2013~2016 Replacing CX-5 Driver and Passenger side mirrors

[ColoradoDriver]

Hey all,

I had started a post about this maybe a year or two ago and then like I typically do, procrastinated about it until now when my driver side mirror is really starting to to fall apart.

It started with minor vibrations in the mirror. Now it's clear the adhesive is failing between the mirror and its backing that attaches to the mirror assembly. It was suggested I could just replace the mirror glass, but when I looked at it, the wiring makes it so I would most likely still need to pull the door apart and take apart the whole mirror assembly due to the wiring I found in the glass unit due to the blind spot monitoring.

Anyway this got me thinking. Really the cause is too many misjudgments pulling in and out of my very narrow garage over the years and smacking the front or back of the mirror assembly on the edge of the garage door frame.

So now I am thinking I should just go ahead and replace the mirror, assembly, turn signal (on the side of the mirror), backing. Basically the whole kit and caboodle.

I started pricing out what it would cost and saw that to do both sides with OE parts it was going to be over $700 plus shipping depending on the parts site (for units with blind spot monitoring but without heat). So now I started looking at some aftermarket units which seem much better in price but even those range quite a bit and hard to find actual information from real people on overall quality and fitment. I have a Jet Black Mica CX-5 so the fact aftermarket units are unpainted I don't think would be a problem.

I'm not sure what to do here. Anyone have any experience with replacing these and what did you use?

Thanks.

 

[HyFlyer]

How about salvage yard (auto recycler) parts?

 

[ColoradoDriver]

How about salvage yard (auto recycler) parts?

I suppose that's something I can look into. Seems could be a crap chute on condition of their units too though?

 

[ruthrj]

I had really good luck years ago using an aftermarket tail light on my focus when the original cracked. Couldn’t discern any difference in the quality of the assembly vs OEM. I also had an ok experience using an aftermarket eBay grill on my ‘23 CX-5. The appearance from a couple feet way looks like the stock grill. You have to been about a foot way and then I can start seeing the quality differences like a couple injection mold marks here and there that the original grill didn’t have, or a couple portions of the honey comb pattern that are solid instead of blank to allow airflow.

I don’t think you’d be terribly disappointed going aftermarket for your 2014 to save at least several hundred bucks any suppliers you found that allow returns? I get your concern though. It would suck to replace the whole assembly and find out something like blind spot monitoring doesn’t work well, or the assembly you ordered didn’t include those sensors or something.

 

[ColoradoDriver]

I had really good luck years ago using an aftermarket tail light on my focus when the original cracked. Couldn’t discern any difference in the quality of the assembly vs OEM. I also had an ok experience using an aftermarket eBay grill on my ‘23 CX-5. The appearance from a couple feet way looks like the stock grill. You have to been about a foot way and then I can start seeing the quality differences like a couple injection mold marks here and there that the original grill didn’t have, or a couple portions of the honey comb pattern that are solid instead of blank to allow airflow.

I don’t think you’d be terribly disappointed going aftermarket for your 2014 to save at least several hundred bucks any suppliers you found that allow returns? I get your concern though. It would suck to replace the whole assembly and find out something like blind spot monitoring doesn’t work well, or the assembly you ordered didn’t include those sensors or something.

I'll look more into it with regard to returns. But I'm inclined to think like you do here.

 

[devisssss]

Hey all,

I had started a post about this maybe a year or two ago and then like I typically do, procrastinated about it until now when my driver side mirror is really starting to to fall apart.

It started with minor vibrations in the mirror. Now it's clear the adhesive is failing between the mirror and its backing that attaches to the mirror assembly. It was suggested I could just replace the mirror glass, but when I looked at it, the wiring makes it so I would most likely still need to pull the door apart and take apart the whole mirror assembly due to the wiring I found in the glass unit due to the blind spot monitoring.

Anyway this got me thinking. Really the cause is too many misjudgments pulling in and out of my very narrow garage over the years and smacking the front or back of the mirror assembly on the edge of the garage door frame.

So now I am thinking I should just go ahead and replace the mirror, assembly, turn signal (on the side of the mirror), backing. Basically the whole kit and caboodle.

I started pricing out what it would cost and saw that to do both sides with OE parts it was going to be over $700 plus shipping depending on the parts site (for units with blind spot monitoring but without heat). So now I started looking at some aftermarket units which seem much better in price but even those range quite a bit and hard to find actual information from real people on overall quality and fitment. I have a Jet Black Mica CX-5 so the fact aftermarket units are unpainted I don't think would be a problem.

I'm not sure what to do here. Anyone have any experience with replacing these and what did you use?

Thanks.

I went through something very similar on my CX-5. Once the adhesive starts failing, replacing just the glass is usually a temporary fix at best—especially with BSM wiring involved—so a full mirror assembly makes more sense.

OEM fit and finish is definitely better, but the price is hard to justify. A decent aftermarket assembly that specifically lists BSM compatibility worked fine for me: fitment was good, BSM and turn signal functioned normally, and the only downside was slightly cheaper-feeling plastic. For a black CX-5, unpainted housings are easy to live with or paint later, so aftermarket is a solid compromise.

 

[RedBaron]

I went through something very similar on my CX-5. Once the adhesive starts failing, replacing just the glass is usually a temporary fix at best—especially with BSM wiring involved—so a full mirror assembly makes more sense.

I'm confused here. A replacement mirror normally comes with the plastic carrier already attached, so you just need to unclip the old one and clip in the new (and disconnect/reconnect harnesses if necessary). Are you saying your would replace the whole mirror assembly (fairing, motors, etc) just for this?

I mean using something like this: https://www.amazon.com (commissions earned)