Some customers may complain about any of the following: 1. Infotainment Center Display does not provide the Authorization Code (OTP) during the MyMazda App Connected Vehicle enrollment. 2. Remote function(s) inoperative. Engine Start / Stop • Door Lock / Unlock • Lights ON / OFF • Climate Control • 3. MAZDA CONNECT connected vehicle reception strength icon shows "X" or " ". Page
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2022 Mazda CX-5 lighting problems
moderate Owners of the 2022 Mazda CX-5 have filed 23 NHTSA complaints about the lighting at roughly $250 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See lighting across all vehicles →
Complaints
23
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$250
| Model year | lighting complaints |
|---|---|
| 2019 CX-5 | 3 |
| 2022 CX-5 (this page) | 23 |
| 2023 CX-5 | 8 |
| 2024 CX-5 | 4 |
What stands out
Lighting accounts for 37% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 4 categories tracked.
Among the 7 model years of Mazda CX-5 in our records for lighting problems, this one ranks #2 by owner-complaint volume.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering lighting on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Some customers may complain about any of the following: 1. Infotainment Center Display does not provide the Authorization Code (OTP) during the MyMazda App Connected Vehicle enrollment. 2. Remote function(s) inoperative. Engine Start / Stop Door Lock / Unlock Lights ON / OFF Climate Control 3. MAZDA CONNECT connected vehicle reception strength icon shows "X" or " ".
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Some customers may notice an abnormal noise (i.e. whine, groan, rattle or squeak) coming from the front combination lights when turning them on, or a few minutes after turning them off. The noise may be due to contamination by foreign matter during the manufacturing process and the fan motor bearing may become worn out during use. To eliminate this concern, the fan motor has been modified. NOTE: It is normal for some noise to occur within the first few seconds after starting the engine, when the front combination lights perform a self check (sweep).
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Some customers may complain about any of the following: 1. Infotainment Center Display does not provide the Authorization Code (OTP) during the MyMazda App Connected Vehicle enrollment. 2. Remote function(s) inoperative. Engine Start / Stop Door Lock / Unlock Lights ON / OFF Climate Control 3. MAZDA CONNECT connected vehicle reception strength icon shows "X" or " ".
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Some customers may complain about any of the following: 1. Infotainment Center Display does not provide the Authorization Code (OTP) during the MyMazda App Connected Vehicle enrollment. 2. Remote function(s) inoperative. Engine Start / Stop Door Lock / Unlock Lights ON / OFF Climate Control 3. MAZDA CONNECT connected vehicle reception strength icon shows "X" or " ".
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2022 CX-5 has a documented cooling fan motor problem in the LED headlight assemblies. Owners hear whining, buzzing, grinding, or humming from the front headlights—sometimes starting intermittently but becoming continuous. The noise comes from the adaptive/auto-leveling fan motor inside each headlight unit. According to owners and dealership diagnoses, dirt or foreign material contaminated the fan motor bearings during manufacturing, causing premature wear.
Headlights typically start making noise between 27,000 and 41,000 miles, often within the 3-to-4-year ownership window. Some lights fail completely; others grind before dying. Complete LED headlight assembly replacement runs $1,200 to $2,800 per unit—both headlights easily exceed $5,000.
Mazda released Technical Service Bulletin 09-015/23 and Service Alert SA-013/23 acknowledging the problem across multiple model years and model lines. The bulletin notes the manufacturing defect and states Mazda modified the production process and supplier materials. However, warranty coverage stops at 3 years, even if mileage sits below 36,000 miles. Owners report Mazda refuses coverage once the warranty expires and will not issue recalls, despite classifying this as a known, widespread defect. One owner noted that some customers disable daytime running light relays to reduce fan stress—a workaround that compromises safety.
Failure modes owners describe
Headlight cooling fan motor noise and bearing wear
Owners report abnormal whining, buzzing, humming, grinding, or moaning sounds originating from the front headlight assemblies, particularly the cooling fan motor. Dealerships and owners indicate contamination by foreign matter during manufacturing causes fan motor bearing wear. Multiple narratives cite TSB SA-013/23 and Technical Service Bulletin 09-015/23 addressing this as a known manufacturing defect affecting 2020-2025 CX-5s and other Mazda models.
When: Intermittently starting 6 months after purchase, becoming continuous; reported at 27,000 to 41,540 miles; typically within 3-4 years of ownership
Symptoms owners cite: Loud whining, buzzing, grinding, moaning, or humming noise from headlights when on; Noise may persist for a few minutes after headlights are turned off; Noise audible while driving and when vehicle is parked with headlights on; No warning lights or dashboard messages prior to onset
Repairs/costs cited: Entire LED headlight assembly replacement required; owners cite replacement costs of $1,200 to $2,800 per headlight, totaling $2,400 to $5,600+ for both units. Dealerships describe dirt contamination in fan bearings during manufacturing as root cause.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Mazda issued TSB SA-013/23 and Technical Service Bulletin 09-015/23 for 2020-2025 CX-30, 2022-2025 CX-5, 2025 CX-70, 2024-2025 CX-90, 2022-2024 MX-30, and 2016-2024 MX-5 models produced before specified dates. Mazda modified production process and supplier materials. Warranty coverage limited to 3 years or until vehicles exceed production cutoff dates; Mazda Corp denied financial assistance for out-of-warranty claims, suggesting owner trade-in instead.
LED headlight premature failure and burnout
Owners report both individual headlights and paired headlights failing or burning out prematurely on vehicles with relatively low mileage (27,000 to 50,000 miles). Some failures involve complete loss of low-beam function; others occur after cooling fan motor failure leads to headlight overheating. Owners characterize the LED headlight design as poorly engineered, requiring replacement of entire assembly rather than simple bulb replacement.
When: Within 2 months of each other; at 27,000 to 50,000 miles; vehicles 3-4 years old at time of failure
Symptoms owners cite: One or both LED headlights stop functioning; Low-beam light dies completely; Headlight fails after fan motor grinding or failure; Reduced nighttime visibility on affected side
Repairs/costs cited: Complete LED headlight assembly replacement required at $2,500 to $2,800 per unit; no option to replace bulb only due to integrated design. Two units within two months totals approximately $5,600 to $5,600.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No recalls issued. Mazda denies warranty coverage once vehicles exceed 3-year period, even if mileage is within 36,000-mile warranty threshold. Owners report Mazda refuses to acknowledge design defect despite known widespread issue.
Adaptive headlight motor malfunction and beam misalignment
Owners report malfunctioning auto-leveling or adaptive headlight motors causing persistent fan-like or vibrating noise from headlight assemblies. While immediate safety impact is not yet documented in these narratives, owners note the malfunction creates risk of improper headlight beam alignment, which could compromise nighttime visibility and create glare hazard for oncoming traffic.
When: One month after lease buyout; ongoing intermittently
Symptoms owners cite: Fan or vibrating sound from headlight; Malfunctioning auto-leveling motor; No warning lamps or dashboard alerts before onset
Repairs/costs cited: Component replacement under warranty reported in some customer cases; cost and specific repair procedure not detailed in these narratives.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No manufacturer response to this specific failure mode documented in these narratives.
Uneven LED headlight illumination and beam distribution
One owner reports left headlight producing uneven light distribution with shaded or obstructed areas, resulting in reduced illumination on the left side compared to the right. Dealer examination confirmed uneven light distribution and shadows. Manufacturer classified the condition as normal.
When: Timing not specified; vehicle had prior right headlight replacement under warranty for excessive noise
Symptoms owners cite: Left headlight produces shaded or obstructed appearance; Uneven light distribution between left and right headlights; Reduced nighttime visibility on left side
Repairs/costs cited: No repair documented; manufacturer determination stated condition is normal.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Mazda stated uneven light distribution is normal operation.
Synthesized from 23 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 3 most recent
Headlamps Cooling Fan Motors Mazda CX-5 2022 make loud noise during driving and for few minutes even after the car is turned off. Car is at about 29,000miles. Unfortunately, it's past 3yrs old and hence JimClick Mazda dealer is asking for more than $3000 to replace the lights with motor assembly.
Headlight humming / headlight unit failure. Known issue with Mazda but they refuse to repair unless I pay $2k for a new headlight. Vehicle has less than 50k miles and this is a know issue for 2019-2023 CX5s.
Left Headlight fails to adequately illuminate left side, produced light appears shaded/obstructed, less than right side. night visibility is reduced. Dealer examined headlight, found uneven light distribution, shadows, referred to Manufacturer , Mazda stated this is Normal. Right Headlight was previously replaced under warranty, after excess headlight. noise detected . is available for…
Had lighting trouble with your 2022 Mazda CX-5?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the lighting problem on the 2022 Mazda CX-5?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 23 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $250 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the lighting typically fail?
Based on the 23 complaints filed, lighting issues most often appear around 37,000 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $250 for lighting repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to lighting?
No active recalls currently cover lighting issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2022/Mazda/CX-5.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.