2016 Mazda CX-9: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2016 Mazda CX-9
On the 2016 Mazda CX-9, the failure owners report most often is head gasket failure, with 22 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 32,500 miles. Overall it scores 74 out of 100, high risk for a 2016.
High risk for a 2016 — 91st riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. 142 owner reports; fleet size borrowed from other years of the same model.
What owners report breaking
Owners have reported 33 named failure modes on the 2016 Mazda CX-9, and the three most-reported carry 37% of everything filed.
Head gasket failure leads with 22 reports and about 0.9 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other engine problem follows with 18 reports, median 25,000 miles.
Overheating follows with 13 reports, median 45,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into engine (48), cooling (25) and electrical (13).
At what mileage it happens
46 of the reports on the 2016 Mazda CX-9 came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 32,500 miles.
Cumulatively, 74% by 50,000 miles, 93% by 100,000 miles and 98% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 40,000 and 50,000 miles, which alone holds 22% of the dated reports.
52% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 33. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
What happens when these parts fail
Across the named modes, 5 mention a crash, 2 a fire and 4 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.68, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: head gasket failure at $1,400–$4,000, other engine problem at $300–$4,000, overheating at $400–$3,500 and radiator or coolant leak at $350–$1,900. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
54% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures, so more than half of what owners complained about here is expensive.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head gasket failure | engine | 22 | 1 | — | 92k | — | 0.9 | $1,400–$4,000 | Critical |
| Other engine problem | engine | 18 | 3 | — | 24k | — | 0.7 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Overheating | cooling | 13 | 2 | — | 46k | — | 0.5 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Radiator or coolant leak | cooling | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.4 | $350–$1,900 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 9 | 3 | — | 24k | — | 0.4 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 5 | 3 | — | 41k | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 5 | 3 | — | 26k | — | 0.2 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 4 | 1 | — | 34k | — | 0.2 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Turbocharger or supercharger failure | engine | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $1,500–$4,500 | High |
| Water pump failure | cooling | 3 | 1 | — | 120k | — | 0.1 | $500–$2,200 | High |
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 3 | 3 | — | 30k | — | 0.1 | $600–$2,600 | High |
| Fuel injector failure | fuel | 3 | 3 | — | 17k | — | 0.1 | $450–$2,800 | Moderate |
| Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure | fuel | 3 | 3 | — | 55k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 3 | 3 | — | 40k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 3 | 2 | — | 14k | — | 0.1 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 3 | 2 | — | 11k | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 3 | 1 | — | 50k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault | airbag | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,600 | High |
| Lane keep or steering assist fault | adas | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,600 | High |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 2 | 1 | — | 44k | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Wheel bearing or hub failure | drivetrain | 1 | 1 | — | 134k | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Fuel leak or fuel odor | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 200 | — | 0.0 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Infotainment screen failure | infotainment | 1 | 1 | — | 16k | — | 0.0 | $400–$2,600 | Low |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Premature brake pad or rotor wear | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 60k | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $200–$900 | High |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 1 | 1 | — | 26k | — | 0.0 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Wiper or washer failure | glass | 1 | 1 | — | 25k | — | 0.0 | $120–$800 | Moderate |
| Other steering problem | steering | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 1 | 1 | — | 49k | — | 0.0 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Unclassified problem | other | 7 | 4 | — | 33k | — | 0.3 | — | Moderate |
This year had no usable recall paperwork, so the fleet-size estimate is the median of other years of the same model. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2016 Mazda CX-9 draws about 5.9 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 85th percentile of complaint rates among 2016 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. This year had no usable recall paperwork, so the fleet-size estimate is the median of other years of the same model.
The working figure is 24,185 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2016 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other engine problem
Immediately upon making a sharp right turn into a parking spot, the car suddenly accelerated at a very fast pace without me pushing the gas pedal. My immediate reaction was to press on the brake, but it did not stop. The car slammed into a planter in front of me. The car moved so quickly that it was lodged into the bushes and had to be pulled out by a tow truck. I immediately called the dealer service department and told them what happened. The service manager's immediate reaction was to scoff at the idea that the car accelerated on it's own. My husband met me at the dealer and had subsequently found information about a recall of cx-9 models from 2012 for a similar malfunction. He showed it to the same manager who immediately knew the issue of the recall but was quick to mention it was the 2012 model, not the 2016. The dealer kept the car for a few days and told me it was driven twice and also some info from the computer was reviewed with mazda tech support person. No data indicating any kind of malfunction in the car and the service guy did not have a problem with it in two short test drives, so they said come pick it up it's…
Driving to work in the morning at 5:45am on 06/05/2018 going 65 MPH and my car cuts engine power and starts lowly declining pressing gas did nothing and multiple notifications flashing such as vehicle system malfunction, forward smart city brake support malfunction, smart brake system malfunction. I had to pull off to the side of the highway I can't even say I can pull off safely because all power was cut. So let the car sit for 5 minutes while off and then restarted and was able to make it work. I took pictures as everything was happening because I know the dealer ship will say something like "welp it ain't happening here so your car is fine." I am very fortunate when I bought the car I decided to lease the vehicle so I can just take the car back. These malfunctions seem like a very severe problem and I do not want to hang on to the vehicle. Once 30k passes I will be super screwed! I called dealer ship and they are booked out 2 weeks so I cant even take the car in right away, plus they aren't even sure if they'll have a rental for me when I drop it off. Also to mention, AC unit already had to be replaced, and a suspension recall…
How it ranks in the 2016 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Better and worse years of the same car
High risk for a 2016 — 91st riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.
Across the 16 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2007 comes out best at 64 and 2018 worst at 82, with 2016 itself at 74.
If the model year is negotiable, 2007, 2023, 2009, 2008, 2014 and 2011 score lower than 2016 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2016–2020 generation specifically, 2017 is the strongest year at 73 and 2018 the weakest at 82.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2016-2020 generation, 2017 Mazda CX-9 scores best at 73 and 2018 Mazda CX-9 worst at 82.
Where these figures stop being useful
142 owner reports; fleet size borrowed from other years of the same model. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 142 reports, 46 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 32% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Mazda CX-9?
The most-reported failures are head gasket failure (22 reports, median 90,000 miles), other engine problem (18 reports, median 25,000 miles) and overheating (13 reports, median 45,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2016 Mazda CX-9 reliable?
It scores 74 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 91st riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2016 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Mazda CX-9 is best?
Within the 2016–2020 generation, 2017 scores best at 73 out of 100 and 2018 worst at 82. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed