Mazda CX-5 transmission failure problems

Filed Aug 26, 2025 · Transmission · NC

Transmission failure, currently reproducible but car is at dealer to be evaluated/repaired. I was safe as I was still in my driveway, however if I was in traffic I would be at risk of an accident, by the time you realize you are not moving you have already let off the brake and could be rolling, fear is that if it happens at a traffic light other drivers woudl assume I am going to accelerate but I'm not. First time this happened dealer reproduced issue, contacted Mazda, and a replacement valve body was installed. Now that it has happened again within the first 33K miles it creates a trust issue. There were no warning sign either time the transmission failed. I also do not drive aggressively, wife says I drive like a grandpa. about 10-15 seconds after failure the alarms and warning lights go off.

Filed Jul 21, 2025 · Transmission · 52,000 miles · MI

The contact owns a 2020 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked abnormally while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The manufacturer was notified by the dealer about the failure, and the manufacturer agreed to partially cover the cost of the repair. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

Filed Oct 28, 2024 · Transmission · OR

About a month ago, started hearing a whining noise from the automatic transaxle when driving at different speeds. The more speed, the more noise you hear inside the vehicle. It occurs with all types of driving, acceleration, deceleration and steady speed. Took my Mazda CX-5 into auto experts and found there is a Service Bulletin regarding this issue in 2013-2016 Mazda CX-5's. There is a damaged bearing in the transaxle due to improper configuration of the transaxle case. There needs to be a recall for this issue, not just a service bulletin. I cannot afford a new transmission and replacing the transmission with a like for like or used transmission, there is no guarantee the issue won't come back.

Filed Nov 2, 2023 · Transmission · MI

Sudden jerking started when driving on a 45miles/hour with vehicle stopping suddenly. The issue was diagnosed by the dealer to be a transmission related and was asked to replace with a new transmission. There was no prior warning.

Filed Jan 9, 2023 · Engine, Transmission · 3,963 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2022 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine revved loudly while the RPM fluctuated above 5,000 RPM. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the control valve body assembly and control valve were replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the dealer replaced the transmission. The failure recurred, and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 3,963.

Filed Sep 8, 2022 · Acceleration, Engine · FL

2015 Mazda CX-5 with 91,000 miles on it. Automatic transmission has failed. When I attempted to pull out into traffic the vehicle would not shift into 2nd gear and instead jerked hard and the engine RPMs revved up. I was not able to get the vehicle past 10mph. This failure with the transmission resulted in the oncoming traffic having to swerve and break to avoid a collision with me. The vehicle was taken to a Mazda dealership who did a diagnostic on it and found that the Mazda had an "internal transmission failure" and would require a full replacement. I asked if it would be replaced with the same exact transmission and was told "no, the defect was discovered by Mazda and has been correct for new transmission models." The manufacture knows about this issue. Luckily I escaped serious bodily injury. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer as well as an independent 3rd party transmission repair specialist. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to this incident to give warning.

Filed Mar 10, 2022 · Transmission · TX

Transmission failed, and vehicle is available for inspection. The incident occurred after exiting a highway and coming to halt at stop light. Vehicle wouldn't exceed above 5 mph after moving forward, it surged, downshifted, and come to a complete stop. This created an incident where other motorist nearly rear ended occupants in subject vehicle. The vehicle was inspected by both dealer as well as independent mechanic and before were able to replicate the issue. No warning lamps or messages appeared. There were no other signs of a potential problem prior to failure. The failure was sudden and unexpected.

Filed Jul 17, 2019 · Transmission · 24,800 miles · WA

Significant lag in transmission going from stop to either drive or reverse (3 - 5 seconds). Car can roll backward while waiting for gear to engage, and will rev and then jerk harshly into gear. Also will jerk when shifting while accelerating to highway speeds. Vehicle had under 25,000 miles on it when symptoms started. Took it to dealer and got approval for new transmission under warranty very quickly, which leads me to believe this is a known problem for mazda. Saw many similar complaints on the federal safety agency website.

Filed Mar 19, 2018 · Transmission · 63,537 miles · NM

Transmission failed at 63,537 miles. After being told the repair would cost $5,400 I asked would I be getting the same transmission that failed. The service advisor had contacted mazda tech support and said "no, we've discovered the problem in your transmission and it has been corrected in the new ones". Mazda knows about this problem and it not taking responsibility to recall or repair the known issue. There is an abundance of information if you google mazda transmission problems. Mazda also does not "tie" warranties to their vehicles. Their hope is that you buy a warranty, then you forget about warranty terms, then deny claims. They're completely unethical.

Filed Jan 5, 2018 · Transmission · 43,685 miles · GA

The vehicle was bought brand new on 06/30/2015. It needed a new transmission at 20,690 miles (09/02/16). At ~43,000 miles, leaks were detected. The mechanic diagnosed the problem as powertrain issues. The leak was transmission fluid that spread to the whole length of the car underneath. The dealer was contacted, car was towed to the dealership that later confirmed the mechanic's diagnosis. Powertrain will be fixed at the manufacturer's expense (the manufacturer considers it a manufacturing issue and has honored the warranty).