2012 Mazda MAZDA6 Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jan 19, 2026 · 99 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other MAZDA6 years
About as many complaints as other years 11th of 20 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
4 out of 5 stars

Owners have filed 99 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Mazda MAZDA6. That ranks 11th out of 20 MAZDA6 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (30 complaints, 30%), typically at around 80,000 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 2 fires, 6 injuries. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year.

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

Compare with another car

Most common 2012 Mazda MAZDA6 problems

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

Air Bags30 · ~80,000 mi
Exterior Lighting28 · ~55,000 mi
Unknown or Other20 · ~68,250 mi
Electrical System12 · ~80,750 mi
Structure12 · ~96,000 mi
Suspension8 · ~188,000 mi
Steering4 · ~88,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion System3 · ~102,000 mi
Engine2 · ~55,000 mi
Service Brakes2
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Air Bags3030%80,000——
Exterior Lighting2828%55,000——
Unknown or Other2020%68,250——
Electrical System1212%80,750——
Structure1212%96,000——
Suspension88%188,000——
Steering44%88,000——
Fuel/propulsion System33%102,000——
Engine22%55,000——
Service Brakes22%———
Visibility/wiper22%———
Electronic Stability Control (esc)11%109,000——
Engine and Engine Cooling11%42,000——
Fuel System, Gasoline11%40,100——
Seats11%———
Wheels11%58,000——

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

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2017, with 32 complaints
2011: 1201112013: 112014: 7201472015: 15152016: 9201692017: 32322018: 102018102019: 552020: 4202042021: 112022: 1202212023: 332024: 7202472025: 112026: 220262

n = 99 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2012 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 driveJul 18, 2017 · NHTSA campaign 17V457000 · 79,402 vehicles

Problem: Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2012 CX-7, CX-9 and Mazda6 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 included in "Zone A" above, Mazda is recalling certain 2009 CX-7, CX-9 and Mazda6 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 included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Mazda is recalling certain 2007-2008 CX-7 and CX-9 sold, or 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. 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 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 front passenger side air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began October 4, 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 17V-012.

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.

Passenger dash has cracked some and dash is very very sticky..why has this happened..I feel if airbag had to deploy it would not because of this situation

Unknown or Other · received Jan 19, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11711883

The rear subframe and suspension parts are rusted so bad that the car is not safe to drive. Looked up recalls and found out the front subframe had a recall and was taken care of before I bought the car. Also found recall for my model of car that were registered in state that use salt on there roads…

Suspension · received Jan 12, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11710529

The contact owns a 2012 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH and crossing a bridge, the vehicle stopped unexpectedly after driving over several expansion joints. The contact stated that the vehicle had not stalled. The contact exited the vehicle and noticed that the passenger’s…

Structure · received Nov 7, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11698215

The contact owns a 2012 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel began to shake violently, with the low tire pressure warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to inspect the vehicle and discovered that the front passenger’s side tire had detached from…

Structure · received Jul 30, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11605371

Front subframe completely rusted out causing loss of steering. I believe this should have been covered by Safety Recall 2818I which addresses the issue. Mazda inspected and said because the recall was performed in 2019 on this car, there is nothing more they can do, once and done. Unfortunately…

Suspension · received Jul 18, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11603117

Other Mazda MAZDA6 years

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Mazda MAZDA6?

Owners most often report air bags, exterior lighting, unknown or other problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 30 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2012 Mazda MAZDA6?

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

Was the 2012 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 2012 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.