How reliable has your CX-9 been?

When I started my car research I hadn't even included the CX-9, since our focus was mainly on minivans. After learning that my wife simply refuses to drive one, I had to expand to SUVs, and after reading a few reviews on the Mazda decided we'd have to try it. After a test drive, we liked the car enough to try to negotiate (unsuccessfully though).

In looking at the forum, there seems to be a lot of posts about issues with the car. Granted, I'm sure that's any owners forum, and the CX-9 seems to have good reliability ratings based on what I've read, but I'm looking for some real world feedback.

Have you been happy with your vehicle's reliability to this point? I'm not so much down on little things here or there, like a rattling noise or yellow headlamp. I'm sure those are annoying and defects nonetheless, but they're not going to leave us stuck on the highway somewhere.

Are you happy with your vehicle thus far?
 
We bought our CX9 new in 07 and now have 50,000 miles. I posted a very similar question recently just to see if others with higher mileage could chime in. Ours has really been a strong, reliable vehicle. I just replaced the front brakes and rotors (stock rotors seem to be an issue), and finally have a full set of new tires. Other than that and a couple recall issues under warranty I have done nothing to the car except wash/wax and change the oil every 5k. The car still looks new and drives new. I originally was upset with the gas mileage, but after some thought averaging around 20 mpg hwy/city mixed, that is actually decent for this vehicle. I have an Infiniti G35X that gets about the same fuel mileage and is half this size. We came from an Odyssey minivan (couldn't stand driving one either) and then an Audi Allroad and have been very happy.
 
Thanks! The Odyssey is the main vehicle that I'm comparing against it (actually have a weird set of cars I'm comparing - the Odyssey, the R-Class, the Sienna and the Pilot).

The thing I liked about the CX-9 was that it felt fun to drive. I figure it's a glorified station wagon (no offense to those here; I actually like station wagons) - but the drive is just like a car. It's no Porsche, but it's not 70k or a smaller sportscar for that matter.
 
I was faced with the same problem. My wife and I did not want a minivan but her 2011 Sonata (which we had for a year) was not going to be big enough for our family. We drove the pathfinder and almost made a deal. Glad I didn't cause it drove like a truck. I used to work at Mazda and considered getting a CX7. The CX9 was probably one of the best purchases we have made. I love the way this thing drives. I have grown up in sports cars my whole life. My mom raised us in an 84 Camaro Z-28 to a 2000 Z-28 then to a 2002 Z-28 and now that we are grown she has a 370Z. I thought that this truck would suck and I would hate it. NOT the case. This thing has plenty of power and really drives great. I bought mine a 2008 GT CPO (certified pre-owned) and have not had any problems to date.
 
LOL! I'm the same way, until I went full-on dad, I was always in fast cars. But, I accepted slow, plodding and boring because it was safer, and that was about all there was.

I hadn't ever heard of the CX-9 until I read the reviews, but I liked the sound of it. My wife was staunchly opposed - she likes Honda for reliability, or the luxury makes for comfort. We had all but signed up for a Pilot when I forced her to visit the Mazda dealership against her will (her words: 'you'll believe anything someone writes on the Internet').

Five minutes into the test drive, she was onboard. I still maintain a minivan might fit us better, but if I'm forced to drive one of these things, I'd like to drive one that has some pep. I'm not going to be lining up against the 911's of the world, but that's OK.
 
We haven't had ours for that long (~15K). But I've had Mazdas for the majority of my driving life, many of them reaching beyond the 100K mark, and they have all been VERY reliable vehicles. Now by reliable I mean they have never left me or my family stranded or had safety-related issues. Like ALL cars they do have their share of bugs but overall those bugs aren't that serious and Mazda is very good at releasing fixes quickly. In fact most of those bugs are usually caused by parts issues due to supplier problems- again something every brand deals with- not with the car's overall engineering or design. Mazdas are very well-made and solid vehicles which are also very fun to drive. I would advise anyone who has a Mazda to push it a bit (drive it like you stole it) to really experience what makes these cars such a great value for enthusiasts who don't have tons of disposable income.

That said realize that you will hear horror stories in forums. But this is just the nature of a place where it's easy for people to offer their two cents or VENT when things don't go their way. Ultimately the feedback in a forum reflects a very small percentage of what goes on in the real world. Sure there are problems that end up affecting a good number of people but statistically Mazda is no different than any other manufacturer in this regard. What I've learned over my 41 years is that when it comes to cars the differences between quality and reliability over the past decade and across manufacturers largely boil down to marketing and who screams the loudest. Said another way. While Toyota and Honda commercials would like you to think that relaibility and quality as virtues common to only their products, in reality the majority of parts and the manufacturing processes are common across EVERY manufacturer. The real difference is how many marketing dollars they have to push their brainwashing agendas.

Keep in mind too that cars need to be taken care of. I laugh at people who complain that their car let them down only to find out they never serviced it or took care of issues early. Cars are machines and machines need to be taken care of. There is no free lunch.

IMO
 
Last edited:
I have an '09 Touring AWD. I got it new 2 years ago and it has 37K miles. The only non-scheduled maintenance was to replace a bearing in one of the front wheels. The dealer replaced both front bearings under warranty. I'm not going to whine and gripe about this as people often do on car forums (not just this one) but I would say that this is not something I would have expected to have to replace on a relatively new car. I would also add that there is the occasional squeak and rattle. Nothing terrible but it doesn't indicate the best build quality. It's also not the worst and I'd say that my parents' Lexus GS has more rattles in half the miles than my CX-9.

As a point of reference my last car was a Subaru Legacy GT Wagon and it had absolutely no problems over 5 years and 55K miles. It felt, drove and sounded the same on the day I sold is as the day I bought it. But Subarus are probably as well built as anything on the road. I'd say the Mazda is a step below, but still above average.

If you check the repair data on TrueDelta you will see that the CX-9 is as good or better than most of the cars in its class including the Honda Pilot. And I'm sure that the quality of some of the cars mentioned in comments above (Pathfinder, R-Class) would be considerably worse.
 
Hi sjg! We come from similar "backgrounds'...my previous car was also a Subaru Legacy GT wagon! I had a 2005 and traded it in at 47k miles for my Mazda 2012 CX-9 GT AWD almost one month ago. I was sad to get rid of my Subie, but alas, 4 adults and a car seat don't fit in it (unless the 4th adult wants to ride without buckling their seatbelt).

I only have 685 miles on my CX-9 so I can't speak to reliability yet LOL.
 
While Toyota and Honda commercials would like you to think that relaibility and quality as virtues common to only their products, in reality the majority of parts and the manufacturing processes are common across EVERY manufacturer. The real difference is how many marketing dollars they have to push their brainwashing agendas.

IMO

I would go so far as to say Toyota reliability and quality have slid very far downhill. I like the Nissan Altima commercials where they slam the door into a parking pole and it has no damage. Yeah right.
 
Hi sjg! We come from similar "backgrounds'...my previous car was also a Subaru Legacy GT wagon! I had a 2005 and traded it in at 47k miles for my Mazda 2012 CX-9 GT AWD almost one month ago. I was sad to get rid of my Subie, but alas, 4 adults and a car seat don't fit in it (unless the 4th adult wants to ride without buckling their seatbelt).

I only have 685 miles on my CX-9 so I can't speak to reliability yet LOL.

Strange......my last vehicle was a 2005 Outback GT Wagon. Loved the power from that turbo engine and it was fun to drive, but there were several things that bugged me about the car and I decided to launch it when I had about 60K miles on it.

I bought my '08 CX-9 Sport exactly 4 years ago. Today, I rolled over 100,000 miles. Besides normal maintenance items, the only issues I've had were; the known issue with the strut that caused the car to pull to one side, a recall on the airbag, and a bad spark plug that plagued my driving experience (intermittently) for about 6 months before another member on the forum here posted his experience and fix. (Spark plugs aren't an easy replacement on this vehicle either).

To put this in perspective - I've had about 27 vehicles in over 36 years of driving. This is the longest I've kept any vehicle (mileage-wise) and I plan to continue using it for at least 2 more years, so I'll likely have 150K this time in 2013....unless the good reliability I've experienced to this point, dries up. Although it's not my all-time favorite vehicle (I miss my 1999 & 2003 VW Passats), the 9 works well and provides me with the room I need for the equipment I carry for my job. I've been very happy with my purchase and don't regret my decision one bit.
 
2009 GT 40k miles...never been back to the dealer for any issues. Never owned a Mazda before, absolutely love the CX-9 and have no regrets. Drives great (it's my wife's car and I drive a Nissan Z), sporty with plenty of power. Gas mileage is a little lower than some of the competition, silver interior trim scratches easily. Small issues are the floormat design in the middle row (those tabs they use don't work) and I noticed a small split in carpet by the gas pedal.

Would I buy another, absolutely. As a testament, my 15 year old son who will be getting his license soon said he would be more than happy to get the Mazda as his first vehicle....I guess that pretty much says it all.
 
Funny how the CX-9 attracts the Subaru owners... 2006 Legacy GT 5MT, bought new, with 82k here. Hoping my CX-9 will be just as reliable as my Subaru.
 
Welcome BrownStarfish from one former Subaru Legacy GT (wagon) owner to another! :)

I'm guessing it's because the CX-9 is the closest one can get to the GT in terms of "fun" to drive (without paying German prices). I wouldn't put the Legacy GT and the CX-9 in the same category, but it's as close as we can get. :)

Perhaps the CX-9 is what the Tribeca should have been LOL.
 
Welcome BrownStarfish from one former Subaru Legacy GT (wagon) owner to another! :)

I'm guessing it's because the CX-9 is the closest one can get to the GT in terms of "fun" to drive (without paying German prices). I wouldn't put the Legacy GT and the CX-9 in the same category, but it's as close as we can get. :)

Perhaps the CX-9 is what the Tribeca should have been LOL.

Coming from a Legacy GT Wagon I was hoping the Tribeca would work out for me once I needed the 3rd row of seats. I actually like the way the Tribeca drives. But the 3rd row is pretty useless and, if you think the CX-9 gets poor mileage, the Tribeca is just as bad while being smaller and less useful. Rumor is that the Tribeca will be killed which is too bad. The current Legacy/Outback has been supersized enough that the platform could be a good fit for a new Tribeca that would be competitive.
 
We've had our 2008 Cx9 GT since February of 2009. In that span, we've put over 31k kilometers on the car. Up to date, it's been back to the dealer twice for warranty repairs. The first one was a biggie, at about 1 year, it started leaking coolant, so the water pump was replaced. The 2nd time was the known relay issue for the HVAC system, in this 2nd visit I also had the dealer order a new wheel for me as rust started showing on the hub of one of the wheels. So, 2 visits to the dealer in 2 year, although it's 2 more dealer visits than my other Mazda (94 miata) ever had, it is probably much less than other makes. I still like the car a lot. It is now my daily driver, and my only wish is that it was better on gas. I guess we can't have good driving dynamics and fuel efficiency at the same time in these types of vehicles. I'll live.
 
Both the 18 and 20" wheels are aluminum with silver paint on the outside (Mazda was too cheap to machine or polish the surface). I'm confused on how there could be rust on a wheel? was it just peeling?
 
Both the 18 and 20" wheels are aluminum with silver paint on the outside (Mazda was too cheap to machine or polish the surface). I'm confused on how there could be rust on a wheel? was it just peeling?

No clue how, but rust bubbles were there. The service manager had 1 look and said he'd order me a new wheel under warranty, no fuss.
 
We have owned our 2008 AWD GT for just shy of two years. In the 20K miles of ownership, it has been to the shop twice: Fan relay, and a bad front passenger bearing. Both replaced under warranty.

I have also replaced the brakes, but did that myself
 
Owned it new since 1/2008 for 45K miles
Problems encountered:
1) rear windows failed to roll down completely (stuck 1/2 way).
fix: properly glue back styrofoam inside. No parts. Labor under warranty.
2) A/C fan relays replaced (infamous fan blowing after shutoff)
fix: replaced two relays under warranty.
3) differencial seals leaky (spotty wet).
fix: replaced under powertrain warranty

IMHO, this is not as "reliable" (though all very small issues) as Hondas I owned.
(0 problem for 7+ years for all four I ever owned)
However, this is way much better than my beloved but problematic BMW 540iA.
 
Last edited:
Back