2018 Mazda CX-9: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
126 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2011 and 2012 CX-9, CAUTION verdicts at 65 and 50 with Service Brakes accounting for 100 of the 2011 car's 170 complaints and 143 of the 2012 car's 221; buy a 2014, 2015, 2017 or any year from 2019 to 2022, which score between 83 and 93. The 2018 car is a CAUTION at 57 with 126 complaints, 74 of them Engine. Read the full note on the model page. 2018 specifically: 126 complaints on record, score 57/100 — read the year table on the model page to see where it sits among its siblings.
Read the guide
Used Mazda CX-9, CX-3 and CX-7: what the record says, including 2018 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 126 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 15.75
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
I was driving home from work and may car started overheating out of nowhere. I was stuck in traffic and white smoke was exiting my exhaust. I pulled over and all of my coolant leaked out of my car. Took it the shop and they said I had a cracked head and need a whole new engine. I seen that there was a warranty sent out for a problem with an exhaust manifold issue leaking coolant and that is exactly what caused my pro…
My passenger heated seats malfunction while I was driving. As I was driving on the highway I smelled something burning. I didn't know where the smell was coming from it was strong . Then while I'm driving on the highway my seat started to smoke a lot I got scared and pulled on side of the road. I realized my seat was the issue turned off the heated seats on the control. Step out the vehicle on side the highway I was …
My wife was driving the vehicle when the emergency lights started going off. She had to pull over because the car wouldn't run and said it was overheated. All the maintenance has been done to the car. We took it to the dealership and they said it is a cracked head and it is a known issue. They even issued a extended warranty for it. It is TSB 01-002/23. There should be a recall on this not just a partial credit.
Recalls: 2 campaigns (2 severe)
| 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 Mazda2 vehicles. The impeller inside the low-pressure fuel pump may crack and deform, potentially causing the fuel pump to fail. |
| 19V403000 | Electrical System:Wiring | Mazda 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. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 24 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,550
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Engine74 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other19 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System15 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Power Train13 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Service Brakes11 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Fuel/Propulsion System5 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
Other Mazda CX-9 years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Mazda CX-9?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (74 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2018 Mazda CX-9 a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 57/100, computed from 126 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2018 Mazda CX-9's most common problem?
74 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2018 Mazda CX-9 sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2018 Mazda CX-9 cost to run per year?
About $4,639 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $23,195 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2018 Mazda CX-9 have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2018 Mazda CX-9, 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.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2018 Mazda CX-9 really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & 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: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 126 complaints, 2 recalls on record
- 126 NHTSA complaints on record (15.8/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (7.6/yr)
- 2 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems