NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Mazda Mazda5. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES ON DURING OPERATION, UNABLE TO USE POWER STEERING UNTIL THE CAR HAS BEEN TURNED OFF AND BACK ON. THIS HAS OCCURRED TWICE WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE; HOWEVER THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THE PARTS ARE IN SHORT SUPPLY AND CANNOT BE FIXED UNTIL AT LEAST DECEMBER 2010. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MAZDA 5. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 60 MPH, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP, PIPING HOSE AND GASKET. THE MAZDA MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000. UPDATED 11/15/10 *CN
AT ABOUT 30,000 MILES, I NOTICED CONSIDERABLE VIBRATION AND A THUMPING NOISE, PARTICULARLY PROMINENT IN THE RIGHT FRONT QUADRANT. WHEN THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED THE PROBLEM IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS UNEVEN TIRE WEAR ON THE FRONT TIRES AND I PURCHASED TWO NEW TIRES AND HAD AN ALIGNMENT PERFORMED. THE PROBLEM RECURRED WITHIN 10,000 MILES, AFTER THE NEXT SERVICE. ONCE AGAIN THE DIAGNOSIS WAS UNEVEN TIRE WEAR, THIS TIME ON THE SET OF TIRES WHICH HAD NOT BEEN REPLACED. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS THEY WERE A SAFETY RISK. ADDITIONALLY THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE MAZDA 5 WAS HARD ON ITS REAR TIRES (FROM WHICH THESE HAD BEEN ROTATED AT THE LAST SERVICE). A QUICK REVIEW OF A VARIETY OF FORUMS WOULD INDICATE THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED AND THAT, IN ADDITION TO THE POOR QUALITY TOYO TIRES WHICH ARE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, WEAK ALLOY WHEELS MAY ALSO PLAY A ROLE. *TR
BROKEN FUEL CAP IN A 2009 MAZDA5... TRIED TO UNSCREW FUEL CAP TO FUEL VEHICLE. IT WOULD NOT COME OFF. TRIED SEVERAL TIMES UNTIL IT BROKE OFF. A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH FOUND DOZENS OF SIMILAR INCIDENTS WITH MAZDA 3'S AND MAZDA 5'S. THE CAP HAS 2 PARTS, THE OUTER PART IS WHAT BROKE OFF, WHILE THE INNER PART REMAINS STUCK. AFTER THE OUTER PART BREAKS OFF, IT BECOMES EVIDENT THE INNER PART IS MISTREADED, SOMETHING NOT EVIDENT WHILE THE CAP IS INTACT. WILL HAVE DEALER REMOVE STUCK PART AND CHECK THIS OUT, AS THERE ARE OBVIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. *TR
1. WAS DRIVING MY 2009 MAZDA5 IN NEW YORK CITY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. AS I AS GETTING ONTO THE LINCOLN TUNNEL I NOTICED MY POWER STEERING HAD FAILED AND THE WARNING LIGHT WAS ON. AS I WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC IN THE TUNNEL I HAD TO DRIVE UNTIL I COULD GET TO A LESS CONGESTED AREA. AFTER STOPPING I TURNED THE CAR OFF TO CALL THE DEALER. WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR THE POWER STEERING HAD RETURNED. 2: OCCURRED JUST ONCE. 3. I TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALER THE NEXT DAY, AM STILL WAITING FOR RESOLUTION. *TR
ON MAY 12, 2010, OUR 2009 MAZDA5 WITH 18,800 MILES ON THE ODOMETER WAS BEING DRIVEN ON THE FREEWAY DURING RUSH HOUR IN LOS ANGELES AT A SPEED OF 40-50 MILES AN HOUR WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED SUDDENLY. AS A RESULT THE CAR WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER AND CONTROL. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE OFF THE FREEWAY AND CALL FOR HELP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE MAZDA DEALER. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AND REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND PIPE. THE REPAIR TOOK TWO DAYS AS PARTS WERE NOT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE. *TR
AFTER TEN MINUTE DRIVE TIME FROM HOME, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING IN A PARKING DECK. STEERING FAILURE INDICATOR LIGHT ON DASH WAS ACTIVATED. WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY, I EXITED THE DECK AND PARKED ON THE STREET. AFTER AN HOUR OF BEING PARKED AND SEVERAL ENGINE RESTARTS, THE POWER STEERING CAME BACK ON. WE TOOK THE 2009 MAZDA5 TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR AND WERE TOLD THAT THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. *TR
THE STEERING COLUMN WILL NOT LOCK IN PLACE.. MAZDA HAS MADE 6 REPAIR ATTEMPTS. REPAIR DATES: 11/04/09, 4/14/10, 4/28/10, 6/10/10, 8/4/10, 10/25/10. THE PROBLEM PERSISTS TO DATE. *TR
DRIVERS SIDE FLOORMAT RETENTION HOLE SEPARATES AFTER < 5000 MILES ALLOWING MAT TO MOVE FORWARD SO THAT CLUTCH PEDAL CATCHES ON MAT. WHEN CLUTCH PEDAL RELEASED IT PICKS UP THE MAT SO THAT NEXT TIME THE CLUTCH IS PEDAL IS PRESSED THE MAT ALSO CATCHES ON THE BRAKE PEDAL CAUSING UNEXPECTED BRAKING. *TR
WHILE DRIVING 10 TO 20 MPH POWER STEERING FAILS FOLLOWED BY ALL ELECTRONICS FLASHING AND THEN BY CAR ENGINE DYING. CONTROL OF CAR IS VERY DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS. POWER STEERING HAS FAILED ABOUT 20 TIMES ENGINE FAILURE ABOUT 10 TIMES. DEALER TOLD ME THEY FOUND HITS ON THE ONBOARD COMPUTER, WERE ABLE TO REPEAT THE PROBLEM AND EVENTUALLY TRACKED IT DOWN TO THE POWER STEERING. BUT HAVE FAILED TO FIND A PROBLEM. THEY NOW DENY ALL OF THIS. I QUESTION IF THE CAR IS SAFE. *TR
DRIVING 20-309 MPH ON THE 495 BELTWAY DURING RUSH HOUR ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 5TH AROUND 4 PM WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL OF MY NEW 2009 MAZDA 5 BEGINS TO LOCK. THE POWER-STEERING WHEEL LOCK SIGNAL TURNS ON AND HAD TO SLOWLY GET OFF THE BELTWAY. WE HAD TO TURN OFF THE CAR AND TURN IT BACK ON. THANKFULLY WE WERE NOT INJURED. WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND WONDERING IF THERE WERE OTHER COMPLAINTS OUT THERE. *TR
THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO UNCONTROLLABLE AND WOBBLING SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING A FREEWAY AT 60MPH AND ENDED UP CAUSING THE CENTER DIVIDER CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ONE MONTH AGO AS BRAND NEW CAR. THE POWER STEERING HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO HANDLE AND FINALLY CAUSED THIS MAJOR ACCIDENT. THE CAR IS WAITING FOR INSPECTION FROM INSURANCE COMPANY AND THE DEALER REFUSED TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MAZDA 5. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON A HILL WITH THE EMERGENCY SERVICE BRAKE ENGAGED. THE CONTACT OBSERVED THE VEHICLE ROLLING AFTER IT HAD BEEN STATIONARY FOR SEVERAL HOURS. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A MAILBOX. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, BUT THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED A SCRATCH ON THE FRONT BUMPER. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, THE IDENTICAL FAILURE OCCURRED AND THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A RESIDENCE'S STORAGE SHED. THE POLICE WAS NOT CALLED TO THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGES TO THE FRONT BUMPER AND THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION, BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 5,025.