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Engine & cooling

Mazda CX-90 Engine problems by year

8 complaints filed with NHTSA about the Mazda CX-90's engine & cooling. Stalling, loss of power, oil consumption, overheating, head gaskets, timing chains and engine failure.

Engine complaints by model year

YearEngine complaintsCrashesInjuriesRecalls
20261000
20257000

Latest CX-90 engine complaints

2025 Mazda CX-90Electrical systemEngine & cooling

The vehicle utilizes I-Stop, which comes on when stopping and while traveling down the interstate when the computer isn't registering throttle input as a way to increase fuel economy. At least a dozen times now, the vehicle has failed to register throttle input, which isn't allowing the vehicle to restart when traveling down the road. The tachometer will remain at zero even with the pedal all the way to the floor. This has even happened while traveling down [[redacted]] in Northern Virginia placing myself and my...

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family at risk of a collision. We have taken the vehicle in for service and mazda has been unable to replicate the issue or successfully diagnose the problem. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Incident Electrical system · Unknown or other · EngineNHTSA 11768847
2026 Mazda CX-90Electrical systemEngine & coolingFuel system

My boyfriend and I rented the car from Hertz Car Rental in [[redacted]] on Labor Day weekend. Within moments of driving the car off the lot, the safety camera system stopped working and the lights came on saying they weren't working. The touch screen also started glitching and intermittently working but we didn't think too much about it. We started driving across the state to [[redacted]] and made it about 4 hours away from [[redacted]] when the car started making a noise like a marble in a tin can, lost power,...

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started shaking, and could not make it up hills at a safe speed. The check engine light came on. We pulled over and popped the hood to find a lot of rat feces scattered all over the engine bay, some of it looked fresh and some was turning white telling us it was there for a while. We called the Hertz rental roadside assistance who could not help us as they rented out all of their cars for the weekend and our only options were to tow us back to [[redacted]] without a replacement car or try to continue driving it the 1 hour to our destination. We continued to drive the car as we did not have anywhere else to stay and were in the middle of nowhere. We drove the car slowly to our destination but it did keep making the noise and shaking although the check engine light went out. When I got out of the car, I noticed a raw gas oder which worried me. I called my dad who works on cars and he told me not to drive it any farther as it could be a serious safety risk as the rats likely have been chewing wires and hoses and there could be a fire risk. We were also breathing the rat feces in our whole trip unknowingly. We called for the car to be towed and paid to rent another from another company. Since then, we have not gotten any money back and they continue to charge us daily for the car saying we must return it, meaning they have no record of where there car is even though we watched it be towed away and talked to the driver who said he was taking it to the Grand Junction Airport. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Incident Electrical system · Engine · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11765605
2025 Mazda CX-90Transmission & drivetrainEngine & coolingFuel system

I own a 2026 Mazda CX-90 hybrid with approximately 13,000 miles. The vehicle began making a grinding noise while driving, which has progressively worsened over time. It has since developed a hard knocking noise accompanied by noticeable vibration when the vehicle shifts gears. This knocking occurs during normal in-town driving. I have taken the vehicle to the selling/authorized Mazda dealership on two occasions - June 2, 2026 and July 14, 2026. On both visits, the dealer was able to reproduce and confirm the noise...

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and knocking. The dealer stated they are aware other customers have reported the same issue, but that Mazda considers the noise/knocking acceptable and declined to perform a repair. No warning lights or diagnostic trouble codes have appeared at any point; the only symptoms are audible and physical. The vehicle is under both factory warranty and a purchased service/maintenance agreement. It has only been inspected by the selling dealership; no inspection has been performed directly by Mazda North America, law enforcement, or an insurance representative. I am concerned about my safety and the safety of others because a worsening, unexplained drivetrain issue that produces hard knocking and vibration during routine driving suggests a mechanical fault that could progress to sudden failure, and the manufacturer has declined to investigate or repair it further despite the symptom escalating across two documented visits. The vehicle remains available for inspection upon request.

Filed Incident Power train · Engine · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11750408
2025 Mazda CX-90Engine & cooling

I am submitting this complaint regarding my 2025 Mazda CX-90 PHEV, leased in April 2025. Since early in my lease, the vehicle has had ongoing drivability issues that have worsened over time and now present a serious safety concern.From the beginning, the vehicle exhibited jerking and hesitation while driving. Initially minor, this has become more frequent and now includes stalling behavior during normal driving conditions, including acceleration and traffic flow. This creates a risk of collision, especially when...

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merging or at intersections.Approximately six months into my lease, the radiator failed and had to be replaced. More recently, while driving, multiple warnings appeared at once: Hybrid System Malfunction, Battery System Malfunction, Oil Monitoring Malfunction, and i-ACTIVSENSE partially disabled. These warnings were documented.Two weeks prior, the dealership reported no diagnostic codes. However, on my most recent visit, I was told via video that the active air shutter is now the issue. The required part is on backorder until August. I was told I could either remain in a non-comparable loaner while still making full lease payments, or continue driving the vehicle in its current condition until the part arrives. I find this unacceptable given the safety concerns.I expressed that I do not feel safe driving this vehicle, but the service advisor stated this is "not a safety concern." I disagree. A vehicle that jerks, hesitates, or stalls while driving, combined with multiple system malfunctions and disabled safety features, presents a clear safety risk.I also disclosed prior to leasing that I do not have access to charging. I was told this would not be an issue. I am now being told that not charging the vehicle may be contributing to the problem. Service advisors have also indicated these vehicles have known hybrid battery issues.I no longer feel safe driving this vehicle and am concerned for my safety and my family's safety.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11727400
2025 Mazda CX-90Electrical systemAcceleration & cruise controlEngine & cooling

On 3/19/2026, the vehicle ignition was turned on. Immediately, we received a variety of warnings, including: "charging system malfunction", "i-ACTIVESENSE Partially Disabled", "Hybrid System Malfunction", "i-stop Malfunction", "Charging System Malfunction", and "Critical Systems Failure". Vehicle has only 20,040 miles. On 3/20/2026 8:30 AM, we contacted the Mazda dealer where vehicle was purchased new and they said "we are not sure when we can get to it--it could be several weeks". We had the vehicle towed to...

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this dealer since they were involved in addressing the recall about "fuel sensors". An email was also sent to Mazda corporate so they would be aware of the response we received from the dealer and help with a car rental. It was very fortunate that we were not on the highway when this happened as it would have been an extreme safety risk.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Vehicle speed control · EngineNHTSA 11725814
2025 Mazda CX-90Engine & cooling

Early December I was driving and attempting to make a left-hand turn across traffic. I press the gas slowly in preparation to cross traffic. Once a car passed I pressed the gas to get across the traffic lanes before other cars got to me and when I pressed the gas, the car completely stopped moving. I sat there, pushing harder & pumping for what felt like forever, but was probably three to five seconds. I had to take my foot off the gas, press the brake, and put it back on the gas to get the car to move. By that...

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point, I had cars stopping & honking at me because I was sitting in the middle of oncoming traffic, unable to move my vehicle. Then (12/15) I was sitting at a stop sign, waiting to turn right. I made my right turn advancing onto the new street and my car stopped moving entirely and started flashing two errors, both hybrid system malfunction and engine malfunction. I tried to get the car moving for a bit, switching gears, pressing brake then gas, etc. After putting the car in park & turning on flashers (I was blocking a lane of traffic) and powering the car off and then back on again the car moved, however, the errors are still there.I called the dealership & brought the car in. After a diagnostic they cleared the code & told me to go. I told them it was not safe to put my children in the vehicle and they needed to identify the root cause and fix the problem.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11719758
2025 Mazda CX-90Engine & cooling

The vehicle repeatedly displays warnings including "Acceleration Limited Due to Low Fuel and/or Battery Condition," Hybrid System Malfunction, and Engine System warnings. These events result in reduced acceleration and loss of power while driving. The condition occurs despite normal fuel levels and routine driving conditions. The vehicle has been taken to the dealership multiple times. Each time, I am told no fault codes are present or the issue cannot be replicated. The warnings continue to recur and remain...

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unresolved. This creates an unsafe driving condition due to unpredictable power limitation. This issue appears to be a known problem affecting Mazda CX-90 vehicles and may be related to hybrid system software or battery management. The vehicle was being driven on a city road (Lake Forrest and University dr in McKinney, TX). Turned right off of a shopping center exit toward Lake Forest Dr. The vehicle lost power all of a sudden and would not accelerate with traffic heading in my direction. The vehicle signaled to stop and place the gear into park. I was able to slowly change lanes and pull into the Chipotle parking lot at 5151 W. University Dr at 10:56 am. I called Mazda Roadside and they came to tow it to El Dorado Mazda dealership. This incident: Date: 01/10/26 Time: 10:56 am Temp: 45° / clear and sunny Previous Incident: 12/04/25 6 pm Parked - Idling at Prosper High School. I-stop and hybrid system malfunction warnings appeared Called El Dorado Mazda- advised it was not a safety issue and sometimes it just needed a software update or the battery was bad. They scheduled a service appt until 12/17/26 due to lack of loaner vehicles available. 12/08/25 / 12:05 pm Clear weather Inspected at El Dorado Mazda Could not be Duplicated. Battery OK Nothing came up on diagnostic machine. Cleared recall. Advised to return if it happened again. Reassured me it was safe to drive and I was not in danger. 12/16/25 Car started from park at home Approx 40-50° 9-10 am 1/10/26-

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11710144

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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