Selling a junk Mazda CX-5
Any CX-5 sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.
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What owners report about the Mazda CX-5
NHTSA has 3,068 owner complaints on file for the Mazda CX-5, model years 2012 to 2022, the 143rd-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are engine (569, 19%), electrical system (436, 14%), other (392, 13%). 195 complaints involved a crash, 29 a fire, and 154 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 33,000 miles. The 2016 model year has the most complaints (628). Data as of 2026-10-12.
When the top complaint is engine, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car with a blown engine: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.
Mazda CX-5 by model year
| Year | Complaints | Most reported | Crash | Fire | Recalls | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 1 | Speed control | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 292 | Electrical system | 8 | 1 | 1 | 44,500 |
| 2014 | 492 | Electrical system | 10 | 0 | 4 | 45,762 |
| 2015 | 167 | Body and structure | 20 | 0 | 4 | 34,000 |
| 2016 | 628 | Lights | 52 | 16 | 5 | 33,000 |
| 2017 | 196 | Electrical system | 11 | 0 | 1 | 19,000 |
| 2018 | 478 | Engine | 30 | 3 | 3 | 14,700 |
| 2019 | 366 | Engine | 11 | 4 | 2 | 23,500 |
| 2020 | 156 | Electrical system | 19 | 0 | 0 | 6,800 |
| 2021 | 207 | Engine | 24 | 0 | 0 | 50,000 |
| 2022 | 85 | Lights | 10 | 5 | 0 | — |
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.
Mazda CX-5 recalls
NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for fuel system (2), body and structure (1), steering (1). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.
- 2018 model year, fuel system (campaign 21V875000, Nov 2021): Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3, Mazda6, 2019 CX-3, 2018-2019 MX-5, CX-5, CX-9, and 2019-2020 Mazda2 vehicles. The impeller inside the low-pressure fuel pump may crack and deform,…
- 2016 model year, lights (campaign 20V063000, Feb 2020): Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016 CX-5 vehicles. The LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL) may fail while driving.
- 2018 model year, engine (campaign 19V497000, Jun 2019): Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018-2019 CX-5, Mazda6, and 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. A software error in the powertrain control module (PCM) may cause the engine to stall.
- 2018 model year, air bags (campaign 18V426000, Jun 2018): Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda CX-5 vehicles. In the event of a side impact or rollover crash, the side curtain air bags may not properly unfold during deployment. As such, these …
- 2017 model year, trailer hitch (campaign 17V744000, Nov 2017): Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2017 CX-5 vehicles equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness. This harness may be routed such that there is insufficient clearance between the ha…
What a Mazda CX-5 is worth as a junk car
Buyers price a junk CX-5 on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.
Guides for selling this car
How to sell a car with a blown engine 
How much is my junk car worth? 
How junkyards price cars 
Catalytic converters and junk cars 
How to prepare your car for the junkyard 
Junk car scams and how to avoid them Other Mazda models
- Mazda Mazda3 3,960
- Mazda 626 2,958
- Mazda Mazda6 2,946
- Mazda Tribute 2,831
- Mazda CX-9 1,878
- Mazda CX-7 1,549
- Mazda Protege 1,053
- Mazda RX-8 1,004
Questions people ask
- What is a junk Mazda CX-5 worth?
- What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same CX-5 gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
- Will a junkyard buy a Mazda CX-5 that doesn't run?
- Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
- Should I fix an open recall before selling a Mazda CX-5?
- Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
- Where do these Mazda CX-5 numbers come from?
- From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.