Suspension complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Front sway bar bushings were replaced no less than 3 times by the dealer under warranty. The symptom is a clunking or thumping noise on rough or washboarded roads. The sway bar is .908 inches in diameter and the wall thickness of the bushings is approximately .25 inches. They are rubber from Mazda and apparently, changing them every 20K mi or so are not adequate for the application. Seems that there is a known issue by Mazda for this but one of the busining that was just removed 2/3/18 was torn nearly in half across between the sway bar and the cross member. If these were ignored and the bushings completely fell out of the brackets ther would be enough movement of the sway bar to cause interference in steering the vehicle due to the fully articulated design of the sway bar endlinks. This has the potential to be a deadly issue.
Mazda 5 started making rattling noises whenever I drive over a rough road. I googled the problem and found out it's very common in many cars built after 2005 and the solution is to replace the sway bar bushing. This will happen to every Mazda 5 and similar I.e Mazda 3. Mazda know there is a issue and no recall. The bad bushing affects the steering to feel less precise than it usually does, since the sway bar moves around terribly. As the vehicle corners, the car feel less steady, with poor handling. There is a TSB out for this problem bulletin no: 02-002/11
I purchased a used 2009 Mazda5 knowing that it needed tires. After buying new tires I had the car aligned. I was told the alignment was "within spec" despite the fact that the rear camber was set in such a manner that the tires shop said I'd be lucky to get 15,000 miles out of my new tires. I was also informed that there was no adjustment for rear camber without buying a $600 camber kit. I took it to the dealer, assuming they had more experience with the car, but was told the same thing. In order to properly align the car I would have to buy an aftermarket kit. I believe this is a safety issue because with the extreme and unadjustable negative camber tires can wear down to the cord on the inside edge while looking nearly new on the outer edge. All this happens rather quickly while the car is technically within the rather wide specification set by Mazda. …
Kept hearing a rattling noise coming from rear driver's side, took the car in two times b/c of this. Turned out to be a problem with the rear seat rubber bushing which is requiring the dealer to grind the arch weld on the spring coil. There is a service bulletin about this very problem, which indicated that they have redesigned the parts in newer models so this does not happen. I feel that this is a design problem for which I have to pay for the repair and that it is not due to normal wear and tear on the car. It seems to me that they should fix the parts due to their faulty manufacturing/design?
I bought 4 kumho tires sized 205 50r17 for this car in September of 2015. In August of 2017, at about 25000 miles on the tires, one of them developed what we later learned was a belt separation. The symptoms were a severe vibration, and severe pull. We replaced two of the tires. 10 months later the car developed exactly the same symptoms, and it was discovered that another of the tires had a belt separation. I replaced all 4 tires with another brand. I called kumho to report the issue, as they clearly had a bad run of tires for me to have to out of one set. The person answering the phone (warranty department) insisted that 'belt separations are common', that the recent recall was a "voluntary recall because the engineers just wanted to see the tires'. I asked to speak to someone in their safety or engineering departments. She said "we don't have anyone like that".
Going down the road and all of a sudden it sounds like a rock banging in the rear driver side wheel well. It turns out to be a broken shock mount. This is the second one that has broken. One broke at ~80,000 miles and now this at ~120000. Search the internet and it is a known problem.
The car has less than 68,000 miles. Diagnosed as all suspension needing to be replaced. The mechanic diagnosing said, " I wouldn't let my mom drive that car" and that the suspension could blow out at any time while driving. All the arms of the suspension are bad/haywire and need to be replaced. I noticed that other 2007 Mazda 5s have been recalled for the same problem. How I would wish that someone would please check if this 2007mazda5 should also be recalled-even though it was manufactured in a different timeframe than those currently in recall. It's a possibility you know. Please help. There is a very loud rattling sound, thudding of tires when driving at any speed and the back tires don't follow or "rotate" when turning-they "swing" and stay still, as if they lock. Also, the car floods extensively when it rains.
After just 24,000 miles, I had to replace the tires on my 2007 Mazda5 due to "cupping." with just 5,000 miles on the new tires, the same thing is happening again. When I contacted Mazda regarding this, I was told it was a "design flaw" , and that if I didn't like the noise and the vibration from the tires, then I would just have to replace them frequently. This is not acceptable, due to the safety issues of driving on bad tires. I also can't afford $700.00+ a year for new tires. If it is a "design flaw", then Mazda should be responsible for fixing this issue. When my car was in for service at the dealer last week, I was told it had a vibration at about 60 miles/hour, and that I should get it aligned. Took it to a local garage, and was told it was not out of alignment. Vibration was not there before they worked on the car at the dealer. …
Frequently asked questions
Which Mazda Mazda5 years have suspension problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2006 (20), 2007 (12), 2008 (9), 2009 (8) and 2010 (5) model years. Suspension complaints make up 26% of all complaints for the 2006.
Is there a recall for Mazda Mazda5 suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for any Mazda Mazda5 model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Mazda Mazda5 suspension problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 33,000 miles; 68% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the rear (12 mentions), followed by the front (4).
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.