Top issues: Forward collision avoidance, engine, electrical system, and steering related problems
Power loss? Read about our investigation regarding the CX-90 Hybrid Engines Stalling.
The first-ever Mazda CX-90 — the 2024 model — was launched as the automaker’s new flagship vehicle. It is available as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) and a mild hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV) powered by a battery pack that doesn’t require charging. In its publicity campaign, Mazda emphasizes the “powerful, responsive performance” the CX 90 offers, together with its “intuitive technology and safety.” However, owners experiencing malfunctions of the automatic emergency braking system, engine shutdowns and stalling, failure of electrical components, or dangerous power steering failures have serious misgivings.
The most common complaints sent to the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) about the 2024 Mazda CX-90 relate to forward avoidance collision avoidance (27%), the engine (25%), electrical system (20%), and steering (13%). Other components and systems that are identified in the many NHTSA complaints include backover prevention, exterior lighting, the fuel/propulsion system (10%), lane departure, latches/locks/linkages, powertrain, seat belts, seats, service brakes, structure, suspension, vehicle speed control (12%), visibility, and visibility wiper.
Problems are not always limited to one issue, as an owner states in a complaint dated January 31, 2025. On January 17, he had taken the CX-90 PHEV in for all recalls related to loss of power and hybrid system malfunction. Two weeks later, “I now have engine malfunction warnings lights. This car has serious issues that nearly caused a bad accident where post recall, the issues continue.”
@lemberglaw Top Problems with the 2024 Mazda CX-90! Are You Impacted? #mazda #mazdacx90 #lawyersoftiktok#carproblems ♬ original sound – Lemberg Law
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| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Engine | |
| Electrical System | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | |
| Steering | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Power Train | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Visibility/wiper |
These problems relate primarily to the false activation of the CX-90’s Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system that falsely detects obstacles, leading to sudden stops without any real threat. Ironically, though, there are also owners who have noted that the AEB system fails to engage promptly or at all when a vehicle is detected ahead, providing only audio and visual alerts without activating the brakes.
An owner from Illinois crashed into a tree after the CX-90 suddenly accelerated at great speed and jumped the curb. “The vehicle was inspected by Mazda and deemed safe to continue to operate. The dealer did not find a cause for the malfunction and suggested external influence.” The car was only two months old!
AEB problems have been ongoing for an owner in Texas. “Driving between 30-40 mph on a straight road with no obstacles in front or alongside, the emergency braking engaged for no apparent reason at all!” In this case, the recall software update made no difference. “This is a very serious safety concern!”
An owner from Wisconsin states, “When driving on the highway next to a large truck or semi and on a curve, the adaptive cruise control thinks that there’s a vehicle in front of you and slams on the brakes. This has happened a few times with my vehicle. Thankfully, there were no vehicles immediately behind me, or the results could’ve been tragic.”
On May 16, 2024, Mazda issued the recall, NHTSA Campaign Number 24V349000, warning of possible unexpected braking that increased the risk of a crash. An owner from New Jersey received the recall notification, which stated that the recall repair was unavailable.
A few months later, on July 9, 2024, he had a horrible experience after hearing a clunking noise from underneath the engine. The dealer said that “the control arm had failed” and the vehicle was repaired. Three days later, while driving at about 35-45 mph, the CX-90 failed to respond to the brake pedal. Additionally, the vehicle attempted to veer to the left or right but failed to drive in either direction. ”As a result, the vehicle crashed into the rear-end of the vehicle in front.” Even though the airbags were deployed, the driver and passenger were injured and required medical attention. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled.
An owner from Texas also crashed when the AEB system failed. He was driving a new 2024 CX-90 PHEV that was only one month old. “I just got out of the driveway to make a left turn around 500 feet from the driveway when there was resistance in turning the steering wheel left, causing (the) vehicle to swerve to the right and hit the fire hydrant on the side of the road located just around the corner. Both airbags deployed, causing extensive damage to the passenger front side of the car.” This CX-90 was also declared a total loss. Additionally, one of the passengers suffered avascular necrosis of the hip as a result of the accident.
There are reports of the CX-90 engine unexpectedly stalling or shutting down during operation, leading to a sudden loss of power and increasing the risk of accidents. This can be alarming for drivers. Some drivers have encountered situations where the engine fails to restart after the idle-stop (i-stop) feature engages, leaving them stranded and unable to continue driving.
An owner from New Jersey describes a loss of engine power/acceleration while driving on a highway. “I was able to safely pull over but felt in danger during the incident, especially with cars behind me surprised by my vehicle’s loss of power.”
After getting a hybrid system malfunction message, a driver from Massachusetts lost propulsion on a busy highway and saw the hybrid system malfunction message. She was able to pull over and put the car in gas-only mode. She and her husband took the car (with only 5,000 miles) to the dealer. After four weeks, no answers, and several unanswered phone calls to customer service at Mazda Corporate, they were told it was a software problem with no fix. After threatening lemon law, “Mazda has suddenly said that the car has a faulty inverter and that the part is available and will be replaced.”
While driving at night on a busy dark road, the engine of a new Mazda CX-90 suddenly seized, an owner from North Carolina states. He contacted the police for assistance, but “it took two days for the vehicle to be towed from the location because the vehicle was missing a tow tool.” Unsurprisingly, the dealer diagnosed engine failure. The owner agreed to a buyback.
An owner from Pennsylvania states recalls how the engine malfunction warning light came on. He called the dealership and scheduled an appointment for four days later. However, within an hour, the “began swerving uncontrollably along I80 with warning “engine malfunction, have the vehicle inspected.” The car was shaking violently and veered off the road into the ditch between the eastbound and westbound highway. The car was totaled.”
Owners have reported issues with various electrical components, such as the defroster, seat belt warning system, and 360° view monitor, not functioning correctly during vehicle startup. There are also complaints about onboard chargers/inverter backfeeds making loud buzzing noises that cause LED lights to flicker. These malfunctions can compromise safety and convenience. Additionally, in plug-in hybrid models, there have been complaints about the hybrid system malfunctioning, leading to warning messages and potential loss of drive power while in electric vehicle (EV) mode. There are also complaints about defective batteries and malfunctioning chargers.
After getting alerts for a hybrid battery malfunction and electrical leakage detection, an owner from California took the CX-90 to a dealer who was not able to fix it. “First they said it was the water heater, then they said my radiator was leaking and I need a new one. Estimated 4 additional weeks for repair.”
An owner from Tennessee was also faced with a warning about an electrical leakage in the hybrid system. He got it home, but when trying to restart it to go to the dealership, “the car would not shift out of Park and bricked up.” It was towed, but the dealership couldn’t get it to move either. “They told me that they would have to order special tools to be able to get the car to move. Along with the steering recall that worked for about a month, the steering rack had to be replaced, and the failure of the electrical system, I feel like this car is unsafe to drive.”
An owner from New Jersey records that between December 27, 2024, and February 25, 2025, his CX-90 “has experienced a hybrid malfunction and leakage issue three times. Each time this occurs, the vehicle becomes completely inoperable and cannot move, requiring a tow truck to take it to the dealership.” During this time, the car has been in the shop four times, yet the issue persists. “This raises serious reliability and safety concerns, as the vehicle can suddenly become unusable.”
An owner from Washington had problems with the battery, which was dead after sitting for two weeks. They replaced one small battery, which worked for a month! When the battery “died” again, the dealer said they would replace the 58-volt battery but it was on backorder for 8 weeks. Angry about having to pay for a car he can’t use, the owner said “I’m finding out by talking to other customers this is a common problem! We didn’t get any notice or call! I am demanding this be considered “lemon law” as this is the fourth time it has been in for the same problem. I want all my money back that I paid and demand Mazda USA issue recalls for this issue. It is definitely a big safety issue! The dealer seems to be trying but they are frustrated as well!
An owner from New York received all sorts of malfunction messages when traveling at various speeds — “Vehicle Failure Detected – Hybrid System Malfunction”, “Possibility of Restricted Power Output”, “I-Activsense System Malfunction”, “Dynamic Stability Control Malfunction”, and “Push-button Start System Malfunction.” The l-Activesense warning light was also illuminated. The dealer diagnosed that unknown software needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer where it was diagnosed that the connector to the battery needed to be replaced.
A complaint from an owner in Pennsylvania states, “While connected to a level 2 charger, overheating caused both the charger and charging port of the vehicle to melt together such that it was very difficult to disconnect, and both were then unusable – needing replacement. We feel that there should be some safeguard in the vehicle to prevent this situation as it is a fire hazard. There were no warning lights, sounds, or signals from the vehicle to warn of the problem. We were present when this occurred, so we could disconnect before a potential fire may have occurred.” They had to wait two weeks for a service and were then told that the car wasn’t safe to drive until it had been repaired.
“This was not considered a warranty item even though the car had fewer than 2800 miles and (was) only owned by us for fewer than 7 months. We were charged $5000 for the charging port and cable assembly and $800 labor.” Mazda told the owner to claim insurance! “In fact, auto insurance does NOT cover this. Our concern is that it may very well be a safety issue as people usually charge in their garages or near other cars and buildings in public. In either situation, a fire could be a serious hazard for many people.”
There are lots of steering problems including a sudden loss of Power Steering Assist, steering pulling to one side, and a related issue of a sticky or notchy feel when steering.
An owner from South Carolina describes how the CX-90 jerked while driving at 70 mph before the steering wheel seized and he lost control of the car. “The vehicle veered to the right independently, spun three times, crashed into the guard rail, and came to a stop while facing oncoming traffic.” The vehicle, with only 22,000 miles on the clock, was totaled.
Some drivers have experienced an unexpected increase in steering effort, indicating a potential loss of power steering assistance. This issue has been linked to an assembly problem within the steering system, specifically involving the worm gear, which can lead to a sudden loss of power steering assist. This issue led to NHTSA Campaign Number 24V022000, the recall of 43,454 2024 CX-90 vehicles.
An owner who received the recall notification stated in a complaint that the dealer wasn’t sure if the part would be ready in time for the date organized for the fix. “The dealer also told us that we would be secondary to the fix vs their current on-the-lot inventory that they want to fix to sell!” The question he asks is, “Who should come first as this is a safety problem: The loyal customers that are actually out there driving the cars every day under the safety risk or cars sitting on the dealers’ lots waiting to be sold sometime down the road. Should an existing driver have an issue this would most certainly be a lawsuit.”
Several owners have reported a sticky or notchy sensation when making minor steering adjustments to maintain lane position. This issue is characterized by resistance during small steering corrections, affecting the smoothness of the driving experience.
According to a Los Angeles owner, the “steering sticks while driving. Then, all of a sudden releases, and this causes a jerk in the steering and vehicle movement in the direction of steering. This owner had already had the Power Steering Assist recall remedy completed, and was very worried that this additional problem would lead to an inability to drive safely.
A Virginia owner states, “The steering becomes “sticky” at highway speeds. The wheel resists turning until sufficient force is applied, and then slips to a next setting or ‘notch’, where it further rests until force is applied. The effect is not particularly pronounced at low speeds but (is) very noticeable at regular highway speeds (~60 mph). No great force is required to turn the wheel from one ‘notch’ to the next, but the resistance and continual need for readjusting course (because of the ‘stuck’ steering wheel) are fatiguing over time.”
Some drivers have noticed their vehicles pulling to one side, even when the steering wheel is held straight. This issue can lead to uneven tire wear and requires constant corrective steering inputs.
Afraid that this issue is going to cause an accident, an owner from Florida states that the steering wheel “locks into the direction of turning,” causing over-steering at all speeds. “At low speed, the steering can be forced to turn back, but at higher speed, such as onramp or offramp, after fighting the oversteering, the steering disengages for a brief second while fighting oversteering which I think can/will cause inexperienced driver to turn the steering wheel too much in the opposite direction.”
An owner from Michigan, who had the recall repair done for a sudden loss of Power Steering Assist, states that the steering wheel subsequently had a “locked” feeling. This happens “when the steering wheel is turned and kept at a required angle when going around a constant radius bend in the road.” The problem was that “sometimes returning the wheel to the center position results in an overcorrection which may cause the vehicle to cross over the centerline of the road and into the oncoming traffic.” He was given a loaner that had the same issue! “I brought this to the attention of the service manager and he basically ignored my concern.”
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Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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Just Purchased a New CX-90…My 5th Mazda and my God is this thing Garbage! I couldn’t leave the Dealership because they had to Reboot the Windshield Wiper.(the passenger side was going severely fast and out of Sync. The 2 Captains Chairs in back Severely Shake when going over 50. The FM Radio will not Work for about 5 Minutes. Severe Scratches on ALL Plastic Molding above Wheels. And the Engine makes Funny Noises. Utterly Disgusted with the Quality of this Vehicle!