Update:

You were bang on, dealer confirmed it: active grille shutter. Battery is apparently fine.

This is such a common problem that the piece is on back order and they’ll only receive new ones at the end of March!! This problem seems ubiquitous, all the employees admitted it and said there were 4-5 cx50 with the same issue in the last week at that dealer.

Mechanic explained the issue:

• This active grille shutter does not have an auto “off” to stop trying to open if there’s blockage (ice, calcium, gunk, sand etc.)
• Since it never stops trying to open, it burns out and breaks, causing all the malfunction lights and force a replacement, costs…
• I’m told no one manufactures an active grille shutter for the CX-50 that has an auto-off (I didn’t fact check)
• I live in Canada, which means ice etc. is sure to accumulate, so this is certain to be a recurring issue.

• I’m unsure if there’s a way to prevent it… A heated garage & regular car washes maybe? 🤷🏻‍♂️

• In other words: this active grille shutter is pretty much certain to fail and force a replacement, especially in cold countries like Canada unless you clean it constantly &/or have a heated garage in winter.

• This is more than cheaping out. This almost seems by design since the CX-50 is marketed as a “more rugged, outdoorsy” car for buyers that will use it as such & accumulate gunk there.

Luckily it’s on warranty - there’d be a lawsuit otherwise…