Is the Hyundai Tucson more reliable than the Mazda CX-5?

No. The CX-5 is more reliable, and the gap is large. Owners filed 986 complaints about it, against 1,838 for the Tucson. Tucson reports include engine oil loss, clogged catalytic converters, and engines that fail outright, while the CX-5's worst problem is cracked cylinder heads.

Which has more recalls, the Tucson or the CX-5?

The Tucson has more. Federal recall records show 23 recalls across its 9 model years, against 11 for the CX-5. One Tucson recall covers an ABS electrical short that can start a fire even when parked, and many owners waited weeks or months for parts.

Which costs less to repair, the Tucson or the CX-5?

The Tucson costs slightly less. Independent repair-cost data estimates $426 a year for it and $447 for the CX-5. Both average 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year. A repair is major 10% of the time on the Tucson and 8% on the CX-5.

What is the biggest problem with the Mazda CX-5?

Cracked cylinder heads. Oil leaks onto the hot exhaust side, and owners notice a burning smell, white smoke, or oil on the ground. Failures cluster between about 30,000 and 80,000 miles, and repair quotes reach $8,000. Many cars show no warning light until oil runs low.

Do Hyundai Tucsons burn oil?

Many owner complaints say so. Oil often disappears at a quart every 1,000 miles or worse, usually showing up around 70,000 to 85,000 miles. A brief low-oil light in turns or hard braking may be the only warning. Check the dipstick often and ask for service records before buying.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Hyundai Tucson vs Mazda CX-5: Reliability Compared

Hyundai Tucson

Good

More Reliable

Mazda CX-5

Excellent

Reliability favors the Mazda CX-5 over the Hyundai Tucson by a large margin. Owners filed 986 complaints about the CX-5 against 1,838 for the Tucson, and the Tucson's engine and drivetrain failures are the main reason.

How Do the Hyundai Tucson and Mazda CX-5 Generations Compare?

Most used CX-5s you will see belong to the second generation, which covered 2017 through 2025 and received a facelift for 2022. Cars from 2018 and 2019 are early in that run and rank as the weakest years. The 2022 is the first facelifted year and also one of the strongest. A third generation arrived for the 2026 model year. It is too new to judge, since it has had little time to collect complaints, so its clean record should not count as proof of reliability.

Verdict

The Mazda CX-5 is more reliable than the Hyundai Tucson, scoring 83/100 vs 73/100.

Reliability clearly favors the Mazda CX-5, and the gap is large. Owners filed far fewer complaints about it, and federal recall records show fewer than half as many recalls. The Tucson's engine trouble decides it: oil loss, clogged catalytic converters, and outright engine failures. The CX-5 has a serious flaw too, cracked cylinder heads, but it is narrower and its other trouble areas are milder. Repair costs are close, so the choice comes down to how likely each car is to leave you stranded or facing a big bill.

Key Differences

1Hyundai Tucson costs $21 less per year to repair
2Mazda CX-5 has 12 fewer total recalls
3Mazda CX-5 scores 10 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

1Hyundai Tucson

—

4Mazda CX-5

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Hyundai Tucson vs Mazda CX-5: Which Is More Reliable?

Hyundai Tucson vs Mazda CX-5 at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Hyundai Tucson	Mazda CX-5
Reliability Score	73/100	83/100
Years Tracked	9	9
Total Recalls	23	11
Complaints per 10k Sold	8.9	5.6
Annual Repair Cost	$426/yr	$447/yr
Repair Frequency	0.3/yr	0.3/yr
Major Repair Risk	10%	8%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	0	9

What Are the Common Problems With the Hyundai Tucson and Mazda CX-5?

Trouble on the Tucson is spread across the drivetrain and safety systems. Engines burn oil, converters clog, and some cars stall or drop into limp mode at highway speed. The ABS fire recall left owners waiting months for parts, and the forward collision system can brake hard with nothing ahead. CX-5 problems are more concentrated. Cylinder heads crack and leak oil onto the hot exhaust side, and the touchscreen "ghost touch" fault is common. Both models have crash-linked reports in engine, electrical, power train, and brake areas. Only the Tucson has crash-linked forward collision complaints, while only the CX-5 has a crash-linked structure complaint, a shattering sunroof.

Hyundai Tucson vs Mazda CX-5 common problem areas comparison
Component	Hyundai Tucson	Mazda CX-5
ENGINE	1.9Low	1.5Low
POWER TRAIN	1.3Low	0.6Very Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	1.1Low	0.7Very Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1Very Low	0.7Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	1.1Low	0.3Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	0.5Very Low	0.1Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.3Very Low	0.2Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.4Very Low	—None
AIR BAGS	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
STRUCTURE	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
STEERING	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	0.1Very Low	—None
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	0.1Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM	—None	0.1Very Low
LANE DEPARTURE	—None	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	—None
SEATS	—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: Hyundai Tucson or Mazda CX-5?

Independent repair-cost data puts the Tucson at $426 a year and the CX-5 at $447, so the Tucson is $21 cheaper annually, about $105 over five years. Both average 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year. The difference is severity: 10% of Tucson repairs are major, against 8% for the CX-5. Routine costs are close, so the real exposure is a rare large repair, such as a CX-5 cylinder head quoted up to $8,000 or a Tucson engine replacement.

How Does Hyundai Tucson vs Mazda CX-5 Reliability Compare by Year?

Hyundai Tucson vs Mazda CX-5 year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Hyundai Tucson	Mazda CX-5	Edge
2026	80/1004R / 3C	94/1000R / 0C	Mazda CX-5
2025	75/1006R / 251C	82/1003R / 25C	Mazda CX-5
2024	77/1004R / 87C	84/1001R / 53C	Mazda CX-5
2023	75/1002R / 142C	81/1002R / 96C	Mazda CX-5
2022	66/1003R / 433C	87/1000R / 50C	Mazda CX-5
2021	78/1001R / 58C	83/1000R / 129C	Mazda CX-5
2020	73/1001R / 153C	86/1000R / 94C	Mazda CX-5
2019	68/1001R / 349C	75/1002R / 229C	Mazda CX-5
2018	68/1001R / 362C	71/1003R / 310C	Mazda CX-5

Best years to cross-shop: The 2021 Hyundai Tucson scored 78/100 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 Hyundai Tucson vs the Mazda CX-5?

Pick the CX-5 if you want the lower chance of a surprise breakdown. Its standing is excellent and owners filed far fewer complaints. Target 2022 through 2025, since 2018 and 2019 are its weakest years. The cracked cylinder head failures cluster between about 30,000 and 80,000 miles, so check for oil leaks, a burning smell, and service history on any car in that range. Test the touchscreen for phantom inputs before you buy. Choose the Tucson only if the price is clearly better and you accept more risk. Avoid 2022 and 2019, its weakest years. The 2021 is among its strongest, but still check oil level and consumption records, because oil loss often appears around 70,000 to 85,000 miles. Confirm the ABS fire recall work has been done, and ask whether the car has an engine immobilizer. The 2026 model year of either car is too new to judge, so a thin complaint record there proves little.

Hyundai Tucson vs Mazda CX-5: Common Questions

Is the Hyundai Tucson more reliable than the Mazda CX-5?: No. The CX-5 is more reliable, and the gap is large. Owners filed 986 complaints about it, against 1,838 for the Tucson. Tucson reports include engine oil loss, clogged catalytic converters, and engines that fail outright, while the CX-5's worst problem is cracked cylinder heads.
Which has more recalls, the Tucson or the CX-5?: The Tucson has more. Federal recall records show 23 recalls across its 9 model years, against 11 for the CX-5. One Tucson recall covers an ABS electrical short that can start a fire even when parked, and many owners waited weeks or months for parts.
Which costs less to repair, the Tucson or the CX-5?: The Tucson costs slightly less. Independent repair-cost data estimates $426 a year for it and $447 for the CX-5. Both average 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year. A repair is major 10% of the time on the Tucson and 8% on the CX-5.
What is the biggest problem with the Mazda CX-5?: Cracked cylinder heads. Oil leaks onto the hot exhaust side, and owners notice a burning smell, white smoke, or oil on the ground. Failures cluster between about 30,000 and 80,000 miles, and repair quotes reach $8,000. Many cars show no warning light until oil runs low.
Do Hyundai Tucsons burn oil?: Many owner complaints say so. Oil often disappears at a quart every 1,000 miles or worse, usually showing up around 70,000 to 85,000 miles. A brief low-oil light in turns or hard braking may be the only warning. Check the dipstick often and ask for service records before buying.

More Hyundai Tucson comparisons

Hyundai Tucson vs Honda CR-V reliability Hyundai Tucson vs Toyota RAV4 reliability Hyundai Tucson vs Nissan Rogue reliability Hyundai Tucson vs Mazda CX-50 reliability Hyundai Tucson reliability by year Hyundai Tucson years to avoid

More Mazda CX-5 comparisons

Mazda CX-5 vs GMC Terrain reliability Mazda CX-5 vs Toyota RAV4 reliability Mazda CX-5 vs Kia Sportage reliability Mazda CX-5 vs Subaru Forester reliability Mazda CX-5 reliability by year Mazda CX-5 years to avoid

Decided between Hyundai Tucson and Mazda CX-5? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.

Look Up a VIN →

How we score the Hyundai Tucson 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.

See incorrect data? Report an issue