Model year 2018 · Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD

2018 Mazda CX-5: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2018 Mazda CX-5 at 26–29 mpg combined across 4 versions. NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 352 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

EPA combined mpg

26–29

NHTSA overall rating

5/5

Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Mazda dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2018 Mazda CX-5 recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 3 safety recalls for the 2018 Mazda CX-5, newest first.

Fuel system, gasoline: Delivery: Fuel pump

NHTSA 21V875000 Reported Nov 12, 2021

Filed by: Mazda Motor Corp. (manufacturer recall no. 5321K)
Units affected: 121,038 (estimate)
Problem: 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, potentially causing the fuel pump to fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pumps, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 18, 2022. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 5321K.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Engine and 1 more component

NHTSA 19V497000 Reported Jun 27, 2019

Filed by: Mazda Motor Corp. (manufacturer recall no. 3719F)
Components: Engine; Power train: Automatic transmission: Control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Units affected: 262,220 (estimate)
Problem: 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.
Risk: An unexpected stall increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the PCM software, free of charge. The recall began August 20, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3719F.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Air bags: Side/window

NHTSA 18V426000 Reported Jun 25, 2018

Filed by: Mazda Motor Corp. (manufacturer recall no. 2718F)
Units affected: 682 (estimate)
Problem: 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 vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 226, "Ejection Mitigation."
Risk: If the air bags do not deploy properly in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the curtain air bags, free of charge. The recall began July 31, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 2718F.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2018 Mazda CX-5 fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2018 Mazda CX-5 EPA fuel economy
Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	Fuel	City/Hwy/Comb	Fuel cost/yr	CO2 g/mi
CX-5 2WD	2.2L 4-cyl turbo diesel	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Diesel	28/31/29 mpg	$3,300	348
CX-5 2WD	2.5L 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	25/31/28 mpg	$2,400	321
CX-5 4WD	2.2L 4-cyl turbo diesel	Automatic 6-speed	4-Wheel Drive	Diesel	27/30/28 mpg	$3,400	365
CX-5 4WD	2.5L 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	4-Wheel Drive	Regular	24/30/26 mpg	$2,600	335

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2018 Mazda CX-5 crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2018 Mazda CX-5 NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk	Forward collision warning
2018 Mazda CX-5 SUV AWD Early Release	4 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	17.4%	Optional
2018 Mazda CX-5 SUV AWD Later Release	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	16.9%	Optional
2018 Mazda CX-5 SUV FWD Early Release	4 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	16.9%	Optional
2018 Mazda CX-5 SUV FWD Later Release	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	17.4%	Optional

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2018 Mazda CX-5 owner complaints

Owners have filed 352 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Mazda CX-5, most recently on Oct 24, 2026. 19 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 6 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2018 Mazda CX-5 complaints
Component named in complaints	Mentions
Engine	180
Unknown or other	58
Power train	42
Service brakes	32
Electrical system	29
Fuel/propulsion system	20
Fuel system, gasoline	18
Structure: Body	12
Vehicle speed control	11
Air bags	9

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Mazda CX-5 model years

Mazda CX-5 by model year
Year	Combined	Recalls	Complaints	Overall rating
2026 CX-5	26 mpg	0	17	—
2025 CX-5	24–28 mpg	0	29	5/5
2024 CX-5	24–28 mpg	0	46	5/5
2023 CX-5	24–26 mpg	0	67	5/5
2022 CX-5	24–26 mpg	0	65	5/5
2021 CX-5	24–28 mpg	0	148	5/5
2020 CX-5	24–28 mpg	0	108	5/5
2019 CX-5	24–29 mpg	2	272	5/5
2017 CX-5	26–27 mpg	1	150	4/5
2016 CX-5	26–29 mpg	4	511	4/5
2015 CX-5	26–29 mpg	3	123	5/5

All Mazda CX-5 years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2018 Mazda models

2018 Mazda 2 2018 Mazda 3 2018 Mazda 6 2018 Mazda CX-3 2018 Mazda CX-9 2018 Mazda MX-5

Sources

Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Mazda.