2012 Mazda CX-9 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
263 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Mazda CX-9, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Brakes & stability leads the reports, typically around 57,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2012 Mazda CX-9 sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2015.
Avoid
Where 2012 sits among all CX-9 years
What owners report
“Brake booster on vehicle went out while driving, hard to engage brake and slow vehicle to a stop.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 CX-9
“Fuel pump failure causing engine failure and to die in motion on a rural highway. Vehicle had to be pushed off the road.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 CX-9
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 202 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 55,615 miles. Half of those reports fall between 35,521 and 79,855 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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…
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,…
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,…
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…
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…
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,…
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.
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…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 15V451000.
Technical service bulletins
289 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2012 Mazda CX-9. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2012 Mazda CX-9 reliable?
The 2012 Mazda CX-9 drew 263 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (2012).
What are the most common 2012 Mazda CX-9 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Mazda CX-9 are brakes & stability (143 complaints), engine (26), and airbags (23).
At what mileage do 2012 Mazda CX-9 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Mazda CX-9 problems around 55,615 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 35,521 and 79,855 miles.
Does the 2012 Mazda CX-9 have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 Mazda CX-9. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.