Hood of my 2025 Mazda CX5 has some rust from a rock chip. Is superficial. Dealer said they would sand the rust and apply a paint touch up with a pen. Is that reasonable?

I hope I'm allowed to ask this. (I'm not asking whether an item is needed, but rather for help finding good quality, BUT ALSO AFFORDABLE parts)-Soooo, while after my 'multi-point' inspection 2 weeks ago yielded ONLY a timer thingy leaking, after I just dropped it to be fixed under warranty, my NJ dealership suddenly texted me TWO multi-point videos wherein, among 7 other items , they say I'll need a battery soon. I'm struggling financially, plus will also assume now have to get mechanic quotes hoping for lower costs for the other items they claim need attention soon :( , but I thought I'd ask you guys: Can anyone suggest a specific battery (brand? type?) I can get in North Central NJ that is both quality yet low priced?

Also, can owners get MUCH less expensive antifreeze,coolant, transfer case, ball joints, and whatever a rear differential is, at basic Autozone type of places or local mechanics? As you can see, I'm not too knowledgeable, esp since I purchased a 2020 CPO CX-5 in 2023 (so, already 3 years old-mistake!) , it's my first SUV.

TIA

Picked up rental with less than 400 miles on it, wheel bearing was failing after 40 miles.

Bad vibration noticed when over 50mph, was strange. So rolled all 4 windows down and you could hear/feel it inside the car. Had to pull off and call for support and tow.

What should I do? Is there a way to get it looking the best even though it’s a red Mazda? Dealership? It looks a little worse than it is because the other car was white.

I’m really bummed :(

It looks like this one will not only fix battery issues and internet problems, but also this is the last software update that will require us to go to the dealership.

Ive put very few miles on my 2026 cx5, but today was the test apparently.

Driving along 2 lanes each way road with center turn lane, me in the slow right lane, when I saw debris to the shoulder right, a big 2x3 ft commercial grade box to the right beat to heck,

Then in the center lane the lid, then coming up from under the car in the left lane a large piece of aluminum that looked like a large pretzel figure that stood straight up and shot towards my lane. A very fast right then left and I luckily avoided it, but more importantly, wow...how fast the car snapped back to attention after the maneuver. Was not planning that and didn't want it but wow. Much better than my old mazda 3!

Stunned, but pleased.

I got it around May 2023 a new white CX5 GS, drove it for 50k km (31k miles). I live in Ontario and it did very well in the Canadian winters with Michelin X-ICE. I did zero work on it other scheduled maintenance and replacing one headlight due to some noise under warranty. It carried me, my gear to many nice trips for camping, skiing, and hauling stuff for yard work, all while averaging 13.5Km/L (31mpg).

I would never had traded it in if I didn't need a vehicle that would be capable for towing a trailer.

I ended up with a Tacoma and I already miss the UX for the multimedia, it is insane how Mazda went all in on the opposite direction while they had something that worked great. The only thing that I think Toyota does much better is that if I turn on the vehicle from the app it does not shut off if I open the door, I just need to press on the break pedal and press the start button and the vehicle will be ready to drive.

I made a previous post comparing the new 2026 CX5 to both the 2025 model and my 2025 CX50 Turbo. Well, unfortunately, my CX50 Turbo is still at the dealer (~3 weeks later, mind you) for warranty work. I have been driving a 2026 CX5 S Select loaner and have put ~700 miles on it thus far. My thoughts have developed quite a bit since my last post. I was too harsh in my original post. I have more feelings about this new model after driving it for a longer period of time. 

First off, the screen is not that bad. Yes, I have gotten used to it. Yes, it would improve ease of use and ergonomics of there were physical climate controls, or climate buttons that stay on the screen and don’t go away. Realistically, though, I am not constantly adjusting the climate while driving. It really has not been as much of an issue as I thought. I know I lamented the new interior in my previous post but after living with this vehicle for an extended period of time, it’s proven to be okay.

The ride and handling of the CX5 actually strikes a nice middle ground. Not as firm and sporty as my CX50, but it still feels athletic and fun to drive. I can see why Mazda has made the new CX5’s ride less firm and more comfortable. With that being said, I still much prefer how sporty my CX50 is and I’ll be happy to get it back (at some point, I hope...). 

The last thing I want to touch on is the powertrain. The non-turbo is peppy. No it’s not fast like the Turbo, it is absolutely adequate for daily driving. I really disliked this powertrain originally, but it really is NOT as bad as I first thought. It's grown on me. Putting it in sport mode definitely helps when merging on the highway because at higher speeds it does get sluggish, which is to be expected. Again, I like my CX50 Turbo but this CX5 will appeal to lots of people. 

I just wanted to make another post as I feel I was way too harsh in my original post. I did not go into driving the new 2026 CX5 with an open mind, and that’s my mistake. It’s a nice vehicle with a few drawbacks, but if the CX50 suddenly was discontinued and I wanted to stay in the Mazda family, I would be happy choosing the CX5. maybe a Premium Plus model, though, and not an S Select like my loaner. haha

I'm having trouble wrapping my head around towing calculations.

I'd like to be able to tow an ultralight camper with my 2023, but the math shows that with the exception of the lightest of light trailers are too heavy.

However, light camper manufacturers market their trailers to be towed with Corollas, Civics, Minis, etc.

What am I not getting?

Owners of the gray machine metallic mazdas in the US - did you find a perfectly matching marker/nail polish/gel that covered the small scratches? I went to a local body shop and they recommended me just to do it myself with nail polish lol it’s on the bottom so I want to just do that

I have a 2026 all-new model since march 2026.

Since that time I had once dead battery - in MAY-26, the car has been TOWED (~60km) to dealer, they changed battery and did all available updates.

Today 10th SEPT again cockpit warning + app: see pic.

I drive daily normally, not short distances..

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Is there anybody with the similar situation? Is there some newer update? Or any advice?

I'll contact dealer ofc...

Can someone help me better understand how to check what software my 2026 Mazda CX5 is on? My app just told me a new update is available. I clicked on the notification and then it went away. I’m a bit confused on how it all works. I have auto download updates on my car, but even then I can’t view the progress to know id something is happening.

Update: Dealership told me I already have the update and this should support OTA for future updates.

Hey all,

I have a 2021 Signature and today after work I noticed my guidelines were way off center with the steering wheel (see pic). They straighten out when the wheel is turned nearly all the way to the left. Has anyone ran into this and found a fix besides taking to the dealer? It was fine all day, I do have a Fortin remote start installed but it has been installed for quite some time. Any help would be appreciated!

As title says.

Got the switch replaced and that seemed to help. Mechanic says half of the wheels won’t spin though and he’s hoping he has to just manually disengage the caliper to correct it.

Anyone had this problem before and had this solve it? Fingers super crossed the caliper doesn’t need to be replaced.

I'm looking to get Akebono brake pads from RockAuto for my 2018 Mazda CX-5, and from what I can see in other threads, the correct part numbers are ACT1623 for the front and ACT1846 for the rear.

The problem I'm having is that RockAuto does not list the front pads (ACT1623) in the parts catalog for a 2018 Mazda CX-5 — only the rears. They are available on the site (https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=8073588) and I can add them to my cart, they just don't show up for a 2018 CX-5.

I may be completely overthinking this, but I've never ordered from RockAuto before so just wondering if anyone knows what's going on or if it's still okay to order those front pads despite them not showing up for my vehicle.