Buyer Research

2020 Mazda Mazda6 — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $18,000–$26,000. This is one of the more reliable vehicles in its class — here's what to watch for anyway.

Deciding between model years? Compare the 12 Mazda Mazda6 years we've written up →

Kestrel Take

Two complaints and no recalls on NHTSA for the 2020 Mazda6. That is not a clean bill of health; it is a record so thin it cannot tell you anything, and we will not pretend otherwise. What we can carry over is what the engine shares with earlier years: the 2.5 and 2.5 turbo are the same units as the 2018, whose record is dominated by cracked cylinder heads, and Mazda's coolant-leak coverage extension on the turbo reaches into 2020 production. So the inspection is borrowed from the 2018 page — coolant level, the exhaust side of the head, a dealer's written answer on this VIN — plus the two small things owners did file, one-sided brake wear and chipping paint. A car that passes that is a late, well-sorted example of one of the best-driving midsize sedans of its era.

What we checked

Checked against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 2 owner complaints for the 2020 Mazda Mazda6, and no recall campaigns.

That is too small a record to read a pattern from, so we are not going to pretend otherwise — with numbers this low one owner moves the percentage by a lot. What has been filed is grouped under the brakes (1), the engine (1), the body and structure (1). Treat those as things to look at, not as the vehicle's known weaknesses. A thin file usually means few of these were sold or few owners filed. It is not evidence the vehicle is trouble-free, and the issues below are our own research rather than a reading of this record.

Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.

Known Issues for the 2020 Mazda Mazda6

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.

Cylinder head coolant and oil leaks — inherited from the 2018–2019 recordMedium

The single engine complaint on this year says only 'multiple oil leaks' at 28,000 miles. We write it up because the engines are the same as the 2018's, where 32 owners describe cracked cylinder heads leaking coolant or oil near the exhaust manifold, and Mazda's warranty extension for coolant leaks at the head on the 2.5 turbo covers VINs built into March 2020. Ask a Mazda dealer in writing whether this VIN is in that range; on a non-turbo, ask what the bulletins on cylinder-deactivation heads mean for it. At the car, check the coolant on a cold engine and look for pink crust or an oil sheen where the head meets the exhaust.

Repair cost (estimate): $3,000–$6,000 for a cylinder head; $8,000–$12,000 for a replacement engine — around 55% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (1).

Brake pads and rotors worn out on one side of the car onlyLow

One owner: right-side pads and rotors gone at 28,000 miles of light driving while the left side was half worn. Wear that lopsided points to a caliper slide pin or piston sticking on that side, not to the pads themselves. Look through the wheel spokes at both front rotors for a difference in lip or scoring, and feel each wheel for heat after the drive; a dragging caliper is a cheap fix caught early and a rotor-and-pad bill if not.

Repair cost (estimate): $60–$200 for a slide-pin service; $300–$600 for pads and rotors on one axle

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the brakes (1).

Soul Red Crystal paint chips easily on the noseLow

One complaint, and a familiar one on any red Mazda of this era: three large chips at 2,000 miles. The three-layer Soul Red finish is thin over the hood and bumper and stones go through it, and matching the color for a repair is genuinely hard. Walk the front of the car in daylight and count chips; a touched-up hood is a negotiating point, a resprayed one is a question about why.

Repair cost (estimate): $0–$150 for touch-up; $500–$1,200 for a hood or bumper respray

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the body and structure (1).

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Coolant below the mark in the overflow tank when cold
✗Pink or white residue on the exhaust side of the cylinder head
✗One front rotor with a deeper lip or heavier scoring than the other
✗Hood or bumper resprayed on a red car with no explanation

Good Signs

✓A Mazda dealer letter confirming this VIN's extended cylinder-head coverage
✓Coolant at the full mark and a dry exhaust manifold with the engine warm
✓Even rotor wear side to side, wheels cool after the test drive
✓Original paint across the nose with only small stone chips
✓Complete dealer service history with oil changes on the 7,500-mile interval