Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Mazda Mazda6 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Two car collision at an intersection .city streets. Both cars in motion. Air bag deployed but didn't inflate. Smoke filled interior. Attending fireman at first thought the car was on fire. Examination showed that smoke was coming from a rupture in the air bag near the point where the bag was connected to the steering wheel.
Had an head on car accident on the street my tire blow out and hit a light pole. The passenger air bag did not come out, also the driver airbag came out but it was deflated no air was in it or what ever makes an air bag blow up. In which cost me to hit my head on the steering wheel.
Takata recall - 2011 Mazda 6 I was the passenger in a collision in November 2015 where the 2011 Mazda 6 was t-boned on the driver's side by another vehicle (Ford fusion), which made the Mazda 6 spin several times, hop a curb, and deploy the airbags. As the passenger (front seat) I suffered injuries caused by the Takata airbags and required going to the hospital following the collision. Injuries included at least three fractured/broken ribs and major bruising on my right knee. Injuries took over 6 months to heal, taking heavy doses of pain killers just to manage the pain. Lingering effects from this collision can still be felt 7 months later. The driver did not sustain major injuries aside from scrapes and a few bruises. Police reports determined that the driver of the Ford fusion was responsible for the collision and was charged with careless/reckless driving. …
I am having various issues with my Mazda 6. First, I have had the car 4 years and have replaced the headlights 4 times. I was told by the dealer it was normal. My major issue is the air bag light. Had a problem back in July with the light flashing. Dealer determined it was the pad sensor and I had it replaced. Now the air bag light is flashing again and dealer now thinks it is the SRS control module. The pad sensor was $200.00 and this sensor is over $500.00. I am not sure why air bag components would need to be replaced after 4 years. They are not a wear item. The car has never been in an accident.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Mazda 6. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was serviced per NHTSA campaign number: 18V717000 (air bags). The vehicle was serviced at cascade auto group (4149 state rd, cuyahoga falls, oh 44223, [phone]); however, the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. The contact mentioned that the air bag warning indicator remained illuminated after the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not assist. The failure mileage was 116,464.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Mazda 6. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer to have the air bag replaced. A crack was discovered on the dashboard after the air bag was replaced. The dealer stated that the contact would have to pay out of pocket to replace the crack in the dashboard. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 108,000.
Takata recall - I am still waiting for a replacement air bag for my Mazda 6. My car was part of the original recall last summer. It's been 8 months now, and the part is still not available. I received a recall letter that was absolutely terrifying and advised me that I should not use the passenger seat because if the air bag deployed it could seriously injure or kill me. This recall is really putting me at a disadvantage. I only have 1 car. I can't afford to buy another one, and I feel unsafe in this car. Not only do I not feel safe in my own car, my son has his driving permit, and I'm not able to teach him how to drive because I can't use the passenger seat. This is absolutely ridiculous. …
Currently, I have been waiting for a replacement dashboard for the last two years. The right side of my dash board is melted. Apparently it is a factory defect in my model car. Two years ago the dealership took pictures, sent in the claim, and I started waiting. Since then I have received at least two letters to update me to the fact that the part still is not available. So I continue to drive around with a melted dash board, which by the way is a sticky mess. Now, as if to add insult to injury, I have received a notice that my passenger air bag inflator needs to be replaced. Yet again, the part is unavailable and I will someday receive notification when the part is available. Even more outrageous is that the letter says, "until this repair is performed, do not allow passengers to ride in the front passenger seat. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Mazda 6. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17V429000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact called two local dealers (capitol Mazda, located at 980 capitol expressway auto mall san jose, ca 95136 and oak tree Mazda, located at 4250 stevens creek blvd san jose, ca 95129) and was informed that the parts were on backorder. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. Updated 11/02/17 updated 11/13/2017
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 Mazda 6. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17V429000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact called barker Mazda (1100 w tunnel blvd, houma, la 70360 [phone]) and was informed that the parts would not be available until November of 2017. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Related recalls
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 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.
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.
Airbag complaints in other Mazda6 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2011 Mazda Mazda6?
NHTSA has 28 complaints about the air bags of the 2011 Mazda Mazda6, 21% of the model year's 135 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2011 Mazda Mazda6 airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 19V-782 (inflator module, Oct 31, 2019); NHTSA recall 18V-717 (inflator module, Oct 12, 2018); NHTSA recall 17V-429 (inflator module, Jun 29, 2017). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2011 Mazda Mazda6 airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 110,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to air bags 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.