Most common 2015 Mazda CX-9 problems
Share of the 35 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 →
2015 Mazda CX-9 recalls (2)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Mazda CX-9 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: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2018.
Steering
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 2, 2015, 2013-2014 Mazda2 vehicles manufactured July 3, 2013, to August 8, 2014, 2014-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured January 19, 2013, to December 2, 2015, and 2013-2015 CX-9 vehicles manufactured…
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lower mounting nuts and bolts that secure the front strut assembly to the steering knuckle.
What 2015 Mazda CX-9 owners say
Engine & cooling
The contact owns a 2015 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the temperature gauge began to accelerate rapidly. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the road for approximately 3 hours, until the engine cooled down. The contact stated she added water and continued driving to her destination. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,435.
The contact owns a 2015 Mazda CX9. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle shut off. The contact stated that the engine was overheating. The contact restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle stalled again. The vehicle continued to coast into a parking lot. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the water pump, timing chain, cam phaser, timing chain tensioner, and an engine replacement were needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 124,000.
Brakes
The front brakes make a grinding noise when repeatedly applying the brakes when going downhill or slowing repeatedly from speeds of 65 or so. I believe the brake parts become hot and create something google searches call "judder". I have had the steering will start shaking as well. After repeated requests to Mazda corporate and visits to two dealers, Mazda claims the brakes work as designed. One service manager at browning Mazda stated the front rotors are too small to stop a car of this weight, but this statement is not written. Regarding the vehicle stability control, when I turn left and go downhill from my driveway at a slow speed of approx 10mph, I usually have no throttle control. I need to apply the brakes to regain any control of the throttle. Once again two dealers tell me this is within design specs. …
We have 2015 Mazda CX-9 with 8400 miles that has a leak on the break master cylinder. Which the dealership was denying to be a leak because they saw an old dry debris on top of the fluid depot. But have it checked to an outside mechanic because we've been having a shimmy problem when braking for moths and they still can't figure as to what is wrong with our vehicle. All they are saying is they cannot duplicate the problem that I am saying. To cut the long story short we brought our vehicle to their service again to fix the break fluid leak on the cylinder but they are saying they will not fix it because theres enough fluid on the reservoir and they are saying that the fluid might have come from the cap because of an old leak debris. But I told them that I will not going to be that much fluid underneath the break booster and aound that area. …
Transmission & drivetrain
I was driving into the highway and my vehicle just shut off. I was in the car with my children and I was scared that we were going to be rear ended. I had my mechanic look at the car and he advised me that the water pump leaked and the coolant leaked into the oil. I'm having another mechanic provide me with an estimate of how much the repair is going to cost. After the car shut off and I tried to turn it in again the batter, engine and oils light went off and I had the car towed to the local mechanic.
We have a 2015 Mazda CX-9 Touring with All-Wheel Drive (AWD). The issue that has been happening is a flashing check engine light (CEL) indicator showing up in the gauge cluster. This issue originally started in October of 2023. I was on the highway doing at least 55 miles per hour (mph). Before the light actually came on, I had already felt the vehicle shaking, and also noticed the acceleration was sluggish. In the blink of an eye, the CEL came on and started flashing. After that point, the CEL stayed on. I was able to get to my destination safely. We took the vehicle to a shop, and told the mechanics the issue, but they could not re-create what happened. We stopped driving the vehicle as much after this first encounter. A couple of months later, the issue still persisted, and we took it to another shop. …
2015 Mazda CX-9 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.7L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 19 |
| 3.7L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 16 / 22 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Small SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2015 Mazda CX-9 a good car?
Based on 35 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2015 CX-9 rates better than average: 57% fewer complaints than a typical year of the CX-9 at the same age. It is one of the best CX-9 years by this measure. 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 2015 Mazda CX-9?
The engine & cooling — 18 complaints, 51% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the brakes (3) and transmission & drivetrain (3).
How many recalls does the 2015 Mazda CX-9 have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2015 Mazda CX-9, the most recent from October 12, 2018 (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 2015 Mazda CX-9 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 65,000 miles; 45% 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.