2021 Mazda CX-5 Owner's Manual

Foot Brake

This vehicle has power-assisted brakes that adjust automatically through normal use.

Should power-assist fail, you can stop by applying greater force than normal to the brake pedal. But the distance required to stop will be greater than usual.

Do not coast with the engine stalled or turned off, find a safe place to stop:

Coasting with the engine stalled or turned off is dangerous. Braking will require more effort, and the brake's power-assist could be depleted if you pump the brake. This will cause longer stopping distances or even an accident.

Shift to a lower gear when going down steep hills:

Driving with your foot continuously on the brake pedal or steadily applying the brakes for long distances is dangerous. This causes overheated brakes, resulting in longer stopping distances or even total brake failure. This could cause loss of vehicle control and a serious accident. Avoid continuous application of the brakes.

Dry off brakes that have become wet by driving slowly, releasing the accelerator pedal and lightly applying the brakes several times until the brake performance returns to normal:

Driving with wet brakes is dangerous. Increased stopping distance or the vehicle pulling to one side when braking could result in a serious accident. Light braking will indicate whether the brakes have been affected.

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Do not drive with your foot held on the brake pedal. Doing so could result in the following:
- The brake parts will wear out more quickly.
- The brakes can overheat and adversely affect brake performance.
Always depress the brake pedal with the right foot. Applying the brakes with the unaccustomed left foot could slow your reaction time to an emergency situation resulting in insufficient braking operation.
Wear shoes appropriate for driving in order to avoid your shoe contacting the brake pedal when depressing the accelerator pedal.

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Warning Light

The warning light turns on when the system has a malfunction.

Refer to Contact Authorized Mazda Dealer and Have Vehicle Inspected (Search).

Brake Pad Wear Indicator

When the disc brake pads become worn, the built-in wear indicators contact the disc plates. This causes a screeching noise to warn that the pads should be replaced.

When you hear this noise, consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as possible.

Do not drive with worn disc pads:

Driving with worn disc pads is dangerous. The brakes could fail and cause a serious accident. As soon as you hear a screeching noise consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer.

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In high humidity weather conditions, brake noises, such as brake squeak or brake squeal can be heard. It does not indicate a malfunction.

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Brake Assist

During emergency braking situations when it is necessary to depress the brake pedal with greater force, the brake assist system provides braking assistance, thus enhancing braking performance.

When the brake pedal is depressed hard or depressed more quickly, the brakes apply more firmly.

When the brake pedal is depressed hard or depressed more quickly, the pedal will feel softer but the brakes will apply more firmly. This is a normal effect of the brake assist operation and does not indicate a malfunction.
When the brake pedal is depressed hard or depressed more quickly, a motor/pump operation noise may be heard. This is a normal effect of the brake assist and does not indicate a malfunction.
The brake assist equipment does not supersede the functionality of the vehicle's main braking system.