2019 Mazda CX-5 with 35k miles needs a new cylinder head... is this normal?

@Zee
I hate when I need a second head job.

@Zee
Yes. Is yours a diesel? They have a bad reputation.

Frey said:
@Zee
Yes. Is yours a diesel? They have a bad reputation.

I said Skyactiv-G, meaning gasoline. I’ve never had the head off on my car. The most I’ve done is spark plugs, shocks, and struts.

@Zee
Ah, okay. We call gasoline ‘petrol’ around here, LOL. The diesels have a terrible reputation.

How is that even possible?

Is this service bulletin applicable to the CX-5 only? This is interesting; it would be nice to see what the actual problem is. (I have a 2019 CX-3, 45k miles, no problems so far.) EDIT: I just realized the CX-3 has a different engine.

Had a 2016 CX-5 (bought in May 2015) and traded it in January 2022 for a CX-9 as our family grew. Never had an issue with the CX-5. Loved it. Love the CX-9 too!

First rule: never buy the 2.5T.

Does this engine have cylinder deactivation? I know that causes issues in some 2018+ models.

As others have said, there’s a TSB for this issue. It’s a known defect affecting certain years. Mazda fixed the issue with updated parts in later models. Get the car fixed and enjoy it. It’s not due to poor maintenance, cylinder deactivation, or anything else people are claiming in this comment section. It’s due to the cylinder head casting being porous and letting oil leak out.

This is a known issue with the turbo motor. Glad they’re covering it under warranty.

Clovis said:
This is a known issue with the turbo motor. Glad they’re covering it under warranty.

Actually, this vehicle is non-turbo, and valve gaskets are a known problem with some of the turbo motors. The valve seal oil loss issues started in 2021. I have a non-affected model even though my VIN says I might—no oil loss after 48k miles.

Are you sure it needs a cylinder head and not just a valve cover gasket?

Probably because of that cylinder deactivation system that causes the head to crack. Really hate those systems on cars.

Jory said:
Probably because of that cylinder deactivation system that causes the head to crack. Really hate those systems on cars.

My CX-5 doesn’t have cylinder deactivation.

Wei said:

Jory said:
Probably because of that cylinder deactivation system that causes the head to crack. Really hate those systems on cars.

My CX-5 doesn’t have cylinder deactivation.

What’s your location? All models from that year have cylinder deactivation as far as I know.

@Bela
I bought it in New York, and it’s a US-spec car. It just doesn’t have cylinder deactivation. If it had it, I would know. I also checked my car’s manual—there’s no mention of cylinder deactivation.

@Wei
It has it.

@Wei
It does have it. That part number is for the cylinder deactivation head. This issue is only on engines with cylinder deactivation. If the 8th character of your VIN is an ‘M’, then it has it.

Ozzy said:
@Wei
It does have it. That part number is for the cylinder deactivation head. This issue is only on engines with cylinder deactivation. If the 8th character of your VIN is an ‘M’, then it has it.

I just checked my VIN, and the 8th character is ‘M’. So it actually has cylinder deactivation? I never knew it was working or not.