2018 Mazda CX-5 fuel/propulsion system problems
20 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the fuel/propulsion system on the 2018 Mazda CX-5 — 6% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“The radio changes stations by itself, speakers/music goes in and out. The screen freezes and cannot change stations. And also the car lags on taking off sometimes. Often smells like fuel when you turn on the car, Assuming a fuel pump issue, not sure. I spoke to the salesman who sold me the car…”
filed Jun 24, 2025
“Car has a ticking sound when in idle mode. My mechanic sent me a few videos to reference and a bulletin from Mazda that attributes the clicking to the Hydraulic Lash Adjuster”
filed Feb 14, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued M-Tip(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. MT-003/22 03/02/22 DESCRIPTION Some customers may complain about a tapping or knocking noise coming from the…
SA-023-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 11, 2026
Fuel/propulsion System problems in other CX-5 years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 CX-5 | 2 | 8% |
| 2024 CX-5 | 1 | 2% |
| 2023 CX-5 | 2 | 3% |
| 2022 CX-5 | 3 | 5% |
| 2021 CX-5 | 7 | 5% |
| 2020 CX-5 | 4 | 4% |
| 2019 CX-5 | 15 | 6% |
| 2017 CX-5 | 13 | 9% |
| 2016 CX-5 | 19 | 4% |
| 2015 CX-5 | 5 | 4% |
| 2014 CX-5 | 6 | 2% |
| 2013 CX-5 | 9 | 5% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2018 Mazda CX-5
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.