Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

I have had three Mazdas and love the way they drive. They have a more positive -- in contact with the road feel than any other brand I've owned including Nissan, Toyota, Honda, VW, Buick, Chevrolet, and Mitsubishi. When I went from a sedan to an SUV, I checked with the auto shop we've done business with for 25 years. I listed eight SUVs and asked which he would recommend. He told me the Honda, Toyota, Mazda, and Ford would all be in his opinion suitable. Then I asked which one would be the least expensive to keep up and he said the Mazda by far. The only time they got one in the shop was due to self-inflicted damage by the driver. And so my current CX5 is six years old and has not had a single trip to the mechanic except for tires, oil changes, and windshield wipers.

So to my displeasure: For the last three months, the navigation and sound have been playing for a few minutes and then rebooting like when you stream some programs and they have the swirling arrow go around for a minute or two and then the program reconnects. I stopped by Mazda today and asked if there was a way to reboot the system to stop it from doing that. I was told the service department could look at it and perhaps do something for 50.00 -- okay, no problem there. Then I was informed if the SD card (yes, the auto has a little drawer in the console that has an SD in it) -- if I needed a new SD card, it would be 400.00! What! I mean I can purchase a very good Tom Tom or Garmin for 150 - 200, and I would think a unit with a screen and case would be a lot more expensive than an SD card. The alternative I have decided to go with is to pull the current SD card and do without the navigation. I can simply use my cell phone which I do 99% of the time anyway.

Update: Just checked Amazon -- they have cards for 24.86 with the latest maps. It can be returned if it doesn't work. I ordered one so I will let you know if that fixes the problem.

bcheary Loc: Jacksonville, FL

Good luck. Amazing what one can get from Amazon!

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

That still doesn't keep me from being PO'd by Mazda trying to sell a 400.00 SD card!

JoeBiker Loc: homebase: Houston, TX

Issues with automotive electronics seems to be par for the course these days. I had a 2014 Audi Q5 that I loved. I replaced it with a 2021 Q5 which drives OK, but the electronic interface is atrocious. After I had it for about a year, they did a recall/software upgrade (that took them 2 days to perform), and (for the most part) stopped it from crashing and rebooting all of the time (which affected the backup cameras, which is what classified it as a recall). But, the user interface is still poorly designed and hard to use (and the touch screen is distracting).

Still, occasionally, I get in the car and there is nothing that I can do to get Apple Car Play or Android Auto to connect to the system (rebooting the phone or restarting the car won't help). Then, the next time I get in the car, it will be fine.

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

Yes, very frustrating! Check on Amazon like I did and see if they offer an SD card for your system.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Chances are, the problem you describe is a hardware issue that requires replacement of the entire head unit. My wife has a Prius V with a radio that reboots at random (it's part of a navigation and control system, most of which we don't use).

Smartphones with verbal turn-by-turn apps for navigation are far more reliable and up to date. If you don't like one app, try another... We use four, because when traveling, one might be more up-to-date than the others. They're getting so good now, they warn you of accidents, speed traps, construction...

Car dealer service departments are where "stealerships" make their money. Getting anything from them can be hit or miss, and is usually very expensive! If you find a good dealer, great, but most of them are quite greedy.

dbjazz Loc: Long Island, NY

Navigation head units tend to fail eventually, and in my experience, updating is a hit-or-miss endeavor. Most people simply pair their cell phone with the vehicle and thus have access to the most current and effective navigation tools.
Good luck.

marine73 Loc: Modesto California

when I bought my 2017 Subaru I was told that it was the last year for built in on board navigation system, when I bought the 2024 Subaru I found that it has a built in navigation system using TomTom and there is a way to check for updates.

Mustanger Loc: Grants Pass, Oregon USA

I have a 23 CX5 PP with most of the goodies except no Turbo. We love it but I was shocked to find my Nav did not include the SD card! It never dawned on me that it was all pre wired and ready to go but no card! $400 that I was unwilling to pay! I felt just like you did!

lol…my sales girl whispered Amazon …which I did for $35 works fine but future updates every couple years will need another card…no problem with that! I also got the new cargo mat for half price that the dealer wanted to sell me. Don’t know why these things are not included when you buy it.

Note: my favorite thing on this new Mazda is the heads-up display in the drivers window. I find it extremely useful on trips and everyday use. Or is it the auto braking cruise control to match speeds , or the lane drift for this old man, backup camera? Heated steering wheel, Nash it’s the heated cooled seats! The 2 memory driver adjustment button! I know it’s the 10 speaker Bose sound system with Sirius radio playing classical Mozart ….I HATE classical concerts! But I love them in this car…it is so quiet inside. I can easily take a nap til the steering wheel vibrates me awake! Well I could if my wife would quit poking and talking to me all the time.

I am totally impressed with the tech and quality of my two Mazdas I have owned in the last 10 years. No issues! Sp pretty as you can see in the pic.

No I do not work for Mazda…I am a Ford man all my life! lol…still driving my 2002 F150. 4x4. And my 94 Mustang

dhspeck

We had a similar experience with our 2015 Subaru Outback, except the dealer REFUSED to correct the problem because, "The car is too old." I haven't investigated getting a larger, pre-programmed chip from Amazon. It's a good suggestion.

mudfog Loc: Ontario Canada

I normally use the Waze app on my phone through Apple CarPlay, always up to date and gives advices on traffic conditions. I also bought the SD card from Amazon and it works fine but prefer Waze.

Tigger1 Loc: Surrey, BC Canada

How do you think car dealerships make their money/profits? I will give you a clue, it is NOT by selling cars!

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

I agree with what you said. All three of my Mazdas have given superior service. I most likely will stay with them in the future -- they are simply more fun to drive than any other car I've owned.