2014 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD Long-Term Road Test

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2014 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD Long-Term Road Test

The iPod interface in our 2014 Mazda CX-5 keeps failing.

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zimtheinvader

That is a very common complaint with the 2014 model. The 2013 actually worked correctly for iPods and USB memory sticks but they 'upgraded' the 2014 radio by adding some new features and along with that came the inability to remember which song it was playing when you turned the car off so it always starts on song #1 every single time and the fun taking forever to load the iPod or USB drive feature mentioned here.--- From what I've heard this is the same on the new Mazda6 as well as the 2013 Mazda3 with the Bose systems--- Originally Mazda responded to the complaints withe something along the lines of "It is working as designed but we will let them know that you aren't happy with it" when people complained. The latest I heard they are now actually acknowledging that it isn't right that way and are working on a fix.

barich1

They'd better be working on a fix. It's infuriating and it's definitely putting a damper on the good feelings I otherwise have about my 2013 3. I end up just listening to Pandora most of the time, which works properly at least most of the time. But having had a better experience with the FM transmitter I used in my previous 2006 3 is not what I was expecting.

In addition to the multi-minute indexing and starting from the first song in alphabetical order every single time the car is started, if I turn the radio off or switch modes, I have to disconnect and reconnect my iPod before it'll start playing again.

ctpaul

This is same issue with the Mazda CX9 system always starting with song 1 (and also you will find out that "shuffle" is the same shuffled songs in the same order each time!). The Mazda internet boards are full of complaints about this issue and various workarounds that people have tried and failed. Only workaround for the song 1 issue that even comes close is creating and naming a silent MP3 so that comes on first, which gives you the time to pick your own artist or song instead and not feel like Bill Murray every day. All of the 2013/2014 Mazdas I think use the same very mediocre head unit with the touch screen.

irizer

Besides the comments above that I totally agree with, I have had the white noise problem. It happened with my friends 160 iPod, which took 5 minutes to index. Randomly instead of playing music it would play an ear deafening white noise.

I really hope they do issues some sort of recall/fix. This is unacceptable in a modern car and really mars an otherwise excellent vehicle. I don't expect electronics on par with the best, but I want something that at least works as advertised.

scmtbdoon

I have exactly this iPod/USB problem on a 2014 CX-5 GT w. Tech Pkg. There are several other owners at various Mazda web forums with the same problem.

I hope you will let us all know the outcome with your vehicle.

bbbsb

Have got an issue with the ipod on a new Cx-5 I took 3 weeks ago.
1) If you switch to radio you have to go to bluetooth first before the ipod will connect
2) and by far the most irritating - every time you turn the engine off the ipod resets itself to the first track in your whole ipod collection!
Dealer couldn't fix it and suggested I ring Mazda customer service.
I have an ipod Nano 6 about 3 years old and have also tried it with an Ipod that is 6 months old. Both the same but one that is about 7 years old with practically no memory, works!

Come on Mazda - if my old Honda and the wife's mini work ok with the ipod why not a Mazda???

ninjastarbuck

The best way to use your iPod is to circumvent the USB and use the AUX instead. You can't use the console, you have to control it with the iPod itself, but you can listen to whatever you want, whenever you want, and not have to worry about it taking a long time to load or not starting off in the same place.