2012 Mazda CX-9 recalls and problems

The 2012 Mazda CX-9 has 4 safety recalls and 221 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any Mazda dealer.

Urgent: recall 19V-782, recall 18V-717, recall 17V-457 carry a "do not drive" warning. Contact a dealer before driving.
Recalls
4
Complaints
221
Crashes / fires
9 / 0
Injuries / deaths
8 / 0

Recalls may cover only some 2012 Mazda CX-9 vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2012 Mazda CX-9 recalls

Recall 19V-782: Air Bags

Do not driveReported Oct 31, 2019 · 69,879 vehicles affected · Mazda North American Operations

Problem: 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. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: 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. The recall began December 3, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 16V356 and 17V012.

Recall 18V-717: Air Bags

Do not driveReported Oct 12, 2018 · 155,436 vehicles affected · Mazda North American Operations

Problem: 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. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, unless covered in "Zone A," Mazda is recalling certain 2011-2013 Mazda6, 2011-2012 CX-7, and 2011-2015 CX-9 sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless covered in Zone A or Zone B, Mazda is recalling certain 2010-2013 Mazda6, 2010-2012 CX-7, and 2010-2015 CX-9 vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: 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. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F.

Recall 17V-457: Air Bags

Do not driveReported Jul 18, 2017 · 79,402 vehicles affected · Mazda North American Operations

Problem: 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. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Mazda is recalling certain 2009 CX-7, CX-9 and Mazda6 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Mazda is recalling certain 2007-2008 CX-7 and CX-9 sold, or ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: 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. The recall began October 4, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recall 17V-012.

Recall 15V-451: Suspension

Reported Jul 20, 2015 · 193,484 vehicles affected · Mazda North American Operations

Problem: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2007-2014 CX-9 vehicles manufactured October 24, 2006, to December 28, 2013. The affected vehicles have front suspension ball joints that may corrode from water leaking into the fitting.

Risk: Over time, the ball joint corrosion may result in the front lower control arm separating from the ball joint, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace both the left and right lower control arms, free of charge. The recall began on September 14, 2015. The recall will begin with model year 2007-2009 vehicles registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The second phase will be for model year 2010-2014 vehicles in the same states. Finally, all remaining vehicles will be remedied. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 8515G.

2012 Mazda CX-9 problems reported by owners

Problem areaReports
Service Brakes139
Engine25
Air Bags23
Power Train18
Vehicle Speed Control11
Suspension9
Steering7
Unknown or Other6
Electrical System5
Service Brakes, Hydraulic4
Exterior Lighting3
Fuel/Propulsion System3

Most reported parts

  • Equipment › Electrical › Navigational System(Global Positioning System) — 1
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Pedals and Linkages — 1
  • Structure › Body — 1
  • Visibility › Sun/Moon Roof Assembly — 1
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Master Cylinder — 1

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 58,000 miles (median of owner reports).

Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.

Recent 2012 Mazda CX-9 complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Vehicle Speed Control · reported Jun 9, 2025
While drive i feel like there is sticking something below the car when i am accelerating. And the acceleration became hard. Also i heard a weird noise at that time. Then a saw a leakage below my car.
Air Bags · reported Feb 4, 2025
My driver and passenger side curtain airbags randomly deployed without a collision. Thankfully I was at a stop sign when this happened. If it happened while I was driving, I’m sure I would have wrecked and could possibly be dead. It was loud! I thought I’d been shot or that I’d driven over a bomb. We did take the car to someone that’s certified in airbags and it was stated that this was due to a manufacturer’s defect. I also have lots of pictures. There was no warning when the airbags deployed. Mazda is refusing any responsibility due to the car being outside of the warranty.
Steering · reported Sep 16, 2024
Ball joints replaced due to tear in both rubber covers and driver side ball joint very loose. Was previously repaired in July 2015 under recall Number: 15V451000.
Service Brakes · reported Sep 29, 2023
I was driving normally when I started sowing down and noticed the brakes were harder to push. I finally stopped just before almost rear-ending a vehicle in front of me. It turns out the brake booster, a known problem that was not communicated to me a few years ago, failed and makes braking the vehicle harder, increases distance, and makes the vehicle unsafe to drive. The problem has been reproduced via a diagnostic test at Mazda of Gladstone dealership on 9/27/23. The dealership has been the only people who have inspected the issue. There were no warning signs, no warning lights, nothing. It…
Power Train · reported Jul 24, 2023
The water pump suddenly started leaking and the mechanics I talk to said this is a very common problem with this vehicle and type of engine. Sounds like owners are left to foot the bill for this costly and difficult repair of a defective product. Hopefully more owners come forward and report their experience in this regard

Other Mazda CX-9 years

Compare all Mazda CX-9 years · All Mazda models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2012 Mazda CX-9 have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2012 Mazda CX-9: 19V-782 (air bags), 18V-717 (air bags), 17V-457 (air bags), 15V-451 (suspension). Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2012 Mazda CX-9?

Owners report service brakes problems most often (139 reports), followed by engine (25). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 58,000 miles.

Are Mazda recall repairs free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized Mazda dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.