What are the common problems with the 2021 Mazda CX-9?
Owners of the 2021 Mazda CX-9 have filed 41 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine (21) and the powertrain (5). In NHTSA's complaints file of November 11, 2026, 5 of its 41 complaints list a mileage (4,000 to 86,000 miles), too few to say when problems were reported; a complaint is an owner's report, not a proven defect.
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See what the paid report includes →NHTSA's file holds 41 owner complaints on the 2021 Mazda CX-9. Owners named the engine most often: 21 complaints. A complaint can name more than one component. Of the 41 complaints, 7 report a crash, none reports a fire and 1 reports an injury (1 person reported injured). These are owners' reports to NHTSA, not findings.
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Common problems with the 2021 CX-9
NHTSA's file holds 41 owner complaints on the 2021 Mazda CX-9. Owners named the engine most often: 21 complaints. A complaint can name more than one component.
| Component (NHTSA category) | Complaints | Listing mileage | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 21 | 2 | Under 5 mileages |
| Power Train | 5 | 0 | Under 5 mileages |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 4 | 0 | Under 5 mileages |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 1 | Under 5 mileages |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 1 | Under 5 mileages |
Of the 41 complaints, 7 report a crash, none reports a fire and 1 reports an injury (1 person reported injured). These are owners' reports to NHTSA, not findings.
Mileage when owners reported a problem with the 2021 CX-9
Too few complaints on the 2021 CX-9 list a mileage to say when owners reported problems: 5 of its 41 complaints list a mileage (4,000 to 86,000 miles), and a median is given here only with 10 or more.
These mileages say when owners reported a problem, not when a 2021 CX-9 wears out. NHTSA's file holds only vehicles whose owners complained; one that ran without a problem never appears in it, so it gives no lifespan and no cutoff, and how a vehicle was maintained matters more than any one odometer reading.
Every model year together: Half of the 847 NHTSA owner complaints on the Mazda CX-9 that list mileage came after 69,000 miles (NHTSA complaints file of November 11, 2026). How many miles will a Mazda CX-9 last? →
Is the 2021 CX-9 a good year?
Complaint counts cannot say whether the 2021 is a good or a bad CX-9: they rise with how many were sold and how long they have been on the road. They show how the 2021 compares with the other model years in NHTSA's file.
With 41 complaints, the 2021 ranks 13th of the 17 Mazda CX-9 model years from 2007 to 2023 with 10 or more complaints, counting from the most. The most: the 2012 (221). The fewest: the 2022 (11).
Recent model years have had less time to collect complaints, so their counts are still growing. No year is ranked by mileage here, because a year's median mileage mostly follows its age.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Listing mileage | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 CX-9 | 86 | 62 | 94,000 |
| 2008 CX-9 | 172 | 126 | 98,000 |
| 2009 CX-9 | 59 | 39 | 85,000 |
| 2010 CX-9 | 195 | 146 | 77,200 |
| 2011 CX-9 | 171 | 138 | 74,000 |
| 2012 CX-9 | 221 | 170 | 58,000 |
| 2013 CX-9 | 68 | 44 | 53,000 |
| 2014 CX-9 | 54 | 28 | 52,789 |
| 2015 CX-9 | 35 | 20 | 56,000 |
| 2016 CX-9 | 108 | 29 | 40,000 |
| 2017 CX-9 | 61 | 5 | Under 10 mileages |
| 2018 CX-9 | 128 | 16 | 26,000 |
| 2019 CX-9 | 54 | 14 | 25,000 |
| 2020 CX-9 | 19 | 3 | Under 10 mileages |
| 2021 (this page) | 41 | 5 | Under 10 mileages |
| 2022 CX-9 | 11 | 1 | Under 10 mileages |
| 2023 CX-9 | 13 | 1 | Under 10 mileages |
The linked 2015–2022 pages show NHTSA's September 15, 2026 collection, so their counts can differ from this table's.
Every CX-9 year compared on NHTSA’s complaints and recalls: Mazda CX-9 years to avoid →
2021 Mazda CX-9 recalls
NHTSA's recall files of November 11, 2026 list 1 recall campaign that names the 2021 Mazda CX-9. A campaign covers a production range, not every vehicle of the model year: check the VIN with NHTSA's free recall lookup.
| Campaign | Report received | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 21V750000 | Sep 27, 2021 | SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY |
What these figures can and cannot tell you
- Complaints are owners’ reports to NHTSA. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them: a complaint is an allegation, not a defect finding.
- The mileage is what the owner wrote on the complaint; NHTSA does not check it against the odometer.
- The make, model and model year are the ones on the complaint. NHTSA records them as filed, so a few complaints sit under a model year the name was not sold in.
- They are not a lifespan study. The file holds only vehicles whose owners reported a problem, so these figures do not say how long a typical 2021 CX-9 lasts.
- A complaint count rises with how many vehicles were sold and how long they have been on the road, so it is not a rating of the 2021 CX-9.
- Nothing here describes one vehicle: its title brands, odometer readings, accidents and open recalls are in the records for its own VIN.
- 36 of the 41 complaints on the 2021 Mazda CX-9 give no usable mileage (blank, zero, a filler such as 999999, or over 500,000) and are left out of every mileage figure.
- NHTSA names counted: CX-9 and CX9. NHTSA files some vehicles under several names (a series name and a trim name, for example); this page counts only these.
- Recall-file names matched: CX-9 and CX9.
Primary sources behind this page
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
- NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), downloaded November 11, 2026National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Complaints file field layout (CMPL.txt)National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls flat file (FLAT_RCL_PRE_2010.zip), downloaded November 11, 2026National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010.zip), downloaded November 11, 2026National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Recalls file field layout (RCL.txt)National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recall and complaint datasets: scope and documentationNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Recalls Lookup by VINNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
NHTSA’s complaints file was downloaded on November 11, 2026 (FLAT_CMPL.txt, dated 2026-11-11 10:15, 2,265,416 rows), with its recall files (FLAT_RCL_PRE_2010.txt and FLAT_RCL_POST_2010.txt, dated 2026-11-11 08:02). Each complaint is counted once, by its NHTSA number, with the model year and mileage of its first row; a model year has a page only with 10 or more complaints. The collection script and its rules are in scripts/collect-nhtsa-model-year-longtail.mjs.
2021 Mazda CX-9 questions
What are the most common 2021 Mazda CX-9 problems?
NHTSA's file holds 41 owner complaints on the 2021 Mazda CX-9. Owners named the engine most often: 21 complaints. A complaint can name more than one component. Of the 41 complaints, 7 report a crash, none reports a fire and 1 reports an injury (1 person reported injured). These are owners' reports to NHTSA, not findings.
At what mileage do owners report problems with the 2021 Mazda CX-9?
NHTSA's file gives no mileage figure for the 2021 Mazda CX-9: 5 of its 41 complaints list a mileage (4,000 to 86,000 miles), and this page gives a median only with 10 or more. These are mileages at a reported problem; they do not say how many miles a 2021 CX-9 can cover.
Is the 2021 Mazda CX-9 a good year?
Complaint counts cannot say whether the 2021 is a good or a bad CX-9: they rise with how many were sold and how long they have been on the road. They show how the 2021 compares with the other model years in NHTSA's file. With 41 complaints, the 2021 ranks 13th of the 17 Mazda CX-9 model years from 2007 to 2023 with 10 or more complaints, counting from the most. The most: the 2012 (221). The fewest: the 2022 (11).
How many recalls does the 2021 Mazda CX-9 have?
NHTSA's recall files of November 11, 2026 list 1 recall campaign that names the 2021 Mazda CX-9. A campaign covers a production range, not every vehicle of the model year: check the VIN with NHTSA's free recall lookup.
How do I check a used 2021 Mazda CX-9 before buying?
Take the 17-character VIN from the vehicle and compare the odometer with the readings on file for it: title transfers, inspections and auction sales record the mileage on the day. VIN Lookup (free-vin-lookup.com) sells the original ClearVIN PDF for $14.99 (3 reports for $29.99, 5 for $44.99): odometer readings, title brands and auction records on file for the VIN. Check the VIN before buying a used 2021 Mazda CX-9.