We just bought this 2014 cx-5. Immediately driving it home I noticed the heated seats, despite having 3 settings, barely get warm. Is this normal or a common problem with a solution? I thought our heated seats in our 2008 accord were a little lacking in temp but this are much worse.

I'll have to do a voltage drop test on the circuit to see if there's corrosion or a bad connection but I figured I'd ask first and see if anyone else has experienced this.

 

Welcome to the forum

Please try nopt to compare other platforms with each other. That really never technically works out.

As for your seat take a temperature reading of the seat and the interior with a handheld digital temperature meter and report your findings.

Have this as well the following:
The coolant temperature gauge reding
The ambient temperature
The time the seat was place on high heat setting
The interior temperature
The seat temperature preferably after 5-10 minutes

 

It was 12 degrees here today and the seats in my 2020 get plenty warm enough just on the low setting, at least for my posterior.
As Cali said, only proper temp monitoring can verify your concerns.

 

Fair enough, but I've probably been in easily 20 different males and models of vehicles with heated seats and these are by far the coldest heated seats so some reference points is necessary to a degree. I did a lot of searching before posting about this and some reported the same issue while others said their seat gets too hot after a period of time and must be shut off. I drove this over an hour home and it never got beyond Luke warm. The vehicle does have several other issues I'm addressing currently, including no heat and AC isn't blowing cold. The former is likely due to a clogged heater core or possibly thermostat issue and it has a code p011a:00-64 Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor 1/2 Correlation. It seems no maintenance was ever really done on this 175k mile vehicle and the coolant seems to be predominantly water.

I'll test them out and report back. Just curious, though. What does the coolant temp have to do with the electric heated seats?

 

DIY reports on the internet are not informative. And often repeated so there is no real way to determine accurate numbers reported. On a single platform like this Mazda I see the same members posting on 2-4 other Mazda forums various HELP ME threads. That adds to the confusion of what is accurate accountable numbers of any subject concern reported only by a single person.
Heated seats I think each cold season I sit in several dozen all makes and models from complaint similar to your only to find out seldom is there a problem. There are so many variables. Owners often think heated seats are not very hot. I could spend an hour trying to post all the ones I know.

 

Ambient temp outside was 40F.
Engine warm to begin within half an hour of doing the test.
10 mins of seats being on high setting went from 53F to 67F. 20 mins of being on, still 67F. You said not to compare but the Honda, tested side by side after 10 mins was 77.
Coolant temp reached 190 on the scan tool but the heater core is not in the vehicle right now because I'm replacing it. So that is with the two heater hoses connected together so I can flush the system with distilled water. Probably makes no difference, though.
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Even electric blankets (essentially what a heated seat is) wear out.
At 175,000 miles I'm surprised your seat heaters still function at all.
Mazda CX-5 Service & Repair Manual - Seat Warmer System - Seats (mcx5.org)
I also found this tid-bit ==> 2014 Mazda CX-5 is experiencing issues with the heated driver’s seat. Here are some steps you can take to diagnose and potentially resolve the problem:

1. Check the Fuse: First, verify that the fuse for the heated seat is intact. Locate the fuse box (usually under the dashboard or in the engine compartment) and check the corresponding fuse. If it’s blown, replace it with a new one.
   
2. Inspect the Wiring and Connectors: Examine the wiring and connectors under the seat. Ensure that they are securely connected and not damaged. Sometimes loose connections or frayed wires can cause heating issues.
   
3. Test the Heating Element: Unplug the connector under the seat (not the one for power seat adjustment) and use a multimeter to check for voltage on the connector with the switch and ignition on. If there is voltage, your switch and relay are likely fine. However, if there’s no voltage, the heating element may be faulty.
   
4. Heating Element Replacement: If the heating element is indeed the problem, you may need to replace it. In some cases, the entire seat bottom unit (including the heating elements glued to the foam cushion) may need replacement. Fortunately, this can usually be done under warranty. The leather seat cover should be reinstalled properly by a skilled technician.
   
   

 

That is low. But because you do have power going to them it not power supply fuse.
Because you do have some heat it may simply be a worn-out heating element?
Its not likely a connector although it is always a good idea to disconnect clean them and reconnect them.

Is it one or both seats?
Based on the limited information at this point.
If only one seat it is the heater element in the seat. Or possibly the connectors. Often under the heated seats they can get degraded from dirt and other garbage that collects ion that hard to clean area. However, Mazda has the heat electrical connectors in most model attached under the lower seat in the seat cushion frame well above the floor pan/carpet are and not in harm's way of collecting dirt.
If both seat then you have you work cut out for you, need to check the control unit and test the current power supply to them.

The heating elements in the seat are easy to replace just time consuming. Also, I see you have leather seats so it may be a job for an upholstery shop, but I am pretty sure they will not guarantee a no damage service to those well leather covers.

When you balance out all the possible cost it may simply be the choice to purchase and aftermarket seat heater for the cold months?

 

That link was quite informative! Could possibly be as low as 40 degrees below target value.

Both seats are at the same temps before and after turning them on for 10 mins.

There's a lot of rust underneath, for our region. Carfax says it spent some years in Canada and next to the ocean in Washington so maybe there's corrosion somewhere in the circuit. I'll be digging into that later.

 

Definitely check everything underneath. All it takes is a little rust on an area with thin metal to cause issues.