2009 Mazda Mazda6 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
529 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2009 Mazda Mazda6, alongside 10 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Body & structure leads the reports, typically around 84,500 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2009 Mazda Mazda6 sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2002, 2013, 2015, 2017–2018.
Avoid
Where 2009 sits among all Mazda6 years
What owners report
“Rust through of engine cradle frame on passenger side of vehicle. Discovered during oil change.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Mazda6
“There was a recall on the front subframe due to rust. The rear subframe has the same safety issue but there is no recall for that and there should be”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Mazda6
“Takata recall. The air bag light is on constantly in the car and the area above the airbag in the dash is opening up and pulling away from the dash while stationary.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Mazda6
“My dashboard is sticky and melting. This is very bad !!!!!! And very concern about the air bag.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Mazda6
“The driver's side high beam headlight has gone out. Hitting in makes the light turn on again, but it goes out within a few minutes.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Mazda6
“Takata recall i was driving my car to work and the steering rack went out of it the car only has 116,000 miles on it.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Mazda6
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 344 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 91,009 miles. Half of those reports fall between 55,000 and 126,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (10)
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 2009-2010 Mazda Mazda6 vehicles sold, or ever registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire,…
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…
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,…
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…
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 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…
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,…
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Mazda6 vehicles manufactured February 4, 2008, to December 3, 2009. The protective coating may not have been properly applied to the air bag control unit (ACU) and, as a…
Fix: Mazda dealers will replace the ACU, free of charge, however parts are not currently available. The recall began June 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's…
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.
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…
MAZDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2010 MAZDA6 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 8, 2008, THROUGH FEBRUARY 8, 2010. A CERTAIN TYPE OF SPIDER MAY WEAVE A WEB IN THE EVAPORATIVE CANISTER VENT LINE AND THIS MAY CAUSE A RESTRICTION IN THE LINE. IF THIS…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND CLEAN UP THE CANISTER VENT LINE, AND INSTALL A SPRING TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF SPIDER FROM ENTERING THE VENT LINE. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY…
THULE, INC. IS RECALLING 2,323 OWNER-INSTALLED ROOF-MOUNTED FIT KITS, MODELS 3068 AND 3069, MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JANUARY 1, 2008 AND FEBRUARY 28, 2009 THAT ARE USED WITH THULE PODIUM FOOT PACKS, MODELS 460 AND 460R. THESE FIT KITS WERE SOLD AS AFTERMARKET…
Fix: THULE WILL MAIL A RETRO FIT KIT ALONG WITH REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS TO OWNERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE APRIL 13, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THULE TOLL-FREE AT…
MAZDA IS RECALLING 29,000 MY 2009 MAZDA6. THE OUTER DOOR HANDLES MAY STICK WHICH MAY PREVENT THE DOOR FROM LATCHING. THIS SITUATION MAY ALLOW THE DOOR TO OPEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DOOR HANDLES AND IF NECESSARY REPAIR OR REPLACE THE HANDLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 13, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MAZDA AT 1-800-222-5500.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 18V631000.
Led to recall campaign 13V425000.
Technical service bulletins
252 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2009 Mazda Mazda6. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2009 Mazda6 TSB list →
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 2009 Mazda Mazda6 reliable?
The 2009 Mazda Mazda6 drew 529 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 (2009).
What are the most common 2009 Mazda Mazda6 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2009 Mazda Mazda6 are body & structure (124 complaints), suspension (76), and airbags (75).
At what mileage do 2009 Mazda Mazda6 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2009 Mazda Mazda6 problems around 91,009 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 55,000 and 126,000 miles.
Does the 2009 Mazda Mazda6 have recalls?
10 recall campaigns apply to the 2009 Mazda Mazda6. 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.