Mazda CX-9 vs Toyota 4Runner: which is more reliable?
The Mazda CX-9 is ahead of the Toyota 4Runner on the federal record, 84/100 against 78/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Mazda CX-9
- 11 model years scored
- 885 owner complaints on record
- about 7 complaints per year on the road
- 19 recall campaigns, 13 safety-critical
- best year 2022 (93/100) · worst 2012 (50/100)
Toyota 4Runner
- 14 model years scored
- 817 owner complaints on record
- about 11 complaints per year on the road
- 62 recall campaigns, 23 safety-critical
- best year 2024 (90/100) · worst 2025 (44/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: CX-9 against 4Runner
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Mazda CX-9
- Engine — 302 complaints
- Service Brakes — 284 complaints
- Power Train — 87 complaints
Toyota 4Runner
- Air Bags — 238 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 122 complaints
- Electrical System — 79 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the CX-9's complaints concentrate in Engine, the 4Runner's in Air Bags. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Mazda CX-9: no model year scores below 45; the strongest are 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020….
Toyota 4Runner — avoid: 2025.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Mazda CX-9 prices at about $34,200 and a Toyota 4Runner at about $40,800 — the Mazda CX-9 is roughly $6,600 less, and they return 23.0 against 22.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Mazda CX-9 or the Toyota 4Runner more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Mazda CX-9 scores 84/100 against the Toyota 4Runner's 78/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Mazda CX-9 and Toyota 4Runner years should I avoid?
Mazda CX-9: no year scores below 45. Toyota 4Runner: 2025. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Mazda CX-9 and the Toyota 4Runner?
The largest complaint group on the Mazda CX-9 is Engine (302 complaints); on the Toyota 4Runner it is Air Bags (238).
Is the Mazda CX-9 or the Toyota 4Runner cheaper to own?
A recent used Mazda CX-9 prices at about $34,200 and a Toyota 4Runner at about $40,800, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.