Is the Buick Envision more reliable than the Mazda CX-9?

The two are effectively tied. The Envision has 4.9 owner complaints per 10,000 sold against 15 for the CX-9, and fewer unscheduled shop visits. The CX-9 has a slightly lower annual repair cost. Each has a serious weak spot, so the specific model year matters more.

Which has more recalls, the Envision or the CX-9?

They have the same count, six recalls each in federal recall records. The Envision's six are spread across nine model years, while the CX-9's six cover six model years. Run the VIN of any specific car to see which recalls apply and whether the work was done.

Which is cheaper to repair, the Envision or the CX-9?

The CX-9 is slightly cheaper at $539 a year in estimated repairs, against $573 for the Envision. Over five years that is $170. The Envision needs fewer unscheduled shop visits, 0.4 a year against 0.6, so the real-world gap is small.

What is the most common problem on the Mazda CX-9?

The engine, with 95 complaints. Owners report coolant leaks at the cylinder head near the exhaust manifold, which lead to overheating and a limp mode that holds the car near 30 mph. Some say Mazda turned down goodwill requests for the repair. Excessive oil use also appears.

What brake problems do Buick Envision owners report?

Two patterns stand out. In the electrical complaints, the brakes apply hard on their own with no obstacle, and collision warnings fire with no cars present. Two injuries were tied to these events. Separately, a "Service Brake Assist" warning can precede a hard or sinking pedal, and dealers often cannot find a fault.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Buick Envision vs Mazda CX-9: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Buick Envision

Good

Mazda CX-9

Good

The Buick Envision and Mazda CX-9 are effectively tied on reliability. The CX-9 draws far more owner complaints per car sold. Its estimated repair bill runs a little lower, though, while the Envision sends owners to the shop less often.

How Do the Buick Envision and Mazda CX-9 Generations Compare?

Two different Envision designs fall inside this comparison, while every CX-9 year belongs to one design. The Envision's first generation covered US model years 2016 to 2020, with a facelift in 2019. The second generation ran 2021 to 2023, and a refresh followed for 2024. Its weakest years, 2021 and 2022, opened that second generation, while 2018 comes from the earlier design. The newest years have had the least time to collect complaints. The CX-9 sits in its second generation (TC), which began in 2016 and runs through 2024. Its weakest years are the earliest and its strongest are the latest.

Verdict

The Buick Envision is more reliable than the Mazda CX-9, scoring 77/100 vs 76/100.

Effectively tied. The Envision has the cleaner complaint record, with far fewer filings per car sold and fewer unscheduled shop visits each year. The CX-9 offsets that with a slightly lower estimated annual repair cost. Neither gap is big enough to name a winner. The CX-9's biggest mark against it is engine trouble, mainly coolant leaks at the cylinder head. The Envision's weak spot is braking and electrical complaints. Which model year you pick matters more than which badge.

Key Differences

1Mazda CX-9 costs $34 less per year to repair
2Buick Envision has 10.1 fewer complaints per 10k sold
3Buick Envision scores 1 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

3Buick Envision

—

1Mazda CX-9

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencySafety Rating

Buick Envision vs Mazda CX-9: Which Is More Reliable?

Buick Envision vs Mazda CX-9 at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Buick Envision	Mazda CX-9
Reliability Score	77/100	76/100
Years Tracked	9	6
Total Recalls	6	6
Complaints per 10k Sold	4.9	15
Annual Repair Cost	$573/yr	$539/yr
Repair Frequency	0.4/yr	0.6/yr
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2023 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	2 (1 tied)	3 (1 tied)

What Are the Common Problems With the Buick Envision and Mazda CX-9?

Brakes and electronics dominate the Envision's complaints. Owners describe the brakes slamming on with no obstacle, collision warnings with no cars present, a "Service Brake Assist" warning followed by a sinking pedal, and oil vanishing between changes. The CX-9's trouble is mostly in the engine: coolant leaks at the cylinder head lead to overheating and a limp mode near 30 mph. It also has whole-car electrical dropouts while moving. Crash-linked reports separate them. The CX-9 has them in service brakes and steering, including a parking brake tied to a crash. The Envision shows none in those two areas. Both have one in the power train.

Buick Envision vs Mazda CX-9 common problem areas comparison
Component	Buick Envision	Mazda CX-9
ENGINE	0.4Very Low	5.7Average
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.9Very Low	1.5Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.4Very Low	2Low
POWER TRAIN	0.6Very Low	1.2Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.5Very Low	0.7Very Low
STEERING	0.3Very Low	0.4Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.3Very Low	0.2Very Low
SUSPENSION	0.2Very Low	0.2Very Low
BACK OVER PREVENTION	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
STRUCTURE	—None	0.3Very Low
TIRES	0.2Very Low	—None
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM	0.1Very Low	—None
LANE DEPARTURE	0.1Very Low	—None
Chest Clip	—None	0.1Very Low
SEATS	—None	0.1Very Low
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	0.1Very Low
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	—None	0.1Very Low

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Buick Envision or Mazda CX-9?

Repair cost is close to a wash, with a slight edge to the CX-9. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $539 a year against $573 for the Envision. That gap is $34 a year, or $170 over five years. The Envision makes fewer unscheduled shop visits, 0.4 a year against 0.6 for the CX-9. The CX-9 has a 10% chance that any given repair is major. No major-repair figure is available for the Envision. Because the cost difference is small, visit frequency may matter more to your routine.

How Does Buick Envision vs Mazda CX-9 Reliability Compare by Year?

Buick Envision vs Mazda CX-9 year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Buick Envision	Mazda CX-9	Edge
2023	76/1001R / 22C	81/1000R / 12C	Mazda CX-9
2022	75/1001R / 23C	81/1000R / 9C	Mazda CX-9
2021	74/1002R / 23C	77/1001R / 35C	Mazda CX-9
2020	78/1000R / 10C	78/1001R / 19C	Tie
2019	78/1000R / 23C	73/1002R / 52C	Buick Envision
2018	78/1000R / 13C	66/1002R / 125C	Buick Envision

Best years to cross-shop: The 2020 Buick Envision scored 78/100 and the 2023 Mazda CX-9 scored 81/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Buick Envision vs the Mazda CX-9?

Pick the Envision if you want fewer trips to the shop and fewer owner complaints per car sold. Target 2018, one of its strongest years, and skip 2021 and 2022, its weakest. The newest years have had little time to collect complaints, so treat a clean record there as unproven. Before buying, check the oil level and ask about any brake warnings or unexplained hard braking. Pick the CX-9 if you want the slightly lower annual repair bill and can accept more owner complaints. Aim for 2022 or 2023, its strongest years, and avoid 2018 and 2019, its weakest. Even so, ask for proof of any cylinder head coolant leak repair, watch the temperature gauge on a test drive, and ask how much oil the engine uses. Owners say Mazda turned down goodwill requests for that repair, so a leak could land on you.

Buick Envision vs Mazda CX-9: Common Questions

Is the Buick Envision more reliable than the Mazda CX-9?: The two are effectively tied. The Envision has 4.9 owner complaints per 10,000 sold against 15 for the CX-9, and fewer unscheduled shop visits. The CX-9 has a slightly lower annual repair cost. Each has a serious weak spot, so the specific model year matters more.
Which has more recalls, the Envision or the CX-9?: They have the same count, six recalls each in federal recall records. The Envision's six are spread across nine model years, while the CX-9's six cover six model years. Run the VIN of any specific car to see which recalls apply and whether the work was done.
Which is cheaper to repair, the Envision or the CX-9?: The CX-9 is slightly cheaper at $539 a year in estimated repairs, against $573 for the Envision. Over five years that is $170. The Envision needs fewer unscheduled shop visits, 0.4 a year against 0.6, so the real-world gap is small.
What is the most common problem on the Mazda CX-9?: The engine, with 95 complaints. Owners report coolant leaks at the cylinder head near the exhaust manifold, which lead to overheating and a limp mode that holds the car near 30 mph. Some say Mazda turned down goodwill requests for the repair. Excessive oil use also appears.
What brake problems do Buick Envision owners report?: Two patterns stand out. In the electrical complaints, the brakes apply hard on their own with no obstacle, and collision warnings fire with no cars present. Two injuries were tied to these events. Separately, a "Service Brake Assist" warning can precede a hard or sinking pedal, and dealers often cannot find a fault.

More Buick Envision comparisons

Buick Envision vs Chevrolet Equinox reliability Buick Envision vs Honda CR-V reliability Buick Envision vs Toyota RAV4 reliability Buick Envision vs Ford Escape reliability Buick Envision reliability by year Buick Envision years to avoid

More Mazda CX-9 comparisons

Mazda CX-9 vs Toyota Highlander reliability Mazda CX-9 vs Honda Pilot reliability Mazda CX-9 vs Hyundai Palisade reliability Mazda CX-9 vs Kia Telluride reliability Mazda CX-9 reliability by year Mazda CX-9 years to avoid

Decided between Buick Envision and Mazda CX-9? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.

Look Up a VIN →

How we score the Buick Envision and Mazda CX-9

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

See incorrect data? Report an issue