2011 Mazda CX-9 Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jun 30, 2026 · 170 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other CX-9 years
Far more complaints than other years 4th of 17 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 170 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Mazda CX-9. That ranks 4th out of 17 CX-9 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes (97 complaints, 57%), typically at around 72,623 miles. Complaints mention 7 crashes, 3 fires, 2 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.

Mazda CX-9
Mazda_CX-9_(TC) in Böblingen. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2011 Mazda CX-9 problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Service Brakes97 · ~72,623 mi
Power Train25 · ~87,000 mi
Air Bags22 · ~104,585 mi
Engine15 · ~81,000 mi
Suspension8 · ~120,000 mi
Electrical System5 · ~65,864 mi
Unknown or Other5 · ~72,650 mi
Electronic Stability Control (esc)4 · ~72,246 mi
Steering4 · ~70,000 mi
Vehicle Speed Control4 · ~69,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Service Brakes problems9757%72,623“brake booster” (36%)—
Power Train2515%87,000——
Air Bags2213%104,585——
Engine159%81,000——
Suspension85%120,000——
Electrical System53%65,864——
Unknown or Other53%72,650——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)42%72,246——
Steering42%70,000——
Vehicle Speed Control42%69,000——
Exterior Lighting32%120,000——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic32%58,800——
Wheels32%100,000——
Seat Belts21%56,598——
Equipment11%74,000——
Fuel System, Gasoline11%103,000——
Seats11%11,265——
Structure11%125,000——
Tires11%53,664——
Traction Control System11%11,000——
Visibility11%102,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2016, with 30 complaints
2011: 1201112012: 332013: 9201392014: 20202015: 282015282016: 30302017: 202017202018: 16162019: 172019172020: 10102021: 6202162022: 222023: 2202322024: 222025: 3202532026: 11

n = 170 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2011 Mazda CX-9 recalls (4)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleDo not driveOct 31, 2019 · NHTSA campaign 19V782000 · 69,879 vehicles

Problem: 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.

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

Fix: 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.

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleDo not driveOct 12, 2018 · NHTSA campaign 18V717000 · 155,436 vehicles

Problem: 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.

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

Fix: 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.

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleDo not driveJun 29, 2017 · NHTSA campaign 17V429000 · 205,377 vehicles

Problem: 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.

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

Fix: 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.

Suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint; suspension:front:control arm:lower armJul 20, 2015 · NHTSA campaign 15V451000 · 193,484 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: 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.

Fix: 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.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Inadvertent Curtain Air Bag Deployment (PE19006) — opened May 2, 2019, closed Jan 15, 2021.
  • Lower ball joint separation (PE15022) — opened Jun 9, 2015, closed Aug 20, 2015, led to recall 15V451000.
  • Brake Booster Failure (PE14005) — opened Feb 10, 2014, closed Jun 26, 2014.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

The front driver-side lower ball joint suffered a catastrophic structural failure and sheared completely apart while moving. This vehicle was previously serviced under Safety Recall Campaign 15V451000 / Mazda Recall 8515G for this exact defect. The recall remedy part failed a second time…

Suspension · received Jun 30, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11747329

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle at a slow speed in the driveway, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration, lurched forward, and crashed into a tree before coming to a stop. The contact was unable to stop the vehicle…

Air Bags · received Aug 1, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11677734

While driving the side airbags exploded and I had to stop in the middle of the street, get vehicle towed to mazda dealer in Alpharetta, GA Now, im without a vehicle. What do I do now?

Air Bags · received Jul 15, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11673826

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a turn, the contact lost control of the vehicle, and the front driver's side suspension lowered to the ground. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the…

Suspension · received May 2, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11658375

I had an issue with the AWD not engaging and the 4x4 light illuminating when driving on snow and ice. No indicators when driving under normal conditions. I had no traction and had difficulty maintaining control of the vehicle while driving at speeds less than 25 mph. I had difficulty gettting…

Power Train · received Dec 20, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11631793

Other Mazda CX-9 years

← 2010 CX-9 · 2012 CX-9 →

See all Mazda CX-9 problems by year, every Mazda model, or the Mazda VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2011 Mazda CX-9?

Owners most often report service brakes, power train, air bags problems. The top one, service brakes, accounts for 97 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2011 Mazda CX-9?

Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2011 Mazda CX-9 a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other CX-9 model years, the 2011 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.