2021 Mazda CX-9: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
38 NHTSA owner complaints · 1 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. 2021 specifically: a year the record favours — 38 complaints, score 86/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Mazda CX-9, CX-3 and CX-7: what the record says, including 2021 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 38 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 7.6
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The vehicle was parked stationary in the driveway with the engine running for 3-5 minutes with the A/C on. The vehicle then accelerated forward into my garage causing damage. Once I entered the vehicle, both the dash and shifter displayed park. Current TCU system internal failures have been reported from the pulling of data from Mazda.
Check engine light comes on and error P0303 comes on. Had an independent mechanic do the following and after each one, error P0303 still came on 1. Swap the ignition coils from 2 to 3 2. Swap spark plugs from 2 to 3 3. Swapped injectors 4. Compression test 5. Leak down test 6. Changed the spark plug, coil and injectors 7. Looked for vacuum leaks. Mechanic believes that it is related to the cracked cylinder head in t…
Backup camera shows three to four feet before red collision line is not accurate causing severe damage to my garage door.
Recalls: 1 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 21V750000 | Seats:Mid/Rear Assembly | Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2020-2021 CX-9 vehicles equipped with 60/40 split bench second-row seats. The left-side second-row seat may unexpectedly slide forward during a crash. |
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.
- Engine20 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other6 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Service Brakes4 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Power Train3 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Forward Collision Avoidance3 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Vehicle Speed Control2 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
Other Mazda CX-9 years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Mazda CX-9?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (20 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2021 Mazda CX-9 a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 86/100, computed from 38 NHTSA complaints and 1 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2021 Mazda CX-9's most common problem?
20 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2021 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 2021 Mazda CX-9 cost to run per year?
About $4,064 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $20,320 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 2021 Mazda CX-9 have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for the 2021 Mazda CX-9, 0 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 27/09/2021. 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 2021 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.
Thin evidence — 38 complaints, 1 recalls on record
- 38 NHTSA complaints on record (7.6/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (7.6/yr)
- 1 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality