Most common 2012 Mazda Mazda6 problems
Share of the 99 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mazda Mazda6 complaints by model year
Best Mazda6 years: 2019, 2013, 2021. Years to avoid: 2009, 2010, 2014, 2003. Compare all years →
2012 Mazda Mazda6 recalls (6)
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.
Structure
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Mazda6 vehicles sold, or ever registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland,Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode…
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the cross member and either install a side member and drain hose and apply wax to protect from rust, or install a drain hose and an improved front cross member, free of…
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 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.
Fuel system, gasoline
Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Mazda6 vehicles manufactured September 14, 2009, through May 2, 2011, and equipped with 2.5L engine. In the affected vehicles, spiders may weave a web in the evaporative canister vent hose, blocking it and causing the fuel tank to have an excessive…
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module and inspect and clean the canister vent line.
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
Mazda is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Mazda6 vehicles manufactured February 4, 2008, through August 24, 2012. The door latch mounting screws may become loose.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will apply a thread locking adhesive to the door screws and retorque them, free of charge. The recall began on October 29, 2013. Owners may contact Mazda at 1-800-222-5500.
What 2012 Mazda Mazda6 owners say
Air bags all 30 →
The passenger dash board is melting. It covers the passengers air bag. I would like to know if a recall is still possible for my vehicle. I understand that there was a recall in 2015-2017, but unfortunately I did not received the notice since I was moving from Illinois to Kansas and later to Texas and continued changing addresses during that time frame.
On July 18, 2018 I was in frontal impact accident. While driving on a city street. I was alone and driving I did not have a phone in my possession or in the car at that time. The vehicle that hit me was traveling at least 40 miles an hour. The upper and side airbags did not deflate, the front airbag deflated sideways and missed my face completely. My torso hit the steering wheel and my sternum was fractured. My right ankle was bruised, scraped and sprained. Because of the severe pain I was in, I was not able to get out of the vehicle on my own. I carried out of the vehicle and laid on the grass. I was taken by ambulance in severe pain and could not stand or sit up I was diagnosed with a fractured sternum and sprained right ankle. Car is totaled $11,000.00 worth of damage. I have not been able to work in 3 weeks because of the severity of the fracture on my sternum.
Lights all 28 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Mazda 6. The contact stated that there was an internal electrical failure that caused the headlights to burn out. The contact replaced the headlight sockets twice on each side and noticed that the area was melting around the front head lamp assembly sockets. Russ darrow Mazda of madison (5234 high crossing blvd, madison, wi 53718, [phone]) was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to have a dealer repair the vehicle. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
While driving at night on multiple occasions one or both headlights would just go out presenting a very dangerous safety issue. This has resulted in multiple headlight replacements, 7 times in 5 years. This problem has occurred on city, highway, and country roads. Present mechanical shop has no idea why since all electrical systems seem to be working properly. I have the receipts for the headlight replacements if you should need them. I had the headlights replaced in October of 2016 due to going out on a country road without streetlights forcing me to drive with the high beams on and then I had to replace them again in February 19th of 2017 for going out again now after only 1000 miles since February I had to replace the left headlight for going out today March 21st, 2017. Like I listed earlier this is the 7th time in 5 years.
Electrical system
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Mazda 6. The contact stated that there was an internal electrical failure that caused the headlights to burn out. The contact replaced the headlight sockets twice on each side and noticed that the area was melting around the front head lamp assembly sockets. Russ darrow Mazda of madison (5234 high crossing blvd, madison, wi 53718, [phone]) was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to have a dealer repair the vehicle. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
I own a 2012 Mazda 6, VIN#[redacted], that I bought in 2012. For the past couple of years I've been dealing with electrical issues with this car. For a few years I was just dealing with the headlights continuously going out every 3 or 4 months. At first I was thinking the light was defective, but after some research I learned that this is a more than a common occurrence with these cars. This is the main complaint. It has been linked to the electrical system that your service department said was the issue. It also mentioned the electrical issue causing the car to suddenly shut down which is the problem I am currently having now. My car has shutdown a total of 4 times, the last time being on the interstate. This is ridiculous! This is a known problem by Mazda that has not been addressed. Are you waiting for someone to die in an accident? This needs to be fixed immediately. …
2012 Mazda Mazda6 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 22 / 30 / 25 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 6-speed manual | FWD | 21 / 30 / 24 |
| 3.7L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 27 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Mazda Mazda6 a good car?
Based on 99 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 Mazda6 rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Mazda6 at the same age. 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 2012 Mazda Mazda6?
The air bags — 30 complaints, 30% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the lights (28) and electrical system (12).
How many recalls does the 2012 Mazda Mazda6 have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2012 Mazda Mazda6, 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 Mazda6?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2019, 2013 and 2021. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2009, 2010, 2014 and 2003. See the full Mazda Mazda6 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2012 Mazda Mazda6 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 66,000 miles; 35% 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.