KnownCarProblems2012 Mazda Mazda6 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 99 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Mazda Mazda6, most often about the air bags (30% of complaints, typically around 80,000 miles). It is 11th of 20 Mazda6 model years by number of complaints and has 6 recalls.
⚠ Safety advisory3 recalls for this car came with a do-not-drive warning. See below and check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Most common 2012 Mazda Mazda6 problems
Air bags
30 complaints · 30%Half of these problems showed up before 80,000 miles.
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 Mazda 6. The contact stated that there was a crack on the dashboard. The vehicle was taken to the dealer (escondido Mazda in escondido, ca, [phone]) and was informed that there was no recall for the dashboard. About two years later, the contact received notification of NHTSA…
Takata recall why does Mazda send takata airbag recall/warning letters and then not make greater efforts to obtain and ship parts?!?!?!?! In response to a Mazda airbag recall notice, on 4/25/17 I made an appt. W/ Mazda in santa barbara, ca. With my VIN he ordered the parts and scheduled a 5/15/17 appt. Never heard…
Lights
28 complaints · 28%Half of these problems showed up before 55,000 miles.
When driving on the highway my driver side low beam headlight randomly went out. I tried changing bulb, wiggling cables to see if there was a lose connect and headlight would not turn back on. Went to the dealership and they said no know issues and I would have to make an appointment to look into the wiring but would…
At around 50,000 miles, I had a headlight (low beam) go out on me. I had it replaced on the driver side. A few weeks later, the passenger side headlight went out and had to get that replaced. These are hard to get to if you do not have the right tools so each time I had to take it in for service. At 65,000 miles, I…
Other or unspecified
20 complaints · 20%Half of these problems showed up before 68,500 miles.
On sunday, april 9, 2017, while driving in arizona on I-10 eastbound near the chandler exit of warner. My wife and I heard a loud noise like glass breaking, we looked around the car to see which passenger window may have broken and realized none had. Upon reaching our home and exiting the vehicle we learned that the…
The passenger side of my Mazda 6 2012 is literally melting. The dashboard is all sticky and has a glare that affects my ability to see out the window. The passenger dashboard is cracking and has pieces that are falling off. It is a hazard because it causes a glare that limits my ability to see.
Electrical
12 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 81,000 miles.
Vehicle randomly shuts off on the highway with no known cause or warning light. Mazda service department could not fix. This has happened 3 times now. Vehicle was driving in summer weather, no rain, no unusual conditions.
The contact owns a 2012 Mazda 6. While driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact was aware of NHTSA campaign number: 14v173000…
Body and structure
12 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 96,000 miles. Parts named most often: body.
The contact owns a 2012 Mazda 6. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the door open icon illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road to check the doors; however, all the doors were closed. The vehicle was taken to hennessy Mazda (7261 jonesboro rd, morrow, ga 30260) to be diagnosed, but they were not…
On july 18, 2018 I was in frontal impact accident. While driving on a city street. I was alone and driving I did not have a phone in my possession or in the car at that time. The vehicle that hit me was traveling at least 40 miles an hour. The upper and side airbags did not deflate, the front airbag deflated sideways…
Suspension
8 complaints · 8%I was stopped at a red light in town and went to make a left hand turn when I heard a loud pop and then a springing noise. I myself looked under the car and just assumed I ran over something and it hit the bottom of the car. I had a friend look under it also and he didn't see anything either. I just found this out…
The contact owns a 2012 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel began to shake violently, with the low tire pressure warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to inspect the vehicle and discovered that the front passengerâs side tire had detached from the vehicle. The…
Fuel system
4 complaints · 4%The contact owns a 2012 Mazda 6. After refueling the fuel tank, there was a strong odor of fuel inside and outside the vehicle. The contact mentioned that after the vehicle was at 3/4 full, the fuel odor would dissipate. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The…
The contact owned a 2012 Mazda 6. While driving 50 MPH, the vehicle caught fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 14v114000 (fuel system, gasoline). The manufacturer was not…
Steering
4 complaints · 4%Vehicle randomly shuts off on the highway with no known cause or warning light. Mazda service department could not fix. This has happened 3 times now. Vehicle was driving in summer weather, no rain, no unusual conditions.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2012 Mazda Mazda6 recalls
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. The recall began december 3, 2019. Owners may contact mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317f. Note: this recall supersedes recalls 16v356 and 17v012.
Full defect summary
Mazda north american operations (mazda) is recalling certain 2007-2012 cx-7, cx-9, and 2009-2012 maza6 vehicles. These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Body and structure: structure
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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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 eve
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began october 4, 2017. Owners may contact mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317f. Note: this recall supersedes recall 17v-012.
Full defect summary
Mazda north america operations (mazda) is recalling certain 2012 cx-7, cx-9 and mazda6 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 included in "zone a" above, mazda is recalling certain 2009 cx-7, cx-9 and mazda6 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 included in "zone a" or "zone b" above, mazda is recalling certain 2007-2008 cx-7 and cx-9 sold, or ever registered in the stat
Fuel system: fuel system, gasoline
Risk: Negative pressure could cause the fuel tank to crack resulting in a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module and inspect and clean the canister vent line. If a web was found in the line, the fuel tank and check valve on canister vent line will be replaced. These repairs will be done free of charge. The recall began on april 30, 2014. Owners may contact mazda at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's recall number associated with this campaign is 7214c.
Full defect summary
Mazda north america operations (mazda) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 mazda6 vehicles manufactured september 14, 2009, through may 2, 2011, and equipped with 2.5l engine. In the affected vehicles, spiders may weave a web in the evaporative canister vent hose, blocking it and causing the fuel tank to have an excessive amount of negative pressure.
Doors and locks: latch
Risk: If all three door latch mounting screws become excessively loose the door latch mechanism would not engage and the door might open while the vehicle is in motion increasing the risk of accident or injury.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will apply a thread locking adhesive to the door screws and retorque them, free of charge. The recall began on october 29, 2013. Owners may contact mazda at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's recall number is 7013i.
Full defect summary
Mazda is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 mazda6 vehicles manufactured february 4, 2008, through august 24, 2012. The door latch mounting screws may become loose.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
Questions about the 2012 Mazda Mazda6
- What are the most common problems with the 2012 Mazda Mazda6?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: air bags (30 complaints, typically around 80,000 miles); lights (28 complaints, typically around 55,000 miles); other or unspecified (20 complaints, typically around 68,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2012 Mazda Mazda6 have?
- 6 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from October 31, 2019 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2012 a bad year for the Mazda Mazda6?
- It is 11th of 20 Mazda6 model years by number of complaints, with 99 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.