Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Mazda CX-5 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
When in the highway and changing lanes and you try to excelerate it doesnt take off ..instead just acts as if i had over excelerated but not speeding up.. i have almost been ran over because i could not get enough speed to switch lanes.
5 seconds after starting the vehicle it suddenly went into unintended acceleration from 5mph to about 40 MPH. I immediately applied the brakes but the car would not slow down or stop. I then shifted into neutral which did nothing, then shifted into park, which did nothing. Still applying the brakes I tried numerous times to shut (push botton) ignition off but that was unresponsive. I hit a street sign which slowed me down and the car finally came to a stop but the engine was still reving loudly for another solid minute. I again was pushing the ignition button and the car then suddenly turned off.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Mazda CX-5. While at an intersection, the vehicle accelerated without warning and crashed into the preceding vehicle. The fender on the contact's vehicle was damaged. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The cause of the failure was not determined. The failure mileage was 44,000.
When driving approximately 65mph or sometimes less the tire pressure, traction control, emergency light comes on. The car seems to lose power and shut down. It happens countless time twice with my two-year-old daughter on the highway. When I take it to the mechanic they run diagnostics test and can't pick up any codes. Because its not duplicating any issue they return the car to me after they reset all the computer. But the issue is still not resolved. I would lose power to the car and my brakes are sometimes not responsive. I would coast with my emergency light on until I can stop my car. Sometime my hazards light would frequently flash at a fast speed than stop. I took it to two Mazda dealership to see if they can have resolved the issue but they cannot duplicated what going on. …
This has been happening for the last 2 years. I've taken it to 2 different Mazda dealerships for a total of 5 times and they cannot duplicate the issue or find any problems running diagnostics. My car has 50,000 miles on it and is a 2013 Mazda CX-5. When I bought it had 20,000 miles on it and I started noticing a few months after I bought it. This issue happens mostly when: 'I'm turning left from a complete stop 'turning left while coasting toward a stop sign and then speeding up once it turns green 'merging into traffic going left or right 'turning right from a complete stop or while coasting to the red light and speeding up once it turns green car stalls/hesitates/lingers as if I'm not accelerating. As though the car was in neutral instead of drive. The RPM increases but the car does not move (unless it was already coasting and continues to move from momentum). …
For the past 5 months my car will appear to have shut down while driving. I was driving on city streets going about 15 - 45 MPH. I work from home or go to the office twice a week. I drive my kids to school during the week. I don't do much commuting. All electrical components shut down then reboot within seconds, and the car makes beeping sounds like I just started the car. The car will not stop or slow down, but if I come to a complete stop at a light, the car will be very slow to accelerate but I can get it back up to the speed limit after a very slow start. I have called aaa on one occasion and took it to a shop on another occasion. They both say it is battery related due to the wrong batter being installed but it is the battery size in the system of an orielys auto parts store. Every time I replace the battery and the issue appears to go away for a couple weeks to a month. …
On 2 separate occasions (5/27/2017 and 6/15/2017) while on the freeway while in stop & go traffic, my vehicle suddenly seemed to lose power, and unable to go more than 20 MPH. The tire pressure, traction control, emergency light comes on. Both times I have safely been able to make it to the shoulder. The first time, I had my car towed to auto repair shop. Their $300 diagnosis reported nothing wrong with the car. The second time, I turned my car off & on again on the shoulder. The check engine light stayed on and I and was able to drive to my destination. The check engine is now back off, but I have dropped it off at the same auto repair shop, and they are replacing an air flow sensor in hopes that this resolves the problem. This will cost us another $300. Both times I had my 18 month old in my car. I am deeply concerned.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and decelerating, there was an abnormal winding and grinding noise detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for routine repairs on the axle and the mechanic was informed that the transmission was making an abnormal winding noise. The vehicle was taken to an independent transmission specialist where he was informed that the trans axle bearings needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed that the repairs were not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was 84,000.
While driving my vehicle on the interstate the car lost the ability to accelerate. All of the dashboard lights came on and I had to coast to the side of the interstate. After restarting the vehicle I was able to drive it but I cannot take the vehicle over 30 MPH now without it shuttering and having acceleration issues. This is a serious and life threatening issue that needs to be fixed free of charge. I have found other reports of this happening but I see no recall information. This needs to be fixed before Mazda has lawsuits filed against them. This is a manufacturing error and not a usage error. Please look into this.
I was driving my Mazda 2013 CX-5 on the highway, when it suddenly lost power and would not accelerate. I pressed the the accelerated all the way to the floor and my vehicle would not accelerate. The engine light, low tire, and traction symbols all were lid up on the dashboard. I drove the vehicle back home at 20 MPH as this is the maximum top speed the vehicle would accelerate. I will check to see if there is a recall for this safety issue that can be life threatening.
Acceleration complaints in other CX-5 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2013 Mazda CX-5?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2013 Mazda CX-5, 11% of the model year's 194 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2013 Mazda CX-5 acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2013 Mazda CX-5, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2013 Mazda CX-5 acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 20,000 miles, and 52% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.