All generations and engines together · 66,781 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 64k
Better than most small SUVs, by age and by mileage. Watch suspension and steering. A solid used buy, provided its MOT history has no repeating suspension advisories.
Split by first-registration year. Cars registered in a changeover year can belong to either generation.
Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.
The 2.2 Skyactiv-D turbo shows up repeatedly with low boost pressure, whistling on acceleration, and EGR valve fault codes, mostly on cars used for short town trips rather than motorway miles. Turbo replacement runs roughly £1,500-£2,500, and there's a separate EU/UK recall (2012-2016 cars) for a short circuit in the injector control wiring that can stop the engine and cut brake assistance. Owners on Honest John's forum are blunt about it: several regulars say diesel CX-5s are best avoided unless bought new and kept on a warranty.
Earlier 2.2D cars (broadly 2012-2016) have a recurring pattern of head gasket failure and head warping, alongside heavier than expected oil consumption, usually surfacing in the 60-90k mile range. Repair bills for head work are among the biggest a CX-5 owner will face, commonly quoted around £4,000-£5,000+. Mazda has not issued a public TSB specific to this, so treat it as a known weak spot rather than an acknowledged fault.
One of the most persistent owner complaints across every generation: a metallic clunk or knock from the front end, worst at low speed over speed bumps or when turning. Forum diagnosis threads (running from 2013 cars to 2023 cars) land on several different culprits, loose crossbar bolts under the windscreen near the strut mount, worn sway bar end links, or tired strut mount bushings, and owners often replace control arms first without it curing the noise. This lines up with the measured MOT data for this class, where suspension is the standout fault; the twist is that the forums chase control arms and bushes, while a fair few real fixes turn out to be simple bolts working loose rather than worn parts.
The MZD Connect touchscreen and rotary controller can freeze, reboot, or lose Bluetooth/Apple CarPlay pairing, and several owners report a parasitic drain from the accessory circuit staying live with the ignition off, flattening the battery overnight. It's an annoyance rather than a safety issue and rarely shows up before 3-4 years old. No manufacturer recall covers it; a battery or infotainment module reset is the usual dealer response.
Diesel CX-5s built 2018-2020 are covered by an official recall for SCR (AdBlue) system wiring that can suffer damage from contamination, affecting emissions system function. A separate 2018-model recall covers a low-pressure fuel pump impeller that can deform and stop the engine starting. Both are free dealer fixes if the recall hasn't already been done, so check the V5C and MOT history for recall work outstanding.
Some owners describe a judder or hesitation from the clutch on manual cars, and low-speed jerkiness from the 6-speed automatic, though opinions are split on whether this is a fault or just how the car drives. It's not tied to a specific mileage and doesn't appear in any recall or TSB, so it sits more in the category of things to check on a test drive than a confirmed mechanical problem.
Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.
Saveable checklistThe physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.
Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.
Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.
The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 31,509 tests in this band.
Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.
Same segment (Small SUVs), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.