YearToAvoid

2007 Mazda CX-9 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Caution The 2007 Mazda CX-9 has 86 NHTSA complaints and a complaint index of 50, ranking 9th of 17 model years with a Caution verdict. Five recalls apply, three marked do-not-drive for airbag inflators, and suspension problems dominate owner reports at 45% of complaints.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
50/100
#9 of 17 CX-9 years
Verdict
Caution
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
86
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
5
3 Do Not Drive
Crashes
2
reported in complaints
Fires
1
Injuries
2
Top issue
Suspension, Wheels & Tires
Best nearby year
2017
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
17.5
15.5 city / 21.5 hwy
Injuries / deaths
2 / 0

Top 2007 Mazda CX-9 problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Suspension, Wheels & Tires39 (45%)
  2. Airbags18 (21%)
  3. Transmission & Powertrain12 (14%)
  4. Steering9 (10%)
  5. Brakes8 (9%)
  6. Electrical System6 (7%)
  7. Other6 (7%)
  8. Fuel System5 (6%)
  9. Structure & Body5 (6%)
  10. Engine4 (5%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Front suspension ball joints fail suddenly, sometimes causing a wheel to break free while driving at highway speed.
  • Steering axles have cracked in connection with suspension failures, leading to loss of vehicle control.
  • The rear windshield wiper motor has burned and emitted a burning wire smell while the vehicle was in motion.
  • Owners report the driver-side exterior mirror vibrates severely above 40 mph, with dealers unable to fix the defect.
  • The traction control system has cut fuel to the engine on snowy roads at low speeds, stalling forward progress.
  • One owner reported the engine idle oscillating over 400 rpm when the AC compressor engaged, sometimes causing the engine to nearly stall.
2007 Mazda CX-9 complaints: complaints filed per quarter112008 Q12010 Q12013 Q12014 Q42016 Q12017 Q22019 Q22025 Q2
86 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2008 Q1 to 2025 Q2; peak 2015 Q2 (11).

2007 Mazda CX-9 recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 19V782000Oct 31, 2019Airbags69,879 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    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 degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: 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 of charge. The recall began December 3, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 16V356 and 17V012.

  2. NHTSA 17V457000Jul 18, 2017Airbags79,402 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2012 CX-7, CX-9 and Mazda6 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), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Mazda is recalling certain 2009 CX-7, CX-9 and Mazda6 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Mazda is recalling certain 2007-2008 CX-7 and CX-9 sold, or ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began October 4, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recall 17V-012.

  3. NHTSA 17V429000Jun 29, 2017Airbags205,377 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    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 event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: 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, free of charge. The recall began on August 30, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recall 16V356 and all vehicles that were not remedied under that campaign are now covered by this one.

See all 5 recalls for the 2007 Mazda CX-9 →

2007 Mazda CX-9 fuel economy and fuel cost

City
15.5 MPG
Highway
21.5 MPG
Combined
17.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,700
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2007 compared with other CX-9 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2007Caution50865 !17.5
2008Avoid811725 !17.5
2009Caution69596 !17.5

All Mazda CX-9 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2007 Mazda CX-9 reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2007 CX-9 carries a complaint index of 50 and ranks 9th out of 17 model years, earning a Caution verdict. Suspension and airbag issues are the most reported problems.
What is the biggest problem with the 2007 Mazda CX-9?
Suspension, Wheels & Tires is the top problem area, accounting for 39 of 86 complaints (45%), mostly involving front ball joint failures with a median failure mileage of 94,000 miles.
Does the 2007 Mazda CX-9 have a recall?
Yes, NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2007 CX-9, including three do-not-drive airbag inflator recalls and one for corroding front suspension ball joints.
How does the 2007 CX-9 compare to other CX-9 years?
Its complaint index of 50 is better than the worst years like 2010 (100) and 2012 (94), but worse than newer years such as 2020 (6) and 2022 (0), which earn Best verdicts.
What is the fuel economy of the 2007 Mazda CX-9?
The EPA rates the 2007 CX-9 at 17.5 mpg combined (15.5 city / 21.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,700.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.