2016 Mazda CX-9

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

Fuel economy
23–24 mpgcombined; city 21–22, highway 26–28; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$13,530–$14,120U.S. average; Ohio $12,090–$12,620 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
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
Recall campaigns
0none on file
Owner complaints
107filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 107 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 CX-9. 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
Engine68100
Electrical system14110
Service brakes11000
Power train9001
Fuel/propulsion system7000
Unknown or other6000
Structure4103
Engine and engine cooling3000
Seats3110
Vehicle speed control3000
Wheels3000
Air bags2102
7 more parts
Forward collision avoidance2000
Steering2000
Suspension2102
Visibility/wiper2000
Electronic stability control (ESC)1000
Fuel system, gasoline1000
Tires1000

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. 200786
  2. 2008172
  3. 200959
  4. 2010195
  5. 2011170
  6. 2012221
  7. 201368
  8. 201454
  9. 201535
  10. 2016107
  11. 201761
  12. 2018128
  13. 201953
  14. 202019
  15. 202140
  16. 202211
  17. 202313

Every CX-9 year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2016 CX-9. NHTSA's recall lookup checks a specific VIN.

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 613 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2016 CX-9, the latest on Sep 11, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: equipment (192), electrical system (170), engine and engine cooling (60), structure (56), equipment adaptive/mobility (43).

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 2016 CX-9.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Specs

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

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
CX-9
Front-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl, turboAutomatic (S6)Regular Gasoline22 / 28 / 24
CX-9
4-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl, turboAutomatic (S6)Regular Gasoline21 / 26 / 23

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