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).
The contact owns a 2013 MAZDA CX5. The contact stated while attempting to shut off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to turn off due to the transmission not being fully in PARK. The contact stated that there was an unknown flashing red warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and the contact was awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that the PUSH to START button was not able to turn off the vehicle until after several attempts were made, which caused the battery to drain quickly. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and the contact was waiting for a callback. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
My car does not turn off when you push the ignition button. I spoke to Mazda's parts manager about this, and his wife had the same issue and the same model and year as my car. He told me that it is the Parking Lever switch. I feel that not being able to turn your car off is a safety issue. I filed a safety issue with my 2013 Mazda CX-5 on May 26, 2022.
The car does not turn off when I put it in park and push the ON/OFF button. I have to start and turn off multiple times and jiggle the gear shift multiple times before it turns off. Sometimes even that doesn't work. Because the car doesn't completely turn off, it runs the battery down which leaves me dangerously stranded. The car is available for inspection. My safety is put at risk because it drains the battery and leaves me stranded, sometimes in dangerous situations unable to get assistance. I have not taken it to a dealer or service center but have seen MULTIPLE reports of other owners of this same vehicle having the same problem. The problem has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms before the problems started. It started a while ago but I'm not certain of the date. …
My vehicle does not want to turn off when placed in park. The car is fully in the park position, but the start push button is illuminated with a red light. The power is still on, and the car beeps when door is open. I can only get the power to turn off, after repeatedly tapping the gear shift left, towards the P symbol. It is already fully seated in the park position, but this finally causes the light to go off and the car turns off. Always hoping the power did not turn back on while away from the car. Is this a fire hazard? I will not park my car in the garage as I am concerned it may overheat the wiring, electrical components, etc...??? I have noticed similar complaints for this vehicle on this website also.
My car won't shut off! I put it in park and turn it off and the accessories stay on. It is getting worse and worse and has taken up to 7 times of turning it off and on, backing it up and forward before it will just turn off for me. I get scared that it won't turn off. I found this forum online and it seems this is a very common problem that is not being addressed by Mazda. https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discussion-t49115_ds799849 Not being able to turn my car off is a very big safety risk for me and my 2 year old son.
When you shut the car off the radio and other components do not shut down. You have to start the car back up and put in gear then back in park and shut the car off (sometimes two or three times) to get everything to shut down. This is getting worse over time.
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. …
[redacted] the engine does not idle. When I would slow to stop for a stop light or stop sign, th engine would quit and require restarting the engine. The check engine light remained illuminated continuously, and, the red battery light would illuminate. A service station diagnosed the problem as either an old battery, and/or, an alternator. Ourisman Mazda, 801 rockville pike, rockville, maryland 20852 [[phone]] advised me this morning, Saturday, 01/13/2018, that: 1.)the problem is the mass air flow filter that required replacement. 2.)there are no recalls for Mazda mass air flow sensor failures. 3.) total parts and labor are approximately, $575.00. 4.)the dealership said that the 5 years / 100,000 warranty did not apply to the mass air flow filter. 5.)when I brought the car to ourisman Mazda, on 01/12/2018, to have the problem diagnosed. …
The ignition on my 2013 Mazda CX-5 would not turn off after putting the vehicle into park. The engine would start with the gearshift lever in park, but once I drove to a destination, pulled into a parking lot, and put the gearshift into park, the vehicle would not entirely turn off. It would take several attempts to manipulate the gearshift around to get the car to turn off. The vehicle's electrical system would still be active, including radio, dash lights, headlights, and other electrical systems would all remain on. After contacting a local Mazda dealership in town, a "park safety switch" in the gearshift lever is being affected, and it is a known problem affecting Mazda CX-5 vehicles. However, there have not been any recalls issued for this problem. Thanks to a quick google search such as "Mazda CX-5 will not turn off", I found out about this issue. …
Electrical complaints in other CX-5 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2013 Mazda CX-5?
NHTSA has 58 complaints about the electrical system of the 2013 Mazda CX-5, 30% of the model year's 194 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2013 Mazda CX-5 electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system 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 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles, and 22% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to electrical system 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.