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Reliability report · 2021 Mazda CX-5 · Updated July 2026 · ~$2,200/yr fuel · what it costs to keep →

The oil-consumption year for the turbo — real, but covered by a class-action warranty extension.

The 2021 CX-5's engine story changes character. The cracked-head complaints fade, and the recurring pattern becomes excessive oil consumption on the 2.5L turbo: owners report burning roughly a quart every 1,000 miles, low-oil warnings well before the next change, and a lifter tick. Timing-cover oil leaks also appear. Our recall check found no confirmed safety recall for the year (see the data note).

The important context: this oil-consumption issue is tied to valve stem seals and was the subject of a class-action settlement. Mazda's program SSPD5 extends the engine powertrain warranty and reimburses limited out-of-pocket oil costs on affected 2.5L turbo cars. So the pattern is real but largely covered — verify SSPD5 applies to the specific car by VIN, and check the oil-consumption and service history. The naturally aspirated 2.5 is the quieter engine here.

Evidence: 137 NHTSA complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 7 mechanic & forum sources

Canary status

Chirping

What that means: 137 federal complaints and no confirmed safety recall for 2021 as of this check. The recurring engine complaint shifts from cracked heads to excessive oil consumption on the 2.5L turbo — burning oil between changes, low-oil lights, lifter tick — but a class-action settlement (SSPD5) extended the powertrain warranty and offers reimbursement. Known, and mostly covered if you verify it.

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

137

Federal complaints

0

Confirmed recalls

Federal crash tests

5-star scale
Overall
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover

Tested variant: 2021 Mazda CX-5 SUV FWD (NHTSA VehicleId 15166)

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) →

Known issues

Ranked by the cost of ignoring them. Every claim carries its source.

Excessive oil consumption — turbo 2.5T (valve stem seals, SSPD5 class-action extension)

moderate
  • 2.5L SkyActiv-G Turbo (2.5T)

The 2021's leading engine complaint, concentrated on the 2.5L turbo: burning oil between changes (owners cite up to a quart per 1,000 miles), low-oil warnings, and an associated lifter tick. The cause was traced to valve stem seals, and a class-action settlement produced Mazda program SSPD5 — a powertrain warranty extension plus reimbursement for limited prior oil-change and top-up costs. Check the oil level and consumption, ask for the service history, and confirm SSPD5 covers the VIN.

This is a 2.5L SkyActiv-G Turbo (2.5T) problem. The 2.5L SkyActiv-G (non-turbo, cylinder deactivation) doesn’t share it.

Which engine is in the one you found? →

SSPD5-covered repair / reimbursement

$0 (if qualifying)

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2021 Mazda CX-5 · NHTSA manufacturer communications (SSPD5 class-action / SSPD8 warranty-extension windows)

Timing-cover oil leak and residual cracked-head riskmoderate

  • 2.5L SkyActiv-G (non-turbo, cylinder deactivation)

Separate from oil consumption, some 2021 owners report timing-cover and gasket oil leaks (one describes replacing the timing cover three times), and the earlier cracked-cylinder-head pattern still appears at the tail end on the non-turbo 2.5. Reviewers note Mazda tweaked the exhaust manifold and gaskets around 2021, so the affected share is lower than 2018–2019. Inspect for oil around the timing cover and exhaust and get repair records.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2021 Mazda CX-5 · Independent mechanic and owner channel transcripts (CX-5 second generation)

several hundred to several thousand

Timing-cover reseal (owner reports)

Phantom braking and P0126 thermostat (SSPD8)minor

Two lighter items. A low-frequency phantom-braking pattern continues — the Smart Brake Support activating with nothing ahead — with no recall; test it on the drive. And the 2021 falls in SSPD8, the warranty extension (15 years/150,000 miles) for a P0126:00 fail-safe-thermostat check-engine code, a cheap covered fix if it appears.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2021 Mazda CX-5 · NHTSA manufacturer communications (SSPD5 class-action / SSPD8 warranty-extension windows)

On the 2021 the loud engine complaint is oil consumption on the turbo — and a class-action settlement means there's coverage, if you confirm it applies.
7 mechanic & owner sources

Safety recalls

A verified zero — not an unchecked one. Here’s what that means.

No NHTSA safety recalls — verified July 11, 2026

Checked against NHTSA’s recall database on July 11, 2026. Any manufacturer Special Coverage programs for this year are listed under the issues above, not here.

What it costs to keep

The purchase price is what you negotiate. These are the numbers you live with afterward — each one sourced, none of them blended into a fake total.

The ownership picture — 2021 CX-5

Four sourced numbers. No fake total.

Fuel

28 MPG combined (25 city / 31 highway) for the FWD, 2.5L on the EPA federal fuel-economy test.

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (EPA) — EPA’s federal fuel-economy test, recomputed with current gas prices. EPA record 43125 (CX-5 2WD).
Other builds EPA lists: 4WD, 2.5L turbo 24 MPG.

$2,200/yr

at $4.15/gal · 15,000 mi/yr · 55/45 city/hwy · pulled Jul 12, 2026

Crash losses

Insurers lose about 25% less on this vehicle than on the average car. Lower collision losses tend to show up in what you pay for coverage.

Source: HLDI — the insurance industry’s loss-data institute — HLDI collision losses, 2020–22 models, published April 2023 (report R-23). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Mazda CX-5 4dr 4WD.

75 vs 100

25% below average

Theft

Stolen about 69% less often than the average vehicle. One less thing to price into coverage.

Source: HLDI — HLDI whole vehicle theft losses, 2020–22 models, published April 2023 (report WT-22). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Mazda CX-5 4dr 4WD.

31 vs 100

69% below average

Repair risk

What this specific year is known to need. Pulled from the issues above — the repairs owners actually report, at the costs they report them. Averages from other sites blend every year together; these are this year’s own numbers.

Source: this report — 01 Known issues.

SSPD5-covered repair / reimbursement$0 (if qualifying)
Timing-cover reseal (owner reports)several hundred to several thousand
Why there’s no single “cost to own” number: sites that promise one are guessing at your insurance quote, your annual miles, and your luck. These are the numbers we can actually source — and each one carries its receipt.

Shopping this year?

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Have a specific one in your sights?

The VIN is on the listing. We’ll check this exact car — build, open recalls, and whether the “completed” repairs stayed fixed.

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Before you buy

Print this
  1. 01Check oil level and consumption history on a turbo 2.5T, and confirm the class-action program SSPD5 (oil-consumption powertrain extension + reimbursement) covers the VIN.
  2. 02Inspect for oil around the timing cover and exhaust manifold; the cracked-head risk is lower than 2018–2019 but not zero on the non-turbo.
  3. 03Confirm the P0126 thermostat program SSPD8 (15yr/150k) is noted and the engine warms normally.
  4. 04Test the Smart Brake Support / automatic braking for false activation.
  5. 05Re-run the VIN on NHTSA's own recall lookup before purchase — our automated check returned no 2021 campaign, but confirm directly (see data note).
  6. 06Prefer a car with documented oil service; the turbo especially rewards proof of consistent maintenance.

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