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While the 2025 Mazda CX-5 did not score a Top Safety Award this year, owing to an outdated front crash-prevention system, it did score a generally good overall crash test rating, and an 82/100 Quality & Reliability rating from J.D. Power, proving that it’s still one of the most sensible buys on the market. A starting MSRP of just $28,770 for the 2.5 S model makes this one of the most affordable SUVs out there, too.

But if we’re buying used, the most important thing is going to be reliability, which begs the question: which model year can we really count on, and which ones should we avoid? Let’s find out.

What Does J.D. Power Have To Say About The Mazda CX-5?

To get us started, let’s check in with J.D. Power and see what sort of Quality & Reliability ratings they’re handing out for Mazda’s compact crossover.

Adding these ratings up and averaging them out by generation, here’s what we get:

• First-Gen Mazda CX-5 (Model Years 2013-2016): 78/100
• Second-Gen Mazda CX-5 (Model Years 2017-Present): 82/100

J.D. Power Rates Cars Based On Frequency Of Issue, Not Severity

Based on the above data, the 2020 Mazda CX-5 takes an early lead, while the second generation Mazda CX-5 is preferred to the first generation overall. But, remember that J.D. Power measures reliability based on the frequency of issues. This means that two reports of faulty batteries will affect a Mazda’s score the same as two reports of transmission failure. If we want to put these numbers under a microscope, we’ll have to go directly to the maintenance websites to see what exactly the owners are complaining about.

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What Do Used Mazda CX-5 Owners Have To Look Out For?

Checking in with CarComplaints, here’s how each model year CX-5 looks:

Unsurprisingly, CarComplaints lists the 2016 as the worst model year for the CX-5, owing primarily to engine problems. Of the model year’s 183 complaints, only seven were for the engine, but there are some real doozies among them, like three complaints about blown head gaskets at around 120,000 miles, typically costing $6,370 in repairs, and frequently requiring a whole new engine.

CarComplaints And J.D. Power Are In Agreement On The Most Reliable Used CX-5

To list a few more key takeaways from CarComplaints on the CX-5:

• The 2014 CX-5 has 24 engine reports on file, with the most common issue being the engine revving when stopped and clunking into gear, often pointing to a solenoid that needs replacing for an average cost of $300.
• Second-gen models are typically more reliable, but the 2018 CX-5 has 20 engine complaints on file pointing to a range of issues from oil leaks and excessive engine noise to engine smoking and defective cylinder heads.
• The least troubled model year dating back five years or more is the 2020 CX-5. Among its most serious issues, this car sees one complaint about unintended acceleration, and one about the liftgate opening on its own, which could be dangerous were it to happen in traffic.

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It’s Hard To Go Wrong With A Second-Generation Mazda CX-5

If you want us to summarize our findings at a glance, here’s what we can tell you:

• Stay away from the 2016 CX-5. It has a lot of issues, and some of them are pretty severe.
• The second-generation Mazda CX-5 is more reliable than the first generation, by and large, but you may want to skip the first two model years, the 2017 and 2018, as they were still working out the kinks at that point.
• If you want to buy a first-gen CX-5 to save some cash, go for the 2015. This model year does have its share of engine and transmission problems, including cracked engine blocks and trouble shifting, but many of these reports have more to do with wear and tear than with any inherent unreliability on the part of the car itself.

As for our ultimate conclusion:

The 2020 Mazda CX-5 Is Easily The Most Reliable Used Model

The 2023 and 2024 model CX-5 both have fewer complaints on file than the 2020 model, but they’ve only been on the road for a couple of years, meaning that they haven’t had time to develop more severe issues, and the jury is still out on these cars. Not to mention, J.D. Power ranks the 2020 model year as their favorite CX-5 by a three-point margin over the next-best model year.

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What Will The Most Reliable Used CX-5 Cost Us In 2025?

Checking in with Kelley Blue Book to see what a 2020 CX-5 will cost us, here’s what we get:

The most reliable first-gen model, the 2015 CX-5, starts at a KBB fair purchase price of $10,206 for the base Sport SUV, and goes up to $11,502 for the Grand Touring. That might seem like a way to save six or seven grand, but remember that a 2015 model, according to Kelley Blue Book’s average annual estimate of around 15,000 miles, comes out to an extra 75,000 miles on the odometer. Combined with the 2015’s potentially severe engine and transmission issues developing after a decade on the road, you could be saving more money in the long run, and certainly getting a lot more mileage for your dollar with a 2020 CX-5.

Sources: Kelley Blue Book, J.D. Power, CarEdge, CarComplaints, RepairPal.