2016 Mazda CX-5 Structure & Body Problems
NHTSA lists 36 Structure & Body complaints for the 2016 Mazda CX-5, about 7% of that year's 510 total complaints. Owners most often report heated seats catching fire, with 6 fire incidents and 5 injuries across the sample. Median mileage at failure is 15,000 miles.
- Structure & Body complaints
- 36
- 7% of 510
- Crashes reported
- 4
- Fires reported
- 6
- Injuries reported
- 5
- Median mileage
- 15,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 1
Typical body and structure symptoms owners report
- Front passenger seat heater overheats and burns through the seat foam and fabric, sometimes producing visible flame and smoke inside the cabin.
- Seat fires occur while driving, forcing drivers to pull over, extinguish the fire, and pull the fuse to stop the heating element.
- Some owners report the seat frame or mount became loose after a side-impact crash, raising concern about seat stability in a future collision.
- A few owners describe design complaints unrelated to fire, such as head restraints forcing an uncomfortable forward head position and windshields cracking without any impact.
- One complaint describes chrome trim near the vents reflecting glare into the driver-side mirror in bright conditions.
When 2016 Mazda CX-5 body and structure complaints were filed
First complaint Nov 13, 2015, latest Feb 12, 2026.
Structure & Body recalls for the 2016 Mazda CX-5
- NHTSA 16V644000Sep 6, 2016Structure & Body580,455 vehicles
Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 vehicles manufactured November 18, 2008, to June 8, 2013, 2012-2015 Mazda5 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2010, to June 22, 2015, 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 26, 2015, and 2013-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured December 15, 2011, to December 26, 2015. On the affected vehicles, the lift gate support struts may corrode, possibly causing the struts to break and/or the lift gate to drop unexpectedly.
Risk: If the lift gate falls unexpectedly, it may hit the user, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: Mazda dealers will replace the both lift gate supports, free of charge, however parts are not currently available. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 9916H.
Structure & Body complaints by CX-5 model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- Does the 2016 Mazda CX-5 have a seat fire problem?
- NHTSA's sample complaints for Structure & Body on this year show repeated reports of heated seats overheating and catching fire, with 6 fire incidents and 5 injuries recorded overall in this problem area.
- How common are Structure & Body complaints on the 2016 CX-5?
- NHTSA logs 36 Structure & Body complaints for the 2016 CX-5, about 7% of the 510 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for this issue?
- There is a related campaign, 16V644000, but it covers 2010-2013 Mazda3/Mazdaspeed3 and 2012-2015 Mazda5 lift gate supports, not the 2016 CX-5 seat fire reports.
- At what mileage do these problems tend to happen?
- The median mileage at failure for Structure & Body complaints on the 2016 CX-5 is 15,000 miles.