MODELYEARINDEX

Which Mazda Mazda6 years to avoid

Across 9 scored model years, the 2014, 2016 and 2015 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Mazda Mazda6 Full report
F
Grade 2010–2021
2014 vs model median 3.6×
Model median3× median
Electrical 17
Drivetrain 13
Brakes 12
Avoid

2014 · 2016

Best

2017 · 2021

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2010
1.06× 38 C
2011
0.40× 19 B
2012
0.97× 38 C
2014
3.62× 104 F
2015
1.74× 58 D
2016
2.74× 73 F
2017
0.49× 19 A
2018
1.00× 32 B
2021
0.40× 19 A

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2014 F 104 reports · median 31,000 mi

  1. Electrical 17

    The rear view camera, needed for adequate visibility when driving in reverse, does not function under the following circumstances: 1. Quickly shifting into reverse after starting the car. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Drivetrain 13

    The vehicle started to decelerate while driving without any type of notice. The dealership found out the valve board in the transmission needed to be replaced. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Brakes 12

    I recently replaced my front brakes due to normal wear. I took my car to a local madza dealership, and when the job was completed, my brakes began to make odd noises on the drivers side. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

17 crash · 9 injuries

2016 F 73 reports · median 25,221 mi

  1. Brakes 9

    The contact owns a 2016 mazda 6. While driving 25 MPH, the brakes failed without warning. The contact was able to regain brake control within a few blocks. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Body & Interior 8

    Mazda has cramped vent duct, speaker, AC duct and front display on to of the dashboard at the driver side. Reflection from all these make the driving very difficult. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Drivetrain 7

    My brand new mazda 6 with only 6000 miles transmission quit on 3/21/16. The cars gears wouldn't engage until the RPMS would hit 3000 and then the car would lurch forward. The dealer has ordered a new transmission. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

18 crash · 20 injuries

The best year for the Mazda6

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2021 is the best-scoring Mazda6 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 90.1 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations. On complaint rate alone the lowest is 2011 at 0.40× this model’s median, against 0.40× for 2021.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2021 0.40× 19 A
2017 0.49× 19 A
2011 0.40× 19 B

Recalls

19 campaigns on record, 5 carrying a Park It or Park Outside warning.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
19V497000 ENGINE 2018 262,220
17V393000 PARKING BRAKE 2014, 2015 227,814
17V429000 Park it AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2010, 2011 205,377
13V425000 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH 2010–2012 161,400
18V717000 Park it AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2010–2012 155,436
21V875000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP 2018 121,038
14V675000 TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS 2014, 2015 99,711
17V457000 Park it AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2012 79,402
18V018000 Park it AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2010 70,227
19V782000 Park it AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2010–2012 69,879
11V134000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY 2010 52,000
17V546000 STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM 2016 51,943

+ 7 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2014 were reported at a median of 31,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Mazda Mazda6 years should you avoid?
2014, 2016, 2015 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Mazda Mazda6 model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Mazda Mazda6?
2021 is the best-scoring Mazda Mazda6 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 90.1 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Mazda Mazda6 have?
19 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Mazda Mazda6 model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2014 Mazda6
Complaints in window
104
Severity-weighted
186.5
Model median (weighted)
52
vs model median
3.62×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
4
Open investigations
0
Score 15 F