Mazda CX-9
140 reviews
A recall notice has been issued for MY2017 CX-9 models. Mazda will contact all affected owners, but to confirm if you are affected check your VIN at https://www.mazda.com.au/recalls/
Mazda CX9 not “saloon” like – We bought a Mazda CX9 to replace our Landcruiser 4WD when we ceased caravanning. The CX9 is an OK car but for the money we paid I expect much more of a “saloon” experience. I hoped it would be a lot quieter inside. Many years ago I used to own a Mitsubishi Magna SE and that is the quietest and smoothest car I have owned. I was hoping for something similar with the CX9 but in this regard it has been a disappointment. Show details
Well priced luxury and comfort – Purchased 2022 Azami-LE from Ringwood Mazda. Stunning vehicle. Amazing interior, we picked the Pure white nappa leather. Likes 1. Gorgeous exterior look, aggressive and edgy. 2. Fog lights 3. Adaptive Headlights work well 4. Multiple reverse and forward cameras. 5. Heated and cooled seating for front and back. 6. Large boot space without rear… Read more
seats 7. Programmable seating in the key fob 8. Very smooth driving experience 9. Adaptive cruise control works really well 10. Lane assist to great. 11. Great fuel economy (but need 98 octane) 12. Comfort, comfort comfort. 13. Comfort
Dislikes 1. No wireless CarPlay 2. Easy scratched piano black on the console 3. Only 4 seats with the LE version 4. Not much space left after rear seats up.
2019 Mazda CX9 Coolant leak/Head Issues – If you are reading this then you are contemplating buying a CX-9. In my ownership I would say it’s a beautiful car with awesome power, silky smooth like a European car and very luxurious with good quality materials. Now I am going to share my personal experience which I hope may help someone contemplating buying this car to avoid a potential… Read more
financial disaster. My car is a 2019 GT Spec with the 2.5T engine with a 5 year manufacturer warranty. Few months before my warranty was due to expire, I noticed coolant level dropping marginally. I checked for potential leaks and could not find any. Coolant levels should not drop and in my mind something was not right. So since warranty was expiring I thought better get this checked. Booked in the car and Mazda dealership reported car was okay however when doing a pressure test they noticed it was not holding pressure however they said drive it for another 1k and monitor.
So for the next 3 weeks I did as they told and yes it was loosing coolant weekly (I marked the correct level as a guide). In the meanwhile googled why CX9 loose coolant and I was shocked to find a Technical Service Bulletin from Mazda North America (bulletin No.01-013/21 issued 12/02/21) whereby US spec models: - 2019-2020 CX-5 SKYACTIV-G 2.5T vehicles with VINs lower than JM3KF******830243 (produced before Jun. 9, 2020) - 2016-2020 CX-9 SKYACTIV-G 2.5T vehicles with VINs lower than JM3TC******422801 (produced before Jun. 9, 2020) - 2018-2020 Mazda6 SKYACTIV-G 2.5T vehicles with VINs lower than JM1GL******523967 (produced before Mar. 25,2020)
Where Some vehicles may have coolant leaks at the cylinder head around the exhaust manifold. There may be cracks at the stud bolt hole or at the outside of the exhaust manifold. Google it and you will find the bulletin on line.
I went back to Mazda when my 1k was up and they quickly booked in the car and acknowledged there may be a serious problem and needs to be investigated further. Long story short, it was identified as a crack in the exhaust manifold, same as the US bulletin like for like. I brought the bulletin matter up but it was brushed aside as a US problem and OZ no such problems. I fail to understand when these cars are produced in Japan, how do exhaust manifolds differ between US/AUS. Anyway since my car has been serviced by Mazda from day 1 and I logged the complaint before the expiry of the Warranty and they had it on record, Mazda authorised the repairs at their cost, thank you Mazda. Now to access the head involved a full engine out, and full tear down of the engine. Its like walking into a loved one having open heart surgery. Had I been like 6-7 months out, I doubt Mazda would have come to the table as they might say its out of warranty and I would have been out of pocket thousands of dollars. These kind of complex repairs can only be done at Mazda dealerships as they have the tools and expertise. Normal garage would not take on such a big job as its time consuming and labour intensive having the car on the hoist for 2 mths plus.
So yes, this is my experience with this car and I narrowly escaped being out of pocket thousands because I picked up the problem immediately when I noticed something not right. Car is repaired now and running normal so far. So guys if you are looking at buying one, please have it inspected by Mazda, pay the inspection fee like $350 and have the car pressure tested as a minimum and or any other test they may want to carry out, small price to pay in consideration that you may have potential catastrophic engine failure and be out of pocket thousands (5-10k easily). Doing a pressure test, the car should hold pressure for more than 24 hrs. If it does not, walk away. If buying at a dealer make it a pre-condition that the car is inspected at Mazda to your satisfaction and don’t trust their 100 point check. It needs to be a 3rd party pre-purchase inspection and not a post purchase inspection. Be mindful extended warranties (check the fine print very very carefully and read the reviews on the net) they don’t cover water contamination. So if anything happens, its on you.
So please do your due diligence before you splash your hard earned cash. I am not rich so 5-10k repair bill would have killed me. Like I said Mazda was very good and repaired the car, only because in my opinion the car was unmolested and fully maintained by them. Had I maintained the car elsewhere, its probably a different story. Hope this helps someone. Don’t be put off with the CX9, it’s a bloody good car only thing I was unlucky to have purchased one with a supposedly know problem.
Reviews with attachments
I’m doubt but CX9 is beautiful to own and drive – We were looking for third row SUV as our family is growing fast. I have drive tested Palisade, Kluger, Sorento and Cx9 before ordering Cx9 in Feb 23 at 73k. One month later, Mazda officially discontinued Cx9, while I still waited for order which was delivered in April 23. I was pretty concerned at that time but after 7 month of owning we love it.… Read more
Cx9 is the best affordable third row Mazda has ever made. They no longer make affordable car as 6 inline hybrid in Cx90 and future Cx80 is way expensive for general Oz. Driving is so comfort and nice. Engine is decent enough and space is generous. In the fact that Cx9 shares some many parts with Cx5 so spare part in future is not really a big problem. Fuel efficiency is extremely good at 9L/100km for 91 fuel and 8L for 98 fuel for mix my daily driving. My kids love this new car so do I.
This is perfect. Cannot live without it – This is is my favourite car at home. I hate the idea my dad got to get a Tesla. Mazda's vroom of petrol is very cool and large seven seater is perfect for long trips with lots of people on board. Show details
Dangerous – Not one to write reviews often but I'm not happy. My cx9 has a 120K Km with perfect service history. The Transfer case literally exploded causing car to lock up. It's a known issue, search it up and Mazda refuses to acknowledge. Quoted a $5K+ repair. Not good enough for a company sitting on $284 Billion capital to be sitting and waiting for someone to die before they issue a recall. See more info on my story here: https://transfercasefails.com/ Show details
In-depth reviews
Don’t buy a Mazda CX-9 – Bought a brand new Azami model in March 2017. In its December 2018 service at only 19,718 km the car was impounded due to the entire braking system needing to be replaced. In August 2020 at only 31,180kms the brakes started squeaking again, took the car back to Mazda in Sept, They acknowledged that the brakes were definitely squeaking, but wear on… Read more
the pads was minimal and they could find no explanation for this. However I was advised that they did take photos and sent these to Mazda to investigate. The car was returned to me, and continued to squeak, but I heard no more from Mazda. On Monday 1 March 2021 I noticed that the squeak had now become a grinding noise. I called Eagers Mazda Newstead and they booked me in for 3 March 2021. That afternoon I was advised that the brakes were metal on metal and that the breaking system and underside of the car were badly corroded. They told me that the car was too dangerous to drive (again). The car has now only done about 36 or 37,000km (I don't know the exact mileage as Mazda still has my car 10 days later). The car's brakes could have failed at any time, or the parking brake could have failed (as was known to happen with earlier Mazdas due to chronic rust problems). I believe this is a major defect, with a high potential for death or serious injury and Mazda unable (and now unprepared) to fix the damage. I have asked Mazda to replace the vehicle, and they have refused to even send out a technical expert to inspect it. In short, Mazda Australia has completely washed its hands of this problem. Don’t buy a Mazda
More bang for the buck than a stick of dynamite – Having owned several Mazda's, including the previous model TB CX9 GT, we really fancied a change. Not that there was anything wrong with the previous model, but a premium car brand was more desirable. We looked at the the Jaguar F-Pace, Land Rover, BMW and Mercedes offerings but actually fell in love with the Volvo XC series more than any of the… Read more
others. Prior to buying the Volvo and being offered a pretty lousy trade in by them, I though I would just check out the new CX9. The CX9 was dramatically cheaper than the Prestige Brands, to the tune of around $50,000 cheaper, but since we have always liked our Mazda's it was worth a quick squizz.
To our complete surprise, the Mazda knocked the socks off most of the prestige vehicles. The build quality and level of equipments was equal to or far outstripped the premium brands. Moreover, the safety features boasted by the Volvo, but not quite reached by the competitors, all seemed to be included in the CX9.
While the build quality of the Mazda is not quite that of the German brands, it is way better than the Jag, Land Rover and even the Volvo. Furthermore the new engine in the CX9 is significantly more powerful than it's juicy V6 predecessor in the TB CX9 .
The car is spacious, quite, super safe and great on fuel.
I seriously could not justify the extra $50,000 on what amounts to a badge. Yes Mazda does not carry the status of a Volvo or Mercedes, but it certainly isn't a Kia or Nissan. The CX9 is everything and often more than the prestige car brand offerings and for that, I am $50,000 richer.
It is what it is – On our 2nd CX-9 '13 GT AWD A great car to drive comfortable family car 4 kids fit and all day trip 8+ hrs driving is a breeze with luggage room to burn around town drive it like a cruise car and it is great , fuel economy for use ave 12.5l/100km neither bad nor good. (i always check friends cars ave fuel on their computers and you'd be… Read more
surprised what some cars do ), but best was 10.1 on highway trips to Townsville and Melbourne from NSW
The tom tom nav system can be frustrating have updated twice and still cant find some rds , but do your homework before you go on whereis being 2013 some features are outdated
Now these cars have power to burn (v6) and to me are so over powered with no effort you can drive this thing like a beast you be surprised how they want to go if you let them ,,,
I wouldn't buy a 2wd after test driving one even my wife had traction control bouncing ( and if you think she's a lead foot 75k in the GT 2mm left on original tyres and still on 1st set of brakes now that's babying hows your form)
But all in All Great car fills the need of the family (4kids) that just didnt want a van
Easy to drive can go anywhere in comfit and room to burn
would i buy another? yes for sure
if i didnt need the 7 seats ? no i would have stuck with the mazda6
Positive reviews
I own a 2010 Mazda cx9 and I love it and it is an Awesome SUV – Good on fuel around town and long distance driving. Very comfortable vehicle. Very good looking vehicle. Never misses a beat. Never had any issues with it.I have owned many vehicles and none of the come close to my Mazda tb CX9.It is a true SUV and a grand touring SUV. Well done Mazda! Show details
Love the quality and after sales service – I bought my CX9 Azami from Edwardtown Mazda. The Vehicle is so much better than my Honda that I pnly use when going shopping. The after sales service has been excellent from Mazda Australia. Issues solved within 48 hours. Still waiting for Formula Honda to fix my third row seat. Show details
Perfect vehicle, Amazing ride! – This SUV seems like made for our family! It gives you the feeling of macho and delicacy at the same time and is made while keeping all the genders in mind! The red and blue colours are quite unique and gives the feeling of epoxy paint in sunlight! All the features are just amazing and I am in love with it. Show details
Negative reviews
Expensive repair on FAULTY transfer case – faulty transfer case acknowledged by Mazda but warranty not extended to even cover my car (purchased new) with less than 100,000km. Cost me $3500 to repair could have been worse if the fault extended into the transmission. No one at Mazda or dealerships wanted to no about it. Sure has been a huge disappointment and I will never buy another Mazda. Show details
Find out how Mazda CX-9 compares to other Large / 7 Seater SUVs
Know better, choose better.
I will never buy a Mazda again!! 11 years later and the car is worth $0 and can not be driven – The major faults to date:auto boot closure exploded cost 8K, the passenger auto window is jam (4K+ to fix), transfer case and auto transmission gone 10.5K. Can not drive atm or worth repairing so its ready for the scrap heap!! Show details
Safety failure – I bought a brand new my CX9 Azami in Feb 2018. I did not have much issues initially until I did. The Smart City Brake failed although I was within speed limits and my car crashed. My family and I feel LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. Neither the retailer nor Mazda Australia want to know anything about it. They boast about their safety features in the marketing specs, however, does not deliver what was promised. This car was a huge and EXPENSIVE MISTAKE ! Show details
Recent reviews
Love it, super smooth – Love this car, spacey inside and comfortable even with all 7 seats full. Car seats fit all seats. Luxury inside a heap of USB ports and super smooth to drive. The only thing a would say is I liked the “ grab the handle sensor “ better than the button on the handle to open and lock the car. Very minor and probably just a me issue lol all round great vehicle Show details
Until now satisfied! – I bought CX-9 car in 2018 from Brisbane. I am pretty much delighted with the performance of the car and how it treats me, whether it is a plain road or a tough road. It has excellent cruise control and best of best is an adaptive cruise which means it applies to break if the front vehicle slows down or even speeds up when the front vehicle… Read more
moving fast (within the max cruise speed limit).
Also how it projects - Speed details, Road speed limit, Directions (if we turned navigation On), and blind spots on the front screen, where you can adjust brightness and height where it displays on the front screen.
Really, until now no complain, and very much satisfied!
Excellent reliable car – Great luxury car for family of 7 people with all modern feature. I will be using this car for camping and long driver almost. need service every 10,000 kms. just make small rattling noise from tailgate. Show details
Mazda all the way – Best car, fantastic to drive. Soon as I drove out the showroom floor I felt quality. This car is very powerful and great value For $46,990. Mazda cx9 sport is a whole lotta car for your money's worth these days. For the higher end spectrum azami ect really not interested for the price as the sports just as luxurious plus are we that lazy now we… Read more
need power tailgates. Has the same engine in every model. Very impressive car I highly recommend over my Mazda 6 luxury sport.
My Japanese Cadillac – Just purchased my CX-9 GT AWD in December 2020. While I’m learning to love how it looks, the interior is stunning. Comfortable, great sound system and driving throughout country NSW, it is responsive, handles extremely well for such a large vehicle and has as much “tech” as I need. Since, I purchased it new, I”ll be interested in how it holds up over the coming months and years. Happy to keep you posted but so far, so good. Very happy. Show details
An Awesome Car! – This car is a great pleasure to drive. The interior is high end and luxurious! Been an excellent car, no problems, great value. response from the 2.5 turbo engine, definitely drives like a sports car. Show details
Worst car we have ever had – We purchased our mazda in Nov 2017. For the first 15 months the car was great after that we had to take the car in and out of our local dealership 12 times in 12 months for numerous issues, egr valve replacement, I-eloop malfunction, smart city break malfunction, driver attention alert malfunction both mirrors have been replaced from being stuck… Read more
and not folding in and out, reverse camera has been replaced from not working properly, lcd screen has had multiple issues and needed replacing, the gear box when shifting from park to reverse or drive is stiff and intermittently needs to be pulled to change gears. Terrible make or just a faulty batch but mazda Australia terrible and claimed its normal for cars to need to be presented with faults.
Find out how Mazda CX-9 compares to other Large / 7 Seater SUVs
Know better, choose better.
Excellent Family car – This is an excellent family car. If you're looking into a high end design and big space SUV, this is the car for you. The interior of this car is amazing! we love it! I highly recommended Mazda CX-9. You can guys can get a good deal at Australian Motors Mazda - let them know about your budget. Show details
Luxury – I use the car for both personal and work. Love the lux features and safety technology pack. I like the feel of driving this large suv. Even though the dimensions are huge, this doesnt affect my driving at all. I dont feel like driving bigger than the mesium Suv that I was driving for many years! One thing they should have improved-there should be an alarm when the door is left open and you are already driving! Show details
Unsafe vehicle – The car was purchased brand new in July 2019. There have been numerous issues with the car including: - rear passenger door not closing properly - faulty middle console - interactive display not working properly - ieloop malfunction three times. Each time it has taken over two weeks to rectify and this remains an issue. - electric system… Read more
malfunction in the middle of turning right on a main road, resulting in the car stalling mid turn and my family being stuck in the middle of an intersection whilst three lanes of oncoming traffic have the green light. At this time the ieloop malfunction came on as well as a number of other error messages.
These are major safety issues that should not be expected in any car, let alone a new car. Mazda has refused to replace this vehicle
Very disappointed with 2011 CX-9 brake and head gasket failures – We purchased a one owner second hand 2011 CX-9 top of the range Grand Touring as a family wagon in 2017, after shopping around for a good teenager sized 7-seat option in the $25,000 range. The CX-9 is nice to drive for such a big car, tows good and well appointed, so the family loves it. However in 2019 it suffered the common Brake Booster / Brake… Read more
Master Cylinder failure (noting the recall notice in USA, not in Australia) around $1,800 to fix, then now in 2020 a head gasket failure around $5,000 to fix (and months long wait for parts). I do not think it is acceptable for an 8-9 year old car with only 135,000kms to have failed with parts so expensive and hard to get in Australia !!!
Very good car and looks awesome – Bought it in March 2017. Used as a daily drive to work and interstate drives. 9.2l/100km fuel consumption. Passenger seatbelt alarm kept going off and was fixed under warranty. The speaker cover on driver’s side was bulging, kind of half fixed now by Mazda. Seats leather quality and design questionable. Rust proofing suspect. Steering wheel… Read more
leather scratches easily. Great all round car though.
Service done as per recommendation, 6 months/10,000km.
A great family car – Overall an excellent car, very smooth, easy to drive, great safety feature, great customer service, plenty of space, really happy with Mazda, fuel consumption is bit bad, 12.2 L/1000 KM! Show details
Disappointing – I bought mazda cx9 azami in May 2019. After 7000kms i-eloop and i-stop got malfunctioned. I called mazda to rectify this problem. I have to wait 4 weeks to get a date to fix this. In the meantime my car had an accident, hit a kangaroo and damaged front parts. I have been waiting for one month to fix this problem. How come these can go wrong for… Read more
brand new $68k car? Mazda,you have to be bit faster for the parts delivery. I used Mazda 3 before and never had any issues. I recommended Mazda to my friends. But this time I won't recommend Mazda to anyone.
over all happy but few annoyances – Overall great spacious car. Comfy drive, less noise, fuel consumption is impressive. We drove from Adl to Melb largely on cruise with full tank ans still 60 km fuel left. We are happy for the choice we made.Nice interior as compared other suv in this category. Few problems: Gps system is a wreck despite updates chooses longest and unpractical… Read more
route, keep google as back up. I felt the car third row area less illuminated when boot is opened automatically. Infotainment system is very basic , but love bose sound system. I am curious to know if anyone has driven both Awd and Fwd to share difference.
Great car, lovely to drive – Amazing car and I love it, no issues what so ever. I purchased the luxury pack with bose audio, sunroof and leather. It does use a fair bit of fuel, but it needs to be considered that the car is 11 years old, its a large family 7 seater SUV. I'm averaging 12.3-12.7l to 100km and can get it down to about 8.9L/100km on the freeway. In comparison, I downsized from a 2013 Kluger and it actually has slightly better fuel consumption than that. Show details
I love this car – My second Cx-9. Wouldn’t buy any other brand of car. So happy with Mazda quality and service. This car is packed with all the safety features as well as the luxury items at reasonable price. Show details
Perfect Family SUV – This is our 2nd Mazda CX9 and still loving it for our family of 5. Perfect for school/ sports runs and fabulous for road trips along the coast. Smooth, light ride and great turning circle. Stylish with all of the extra luxury features as standard. Great value and very comparable with high end European cars that come double the price tag. Show details
Excellent car cx9 – I love mazda cx9 am using if from last 6 months . It s reliable and it got more advanced features. Am getting 10l/ 100km. Good customer service and good value for tge money Show details
Happy with it – We've owned this car for over 2 years and it's been a great car considering it was a completely new model from Mazda. It goes great and has plenty of torque for a petrol engine thanks to the turbo charger. Apart from replacing one tailgate strut under warranty, we've done nothing but service it. It has so much room for a seven seater which is what we needed. Highly recommended. Show details
Extra Information
ProductReview.com.au has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence our content moderation policies in any way, though ProductReview.com.au may earn commissions for products/services purchased via affiliate links.