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).
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.
The car randomly accelerates after depressing the brake. It bucks, revs, lurks then stops. It has happened about 4 time to-date. Today, 6/20, I tapped the car in front of me. No damaged but it is the closes to having an accident since I noticed this issue. Took the vehicle to pacifico Ford in pa to have the issue checked out and they found nothing. That was on 5/23. Plan to take it back there again.
During a long holiday trip, while driving down us 19 at 65 MPH over the new river gorge bridge the engine started revving / surging, with rpms going up and down, when the car suddenly lost power and decelerated rapidly. The traction control system (TCS) light was on solid and the tire pressure system (tps) light was flashing. We had just left a rest area and were less than a mile down the road from where we pulled onto the highway, just getting up to speed. I May have just turned on the cruise control, but I cannot remember. The weather was warm and dry. The car had about 52,700 miles on it. I put on the flashers and prayed that momentum would carry me over the bridge to where I could pull off, that the semi-tractor-trailer truck barreling down on me would get in the other lane soon, and that no one would rear end me. My mom and my husband were in the car with me. …
[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. …
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. …
Since last recall repair my CX-5 is experiencing major problems. It will randomly not start. I get in and depress brake pedal, but start button will not light green and car won't start, even after changing battery in key fob. The dashboard lights (all of them) will come on and flash, then go away. The other issue is that the transmission will not engage after car has started. Car is started and in park. I depress the brake and try to put the car into gear (drive) but the shifter refuses to move at all. Pumping the brake does not work, depressing the brake all the way to the floor does not work. There is not a particular sequence of actions that will get the car to go into gear. The only remedy I have found is to turn the car off and let it sit for an extended period of time. …
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.
Running errands on way home on the highway while on a hill suddenly incurred loss of power, check engine and driving stability warning lights came on. Pressed gas and no change in speed. Speed dropped from 45 to 20 and had to move to shoulder. Other than loss of power everything else functioning normally. Managed to return home via back roads and avoidance of hills. Speed improved somewhat once completed climbing hill but as neared home car's speed topped out at 20 MPH, total trip 4 miles or so. Once in driveway turned off car and then started again neither the check engine light nor the driving stability came on again. Car well maintained first time this has happened in 2 years of ownership. Will be taking it in for service and see if problem can be diagnosed.
Several months now, I'm having to turn my car back on to turn the radio off and completely shut the car down. This has been going on since the summer of this year. I have to crank it up, put it out of park into drive, and put it back in drive. After that, it turns off. I have push to start and had the car for four years pre-owned. Yesterday, my sister and I were stranded because my car didn't start. The dealership said it was the air intake oxygen sensor. They replaced it plus they put in a new car battery. My husband and I thought it was weird, but now I'm wondering if the car itself is completely shutting down when I turn it off. Now, this is making me scared to drive the car. The repair cost me 490 something.
Engine complaints in other CX-5 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2013 Mazda CX-5?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2013 Mazda CX-5, 22% of the model year's 194 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2013 Mazda CX-5 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling 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 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 49,000 miles, and 33% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling 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.