2013 Mazda CX-9 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other CX-9 years
- About as many complaints as other years 8th of 17 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 68 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Mazda CX-9. That ranks 8th out of 17 CX-9 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (17 complaints, 25%), typically at around 88,950 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 1 fire, 2 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.

- 68owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2013 Mazda CX-9 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 17 | 25% | 88,950 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 16 | 24% | 58,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 9 | 13% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 9 | 13% | 48,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 9 | 13% | 53,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 5 | 7% | 56,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 6% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 3% | 52,793 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 1 | 1% | 338 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1% | 338 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 1% | 150 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | 12,800 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | 53,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2013 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 drive
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 drive
Problem: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2013 Mazda6 and 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 2010 Mazda6, CX-7 and CX-9 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Additionally, unless covered in Zone A or Zone B, Mazda is recalling certain 2009 Mazda6, CX-7, and 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 March 2, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F.
Steering
Problem: 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.
Risk: If the steering knuckle separates from the strut assembly, it can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint; suspension:front:control arm:lower arm
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Engine throwing a code after dying at intersection. Found that it isa known issue for this vehicle and repair costs are astronomical. Diagnostic Summary: 2013 Mazda CX-9 (3.7L V6)Issue: Faulty Crankshaft/Camshaft Correlation (Code P0016)Current Mileage: ~160,000 miles Reported Symptoms: Extended…
The contact owns a 2013 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the lower control arm needed to be…
I was pulling into a parking spot in Brooksville, Florida. It was the last parking spot on the block. As I pulled in, I went to hit my brake so that I could back up and the car did not stop. My foot was pressed all the way down to the floor and it kept going, and I hit the car parked in front of…
Niece was driving home from college on July 24, 2024 around 7:30 PM. She heard a pop when she was 1 mile away from the house. Side airbags exploded on passenger and driver side for no reason. She called me. We drove the car home since it was less than 1 mile away. No injuries. A couple of days…
The engine in my Mazda blew with no warning. I got in my car after warming it up and noticed my check engine light on, which wasnât unusual because it has came on before with a loose gas gap warning, so I put it in gear and drove less than 50 ft before it started making noises. I immediately…
Other Mazda CX-9 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 CX-9 | 13 | 0 |
| 2022 CX-9 | 10 | 0 |
| 2021 CX-9 | 39 | 1 |
| 2020 CX-9 | 19 | 1 |
| 2019 CX-9 | 53 | 2 |
| 2018 CX-9 | 128 | 2 |
| 2017 CX-9 | 61 | 0 |
| 2016 CX-9 | 107 | 0 |
| 2015 CX-9 | 35 | 2 |
| 2014 CX-9 | 54 | 3 |
| 2013 | 68 | 4 |
| 2012 CX-9 | 221 | 4 |
| 2011 CX-9 | 170 | 4 |
| 2010 CX-9 | 195 | 6 |
| 2009 CX-9 | 59 | 6 |
| 2008 CX-9 | 172 | 5 |
| 2007 CX-9 | 86 | 5 |
See all Mazda CX-9 problems by year, every Mazda model, or the Mazda VIN decoder.
Similar Mazda models
Embed this 2013 Mazda CX-9 badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Mazda CX-9?
Owners most often report engine, service brakes, air bags problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 17 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2013 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 2013 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 2013 has about as many complaints as a typical year, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.