by Problems with Mazda CX-90’s Lane-Keep Assist and Brakes
Less than a year after a CX-90 owner’s lawsuit over brake squealing, Mazda is facing a new class-action lawsuit. This time, complaints about the brakes are joined by serious claims regarding the operation of the Lane-Keep Assist (LKA) system.
The main points of the allegations are:
The Case of Plaintiff James R. Burnell
The new class-action lawsuit was filed in Virginia by plaintiff James R. Burnell. According to him, problems with the crossover began almost immediately. After purchasing a new CX-90, which had already been in use at the dealer, he returned the car the very next day due to improper operation of the Lane-Keep Assist system.
The Lane-Keep Assist system “remained active in an inappropriate manner.”
After that, Burnell purchased another 2024 model year CX-90 but encountered the same problems. According to the lawsuit, the LKA system applies “inappropriate and overly ‘corrective’ steering,” which actively counteracts the driver’s intentions. Moreover, the same persistent brake squeal mentioned in last year’s lawsuit appeared on the car.
Unsuccessful Attempts to Resolve the Issue
When he brought the car in for repair in April 2024, the dealership reported that everything was working properly. Over the next six months, Burnell repeatedly contacted Mazda dealers with complaints about the brakes and the LKA system but each time received a response that there were no problems. Later, one dealer applied a special compound to the brake pads to eliminate the squeal, but it didn’t help. Subsequently, the brakes were completely replaced, but the new ones also began to squeak.
Allegations Against the Manufacturer
The lawsuit accuses Mazda of “deceptive and shameful conduct,” alleging that the company knew about the problems with the brakes and driver assistance systems on the CX-90 but did not take proper measures to resolve them, instead concealing or downplaying them.
Interestingly, this lawsuit appeared almost simultaneously with the conclusion of the first case regarding brake problems. That lawsuit, filed by CX-90 owner Daniel Green in early 2025, was settled between the automaker and the plaintiff at the beginning of this week, although the terms of the agreement are not disclosed.
This situation with the Mazda CX-90 points to potentially systemic issues with critical safety systems in the new model. The repetition of complaints from different owners, as well as the ineffectiveness of official repair attempts, could seriously impact consumer trust in the brand. For the company, it is important not only to technically resolve these defects but also to restore its reputation through transparent communication and effective actions regarding owners of already sold vehicles. Such incidents also raise questions about the effectiveness of internal quality control at the stage of development and testing of complex electronic systems in modern cars.
