2018 Mazda CX-5: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
116 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
116 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 14.5
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from under the hood. No warning light was illuminated. The contact's wife pulled over and discovered that there was oil leaking onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the #5 and #7 cylinder heads were cracked and needed to be replaced. The vehicle wa…
Cylinder head suddenly cracked, causing heavy oil leakage onto hot exhaust manifold. Car started to smoke heavily. Vehicle turned off before potential engine fire.
2018 Mazda CX-5 AWD with 2.5 L engine, non turbo. Car has 98,914 miles. Rear differential started leaking oil. Dealer stated that the differential needs to be replaced, for $5,003.33. Manual does not provide for oil change intervals. Lifetime oil. 98K must be the life expectancy. Has not been fixed yet. Sitting in the garage dripping oil onto a piece of cardboard. independent shop looking for a low mileage used dif…
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 21V875000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3, Mazda6, 2019 CX-3, 2018-2019 MX-5, CX-5, CX-9, and 2019-2020 Mazda… |
| 18V426000 | Air Bags:Side/Window | Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda CX-5 vehicles. In the event of a side impact or rollover crash, the… |
| 19V497000 | Engine | Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018-2019 CX-5, Mazda6, and 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. A software error in the powe… |
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (94 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 63/100, computed from 116 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2018 Mazda CX-5, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 12/11/2021. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-08-20.