Recently went into the dealer for a low engine oil warning light on my wife’s 2021 Mazda CX-5 signature (2.5l turbo). At the trine of the warning light the vehicle had 4900 miles on it and had only been driven 5 months as it was purchased in June of 2021. At the dealer the service advisor told me that Mazda they did not find any leaks but Mazda is aware that the engine burns oil when it idles or has a lot of highway driving. He recommended changing the oil more frequently to avoid having the light turn on. Obviously when I asked Mazda about their response was to bring the vehicle into a service department if there is an issue with it.
1. This is my first vehicle with a turbo engine, should it burn oil ?
2. Why would a new vehicle that uses full synthetic oil need it’s engine oil changed so frequently?
Apparently, you're not alone. There's chatter on it on the Mazda forums, and Mazda has apparently recognized the problem, although they haven't put together a solution, as of the date of the post. Here's what they say (TSB No. 01-012/21, dated October 4, 2021).
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The root cause of this concern has not been identified yet, therefore a repair procedure will be announced at a later date. Since this issue has been reported after a valve seal modification, it is very likely that valve seal stem damage is causing oil to leak into the combustion chamber.
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The thread that discusses this (with the TSB reproduction) is here: (Check your VIN number to see if the TSB includes your vehicle).
https://www.mazdaforum.com/forum/mazda-cx-5-54/cx-5-oil-consumption-48394/
Great info, bad valve stem seals would definitely do that (if that turns out to be the cause), cars this new don't usually have that problem. Mazda is probably trying to come up with a "fix" that doesn't involve having to replace the valve stem seals on all those engines which would be an expensive PITA. Meanwhile their customers experiencing this defect are shortening the life of their catalytic converters and O2 sensors.
How low was the oil in 4900 miles? Obviously, you're going to have to check your oil level frequently (every couple of days) to see what the consumption actually is, and keep a written record of it.
When I checked the dipstick it was just above the bottom hole.
I would not consider that to be "normal". However this is the kind of problem that a lot of cars have experienced since the transition to low-tension piston rings. They just don't seal as well as the old-school springy rings and this can lead to oil consumption, oil dilution, and oil sludging problems. It's part and parcel of the inane advanced technologies being adopted as manufacturers scramble to comply with ever more ludicrous stringent gas mileage requirements. You could look into whether Mazda has a fix for this problem. (Don't rely on the dealer to tell you the truth.)
As a point of comparison my 25-year-old turbocharged car at over 360,000 miles (which does not have low-tension rings) uses less than 1/2 quart of engine oil between 5000 mile changes and a lot of that appears to be small drips. I'd consider that normal for an old car, possibly excessive for a new one though and it sounds like you're using more than that.
In any event I would not pay the stealership for more oil changes. I would periodically check the oil level and top up with oil of the proper specification as needed between scheduled changes.
Excellent assessment.
Thanks for the info, I made them comp the oil change. When I contacted Mazda they gave me a general reply
Thank you for contacting Mazda Customer Experience Center. We’re happy to hear from you and hope you are well.
I’m sorry to read about your engine oil concern with your 2021 CX5, my sincere apologies. I checked and there are no recalls associated with your vehicle and no reports from Oak Lawn Mazda. Mazda relies on local Mazda dealer diagnosis and repair recommendations. If there was any concern found dealer would have proceed with necessary repairs. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your valued day to provide such valued feedback, if you believe there is addition concern with engine oil consumption please do not hesitated to take your vehicle back to local Mazda dealer.
It has been a pleasure assisting you today and have a great rest of your day.
Here’s what I emailed Mazda.
Good Afternoon, I purchased a 2021 CX5 in June of this year. This past week, specifically on Nov 4th at 6:34PM and 8:05pm the vehicle's low engine oil light illuminated in the vehicle. I was informed on the Mazda app of a low engine oil level (seek service). The following morning I contacted Oak Lawn Mazda to setup a service appointment. I was able to get the vehicle in on Nov 5th. During the course of the service I was told by the service advisor they've had numerous customers with this issue. He stated they've contacted Mazda and the CX5's engine burns/loses oil when it idles or is on the highway. The advisor specifically gave examples..."if you leave your vehicle running while waiting to get your kids at school".
The service advisor stated that the engine oil needs to be changed more frequently so to keep the low engine oil light from illuminating. He stated he recommends 5000 miles or 6 months to keep the from getting the continuous warning. My Mazda CX5 at the time of the warning light had 4900 miles on it and was in service for roughly 4.5 months. The entirety of this incident and its finding are documented in the service notes and include this direct wording "Customer advised excessive idle of turbo charged vehicles will cause oil to burn and cause low oil level conditions". I'm attaching the service invoice and warning pictures from the Mazda App. I find it disconcerting that a car manufacture would sell a vehicle with known defects/concerns. Idling and highway driving is a normal vehicle trait that should not cause excessive oil burning. It is something all cars are expected to perform without losing oil or performance and especially with such limited mileage. If in fact Mazda is aware of this issue, it should have been disclosed prior to or during the sale. I contacted the dealership where I purchased the vehicle and the representative Ed Carlson stated they just sell the cars!!! I fully expect Mazda will rectify this issue.
Sounds like a typical, generic corporate blowoff. The info provided by @geriscan (TSB No. 01-012/21) indicates Mazda is aware of the problem and has issued a Technical Service Bulletin but do not yet know how to fix this. For now I would top up as needed, keeping a mileage log of how much oil is being used, but you need to keep on top of Mazda and the dealer to find out when they come up with a solution. Mention it specifically in your communications with them and with the dealer. If the oil consumption is truly excessive and they cannot fix it your state's lemon law may come into play.
I have never experienced oil consumption at idle with my turbocharged car and it is very old with very high mileage. Sounds like BS to me.
One thing I find interesting is that you even have a low oil warning light. That is not something most cars have. It's as though they anticipated that the engine would have oil consumption problems.
Chuck is right about the coded "blow-off." And Chuck is also right about document, document, document. I'd also report this issue (along with all of your interactions) to NHTSA (National Highway and Transportation Administration) so as to leave a digital trace. I wouldn't expect Mazda to do anything unless they are absolutely compelled by external forces to do so.
One other option is to take the issue (along with the TSB documentation and your individual case documentation) to consumer watchdog organizations.
BTW, the reason that there's not a recall is that it's not a safety issue. (That's the necessary condition for a recall). What Mazda needs to do is a "Customer Service Campaign," like the one that Toyota was compelled to do, when faced with the probability of a class action lawsuit over the defective engine design of the 2007-08 2AZ-FE engines.
Mazda will to need to be pressed, repetitively and with a strategy that undermines the company's image, to get a response. Absent that, they will try to "wait it out," without accepting any responsibility. They will only do something differently when there's persistence, strength in numbers, and perceivable damage to their brand image. If that doesn't happen, expect a load of corporate euphenistic B.S., for as long as it takes for the complainers to disappear.
Thanks again, Cars worth more than when I bought due to the market right now. I may just trade in and start over.
I've been following this, as I fell in love with the 3 turbo on a test drive, but this issue might be enough to step down to the N/A 2.5 (I know Scotty says N/A anyway, but you can't control what car you love). I've seen some reports that Mazda was putting in a half quart of oil less than needed from the factory, and that the issue went away after the first oil change. But if they put out a service bulletin then might be another issue. Please keep us posted.
If your other systems, pcv, map sensor, etc. are working properly, the only solution I can see is new piston rings that are properly seated.
Well my latest purchase also decided to show me 4 warning lights (ABS, ESP, FCW, CATION) but at 46 miles - sadly new cars are built like crap 😵💫
1. This is my first vehicle with a turbo engine, should it burn oil ?
2. Why would a new vehicle that uses full synthetic oil need it’s engine oil changed so frequently?
no and no.
I’d demand an engine replacement - there’s a chance they just didn’t design it right and then nothing expect dumping it while prices are high will help…
I would demand my money back and find something (if new) a manufacturer will stand behind and not just put you off till after the warranty runs out. This is total BS.
Hi everyone!
Is there any solution for burning oil? I have a Mazda cx-5 2021 signature turbo and I am very dissapointed and angry for this „little” problem and was afraid for my engine.
Ok, but is it already a proven method? Mazda wrote that a possible problem is the sealing of the valves
One sure way to find out is to get a compression and leak down test.
This has been going on since Mazda first introduced the 2.5T on the 2016 CX-9:
Funny how it took Mazda 5 years to officially recognize it.
Hello everyone. I have an update for you.
We have a CX5 Takami (Turbo) model. 2021. At about a year and 18000kms in - we got a low oil warning light. Won't describe the circumstance - remote, snow, late at night, no cell coverage - don't get me started.
To give you an idea how low - no oil on dipstick. I now know it was down 2 litres!!
After a lot of drama it was repaired and this is what we learnt.
1) In a given chassis number range there were potentially faulty valve seals causing the engine to burn oil. Mazda knew our car was in that chassis range but they chose not to contact customers - given they didn't know how many were affected. Personally I think this is a dumb move - far better to alert customers to keep a watch on the oil level. But didn't.
2) Seal were replaced. Then they recalled the car again - turns out there were quality problems with those so was done a second time.
Hasn't burnt oil since. They also told me this problem usually shows up in the first 5k kms. Ours was very unusual.
Side point we've had a gurgling sounds coming from front console since early on. No-one else could hear it. Finally a experienced technician did. Suspected airlock. he was concerned this could cause damage. They blew and recharged the whole system. Worked for two days and now it's back. Now chasing that one. . .
My oil light came on my 2021 CX5 turbo this past weekend . I had my son come and check the oil and it was down, he added about a litre of oil. I’m happy I saw this so I can be prepared when I get them. They must be closed today as there’s no answer. They are pretty hard to deal with.
