NHTSA Complaints · Active Recalls · California Lemon Law Data
The NHTSA tracks consumer complaints, manufacturer recalls, and safety investigations for every vehicle sold in the United States. These publicly available records are a critical resource for California lemon law cases because they establish patterns of recurring defects.
As of June 2026, the NHTSA has logged 401 complaints against the 2018 Mazda CX-9. Each complaint is filed by a vehicle owner or lessee through the NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline or online portal at SaferCar.gov. You can review all 2018 Mazda CX-9 complaints directly on the NHTSA complaint database.
The 2018 Mazda CX-9 has generated 242 NHTSA complaints and has 2 active recalls. If your 2018 Mazda CX-9 has experienced a defect that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple visits, you may qualify for a full repurchase or replacement under California lemon law. Mazda pays all attorney fees when we prevail. You pay nothing.
Engine and cooling problems are among the most serious defects under California’s Song-Beverly Act. Owners of the 2018 Mazda CX-9 have reported issues including stalling, overheating, loss of power, rough idling, excessive oil consumption, and check engine lights that return after dealer repairs. With 110 NHTSA complaints on record, this defect pattern is well-documented. Owner reports include: “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)” (NHTSA Complaint #11716057)
The 2018 Mazda CX-9 has generated 22 NHTSA complaints for this defect category. If your vehicle has experienced recurring issues in this area that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple attempts, you may have a qualifying lemon law claim under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. Owner reports include: “The infotainment screen has spider like frost inside the screen. I’ve checked and other models have had this same issue and have been recalled and repaired. My model year 2018 is suffering the same issue and MAZDA has lagged on this problem. Please put out a recall on this as it is a hazard when you rely on your navigation system and other components the screen assists with.” (NHTSA Complaint #11592673)
Engine and cooling problems are among the most serious defects under California’s Song-Beverly Act. Owners of the 2018 Mazda CX-9 have reported issues including stalling, overheating, loss of power, rough idling, excessive oil consumption, and check engine lights that return after dealer repairs. With 16 NHTSA complaints on record, this defect pattern is well-documented. Owner reports include: “coolant leaks at cylinder head , Mazda of America knows issues but not willing to recall , they hava a bulletin number 01-002/23 . pls help” (NHTSA Complaint #11615751)
Electrical system failures are notoriously difficult to diagnose and repair, which often results in multiple unsuccessful repair attempts — a key element of a lemon law claim. Reported issues for the 2018 Mazda CX-9 include infotainment malfunctions, battery drain, warning lights, power window failures, and intermittent starting problems. 12 NHTSA complaints have been filed for this category. Owner reports include: “The liftgate (trunk) opens sporadically. The system keeps trying to open the truck and it’s causing a parasitic drain on my battery. I was stranded 2 hours from my home due to this. My trunk would sporadically beep three times, that is the only warning I received. There are safety recalls for other year of Mazda cx-9 but not my specific even though I am having the same issue.” (NHTSA Complaint #11725165)
Brake defects affecting safety may qualify for California’s two-repair threshold under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, which applies to defects likely to cause death or serious bodily injury. The 2018 Mazda CX-9 has generated 8 NHTSA complaints related to braking, including ABS failures, grinding, reduced stopping power, and warning lights. Owner reports include: “Within 6-8 months of purchasing the car we noticed the brakes squeaking and vibrating. At that time the car was under 25,000 miles. At our maintenance check it was advised that we have the brakes resurfaced at the next appt. Back brakes were done in 3/2019 and the front were done in 6/2019. We noticed the squealing and vibration returned again. At our recent maintenance check, we asked to have the brakes and rotors inspected. We were told everything looked fine and nothing needed to be done, however we are still experiencing the vibration which is very troubling. We called another place explaining the issue and they said that it sounds like we need new rotors. Our car has mostly been sitting over the last year and a half with very few added miles. We’re curious to know why a car with less than 25,000 miles on it needed the rotors resurfaced and why with less than 60,000 miles it needs new rotors. The brakes on the Mazda SUV’s seem to wear rather quickly or perhaps the incorrect brakes are put on for this size of vehicle. The increased vibration seems like a safety hazard” (NHTSA Complaint #11418168)
The following 2 recalls have been issued for the 2018 Mazda CX-9 by the NHTSA or Mazda. If your vehicle is affected, the manufacturer is required to provide a free remedy. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls.
Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: Fuel pump failure may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pumps, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 18, 2022. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda’s number for this recall is 5321K.
Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: The passenger frontal air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury. Inoperable turn signals prevent the driver from signaling to other drivers, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will repair the wiring harnesses, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda’s number for this recall is 3419E.
California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1790–1795.8) is one of the strongest lemon laws in the United States. It protects buyers and lessees of new and certified pre-owned vehicles that develop substantial defects the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, a lemon law presumption is triggered when any of the following apply to your 2018 Mazda CX-9:
Once the presumption is triggered, the burden shifts to Mazda to prove the vehicle is not a lemon. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Mazda must pay your attorney’s fees if you prevail — meaning qualified representation costs you nothing out of pocket.
If your 2018 Mazda CX-9 qualifies as a lemon under California law, Mazda may be legally required to:
Step 1: Document every repair visit. Keep all repair orders, work orders, and dealer invoices. Each visit counts as a repair attempt, even if the dealer says nothing is wrong.
Step 2: Keep returning for repairs. You must give Mazda a reasonable opportunity to fix the defect. Visit different authorized Mazda dealers if needed and ask for written documentation of each visit.
Step 3: Contact a California lemon law attorney. Once you believe the threshold has been met — 4 attempts for non-safety defects, 2 for safety defects, or 30 days out of service — contact an attorney for a free case evaluation. Under § 1794(d), Mazda pays your fees if you win.
Step 4: Send a demand letter. Your attorney will send Mazda a formal demand letter. Most California lemon law cases resolve through negotiation without going to trial.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, four or more repair attempts for the same non-safety defect, or two attempts for a safety-related defect, triggers the lemon law presumption. Additionally, 30 or more cumulative days out of service qualifies regardless of the number of repair attempts.
Yes. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Mazda is required to pay your reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs if you prevail in a lemon law claim. This means qualified lemon law representation is free to you if your case succeeds.
Yes. A recall is not required to file a lemon law claim. The Song-Beverly Act covers any substantial defect that impairs the use, value, or safety of the vehicle that the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts. NHTSA complaints support the claim by establishing a pattern, but are not a prerequisite.
California lemon law claims are generally subject to a four-year statute of limitations from the date you discovered or should have discovered the defect. However, you must still be within the manufacturer’s original warranty period when the defect first appears. Contact an attorney promptly to preserve your rights.
If your 2018 Mazda Cx 9 has a recurring defect, California’s Lemon Law may entitle you to a full refund, replacement vehicle, or cash settlement — at no cost to you.
Our attorneys answer the questions we hear most from California vehicle owners — fully updated for 2026.
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