2019 Mazda CX-5 Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
Crack head leaking oil
Vehicle has 40k after a oil change noticed oil spots on pavement took it back to the garage that did the task, was told that the leak was near cylinder #2. Called Mazda customer service and was informed that my warranty expired in May of 2024. my mechanic called Mazda parts to get the price of cylinder head and was told that they had a run on cylinder heads due to defective heads coming from the Factory, SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE MAZDA.
The Cylinder head cracked and caused oil to spill out. This was inspected at Towne Mazda in Orchard Park, NY. I was driving ~50 miles when the issue occurred, and had driven approximately 40 of the 50 miles when me and my sister pulled over and noticed my engine smoking and the burning smell to be pungent. Had I not pulled over, It could have led to engine misfire and damage to other parts of my vehicle. The Dealer confirmed the need for a new cylinder head and parts, and is currently repairing the vehicle. The Component was not recently inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance. During the course of driving, after about ~35 miles, the oil pressure light turned on. I drove roughly 5 more miles before I pulled the car over to have it towed to my Mazda dealership.
Engine is ticking and shaking at idle more than normal Rest unknown
Had a constant Valve tick on cold starts and sometimes while running long periods. Oil level top offs and changes did not remedy the issue. Mechanic says it's a bad valve lash adjuster.
I developed a cracked cylinder head in my 2019 Mazda CX-5 that only had 33,000 miles on it. I lost approximately 50% of my oil in a 4 mile drive. I believed I had been leaking oil, checked the dipstick, drove 4 miles (max speed of 35 mph), smelled the burning oil, pulled over, saw smoke coming from the hood and checked the dipstick again. Losing this much oil is a safety risk with the possibility of a fire especially if driving at a faster speed and inability to have a safe place to pull over along with smoke from the burning oil causing visibility issues which at higher speeds such as on an interstate can cause a safety concern. No indicator lights/messages appeared, this was determined from seeing what I thought was oil on the ground and then checking the dipstick. Mazda is well aware of the issue. When picking up the car for the dealership after being fixed, I asked what kind of parts were used to ensure this does it happen again. The shop employee said they were “revamped” parts due to the known issue with this model and pointed out 4 other Mazda cx5s currently in the shop with the same issue getting repaired.
While driving, I received a warning that the engine in my car was overheating. Upon arriving home and parking, I noticed pooling under the car. My car was due for an oil change so the next day I dropped off the car for the oil change and mentioned the overheating message and leak to the technician thinking the fix would be routine. To my surprise, I was told my vehicle had a serious coolant leak related to a cracked cylinder. I was advised to take the vehicle to a Mazda dealer. Morrie's Mazda in Minnetonka, MN confirmed the cracked cylinder head which required a full engine replacement despite the car being only ~5 years old and having ~63,000 miles. Mazda had issued a technical service bulletin on this issue but had not issued a recall. As a result, I was left with a large repair bill to replace the engine in a relatively new car. This is a serious issue and I feel Mazda put my life and others in jeopardy by not recalling vehicles and letting customers drive with the risk of the engine overheating.
My engine started smoking while I was driving fast got out of car oil leaking everywhere there was a crack in the cylinder head, another few minutes of driving and the car could have burst into flames seems like it’s a common issue with Mazda cx5 a quick google search has shown me I’m not the only one with this issue, worst thing about it is Mazda refused to fix it.
engine head crack causing antifreeze leak. caught problem at 65980 miles. Defect confirmed by dealer. I had no indication of problem, only a terrible smell/odor. Dealer indicated a $6000+ cost of repair.(out of warranty). Thank goodness for extended warranty I purchased. I feel Mazda should be held accountable.
OIL COMING THROUGH CYLINDER HEAD ABOVE EXHAUST MANIFOLD DUE TO BEING POROUS, CAR LEAKING OIL AND NEED TO PUT MORE OIL IN EVERY OTHER DAY. MAZDA KNOWN ISSUE TSB# SA-031/21
Cracked cylinder head which caused engine to leak oil and smoke
2 weeks ago I noticed an oil leak 2019 cx5 . Riley Mazda of Stamford check and found a cracked on the cylinder head. The cylinder head needs to be replaced cost around $5000. luckily we noticed the leak while car was park. Imagine if the car was on the road. Dangerous things could have happened. Mazda is aware of this situation years ago. A technician Service Bulletin was released by Mazda in 2019/2021 to all dealerships technicians repair guideline and why the cylinder cracks. On the Mazda bulletin it clearly explained a design defect resulting cylinder head cracks. Also Mazda failed to warn cx5 owners about the dangerous situation. On top of everything Mazda refuse to pay the Defect cracked cylinder head that cost around $5000 . I email mazda Numerous times and decline any goodwill repair . Reason is out of warranty. Most Cylinder heads past 200,000 mile mark. Not unless your engine overheats but it not. Mazda should reimburse us owner who paid the repair cost
Noticed the smell of burning oil in the cab on 30 mile drive. No warning lamps or other symptoms; vehicle continued to operate normally. After parking and inspecting the engine for the burning smell, noticed oil dripping from underneath engine bay and a pool of motor oil was forming on the ground underneath the vehicle. The next day, vehicle was brought to local Mazda dealer for inspection. They diagnosed the cause and stated the engine needs a cylinder head replacement. Oil leakage was so prolific, if this were to occur during a long distance drive, the engine would have lost all of the oil and stranded motorist - safety concern. Cylinder head failure is a known issue (Mazda TSB [XXX] ) with this engine. This known safety issue should trigger a recall. At minimum, the repair should covered by manufacturer for life of vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Smoke started coming from the front end of the car so I brought my car into the Boniface Heirs Mazda dealership for a diagnostic. I was informed by the mechanic that my car has a factory defect and the head of the engine was welded wrong. Apparently this is a known factory defect in the 2018-2019 Mazda CX-5s as I have seen other reports for the same issue. I reached out to Mazda corporate to see if they could help with “after warranty assistance” since this was a manufacturers issue and I do everything to maintain my car properly. They denied any help and do not plan on recalling the part. I had no warning lights just smoke pouring from the font of my car. I do not understand how this is not considered a safety issue. I’m lucky my car didn’t catch on fire. I now have to decide between spending $5000 to fix the engine head or to sell my car and find a new one.
Crack in Cylinder Head at only 67,000 miles, leaking fuel into exhaust system, causing smoke while driving. Multiple shops consistently mentioned seeing this problem with this year, make and model. Due to 60k powertrain warranty, no fixes are being covered by Mazda
After noticing a burning oil smell following an oil change, I brought my 2019 Mazda CX-5 Touring (42,000 miles) back to the Mazda dealership assuming an issue with the fuel filter. There were no warning lights/messages associated with the smell. The Mazda dealership inspected the vehicle and indicated the leaking oil was due to a cracked cylinder head, which was known issue covered under Mazda's warranty.
Vehicle warning system notified operator of engine overheating. Operator took vehicle to repair shop where mechanic identified a cracked cylinder head. Mechanic mentioned no reason crack should have occurred, potential manufacturer defect with forged aluminum casing.
Cracked cylinder head with oil leaking. There were no warning from my car prior to a diagnostic test. The car has a very strong rubber burning smell and white smoke comes out from the engine part before I took my car back to the Mazda Dealer. From a quick search, the cracked cylinder problem seems widespread with the 2018-2021's Mazda Cx-5. Took the car back to the dealer and dealer replaced the head cylinder and gaskets. There were no warning from the car.
Oil light came on. Cracked cylinder head causing oil to leak in rear of engine onto exhaust system. This gives off burnt oil smell into vehicle passenger area. Concerned this could cause fire. Vehicle was taken back to dealer where it was found to be leaking. Dealer stated will order new cylinder head but does not know when it will be in. dealer stated drive vehicle until part comes in.
The cylinder head is “seeping” out oil Not a crack and not gasket failure Dealer service advises they could help us get it fixed IF ONLY we had receipts of oil changes. We do not because we change the oil ourself.
My 2019 Mazda CX-5 has 61,500 miles on it and has a cracked cylinder head and has a massive oil leak. I took it to the dealer and they are aware of this issue but told me Mazda hasn't so far made a recall. No warning lights went off and i lost 1 quart of oil over a 30 mile drive. Upon Acceleration the engine could seize and could cause a crash. A fire is also not out of the question as the parts in the engine area are hot and oil can catch fire. Mazda declined to pay for the total cost of the repair but did partially pay for some of it. They should be held accountable for the lousy design and it's only a matter of time someone will have an accident because of it.
My engine suddenly started smelling like burning oil. I was due for an oil change and needed it immediately so I went to a quick oil change shop. They told me oil was sprayed all over the engine and I should take it to the dealer. It's been at Napleton Auto Park in Urbana, Illinois for a week and they finally diagnosed a cracked cylinder head. They said it could take up to 2 months to repair and they're checking to see if it's covered by my warranty.
While driving the vehicle at highway speed, the check engine light came on at just under 28,000 miles. I took the vehicle to AutoZone, who did not come up with a code; however, I took it to the dealer with engine code P0126, which stands for insufficient coolant temperature. Apparently, there is a flaw in the coolant control valve, but the part is on backorder until June or July. In the meantime, my gas mileage is awful, my car takes forever to warm up, and the engine performance is awful and the vehicle is not safe to drive at highway speeds. This really merits a recall and a whole lot more attention from a company that was Consumer Reports most reliable brand for 2022. I am really disappointed with Mazda and how they have handled this situation and they have permanently lost my business over this.
The contact owns a 2019 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated became aware of engine oil on his driveway. The contact stated that while driving and coming to a stop, there was an abnormal oil burning odor inside the vehicle. The contact stated the check engine warning was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that there was an oil leak coming from the cylinder head and determined that the cylinder head needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic researched online and related the oil leak failure to Mazda Service Alert Number: SA-031/21 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.
purchase a new 2019 cx5 at riley mazda stamford. after 3 years and with 88t miles ,the head gasket cylinder gasket needs a replacement for $4500. while searching i read the same complaints from 2019 cx5 owners about head gasket blownout. a TSB Technician Service Bulletin was release by Mazda in 2019 regarding this issue and another one 2021 with affected vin numbers included , this car is un drivable , oil leaks like water falls and burning smells along w it
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Quick Summary
The 2019 Mazda CX-5 has 78 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.