Low Engine Oil Warning Light on new CX-5

[chigirl1007]

Moderator Edit: Updated copy of TSB 01-11/22 (as of Oct 8, 2022) posted on Page 5 of this thread, Post #99.

Hi Everyone,

I have a 2021 CX-5 bought in Nov. 2020, right now it has a little over 4500 miles on it. Not long ago after driving for about an hour, I noticed my engine oil warning light came on and the app said I have low engine oil. I took the dipstick out, wiped it off, and stuck it back in and checked the level; on one side it looked as if it was low and on the other side the oil level was high so I don't know what the level is; however, when I put the dipstick back in and started the engine,the light went off and the app now says that the level is normal. Do you think I should still bring it in to get checked or is this something that's normal? This is only my 2nd vehicle, my other one is a 2007 Corolla and I never had that issue. I'm thinking it's too soon for it to be low but not sure if that`s correct. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[wlong01]

Park on flat ground, wait about 30 minutes then check it again.
During the course of 4500 miles you should check the oil level periodically.
Don't wait for the check oil light to come on.

Also, during the first 5000 miles the vehicle will probably use a little oil as everything seals up.
Both my CX-5's used oil during the first 5000 miles then stablized to using none during oil change intervals.

 

[Mazdiod2]

You could add some, like half a bottle, just in case. It shouldn't hurt anything.

Doesn't the manual say to check the oil periodically, like when you refuel? Or maybe once a month.

 

[yrwei52]

Hi Everyone,

I have a 2021 CX-5 bought in Nov. 2020, right now it has a little over 4500 miles on it. Not long ago after driving for about an hour, I noticed my engine oil warning light came on and the app said I have low engine oil. I took the dipstick out, wiped it off, and stuck it back in and checked the level; on one side it looked as if it was low and on the other side the oil level was high so I don't know what the level is; however, when I put the dipstick back in and started the engine,the light went off and the app now says that the level is normal. Do you think I should still bring it in to get checked or is this something that's normal? This is only my 2nd vehicle, my other one is a 2007 Corolla and I never had that issue. I'm thinking it's too soon for it to be low but not sure if that`s correct. Thanks in advance for your help!

I assume you haven’t changed the oil since you bought your 2021 CX-5 Signature last November. You should go to Maintenance Monitor in infotainment checking the setup of “Oil Change” schedule. It should be “Flexible” which is the default from factory. Your oil change due should display ~2,500 miles as you’ve driven 4,500 miles since new.

There’re reports that some 2.5T’s your CX-5 do consume oil since new which is unfortunate. This’s not normal to me as many of them don’t burn any oil like your previous 2007 Toyota Corolla.

2021 CX-9 burning oil

Most engines will burn some degree of oil but it’s not normal the engine is burning about a quart of oil per 4,500 miles when new like yours. This means your engine somehow missed some assembly standards from factory and caused severe oil consumption. The oil consumption will be lingering forever for your CX-5, and you have to watch the low oil level warning light all the time、check thr oil level often with the dipstick、and add the oil accordingly to the Max mark of the dipstick.

Unfortunately car manufactures consider only there’s problem if the engine uses a quart of oil per 1,000 miles. In Mazda’s standard, it’s a liter (~1 quart) per 1,200 miles.

M-Tips No.: MT-005/20 HIGH ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION


When you have trouble to see the actual oil level on dipstick when the engine is hot, try to take the measurement the first thing in the morning before the engine start. You’ll be able to see the oil mark a lot easier on the dipstick when the oil is cold, and you don’t even have to wipe it. Just pull the dipstick out and you’ll see the oil level right there clearly. And the reading is similar to the oil level when you measure it warm. And this has been verified:

Dipstick - Ever Notice This?


The reason why when you restarted the engine after you did the oil level check and the low oil level warning is gone, is the oil level just dropped to the boarder line, the oil level sensor in the oil pan senses the oil again when some oil had drained back to the oil pan, which made the oil level rose a bit.

Like discussed in another CX-9 oil consumption thread, you should take your CX-5 to your Mazda dealer for the problem and don’t add any oil before the appointment. You never know what they will say (although most likely they’ll say “it’s normal!”), they may take a look and find something, and at the very least you will have it on record in the Mazda maintenance system that you had reported oil issues early on. That could be helpful if you ever have to get a warranty claim approved later.

Lastly, if you don’t change the oil by yourself, you may just have the Mazda dealer changing the oil for you in the same appointment as the oil should get changed with “Flexible” OCI at UP TO 7,500 miles or 12 months whichever comes first.

 

[Mazh]

Hello,

I I have a CX-5 signature 2021 , and I have the same issue, oil light came on right before my first oil change and then again 2 more time after that, now I am at almost 11,000 and when I went to the dealership, they opened a hot ticket with Mazda and did you know what their answer was: WE CAN'T FIX IT, you will have to drive to the dealership an top off oil every time you get that.
Oil light turned on 3 time and my car is not even 11,000 miles, Called Mazda a few time and this is their response
A small amount of the engine oil may be leaking into the combustion chamber, causing the oil consumption. Mazda has confirmed this oil leakage into the combustion chamber will not cause any immediate engine damage and the vehicle may be safely driven. The warning message and CHECK ENGINE light will go off by topping off the engine oil level. Mazda will top off or replace the engine oil at no charge.
I asked to speak with a manager , nobody is giving me a response and they refuse to fix or replace my car. They told my that my case was reviewed and they think is ok to drive it like that. Why am I paying for a car that I have to be stressed all the time that the light is going to come on ? What happens if it comes on when I am on vacation, do I always have to keep spare oil in my car, their Response: YES you will have to do that.

This is the first new car that I ever owned, worst experience ever. Customer service was really friendly tho, they told me that they tried to escalate my issue to their manager and above but they keep giving them the same answer, nothing we can do. I was in love with that car the moment I saw it, but I am about to trade that in for a Honda, have some piece of mind. I am going to loose some money but I will not keep a car that has issues. If its burning oil like that now, what will happen when it goes to 60,000 miles and no warranty. Never buying Mazda ever again.

By the way if you own a 2021 with a turbo engine you are probably having the same issue, they did tell me that is known issue, but not planning on doing anything about it at this point. If you have that issue take it to the dealership and request they open a hot ticket with Mazda, if they refuse call customer service and they will call the dealership and ask them to open a ticket with them.

I am being insane that I want this fixed ?

 

[yrwei52]

I have a CX-5 signature 2021 , and I have the same issue, oil light came on right before my first oil change and then again 2 more time after that, now I am at almost 11,000
⋯
I am being insane that I want this fixed ?

Yes, every car owner having oil consumption issue wants to get it fixed. Unfortunately the guideline from car manufactures is they’ll only do something if the oil consumption is about a quart per 1,000 miles. You have low oil warning 3 times in 11,000 miles, which means your 2.5T uses about a quarts per 3,667 miles. This’s way better than the guideline, and Mazda North American Operations won’t do anything for you to fix the oil consumption problem. See post #4 above.

You may try different 5W-30 oil at your next oil change. Or even thicker oil which may help. Honestly you just have to live with the problem as long as you have the CX-5, and consider you have a bad luck getting a “bad” 2.5T from Mazda.

When I had the similar problem on my 2001.5 VW Passat GLX which has a 2.8L V6 and a 5-speed manual, the VWoA also refused to do anything (actually it’s a known oil ring problem) even though the engine was using a quart per 800 ~ 1,000 miles since new! Not much I could do after fighting with the VWoA for 3 years during the warranty period, and I dumped the car at less than 60,000 miles even though I really enjoyed driving the stick shift with a V6. And I usually keep the car for as long as I can, such as I still have a 1998 Honda CR-V and a 2000 BMW 528i. And I’ve been a loyal VW customer for more than 20 years but wasn’t after this Passat.

 

[chigirl1007]

I assume you haven’t changed the oil since you bought your 2021 CX-5 Signature last November. You should go to Maintenance Monitor in infotainment checking the setup of “Oil Change” schedule. It should be “Flexible” which is the default from factory. Your oil change due should display ~2,500 miles as you’ve driven 4,500 miles since new.

There’re reports that some 2.5T’s your CX-5 has do consume oil since new which is unfortunate. This’s not normal to me as many of them don’t burn any oil like your previous 2007 Toyota Corolla.

2021 CX-9 burning oil

Most engines will burn some degree of oil but it’s not normal the engine is burning about a quart of oil per 4,500 miles when new like yours. This means your engine somehow missed some assembly standards from factory and caused severe oil consumption. The oil consumption will be lingering forever for your CX-5, and you have to watch the low oil level warning light all the time、check thr oil level often with the dipstick、and add the oil accordingly to the Max mark of the dipstick.

View attachment 303673


Unfortunately car manufactures consider only there’s problem if the engine uses a quart of oil per 1,000 miles. In Mazda’s standard, it’s a liter (~1 quart) per 1,200 miles.

M-Tips No.: MT-005/20 HIGH ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION


When you have trouble to see the actual oil level on dipstick when the engine is hot, try to take the measurement the first thing in the morning before the engine start. You’ll be able to see the oil mark a lot easier on the dipstick when the oil is cold, and you don’t even have to wipe it. Just pull the dipstick out and you’ll see the oil level right there clearly. And the reading is similar to the oil level when you measure it warm. And this has been verified:

Dipstick - Ever Notice This?


The reason why when you restarted the engine after you did the oil level check and the low oil level warning is gone, is the oil level just dropped to the boarder line, the oil level sensor in the oil pan senses the oil again when some oil had drained back to the oil pan, which made the oil level rose a bit.

Like discussed in another CX-9 oil consumption thread, you should take your CX-5 to your Mazda dealer for the problem and don’t add any oil before the appointment. You never know what they will say (although most likely they’ll say “it’s normal!”), they may take a look and find something, and at the very least you will have it on record in the Mazda maintenance system that you had reported oil issues early on. That could be helpful if you ever have to get a warranty claim approved later.

Lastly, if you don’t change the oil by yourself, you may just have the Mazda dealer changing the oil for you in the same appointment as the oil should get changed with “Flexible” OCI at UP TO 7,500 miles or 12 months whichever comes first.

Thank you for this info. The light hasn't come back on again but I'm going to have the dealer look at it.

 

[CarpeDiem]

…By the way if you own a 2021 with a turbo engine you are probably having the same issue, they did tell me that is known issue…

Uh, no. Mine used almost zero oil in the first 5000 miles and I don’t expect that to change. I see few if any posts about this “known issue” on the numerous Mazda forums I frequent, if it was a big deal there would be a lot of threads about it. There are not.

Did you know that Toyota considers an oil consumption of one quart of oil per 1200 miles as normal? Honda and Ford have similar ranges. It’s a non-issue according to many auto makers. My recommendation is to check your oil regularrly and stop stressing about it!

Toyota Has a Consumption Problem Whether They Want to Admit it or Not

An increasing number of Toyota vehicles are experiencing excessive oil consumption which may be the result of defective piston rings. Toyota, in all their 'deny-til-we-die' splendor, is reportedly denying warranty coverage on many oil consumption related problems and telling owners that burning...

www.toyotaproblems.com

Honda Engines Oil Consumption (use) Issues

2008 & 2013 Honda 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder engines have an oil consumption problem. Honda suggests burning 1 quart of oil every thousand miles is normal.

us.autologic.com

 

[wlong01]

Mine does not consume any oil between oil changes which usually occur every 5,000 miles.

I check it every week. In fact I posted last week about the oil being a good bit above the full mark.
My wife returned from a apprx 150 mile road trip, 75 each way. I checked it the morning after her
return and it was just a hair over the full mark.

 

[181962]

Yes, every car owner having oil consumption issue wants to get it fixed. Unfortunately the guideline from car manufactures is they’ll only do something if the oil consumption is about a quart per 1,000 miles. You have low oil warning 3 times in 11,000 miles, which means your 2.5T uses about a quarts per 3,667 miles. This’s way better than the guideline, and Mazda North American Operations won’t do anything for you to fix the oil consumption problem. See post #4 above.

You may try different 5W-30 oil at your next oil change. Or even thicker oil which may help. Honestly you just have to live with the problem as long as you have the CX-5, and consider you have a bad luck getting a “bad” 2.5T from Mazda.

When I had the similar problem on my 2001.5 VW Passat GLX which has a 2.8L V6 and a 5-speed manual, the VWoA also refused to do anything (actually it’s a known oil ring problem) even though the engine was using a quart per 800 ~ 1,000 miles since new! Not much I could do after fighting with the VWoA for 3 years during the warranty period, and I dumped the car at less than 60,000 miles even though I really enjoyed driving the stick shift with a V6. And I usually keep the car for as long as I can, such as I still have a 1998 Honda CR-V and a 2000 BMW 528i. And I’ve been a loyal VW customer for more than 20 years but wasn’t after this Passat.

Right. There's "normal" and then there is what manufacturers consider "acceptable", typically as much as a quart per 1,000 miles as you say.

"Normal" in my book is no oil burn (or leak) at all. Consumer Reports agrees as in the link below. I don't think anybody has yet mentioned oil leaking out of the vehicle which should obviously be something to check out.

Consumer Reports did a study of the matter in 2015 covering 2010-2014 model complaints. Certain models were terrible, particularly some quite expensive Germans, that the manufacturers declared acceptable. Here's a link on the matter; note the high incidence of oil burn on particular models in the chart:

Excessive Oil Consumption Isn't Normal - Consumer Reports

Excessive oil consumption isn't normal, Consumer Reports says. Automakers say adding oil between scheduled changes is acceptable. It's not.

www.consumerreports.org

In the text you'll see that Toyota and Honda have not been exempt, with a class action lawsuit and extended drive train warranties.

CR followed that up this year for complaints through 2019. Once again no Mazdas made the list. Another class action and more extended warranties from other makers:

Some Newer Cars Can Burn Lots of Oil - Consumer Reports

Some newer cars can burn lots of oil, a Consumer Reports investigation has found. Here's how to identify the problem in newer cars and what to do about it.

www.consumerreports.org

I've been lucky, or should I say "normal", though I've never owned a turbo. Going back over 30 years, with three Toyotas, a Mitsu, a Chrysler (with a Mitsu engine), a Honda and now the CX-5, I can recall adding a quart of oil only once between changes (the Chrysler) and that might have been an underfill on an oil change. Maybe a half quart one other time but that's stretching my memory. Sans the CX-5 with no oil burn so far at 11,500 miles, I owned these vehicles for 7 - 14 years and 95,000 - 150,000 miles with the 95,000 miles / 7 year Toyota still going strong. This is my baseline expectation. I'm sure others have had similar experience.

It goes to your earlier point about the manufacturing process. With tolerances measured in microns in modern engines, something a little off, a less than optimal part or a bad day or week at the assembly plant, can result in a less than optimal build. Back in the day the old adage was don't buy anything out of Detroit that was built on Monday or Friday, Monday being the day of hungover workers and Friday being the day when workers call in sick for a long weekend. To what degree this may still apply in Detroit or elsewhere I don't know, but at least robots don't drink or take days off. Of course somebody has to monitor those machines and make sure they are calibrated to tolerance, so there's that, whether in parts manufacturing or assembly.

What to do if the vehicle is burning oil and the manufacturer says it is acceptable? After the dealer has checked it out and found it is not throwing codes, and if it sounds and feels normal, the next primary diagnostic (as with all things engine related) is gas mileage. Monitor it closely. A noticeable drop may signal trouble on the horizon.

Personally, if I was burning a quart over 3,500 miles I'd be a little concerned but not overly so, just monitor and see where it goes. A quart per 1,000 miles? That would be quite concerning. I'd monitor it closely and look to trade it before the drive train warranty expires.

 

[teddymac]

Brand new Carbon Edition Turbo 5925 miles on the odometer, oil light came on at 5200 miles, added half a quart. Pretty frustrating for a brand new car.

Noticed a post on reddit about this today. Seems more common than it should be.

Reddit - The heart of the internet

www.reddit.com

 

[Jack Rabbit]

Uh, no. Mine used almost zero oil in the first 5000 miles and I don’t expect that to change. I see few if any posts about this “known issue” on the numerous Mazda forums I frequent, if it was a big deal there would be a lot of threads about it. There are not.

Did you know that Toyota considers an oil consumption of one quart of oil per 1200 miles as normal? Honda and Ford have similar ranges. It’s a non-issue according to many auto makers. My recommendation is to check your oil regularrly and stop stressing about it!

Toyota Has a Consumption Problem Whether They Want to Admit it or Not

An increasing number of Toyota vehicles are experiencing excessive oil consumption which may be the result of defective piston rings. Toyota, in all their 'deny-til-we-die' splendor, is reportedly denying warranty coverage on many oil consumption related problems and telling owners that burning...

www.toyotaproblems.com

Honda Engines Oil Consumption (use) Issues

2008 & 2013 Honda 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder engines have an oil consumption problem. Honda suggests burning 1 quart of oil every thousand miles is normal.

us.autologic.com

True... When younger used to check oil once a week.
Now check about once a month and everyone should be checking their oil at least once a month.

But, It's nice to know however that if you have alot of things going on and you forget to check all the time that your cars still ok. Kinda like buying a smoke detector and having to get up once every few nights to make sure your house isn't on fire. You only have to check smoke detectors batteries once every few months.

Not to mention that with oil at $6 or more per quart, if you drive alot of miles, topping off every month or two could add an extra $40 to $60 year negating any gas mileage savings.

So it's a cost issue as well.

Over a 10 year period that could add $600 to the cost of ownership. Granted not huge $$ but still...

 

[dougal]

I have a 2021 CX9 signature and my low oil light came on at 5000 miles, right before my first oil change and at around 14,000 miles, right before my third oil change.

In both cases the oil was just a bit over the bottom whole and in both cases, I put in a quart of oil and that held.

This last time (just did my oil change two days ago) I told the service guy I was worried about having an oil burner and he would look. He did say that they have an automatic oil filling machine and it sometimes shorts the turbos. But I had a 2018 CX9 and never had this issue.

I checked the oil right after the service and it is slightly above the top whole. I am not back to checking my oil every 1000 miles. ):

 

[yrwei52]

⋯ It goes to your earlier point about the manufacturing process. With tolerances measured in microns in modern engines, something a little off, a less than optimal part or a bad day or week at the assembly plant, can result in a less than optimal build. Back in the day the old adage was don't buy anything out of Detroit that was built on Monday or Friday, Monday being the day of hungover workers and Friday being the day when workers call in sick for a long weekend. To what degree this may still apply in Detroit or elsewhere I don't know, but at least robots don't drink or take days off. Of course somebody has to monitor those machines and make sure they are calibrated to tolerance, so there's that, whether in parts manufacturing or assembly.

Well said. With everything robotic possible, remember the setup is still controlled by human, and the calibration to tolerance on machines is still critical. In other words, chances are you may still get an inferior engine like assembled on Monday or Friday in old days. Not all engines are created equal on quality even with today’s technology in automobile industry.

But my concern is engines from Mazda seem to be having more issues comparing to 4 ~ 6 years ago when I bought my 2016 CX-5 with a 2.5L. There’re many more reports here about engine problems such as oil consumption、oil dilution、valve noise、coolant leak、cracked head or block that we hadn’t seen several years ago. Not to mention the fallen rocket arm recall where the software update may or may not have actually fixed the root cause.

 

[GAXIBM]

What's good now is the car checks it own oil level all the time and if low turns on a low oil light so you do not have to check it all the time. I have a 2000 Corvette and it has a known oil ring vibration problem if the rpm is held over 4000 for an extended time. Driving 85 or less I only have had to add one quart in over 90,000 miles but some people who rev high with a Manuel had to have the rings changed under warrantee.

 

[crayonbreak]

Hello,

I I have a CX-5 signature 2021 , and I have the same issue, oil light came on right before my first oil change and then again 2 more time after that, now I am at almost 11,000 and when I went to the dealership, they opened a hot ticket with Mazda and did you know what their answer was: WE CAN'T FIX IT, you will have to drive to the dealership an top off oil every time you get that.
Oil light turned on 3 time and my car is not even 11,000 miles, Called Mazda a few time and this is their response
A small amount of the engine oil may be leaking into the combustion chamber, causing the oil consumption. Mazda has confirmed this oil leakage into the combustion chamber will not cause any immediate engine damage and the vehicle may be safely driven. The warning message and CHECK ENGINE light will go off by topping off the engine oil level. Mazda will top off or replace the engine oil at no charge.
I asked to speak with a manager , nobody is giving me a response and they refuse to fix or replace my car. They told my that my case was reviewed and they think is ok to drive it like that. Why am I paying for a car that I have to be stressed all the time that the light is going to come on ? What happens if it comes on when I am on vacation, do I always have to keep spare oil in my car, their Response: YES you will have to do that.

This is the first new car that I ever owned, worst experience ever. Customer service was really friendly tho, they told me that they tried to escalate my issue to their manager and above but they keep giving them the same answer, nothing we can do. I was in love with that car the moment I saw it, but I am about to trade that in for a Honda, have some piece of mind. I am going to loose some money but I will not keep a car that has issues. If its burning oil like that now, what will happen when it goes to 60,000 miles and no warranty. Never buying Mazda ever again.

By the way if you own a 2021 with a turbo engine you are probably having the same issue, they did tell me that is known issue, but not planning on doing anything about it at this point. If you have that issue take it to the dealership and request they open a hot ticket with Mazda, if they refuse call customer service and they will call the dealership and ask them to open a ticket with them.

I am being insane that I want this fixed ?

If you are that freaked about it talk to a lemon law lawyer. What the manufacturers say is acceptable and what a lawyer can do are two totally different things.

 

[yrwei52]

What's good now is the car checks it own oil level all the time and if low turns on a low oil light so you do not have to check it all the time.

Yes. Actually you don’t even have to check the oil level with the dipstick, just watch the Low Oil Level Warning Light that should be sufficient (not me though):

In fact, BMW had eliminated dipstick many years ago, relies only on Low Oil Level Warning Light!

---

 

[ceric]

In fact, BMW had eliminated dipstick many years ago, relies only on Low Oil Level Warning Light!

---

Ha, BMW.
My favorite brand of vehicles.
They were among the first to showcase "lifetime ATF". "No need to change, ever!" They said.
Many owners ended up paying for new transmissions out of 4yr/50K powertrain warranty.
(two of my friends who bought BMW because of me... sorry)
Did BMW chip in to help? Nope. Young fools rush in to buy BMWs. They don't care.
I will ride a bike if BMW were the only automobile brand left in USA.
End venting.

 

[yrwei52]

Ha, BMW.
My favorite brand of vehicles.
They were among the first to showcase "lifetime ATF". "No need to change, ever!" They said.
Many owners ended up paying for new transmissions out of 4yr/50K powertrain warranty.
(two of my friends who bought BMW because of me... sorry)
Did BMW chip in to help? Nope. Young fools rush in to buy BMWs. They don't care.
I will ride a bike if BMW were the only automobile brand left in USA.
End venting.

I still have a 2000 BMW 528i bought it new. The steering rack and rear differential mount got replacement under warranty, The infamous plastic water pump literally exploded with small metal balls from the bearing everywhere in the engine bay at 28K miles. No warranty on water pump failure since the car just 1 month past 5 years for warranty even though it had only 28K miles and BMW USA refused to compensate anything on it. Not long after I had to replace 2 belt tensioners as well as serpentine belt and AC stretch belt at 30K miles. Immediately after the AC fan resistor needed to be replaced. In recent years I’ve found many plastic and rubber parts on my BMW are disintegrated due to age which is not happening on my even older 1998 Honda CR-V.

Since I usually keep the car for as long as I can, this BMW is only for my back up car right now and drive it may be once for a couple of months. But I’m not going to get another BMW for sure.

 

[Jack Rabbit]

If you are that freaked about it talk to a lemon law lawyer. What the manufacturers say is acceptable and what a lawyer can do are two totally different things.

Exactly. Manufacturers(and this is all of them, car, cellphone, dishwasher, etc) count on time running out and consumers not realizing their rights. It has to be brand new vehicle and you only have first 12 months/12000 miles...so take it back to dealer for warranty repair/ service every couple weeks... don't trust that the dealer visit will document the problem as it really is. Send emails and mail letters usps certified so you have records documenting the actual problem. Have your local mechanic or get an engine rebuild specialist to look it over and document it for you as well. Last but not least, get an attorney if needed. What sucks is if they do take it back(instead if fixing it), they'll just resell it to the next sucker who will be out of luck. Sucks, but don't think there is any law governing how they fix or resell the lemons or disclosure of such. But at least your dealership visits should hopefully show up on Carfax, maybe, for the next buyer...but who knows what they'll have on record...could say oil change.