2018 Mazda CX-9 engine problems

Filed Sep 17, 2026 · Engine · 124,000 miles · CT

While driving at highway speed in heavy rain the oil light suddenly came on followed within 30 seconds by an urgent need to immediately stop the car due to overheating. There was no radiator fluid left due to the sudden and catastrophic structural failure caused by a known manufacturing defect. Mazda calls it csp-11. They did NOT do a recall even though a situation such as this is clearly life-threatening. They offer an extended warranty to fix the problem fully up to 120,000 miles. Our car has 124,000 miles. Two months ago it would have been fully repaired at no cost but now they want in excess of 11 THOUSAND DOLLARS. I have spoken to more than 6 people in customer service, 2 supervisors, and they are ADAMANT they will not cover one single penny of repair even though this was not due to wear and tear, but due to a known and recognized manufacturing defect which they have since corrected in newer cars. First, this should have been a full recall since having this happen with no warning is without a doubt life threatening. If an inexperienced teenager had been driving and their engine suddenly seized, they likely would have died, and taken adjacent cars with them. Second, why is this limited extended warranty allowed, it is arbitrary and capricious to say they will fix their mistake up to 120,000 miles but then in an 8-year-old car they will pay nothing? Prior to this there was no advance warning, no fluid leak, and the car had been serviced regularly without any mechanic noticing anything. 3/14/26 repair rear brake pads/rotors 113,896 miles 7/10/26 oil change/tire rotation 123,544 miles 8/7/26 Catastrophic failure due known manufacturing defect csp-11. Brought to Mazda dealer and they confirmed the hole in engine caused by this defect that has an extended warranty. Car still sitting at dealership a month later, now, like a brick, because who has $11,000 in their pocket?

Filed Sep 15, 2026 · Engine · PA

My 2018 Mazda Cx-9 equipped with the skyactiv-g 2.5T developed a serious cylinder-head/cooling-system failure. The vehicle began to lose coolant with no apparent external leak and subsequently displayed and engine -overheating warning. It continued to lose coolant after a flush. The Mazda dealership inspected the vehicle and diagnosed a warped cylinder head; I was also advised that the engine oil was milky, indicating coolant contamination. The affected component is the engine cylinder head/cooling system. This condition created a safety concern because loss of coolant and overheating can lead to severe engine damage or engine failure and potentially leave the vehicle disabled while driven. Mazda has formally documented a cylinder head coolant leak condition in certain 2016-2020 CX-9 2.5T, including cracks around the cylinder head, exhaust manifold area, and states that the cylinder hear/exhaust manifold gasket design was modified to address the condition. Mazda then established customer service program CSP11, extending coverage for the specific cylinder head coolant leak condition to 10 years/120,000 miles, whichever comes first. The dealer has confirmed and inspected my vehicles condition, and Mazda customer experience has also review the matter after I provided the TSB and CSP11 information. Mazda has declined financial assistance because my vehicle falls outside the applicable coverage period and has stated that its decision is final. I am submitting this complaint because I believe this documented cylinder head failure may represent a significant safety/reliability concern for other CX-9 owners, particularly if the condition develops shortly after the 10 year /120, 000 mile coverage limit. I believe and should be made aware of the potential for coolant loss, overheating, and engine damage and that the federal safety agency should review the scope and safety implications of this condition.

Filed Aug 8, 2026 · Engine · IN

I was driving home from work and may car started overheating out of nowhere. I was stuck in traffic and white smoke was exiting my exhaust. I pulled over and all of my coolant leaked out of my car. Took it the shop and they said I had a cracked head and need a whole new engine. I seen that there was a warranty sent out for a problem with an exhaust manifold issue leaking coolant and that is exactly what caused my problem. I contacted Mazda and they said there is nothing they can do. I will have to hire a lawyer and file a class action lawsuit. I never recieved anything from Mazda regarding the issue. They should be paying for my car. I had zero issues until the day it faulted out. I am outraged that I had a great car then something that Mazda knew about cause me an issue.

Filed Jul 15, 2026 · Engine · CA

The cylinder head on this 2018 Mazda CX-9 (Skyactiv-G 2.5T engine) cracked, allowing engine coolant to leak and intermix with engine oil, causing loss of coolant and catastrophic engine failure. The vehicle became undriveable in the first week of November 2025 at approximately 125,019 miles and has remained inoperable since; it was not in a crash and had to be towed. This matches a known, documented defect on Mazda's Skyactiv-G 2.5T engine: coolant leakage at the cylinder head near the exhaust manifold, leading to overheating and engine failure. Mazda issued technical service bulletin(s) addressing cylinder-head cracking and coolant intrusion, revised the cylinder-head casting (a superseding part number), and extended warranty coverage (program CSP11) for this specific concern. This vehicle fell just past the mileage cap of that extension. Safety risk: a cracked cylinder head causing coolant loss and engine overheating can produce sudden loss of engine power and overheating if it occurs while driving. No crash, fire, or injury resulted in this case. A formal dealer diagnosis is pending; the failed engine/cylinder head is being preserved and is available for inspection on request.

Filed Jun 5, 2026 · Engine · NC

My wife was driving the vehicle when the emergency lights started going off. She had to pull over because the car wouldn't run and said it was overheated. All the maintenance has been done to the car. We took it to the dealership and they said it is a cracked head and it is a known issue. They even issued a extended warranty for it. It is TSB 01-002/23. There should be a recall on this not just a partial credit.

Filed Mar 12, 2026 · Brakes, Engine · CA

My 2018 Mazda CX-9 experienced catastrophic engine damage after a radiator failure allowed coolant to enter the engine. The vehicle provided no dashboard warning, overheating alert, or coolant warning before the failure occurred. Modern vehicles are designed to alert drivers to overheating or cooling system failures. The lack of warning prevented me from addressing the issue and resulted in catastrophic engine damage. I believe this represents a potential safety defect in the vehicle’s cooling system monitoring and warning system.

Filed Feb 5, 2026 · Engine · IA

Here the facts, bought a car out of state (Illinois) from Iowa with 130,131 miles on Sept 12th 2025, Mazda CX9, the dealer did not disclose any problems with the car, after 3 months of ownership, the car overheats on highway whit family including a [XXX] infant, white smoke under the hood and exhaust pipe, towed home, radiator was replaced, few days after that a coolant leak, vehicle was sent to an authorized Mazda dealership for diagnose, the technician told us, according to Mazda procedures, a cod P111A, the vehicle's engine reached unsafe level of temperature and the whole engine needs to be replaced because a cracked head cylinder. This problem is well known by Mazda because they addressed on a TSB01-002/23 and CSP11 extended warranty, there is a flaw in the design of the engine near the cylinders manifold area, that cracks the engine and requires a full replacement of the engine. its just a flaw in the design of the engine. This issue can appear at any point threatening the life of the occupants of the vehicle INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Aug 16, 2025 · Engine · KS

Cracked cylinder head/leaking coolant.

Filed Jul 21, 2025 · Engine · IL

. In January 2024, I purchased a used 2018 Mazda CX-9. The vehicle ran well until [XXX], when I discovered an engine coolant leak. My mechanic diagnosed it as a known defect involving the cylinder head. My husband contacted Mazda Customer Service (CS), and they advised us to get an official diagnosis from a Mazda dealer. We brought the car to Orland Park Mazda, where a diagnostic confirmed the defect (report attached). We later received an email from Mazda CS saying that since our car was at the dealership, Mazda would take the lead in submitting the goodwill repair claim (email attached). When we followed up with Orland Park Mazda, they informed us that no one from Mazda CS had contacted them to authorize the repair. We relayed this to Mazda CS and gave them the direct number of our service advisor, Adrian. Mazda CS said they would follow up and get back to us within 48–72 hours. On a follow-up call, I spoke with Nancy at Mazda CS, who again told me that our case manager Cindy would contact us within 48–72 hours. Instead, we received an email denying the repair, stating the vehicle exceeded the 120,000-mile limit for the extended warranty (our vehicle has 133,500 miles). While our car is outside the warranty period, this is a textbook case of a well-documented defect covered under TSBs for the 2018 CX-9. Mazda has previously approved goodwill engine replacements for other customers well beyond this mileage. We are seeking fairness and consistency in handling known product defects. Our request is that Mazda approve the engine repair under goodwill coverage as they have in many similar cases. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Apr 30, 2025 · Engine · PA

Our Mazda CX-9, having roughly 86,000 miles, had catastrophic engine failure while driving. This is caused by coolant leaking at the cylinder head and around the exhaust manifold. This in turn caused a crack in the engine block. Mazda refused to fix this as it wasn’t a “recall” and only a tsb sent out. 1000 of people have reported this issue, causing failure while driving but Mazda will not recall the engines nor fix them under an extended warranty. After a 4 month battle with Mazda they refused to fix this in our car even though they know the engine is a bad manufacturing issue. A recall needs to be made and Mazda needs held accountable. Our exact cause was exactly what the TSB stated but Mazda stated our crack was not in the correct spot. They need a recall covering all engine block cracks due to faulty manufacturing