Is the Honda CR-V more reliable than the Mazda CX-5?

No. The Mazda CX-5 has a clear reliability lead. It gets fewer owner complaints for every 10,000 vehicles sold and has a much shorter recall list for 2018 through 2026. The CR-V's most common complaints involve steering that sticks and collision braking that activates on its own. Owners report crashes tied to both problems.

Which has more recalls, the CR-V or the CX-5?

The Honda CR-V has many more. Federal recall records list 46 recalls for the CR-V across model years 2018 to 2026. The Mazda CX-5 has 11 over the same years. Look up any car you are considering by VIN and confirm that every open recall has been completed before you buy.

Is the CR-V or the CX-5 cheaper to repair?

The CR-V is slightly cheaper. Its estimated yearly repair cost is $407, compared with $447 for the CX-5. Both average the same number of unscheduled shop visits, and the Honda's chance that a repair is major is one point higher. Over a few years of ownership, the gap between them stays small.

What is the most common problem on the Mazda CX-5?

Cracked cylinder heads that leak oil are the most common problem. Oil drips onto the hot exhaust side of the engine, and owners notice a burning smell, white smoke, or puddles under the car. Some cracks leak coolant and cause overheating instead. Reports cluster between about 30,000 and 80,000 miles.

What steering problem do Honda CR-V owners report?

Owners say the wheel catches when a turn begins or near center, then releases suddenly, which can make drivers overcorrect. Many also hear clicking or popping. Reports start as early as 9,000 miles and peak around 47,000 to 53,000. Dealers usually find a failing steering rack or gearbox and quote $3,500 to $4,478 for the repair.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Honda CR-V vs Mazda CX-5: Reliability Compared

Honda CR-V

Good

More Reliable

Mazda CX-5

Excellent

The Mazda CX-5 holds a clear reliability edge over the Honda CR-V. It draws fewer owner complaints per vehicle sold and far fewer recalls. Honda owners mostly report steering that sticks and automatic braking that engages for no reason. The Mazda's main weakness is cylinder heads that crack and leak oil.

How Do the Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5 Generations Compare?

Most used CR-Vs you will find split across two generations. The fifth generation arrived for 2017 and got a facelift for 2020. The sixth generation ran from 2023 to 2025. The CR-V's weakest years, 2018 and 2019, came early in the fifth generation's run. The CX-5 has been more stable. Every model year from 2018 through 2025 belongs to the second generation, which launched for 2017 and was facelifted for 2022. That facelift year is one of its strongest. The 2026 CX-5 begins a third generation. As the first year of a new design, it has very little history on the road.

Verdict

The Mazda CX-5 is more reliable than the Honda CR-V, scoring 83/100 vs 75/100.

Fewer complaints and far fewer recalls give the CX-5 a clear edge. Its owners file 5.6 complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold, compared with 8 for the Honda CR-V. Federal recall records also show far fewer recalls for the Mazda over the same nine model years. The Honda's complaints cluster in areas that affect control of the car: a steering wheel that catches and then lets go, and a collision system that brakes hard with nothing ahead. The CX-5 has a serious flaw of its own in cracked cylinder heads, so its lead is real but does not make it trouble-free.

Key Differences

1Honda CR-V costs $40 less per year to repair
2Mazda CX-5 has 35 fewer total recalls
3Mazda CX-5 scores 8 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

1Honda CR-V

—

4Mazda CX-5

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Honda CR-V vs Mazda CX-5: Which Is More Reliable?

Honda CR-V vs Mazda CX-5 at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Honda CR-V	Mazda CX-5
Reliability Score	75/100	83/100
Years Tracked	9	9
Total Recalls	46	11
Complaints per 10k Sold	8	5.6
Annual Repair Cost	$407/yr	$447/yr
Repair Frequency	0.3/yr	0.3/yr
Major Repair Risk	9%	8%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	0	9

What Are the Common Problems With the Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5?

Steering tops the CR-V's complaint list, and the CX-5 has no matching problem. Owners say the wheel sticks near center or at the start of a turn, then releases suddenly, and many hear clicking or popping. Dealers usually blame the steering rack or gearbox. Phantom hard braking is a second crash-linked pattern for the Honda. The Mazda's trouble is under the hood. Cylinder heads crack and drip oil onto the exhaust side, and often the only warning is a burning smell or smoke. Its electrical complaints mostly involve a touchscreen that changes stations and places calls by itself. Owners of both SUVs report crash-linked braking faults tied to the radar-based safety systems.

Honda CR-V vs Mazda CX-5 common problem areas comparison
Component	Honda CR-V	Mazda CX-5
ENGINE	0.7Very Low	1.5Low
STEERING	1.8Low	0.1Very Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.9Very Low	0.7Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	1Very Low	0.1Very Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.3Very Low	0.7Very Low
POWER TRAIN	0.2Very Low	0.6Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM	0.6Very Low	0.1Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.4Very Low	0.3Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.4Very Low	—None
AIR BAGS	0.2Very Low	0.2Very Low
VISIBILITY/WIPER	0.2Very Low	0.1Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
STRUCTURE	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	0.1Very Low
SEAT BELTS	—None	—None
SEATS	—None	—None
LANE DEPARTURE	—None	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	—None
TIRES	—None	—None
VISIBILITY	—None	—None

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

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Honda CR-V or Mazda CX-5?

Estimated repair costs run a little lower on the CR-V. Independent repair-cost data puts the Honda at $407 a year and the Mazda at $447, a gap of about $200 over five years. Both average 0.3 unscheduled shop visits per year, and their odds of a major repair are close at 9% and 8%. The specific failures matter more than these averages. Owners report steering rack quotes of $3,500 to $4,478 on the Honda, while cracked-head repairs on the Mazda have been quoted as high as $8,000.

How Does Honda CR-V vs Mazda CX-5 Reliability Compare by Year?

Honda CR-V vs Mazda CX-5 year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Honda CR-V	Mazda CX-5	Edge
2026	83/1000R / 35C	94/1000R / 0C	Mazda CX-5
2025	80/1006R / 201C	82/1003R / 25C	Mazda CX-5
2024	77/1004R / 406C	84/1001R / 53C	Mazda CX-5
2023	72/1007R / 578C	81/1002R / 96C	Mazda CX-5
2022	76/1005R / 242C	87/1000R / 50C	Mazda CX-5
2021	77/1003R / 241C	83/1000R / 129C	Mazda CX-5
2020	74/10010R / 358C	86/1000R / 94C	Mazda CX-5
2019	69/1007R / 996C	75/1002R / 229C	Mazda CX-5
2018	65/1004R / 1960C	71/1003R / 310C	Mazda CX-5

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Honda CR-V scored 77/100 and the 2022 Mazda CX-5 scored 87/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Honda CR-V vs the Mazda CX-5?

Pick the CX-5 if you want the lower overall complaint rate and fewer recalls. Look at the 2022, one of its strongest years, and skip the 2018 and 2019, its weakest. Head cracks cluster between about 30,000 and 80,000 miles, often right after the powertrain warranty ends. Look under the hood for oil around the exhaust manifold, check for oil on the ground, and notice any burning smell in the cabin. Spend a few minutes using the touchscreen to watch for ghost inputs. The CR-V suits you if a slightly lower yearly repair bill matters more than its higher complaint count. Avoid the 2018 and 2019, its weakest years. On a test drive, hold 40 to 50 mph and feel for steering that catches or resists returning to center, and listen for creaking. Check whether the oil sits above the full mark. The 2025 rates well, but it has had less time on the road to collect complaints.

Honda CR-V vs Mazda CX-5: Common Questions

Is the Honda CR-V more reliable than the Mazda CX-5?: No. The Mazda CX-5 has a clear reliability lead. It gets fewer owner complaints for every 10,000 vehicles sold and has a much shorter recall list for 2018 through 2026. The CR-V's most common complaints involve steering that sticks and collision braking that activates on its own. Owners report crashes tied to both problems.
Which has more recalls, the CR-V or the CX-5?: The Honda CR-V has many more. Federal recall records list 46 recalls for the CR-V across model years 2018 to 2026. The Mazda CX-5 has 11 over the same years. Look up any car you are considering by VIN and confirm that every open recall has been completed before you buy.
Is the CR-V or the CX-5 cheaper to repair?: The CR-V is slightly cheaper. Its estimated yearly repair cost is $407, compared with $447 for the CX-5. Both average the same number of unscheduled shop visits, and the Honda's chance that a repair is major is one point higher. Over a few years of ownership, the gap between them stays small.
What is the most common problem on the Mazda CX-5?: Cracked cylinder heads that leak oil are the most common problem. Oil drips onto the hot exhaust side of the engine, and owners notice a burning smell, white smoke, or puddles under the car. Some cracks leak coolant and cause overheating instead. Reports cluster between about 30,000 and 80,000 miles.
What steering problem do Honda CR-V owners report?: Owners say the wheel catches when a turn begins or near center, then releases suddenly, which can make drivers overcorrect. Many also hear clicking or popping. Reports start as early as 9,000 miles and peak around 47,000 to 53,000. Dealers usually find a failing steering rack or gearbox and quote $3,500 to $4,478 for the repair.

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More Mazda CX-5 comparisons

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How we score the Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5

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.

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