Most common 2008 Mazda CX-9 problems
Share of the 172 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mazda CX-9 complaints by model year
Best CX-9 years: 2015, 2022, 2020. Years to avoid: 2012, 2011, 2018, 2008, 2010. Compare all years →
2008 Mazda CX-9 recalls (5)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2007-2012 CX-7, CX-9, and 2009-2012 Maza6 vehicles. These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2012 CX-7, CX-9 and Mazda6 vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2009-2011 Mazda6, and 2007-2011 CX-7 and CX-9 vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge.
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower ball joint
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2007-2014 CX-9 vehicles manufactured October 24, 2006, to December 28, 2013. The affected vehicles have front suspension ball joints that may corrode from water leaking into the fitting.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace both the left and right lower control arms, free of charge. The recall began on September 14, 2015.
Electrical system › Wiring › Interior/under dash
Mazda is recalling 30,600 my 2007-2009 cx9 vehicles equipped with power adjustable seat with position memory function. The seat harness routed underneath the seat cushion May interfere with the front cover bracket which is attached on the front side of the seat cushion.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the seat harness and fasten the seat frame with a cable tie. The harness covering will be repair free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or before March 16, 2009.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2008 Mazda CX-9:
Lower ball joint separation
In an July 7,2015 letter to NHTSA, Mazda identified a safety defect that could result in lower ball joint separation in approximately 193,484 model year (MY) 2007 through 2014 Mazda CX-9 vehicles (NHTSA Recall No. 15V-451,Mazda 8515G).Mazda indicated that damage to the ball joint boot may allow water to enter the front suspension ball joint fitting during use which may result in premature ball joint wear and a…
Brake master cylinder leak
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE11-026 to investigate possible brake performance loss due to brake fluid leaking from the master cylinder into the brake booster in model year (MY) 2008 Mazda CX-9 vehicles.In response to ODI's information request letter, Mazda identified a problem with the manufacturing process for the master cylinder primary plunger that could result in inappropriate surface…
What 2008 Mazda CX-9 owners say
Suspension all 55 →
In 2017 had my front control arms replaced after the driver side CV arm came off of the axle due to a recall. 5 years later (about 30k miles) the same exact situation happened now with the passenger side making a left turn. Thankfully both times I didn't cause an accident but came close due to the wheel coming off of the axle. Brought to dealership, they had to get approval from corporate for the repair. Got a call 6 days later saying corporate denied the goodwill repair due to being "normal wear and tear" and they told me to call corporate. Just called corporate and they say that the dealership makes that decision. I shouldn't have to pay for something that was recalled, repaired, and happened again 100% in the same fashion. Normal wear and tear on a CV arm is not 20-30k miles.
On Tuesday May 31, 2016 I took my Mazda cx9 to Mazda dealership for the recall, reference ##15V451000. I told the service representative that I was glad to be bringing the car in as it was making noises in the driver front and that the steering seemed loose. I was told that my car was inspected, did not require the recall and that all suspension parts were in good working order. On Sunday, June 5, 2016 while entering the highway while driving my 2 children and elderly mother, my ball joint and lower control arm broke causing an accident on the highway on ramp. I was informed by police that I was lucky this had not occurred moments later (at high speed) as it was likely to have caused a severe or possibly fatal accident. The car was not drive able and required me tow my vehicle and find alternative transportation.
Brakes all 30 →
The contact owns a 2008 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, he noticed that the brakes felt loose and the braking distance had become extended while attempting to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that he heard a hissing sound while depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the brakes failed completely while attempting to stop for a traffic signal and the vehicle rolled into the intersection. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the brake booster was malfunctionin,g and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
While driving the vehicle the brakes became hard to depress and a hissing came from my steering column, the car would not stop or respond to stop. I had to downshift to Neutral to get the speed slow enough to stop - and had passed through an intersection while in failure. I had also had symptoms I did not know at the time may be related which was at a stop at dunkins or a drive through at a stopped position - where the car would run rough the last few weeks. I thought the rough idle was gas related. I can no longer drive the vehicle and am told this is brake booster/pump issue / that other of the same parts in fords and other manufacturers are now extending customer sat programs like 13N02 because of faulty parts in the brake booster. the vehicle can be towed or seen for this problem. The vehicle has no existing coverage of the faulty brake booster. …
Air bags all 28 →
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated while driving at 45 MPH, the contact saw a raccoon and veered off the road causing the contact to hit a tree. The air bags deployed with extreme force causing the contact to have a migraine. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a chest contusion and received medical attention. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to a junkyard. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 20V035000 (air bags). Oak lawn Mazda (6750 w 95th st, oak lawn, il 60453) was contacted and informed the contact that the recall was already performed prior to the contact owning the vehicle and that they could not further assist. The manufacturer had been informed of failure and informed the contact that they could not assist. The failure mileage was 93,000.
Received initial recall notice (0717a) of the potentially fatal Takata airbag in February 2017 and instructed not to let anyone ride in the passenger side of the car, and was told airbag replacement parts were not available. It is now September, 2017 - over 6 months later - the airbag replacement parts are still not available, we are still having to use a potentially deadly defective automobile but only part of the vehicle since we cannot use the front passenger side, and Mazda has not offered a replacement vehicle. We cannot even sell the car for fair value do to this potentially fatal and at this time, un-repairable, defect. The last recall notice (1317f) instructed us to notify the administrator of the NHTSA if Mazda did not repair the defect within a reasonable amount of time. Over 6 months is not a reasonable period of time.
2008 Mazda CX-9 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.7L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
| 3.7L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Mazda CX-9 a good car?
Based on 172 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 CX-9 rates use caution: 1.9× as many complaints as a typical year of the CX-9 at the same age. It is one of the CX-9 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Mazda CX-9?
The suspension — 55 complaints, 32% of all complaints for this model year, most often about front › control arm › lower ball joint. Next are the brakes (30) and air bags (28).
How many recalls does the 2008 Mazda CX-9 have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2008 Mazda CX-9, the most recent from October 31, 2019 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mazda CX-9?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2015, 2022 and 2020. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2012, 2011, 2018, 2008 and 2010. See the full Mazda CX-9 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2008 Mazda CX-9 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 101,000 miles; 22% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.