2014 Mazda Mazda5 - Lousy Radio

Great car…getting 30+ mpg! …lousy radio and no AM…I read that none of them are all that great and the only thing to do install aftermarket which sounds like a nightmare!

Auto stereo shops replace and upgrade vehicle systems all the time . Not really a big deal.

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Has anyone checked to see if everything’s hooked up right?

If you have to it’s not that big of a deal to put in an aftermarket radio either doing it yourself with a kit from Crutchfield or having a local shop put it in.

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Have you looked for a YouTube video on installing a radio? I replaced one in a Forester using a Crutchfield adapter kit and instructions. No problem.

2013 Mazda my daughter has now has radio system nowhere near DIN or DoubleDIN on form-factor and it integrates radio, climate and phone controls,so replacing this and no loosing functionality is next to impossible.
I would assume that the vehicle under question might have the same issue.
If radio does not work, is it not easier to fix what is broken, rather than inventing a neverending “fix what is not yet broken” project?

It depends on whaT the radio is . Nowadays the radios are totally integrated into the vehicle and controls almost everything in the car like climate , options on the dash , phone etc … I know it would be next to impossible on my Durango if that breaks , If it is just a straight stereo setup then it is not too bad of a job to replace it ,

if the unit goes bad, working replacement on eBay is $80-150, depending on features

I still suspect it is something very simple like an AM antenna disconnected on the unit or its wire broken somewhere

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A Double DIN radio would fit better in the dash, the heater knobs are just below the radio on these. Crutchfield shows lots of options for these depending on which brand you prefer.

I agree that the antenna and other wiring should be checked and buying a new radio might not be required.

Have you owned your Mazda 5 since new? Did the radio ever work correctly? Car radios these days, the technology is well-established; so if it isn’t working now, but used to work ok, most likely there’s a faulty connection somewhere. Either in the power, ground, or antenna circuits. If your car has ever jump started another car, or it has been jump started, that’s another possibility, as circuit damage can occur from that.