2011 Mazda MAZDA6 Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Sep 20, 2026 · 135 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other MAZDA6 years
More complaints than other years 9th of 20 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 135 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Mazda MAZDA6. That ranks 9th out of 20 MAZDA6 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is suspension (50 complaints, 37%), typically at around 108,000 miles. Complaints mention 8 crashes, 1 fire, 6 injuries. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year.

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

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Most common 2011 Mazda MAZDA6 problems

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

Suspension50 · ~108,000 mi
Structure30 · ~100,700 mi
Air Bags28 · ~109,000 mi
Unknown or Other22 · ~65,000 mi
Steering16 · ~96,906 mi
Exterior Lighting11 · ~55,000 mi
Electrical System8 · ~58,000 mi
Visibility/wiper5 · ~99,000 mi
Service Brakes4 · ~70,149 mi
Engine3 · ~60,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Suspension problems5037%108,000“rear subframe” (32%)—
Structure3022%100,700——
Air Bags2821%109,000——
Unknown or Other2216%65,000——
Steering1612%96,906——
Exterior Lighting118%55,000——
Electrical System86%58,000——
Visibility/wiper54%99,000——
Service Brakes43%70,149——
Engine32%60,000——
Fuel System, Gasoline32%12,500——
Power Train32%61,005——
Wheels21%———
Fuel/propulsion System11%———
Parking Brake11%12,124——
Seat Belts11%———
Vehicle Speed Control11%50,000——

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

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2017, with 21 complaints
2011: 1201112012: 332013: 2201322014: 442015: 102015102016: 14142017: 212017212018: 12122019: 112019112020: 992021: 9202192022: 772023: 8202382024: 12122025: 6202562026: 66

n = 135 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2011 Mazda MAZDA6 recalls (6)

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.

Structure; suspension:front:control armApr 25, 2019 · NHTSA campaign 19V323000 · 51,118 vehicles

Problem: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Mazda6 vehicles sold, or ever registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland,Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The front cross member may corrode after exposure to road salt.

Risk: Corrosion may weaken the mounting point for the passenger side lower control arm, unexpectedly changing the steering alignment and increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the cross member and either install a side member and drain hose and apply wax to protect from rust, or install a drain hose and an improved front cross member, free of charge. The recall began June 13, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 2818I. Note: This recall is an expansion of Recall 18V-631.

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.

Fuel system, gasolineMar 11, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V114000 · 42,000 vehicles

Problem: Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Mazda6 vehicles manufactured September 14, 2009, through May 2, 2011, and equipped with 2.5L engine. In the affected vehicles, spiders may weave a web in the evaporative canister vent hose, blocking it and causing the fuel tank to have an excessive amount of negative pressure.

Risk: Negative pressure could cause the fuel tank to crack resulting in a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.

Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module and inspect and clean the canister vent line. If a web was found in the line, the fuel tank and check valve on canister vent line will be replaced. These repairs will be done free of charge. The recall began on April 30, 2014. Owners may contact Mazda at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's recall number associated with this campaign is 7214C.

Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latchSep 24, 2013 · NHTSA campaign 13V425000 · 161,400 vehicles

Problem: Mazda is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Mazda6 vehicles manufactured February 4, 2008, through August 24, 2012. The door latch mounting screws may become loose.

Risk: If all three door latch mounting screws become excessively loose the door latch mechanism would not engage and the door might open while the vehicle is in motion increasing the risk of accident or injury.

Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will apply a thread locking adhesive to the door screws and retorque them, free of charge. The recall began on October 29, 2013. Owners may contact Mazda at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's recall number is 7013I.

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.

Recent owner reports

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

Crossmember is rusted out and car is undriveable. There is a recall on the crossmember front subframe

Suspension · received Sep 20, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11765687

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and coming to a stop, the steering wheel was not operating properly. Several days later while the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was play in the steering wheel…

Structure · received Jun 17, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11744830

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the contact attempted to swerve out the way of another vehicle as she suddenly lost control of the vehicle. Due to the failure, the contact force to steer the vehicle to the left as the contact attempted to…

Structure · received May 15, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11738066

Front Subframe has corroded and broke. There is a recall on the subframe that was repaired by dealership in 2019, but this repair did not fix the issue since it has now rusted through and broke. The repair was faulty.

Structure · received Apr 13, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11730786

Car developed a known recall issue problem, Recall 2818I. Even though Nebraska was not listed as a "salt state", it's obvious that Nebraska has similar conditions to Iowa. Attempts to contact Mazda USA corporate would not even fix the issue, citing cars age and other factors even though the damage…

Structure · received Mar 5, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11722303

Other Mazda MAZDA6 years

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2011 Mazda MAZDA6?

Owners most often report suspension, structure, air bags problems. The top one, suspension, accounts for 50 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2011 Mazda MAZDA6?

Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2011 Mazda MAZDA6 a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other MAZDA6 model years, the 2011 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.