Mazda CX-9 reliability by year
8 recalls and 1,463 owner complaints across 17 model years. Best year to buy: 2021. Year to avoid: 2010.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 1 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023 and others. Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 17 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the CX-9 aggregated across 17 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Mazda CX-9?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2021 Mazda CX-9 scores 8.2/10 — the strongest in the 2007–2023 range. 33 complaints on file, 1 active recall. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Mazda CX-9 year should I avoid?
The 2010 Mazda CX-9 scores 7.2/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 194 owner complaints with NHTSA, 1 active recall. That doesn't mean every 2010 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Mazda CX-9 should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2008 (high-risk ownership — suspension: 44 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 80,000–124,300 mi). The cleaner years on the data are 2023, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2017, 2016. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Mazda CX-9 are tracked?
17 model years (2007 through 2023) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 8 recalls and 1,463 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Mazda CX-9?
brakes is the most-reported category — 381 complaints across 10 model years. Average shop repair runs about $450.