Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: the numbers are mixed and the complaint record is worth reading before you commit.
Owners have filed 195 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Mazda CX-9, and it carries 6 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 76 | 39% |
| Power train | 20 | 10% |
| Air bags | 17 | 9% |
| Engine | 17 | 9% |
| Suspension | 10 | 5% |
| Structure | 4 | 2% |
| Engine and engine cooling | 3 | 2% |
| Electrical system | 3 | 2% |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 2% |
| Seats | 3 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
The break booster went out without any warning or indicators while driving almost resulting in a collision. There are no warning lights on the dashboard.
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
Front suspension broke while my husband was driving back from a fire as he is a volunteer firefighter. He states car did not have any lights on dash to report there was a problem. The next thing he knew he heard a loud s
NHTSA complaint: Suspension
The contact owns a 2010 Mazda CX-9. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V782000 (Air Bags). The contact called the dealer and was advised to tow the vehicle to the dealer for the recall repair.
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
Stiff brake pedal , more effort to stop and longer distant to stop.
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
My wife was taking my daughters for marching band and all of a sudden she tried to press the brakes but the brakes felt too hard and she was unable to stop the car safely. She had to take immediate action by moving the c
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
Vehicle difficult to stop, believe it is a bad brake booster.
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
Braking inconsistently - sometimes easy to stop, sometimes hard. I had brakes looked at, and the man said it was the brake booster. He googled it, and found a recall online and told me to take it to my dealer. It doesn't
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
The contact owns a 2010 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated while conducting a routine check, he noticed that the coolant and the oil levels were low. An independent mechanic diagnosed that the coolant was leaking into the en
NHTSA complaint: Engine and engine cooling
NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2010 Mazda CX-9. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Mazda CX-9 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan),
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda custome
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2007-2012 CX-7, CX-9, and 2009-2012 Maza6 vehicles. These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant deg
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free
Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2009-2011 Mazda6, and 2007-2011 CX-7 and CX-9 vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, fre
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2013 Mazda6 and CX-9 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan),
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer
| Reliability raw | 55 | average |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 69 | good |
| Maintenance | 80 | excellent |
| Depreciation | 87 | excellent |
| Performance | 69 | good |
| Efficiency | 33 | below average |
Percentile ranks against other SUVs in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 195 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and service brakes is the most reported area with 76 of them (39%). There are 6 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 55/100 (average) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 69/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2010 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: be careful, because the numbers are mixed and the complaint record is worth reading before you commit. Its overall ownership score is 67/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.