2011 Mazda Mazda6 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2011 Mazda6 has a complaint index of 81, the 4th-worst among 17 model years, earning an Avoid verdict. Owners most often report suspension, wheel and tire problems (38% of complaints), plus three do-not-drive airbag recalls.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 81/100
- #4 of 17 Mazda6 years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 135
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 6
- 3 Do Not Drive
- Crashes
- 8
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 6
- Top issue
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 24
- 21 city / 30 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 6 / 0
Top 2011 Mazda Mazda6 problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires51 (38%)
- Structure & Body30 (22%)
- Airbags28 (21%)
- Other22 (16%)
- Steering16 (12%)
- Electrical System15 (11%)
- Visibility & Wipers5 (4%)
- Brakes4 (3%)
- Engine4 (3%)
- Fuel System4 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Rear subframe or engine cradle can rust through and detach, causing loss of control at highway speed.
- Takata front passenger airbags reported to rupture, deploy without inflating, or fail to deploy in a crash.
- Driver-side wire harness reported to burn out, causing shaking while driving and fire risk.
- Vehicle reported to shift into reverse and accelerate on its own with brakes applied.
- Fuel tank reported to spew gas back out during fill-ups shortly after purchase.
- Sudden loss of brake control reported while waiting at an intersection, resulting in a collision.
2011 Mazda Mazda6 recalls
6 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- 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.
- NHTSA 19V323000Apr 25, 2019Structure & Body51,118 vehicles
Structure
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Mazda6 vehicles sold, or ever registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland,Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The front cross member may corrode after exposure to road salt.
Risk: Corrosion may weaken the mounting point for the passenger side lower control arm, unexpectedly changing the steering alignment and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the cross member and either install a side member and drain hose and apply wax to protect from rust, or install a drain hose and an improved front cross member, free of charge. The recall began June 13, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 2818I. Note: This recall is an expansion of Recall 18V-631.
- NHTSA 18V717000Oct 12, 2018Airbags155,436 vehiclesDo Not Drive
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Mazda CX-9 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 covered in "Zone A," Mazda is recalling certain 2011-2013 Mazda6, 2011-2012 CX-7, and 2011-2015 CX-9 sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless covered in Zone A or Zone B, Mazda is recalling certain 2010-2013 Mazda6, 2010-2012 CX-7, and 2010-2015 CX-9 vehicles 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 or "Zone C." 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 explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity 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: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F.
2011 Mazda Mazda6 fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 21 MPG
- Highway
- 30 MPG
- Combined
- 24 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,700
- 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.
2011 compared with other Mazda6 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2011 Mazda6 reliable?
- NHTSA data ranks it 4th-worst of 17 Mazda6 model years, with a complaint index of 81 and an Avoid verdict based on owner complaints and recalls.
- What is the biggest problem with the 2011 Mazda6?
- Suspension, wheels and tires account for 38% of complaints (51 of 135), with a median failure mileage of 89,914 miles for the model year overall and 108,000 miles for suspension issues specifically.
- Does the 2011 Mazda6 have a recall?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2011 Mazda6, including 3 do-not-drive recalls tied to Takata airbag inflators.
- How does the 2011 Mazda6 compare to other Mazda6 years?
- Its complaint index of 81 is higher than most other years; only 2009 (100) and 2010 (94) score worse, while years like 2019 and 2021 score near 0 with Best verdicts.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2011 Mazda6?
- EPA rates it at 24 mpg combined (21 city / 30 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,700.