2013-2019 Mazda CX-5 Brake Caliper Problems and Replacement

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

Caliper trouble on a 2013-2019 Mazda CX-5 almost always shows up at the rear: a caliper that sticks, drags, overheats and eats its pads and rotor on one side. The fix is a replacement rear caliper (ideally both sides), new pads and usually new rotors, plus a proper brake bleed. What changes across these years is the parking brake: 2013-2015 models use a hand lever, while 2016 and later use an electric parking brake (EPB) motor on the rear caliper, and that changes how the job is done.

How the CX-5 Rear Brakes and Parking Brake Work

Every CX-5 in this range has disc brakes at all four corners with sliding calipers. The front calipers only do service braking. The rear calipers do double duty: they stop the car and they also hold it parked.

On the 2013-2015 CX-5, Mazda's owner's manual describes a center-console parking brake lever that you pull fully upward to set, and release by pulling up, pressing the button and lowering it. That lever runs cables to a mechanism inside each rear caliper that pushes the piston out mechanically.

On the 2016-2019 CX-5, the lever is gone. Mazda's 2016 and 2019 owner's manuals both describe an electric parking brake switch: the EPB applies the parking brake using an electric motor, and it can release automatically when you accelerate with the engine running, the driver's door closed and the seat belt fastened. The motor mounts on the back of each rear caliper and drives the piston.

Mazda specifies SAE J1703 or FMVSS116 DOT-3 brake fluid in the 2015 CX-5 owner's manual. Confirm the spec on the reservoir cap of your own vehicle before topping off or bleeding.

Symptoms of a Failing CX-5 Brake Caliper

The complaints CX-5 owners have filed with NHTSA read like a checklist of sticking rear calipers: screeching from the rear, rear pads and rotors worn to metal well before the fronts, a burning smell, and in the worst cases a rear caliper smoking on the highway. Watch for these:

• Uneven rear pad wear. One rear pad set far thinner than the other side, or the inner pad worn much more than the outer, points to a caliper piston or slide pin that is not releasing.
• One hot wheel. After a drive, one rear wheel is much hotter than the others, or you smell hot brakes.
• Drag. The CX-5 feels like it is coasting against resistance, fuel economy drops, or it pulls slightly under braking.
• Grinding or screeching from the rear, especially in cold, wet weather.
• Brake fluid on the inside of the wheel or a dropping reservoir level, which means a leaking piston seal.
• On 2016-2019 models: an EPB warning light, a brake system warning message, or a parking brake that sometimes will not release on one side.

To diagnose, lift the rear of the vehicle with the parking brake released and spin each rear wheel by hand. Light pad contact is normal; a wheel that is hard to turn, or much harder than the other side, has a dragging brake. Then pull the wheel and look at the pads, the slide pins and the piston boot.

Why CX-5 Rear Calipers Stick

The most common cause is corrosion. Water gets past a torn or hardened boot, rusts the piston, the slide pins or the parking brake mechanism, and the parts can no longer slide back freely. Several CX-5 owners in the NHTSA database report shops finding water inside the rear calipers and rust on the internals.

Mazda has dealt with this failure on its other cars of the same era. NHTSA safety recall 17V-393 covered certain 2014-2016 Mazda3 and 2014-2015 Mazda6 models (not the CX-5), where water entered the rear caliper past its protective boot, rusted the cable parking brake actuator shaft, and caused the rear brakes to drag and the parking brake to hold less. It is a useful picture of what a stuck rear caliper on a cable-type Mazda looks like.

For the CX-5 itself, NHTSA's recall database lists no brake recalls for the model years we checked. That means a sticking CX-5 caliper is a repair you pay for, not a free dealer fix. Still, run your VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup before any brake work, since recalls can be added.

On the EPB years, the 2016 model stands out in the complaint data. Of 510 owner complaints NHTSA holds for the 2016 CX-5, 69 name the service brakes, and many describe EPB warnings, rear brakes that would not fully release, and repeat rear caliper replacements. Other causes to rule out on any year:

• Seized or dry slide pins, or torn pin boots
• A collapsed flexible brake hose that holds pressure in the caliper
• Pads rusted tight in the caliper bracket because the abutment clips were never cleaned or replaced
• On EPB models, a weak battery or a faulty EPB motor; Mazda's manual notes the EPB cannot be operated when the battery is dead

The Fix: Replacing a CX-5 Brake Caliper

A sticking caliper is replaced, not freed up. A seized piston that you force back will usually stick again. Order the caliper by year, front or rear, and left or right, and on 2016-2019 rear calipers make sure the part matches the EPB design. Our replacement brake calipers and Cardone remanufactured calipers are the place to start. Cardone states that its remanufactured calipers get brand-new seals, boots, banjo bolts, washers and bleeder valves where applicable, and every unit is tested for seal integrity before it ships.

The job, in outline:

1. 2016-2019 only: put the electric parking brake into maintenance (service) mode using the procedure in the factory service manual or a scan tool that supports Mazda EPB. Never pry, turn or hammer the piston back with the motor engaged; that can destroy the motor or the caliper's internal drive.
2. Pinch or cap the brake hose, remove the banjo bolt, and unbolt the caliper. On 2013-2015 models, disconnect the parking brake cable from the caliper.
3. Clean the bracket, replace the abutment clips, and lube the slide pins with a brake-specific grease.
4. Install the new caliper with new copper sealing washers on the banjo bolt, and torque every bolt to the value in the factory service manual.
5. Bleed the brakes with fresh fluid of the correct spec.
6. 2016-2019: exit maintenance mode and cycle the EPB so the motor sets the piston position. 2013-2015: check parking brake lever travel and adjust if needed.
7. Pump the pedal before moving the vehicle, then road test.

What to Replace at the Same Time

A caliper that dragged has almost always overheated its pads and rotor. Replace these together:

• Both calipers on the same axle. The other side has seen the same water, salt and miles. Doing both keeps braking even left to right and saves doing the job twice.
• Pads. Overheated pads glaze and lose bite. Fit new brake pads or ceramic brake pads; for the front axle, see our 2013-2019 Mazda CX-5 front ceramic brake pads.
• Rotors. A dragging caliper leaves a blued, grooved or warped rotor. New brake rotors are the reliable fix for a heat-damaged one.
• Hardware. New clips and pin boots from a brake hardware kit.
• Brake hose, if the old one is cracked or you suspect it is collapsing inside. See our brake hoses.

How Hard Is the Job?

On a 2013-2015 CX-5, a rear caliper swap is a moderate DIY job for someone who has done a brake job before and can bleed brakes properly. The parking brake cable connection is the only extra step.

On a 2016-2019 CX-5, the brake hardware itself is no harder, but the EPB adds an electronic step. Without a way to put the system into maintenance mode, you cannot safely retract the rear pistons. If you do not have a compatible scan tool or the factory procedure, a shop is the safer choice for the rear axle. The front calipers on every year are a conventional job with no electronics.

What drives the cost is mostly how much else the stuck caliper damaged: one caliper only, both calipers, or calipers plus pads and rotors, along with labor for the bleed and, on EPB years, the maintenance mode procedure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a recall for Mazda CX-5 brake calipers?

NHTSA's recall database shows no brake caliper recall for the CX-5 model years we checked. The rear caliper recall many owners hear about, 17V-393, covered certain Mazda3 and Mazda6 models, not the CX-5. Check your VIN at NHTSA before any repair in case that changes.

Does my CX-5 have an electric parking brake?

If your CX-5 has a small pull-up switch on the console instead of a hand lever, it has an EPB. Mazda's owner's manuals show a hand lever on the 2015 CX-5 and an electric parking brake on the 2016 and 2019 models.

Can I push the rear caliper piston back on a 2016-2019 CX-5?

Not until the EPB is in maintenance mode. The electric motor holds the piston through its drive mechanism, and forcing it can damage the motor or caliper. Use the factory procedure or a scan tool that supports it.

Should I replace both rear calipers if only one is sticking?

It is the better repair. Both calipers are the same age and have seen the same conditions, and replacing them as a pair keeps braking balanced side to side.

What brake fluid does the CX-5 use?

The 2015 CX-5 owner's manual calls for SAE J1703 or FMVSS116 DOT-3 brake fluid. Check the reservoir cap on your vehicle to confirm, and bleed with fresh fluid after any caliper replacement.

Why do my CX-5 rear brakes wear out faster than the fronts?

Normally the fronts wear first. If the rears are wearing out first, or one side much faster than the other, suspect a sticking rear caliper, seized slide pins or, on EPB models, a parking brake that is not fully releasing.

Sources

1. Mazda USA - 2015 CX-5 Owner's Manual - hand-lever parking brake operation; SAE J1703 / FMVSS116 DOT-3 brake fluid
2. Mazda USA - 2016 CX-5 Owner's Manual, Electric Parking Brake - 2016 CX-5 uses an EPB; auto-release conditions; cannot operate with a dead battery
3. Mazda USA - 2019 CX-5 Owner's Manual, Electric Parking Brake - EPB applied by an electric motor; warning about driving with it applied
4. NHTSA - Recalls for the Mazda CX-5 - no brake recalls listed for the CX-5 model years checked
5. NHTSA - Owner complaints, 2016 Mazda CX-5 - 510 complaints, 69 naming service brakes; EPB and rear caliper reports
6. NHTSA - Mazda Safety Recall 17V-393 owner notice - water intrusion and actuator shaft rust in Mazda3/Mazda6 rear calipers
7. Cardone - Remanufactured Brake Calipers - new seals, boots, banjo bolts, washers and bleeders; seal-integrity testing