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2018 Mazda CX-9

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
B
Safety Signal
84 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns2
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA126
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA24 mpg
20232022202120202019201820172016

The 2018 Mazda CX-9 is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the CX-9 2WD, is EPA-rated at 24 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 126 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
CX-9 2WDGasFWD2.5L 4-cyl turbo222824$2,600
CX-9 4WDGas4WD2.5L 4-cyl turbo202623$2,700

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39183, 39185.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2018 Mazda CX-9 is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Fuel System, Gasoline

5321K
121,038 vehicles
ProblemMazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3, Mazda6, 2019 CX-3, 2018-2019 MX-5, CX-5, CX-9, and 2019-2020 Mazda2 vehicles. The impeller inside the low-pressure fuel pump may crack and deform, potentially causing the fuel pump to fail.RiskFuel pump failure may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers will replace the fuel pumps, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 18, 2022. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 5321K.
NHTSA campaign 21V875000reported Nov 12, 2021Mazda North American Operations
▲high

Electrical System

3419E
7,854 vehicles
ProblemMazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 CX-9 vehicles. The wiring harness may disrupt electrical communications and disable the passenger frontal air bag, turn signals, and/or engine starting system.RiskThe passenger frontal air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury. Inoperable turn signals prevent the driver from signaling to other drivers, increasing the risk of crash.FixMazda will notify owners, and dealers will repair the wiring harnesses, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3419E.
NHTSA campaign 19V403000reported May 30, 2019Mazda North American Operations

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
126complaints filed

4 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 2 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2017: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2019: 5 · 2020: 3 · 2021: 5 · 2022: 21 · 2023: 39 · 2024: 30 · 2025: 10 · 2026: 10

Most-cited components

Engine74
Unspecified19
Electrical System15
Power Train13
Service Brakes11
Fuel/Propulsion System5

What owners describe

“The main infotainment display randomly exhibited "spider cracking" which obstructs the view of the material being displayed within the screen. It is unsafe because the operator is unable to see maps, time, locations, controls, reverse cameras, etc. All of these are displayed in the screen and, due to the manufacturing …”Feb 21, 2023 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report
“Driving the car home from work, the engine temperature gauge started to go up high. I added coolant that same night. Went to the dealership for a check up. I was told the coolant was coming out from the back of the engine and will need to partial repair the engine. Only 75k miles in the engine and that was an estimate …”Jan 15, 2023 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“After owning this used vehicle for about 11 months, the engine temperature gauge indicated the car was running hot - about 240 degrees. After inspecting the vehicle at home, we added coolant to the system. This helped maintain engine temperature temporarily, but we noted over the next several weeks that the coolant was…”Dec 27, 2022 · Engine · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆15%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆16%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other CX-9 model years

A

2023 Mazda CX-9

0 recalls · 12 complaints

A

2022 Mazda CX-9

0 recalls · 9 complaints

A

2021 Mazda CX-9

1 recalls · 38 complaints

A

2020 Mazda CX-9

1 recalls · 19 complaints

B

2019 Mazda CX-9

2 recalls · 53 complaints

A

2017 Mazda CX-9

0 recalls · 61 complaints

A

2016 Mazda CX-9

0 recalls · 104 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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