CX-5.
Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.
Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2018 Mazda CX-5, 1 filing cites a crash, 0 cite smoke or fire, and 1 report one or more injuries.
Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.