2013 Mazda Mazda6 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2013 Mazda Mazda6 has 23 NHTSA complaints, a complaint index of 19, and 4 recalls, two of them Do Not Drive. That cap gives it a Caution verdict, ranking 14th of 17 model years, better than most other Mazda6 years but held back by airbag inflator recalls.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 19/100
- #14 of 17 Mazda6 years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 23
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 4
- 2 Do Not Drive
- Crashes
- 1
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 2
- Top issue
- Brakes
- NHTSA overall rating
- 4 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 24
- 21 city / 30 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 2 / 0
Top 2013 Mazda Mazda6 problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Brakes5 (22%)
- Electrical System5 (22%)
- Structure & Body5 (22%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires5 (22%)
- Airbags4 (17%)
- Other4 (17%)
- Visibility & Wipers2 (9%)
- Fuel System1 (4%)
- Seat Belts1 (4%)
- Steering1 (4%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Brakes reportedly needed repeated replacement starting around 18,896 miles, with some owners citing over a dozen repairs.
- Headlights failed repeatedly beginning near 20,662 miles, with owners replacing bulbs or wiring harnesses many times.
- Takata airbags reportedly failed to deploy during a 35 mph collision with another vehicle.
- A structural seat bracket underneath the driver seat cracked and broke from its weld after heavy braking at 91,000 miles.
- The driver seat height adjuster lifter link broke at 75,000 miles, causing the seat to rock during turns.
- Owners reported rust and corrosion on the crossmember addressed by a structural recall, with some describing an incomplete repair.
2013 Mazda Mazda6 recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- 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.
- NHTSA 18V018000Jan 9, 2018Airbags70,227 vehiclesDo Not Drive
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2013 Mazda6 and 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 2010 Mazda6, CX-7 and CX-9 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 covered in Zone A or Zone B, Mazda is recalling certain 2009 Mazda6, CX-7, and 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 March 2, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F.
2013 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.
2013 compared with other Mazda6 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2013 Mazda Mazda6 reliable?
- NHTSA lists 23 complaints for the 2013 Mazda6, giving it a complaint index of 19, one of the lower scores among the 17 model years tracked. It still carries a Caution verdict because two of its four recalls are Do Not Drive campaigns.
- What is the top problem area for the 2013 Mazda6?
- Brakes are the top problem area, tied with Electrical System, Structure & Body, and Suspension, Wheels & Tires at 22% share each, with 5 complaints in each category.
- Does the 2013 Mazda6 have an airbag recall?
- Yes. Recall 18V018000 covers Takata front passenger airbag inflators on 2013 Mazda6 and CX-9 vehicles and is marked Do Not Drive until the inflator is replaced.
- How does the 2013 Mazda6 rank compared to other years?
- It ranks 14th worst out of 17 model years with data, with a complaint index of 19, far below the worst year, 2009, which scored 100.
- What mileage do 2013 Mazda6 problems typically show up at?
- The median mileage at failure across all complaints is 50,000, though brake complaints centered near 18,896 miles and airbag complaints near 92,725 miles.