2020 Mazda CX-5

Showing the 2020 CX-5 Grand Touring Reserve. We haven't verified this trim's engine; the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
24–28 mpgcombined; city 22–25, highway 27–31; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$11,600–$13,530U.S. average; Ohio $10,370–$12,090 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
5 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
0none on file
Owner complaints
107filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2020 CX-5. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 107 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 CX-5. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by part of the car
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical system30101
Unknown or other25101
Engine17000
Service brakes13604
Forward collision avoidance12300
Power train8000
Structure6100
Vehicle speed control6301
Air bags5101
Back over prevention4200
Exterior lighting4100
Fuel/propulsion system4001
9 more parts
Lane departure4000
Visibility/wiper4000
Wheels2000
Engine and engine cooling1000
Equipment1000
Seat belts1000
Seats1000
Service brakes, air1000
Steering1000

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

  1. 2013194
  2. 2014377
  3. 2015133
  4. 2016510
  5. 2017150
  6. 2018351
  7. 2019270
  8. 2020107
  9. 2021148
  10. 202265
  11. 202364
  12. 202445
  13. 202528
  14. 202616

Every CX-5 year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2020 CX-5. NHTSA's recall lookup checks a specific VIN.

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 448 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2020 CX-5, the latest on Sep 11, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: electrical system (126), equipment (116), engine and engine cooling (78), engine (51), unknown or other (50).

NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2020 CX-5.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Used ones for sale

See used 2020 Mazda CX-5s for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax

These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.

Specs

EPA class: small sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 5–6 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
CX-5
Front-Wheel Drive		2.5 L, 4 cylAutomatic (S6)Regular Gasoline25 / 31 / 28
CX-5
4-Wheel Drive		2.5 L, 4 cylAutomatic (S6)Regular Gasoline24 / 30 / 26
CX-5
4-Wheel Drive		2.5 L, 4 cyl, turboAutomatic (S6)Regular Gasoline22 / 27 / 24

Sources and dates

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data