Add Android Auto to a Gen 6 Mazda: Four Paths and Costs
Any Gen 6 Mazda Connect car (2014–2018 Mazda3 and Mazda6, 2016–2018 CX-3, CX-5, CX-9, and ND MX-5) can run Android Auto once it has two things: firmware v70.00.021A or later and the dual-port USB hub. Cars built before mid-2018 shipped with neither, and Mazda’s official retrofit (TSB SA-026/21, rollout began August 2018) adds both. How you get there sets the price, from free to $2000.
One firmware update and one hub deliver both CarPlay and Android Auto; there is no Android-only kit. The same four paths framed for iPhone are on CarPlay options, and the hands-on install procedure for the OEM kit is on the retrofit page.
Pick by budget and wrench tolerance
Section titled “Pick by budget and wrench tolerance”| Your situation | Path | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Want it done for you, no trim removal | Dealer OEM retrofit | $350–500 |
| Comfortable pulling console trim | DIY with the OEM kit | $150–250 ($50–100 with a clone hub) |
| Zero budget, tolerant of brick risk | MZD-AIO community sideload | Free |
| Want touchscreen and wireless Android Auto | Aftermarket head unit | $400–2000 |
| Android Auto already appears but is greyed out | The stack is present; fix the connection | Greyed out |
Eligibility tracks the CMU (Mazda’s Connectivity Master Unit, the computer behind the dash), not the model or trim. The retrofit page has the model-by-model eligible-years table plus the two systems that are out of scope (Gen 7’s 10.25-inch screen and the old TomTom units).
Path 1: dealer retrofit, $350–500, zero wrenching
Section titled “Path 1: dealer retrofit, $350–500, zero wrenching”The dealer flashes the firmware, swaps the hub, and tests a phone before handing the car back. Mazda’s 2018 rollout bulletin set the kit at $199 MSRP plus labor, and Galpin Mazda’s published retrofit price is $499.99 all-in. Any Mazda dealer can perform it, but not every dealer quotes the same rate. Call ahead with the TSB number.
This is the right path if the car is under warranty, if you have never had console trim off, or if the dealer’s flat retrofit rate comes in near the low end.
Path 2: DIY with the OEM kit, $150–250
Section titled “Path 2: DIY with the OEM kit, $150–250”The genuine kit is 00008FZ34 and contains the dual-port hub TK78-66-9U0C. It is still orderable in 2026 at parts.mazdausa.com for $150–250 depending on dealer markup. Aftermarket clone hubs run $50–100 on eBay and Amazon and do the same job.
The install is a direct swap: pull console trim, unplug the stock single USB assembly, plug the hub into the same connector. No splicing, no programming, 1–2 hours for a first attempt. The full procedure, tools, part sourcing, and the list of what tends to go wrong live on the retrofit page.
Path 3: MZD-AIO sideload, free, with brick risk
Section titled “Path 3: MZD-AIO sideload, free, with brick risk”The MZD-AIO / MazdaTweaks USB tweak packages install an Android Auto implementation on the CMU itself, so there is no hub to buy. The price is risk: a failed tweak install can leave the CMU unbootable.
Firmware still gates the route: not every version accepts tweaks, and v74 has its own constraints. AIO on v74 documents what works on v74, and ScreenTune vs MZD-AIO compares the tweak ecosystem to ScreenTune.
If you have $150 for the kit, the OEM path is the safer buy. The sideload makes sense on an out-of-warranty car owned by someone who reads the recovery threads before flashing.
Path 4: aftermarket head unit, $400–2000, the only path with touch and wireless
Section titled “Path 4: aftermarket head unit, $400–2000, the only path with touch and wireless”Replacing the head unit is the only path that changes what Android Auto is like, rather than just adding it. Current Pioneer, Alpine, Kenwood, and Sony units give Android Auto full touchscreen control and wireless connection out of the box, because the commander-knob lockout and the wired-only limit are Mazda CMU behaviors, not Android Auto behaviors. The cost is OEM integration: factory styling, commander knob behavior, and the vehicle tie-ins that route through the stock CMU. The full trade-off analysis is Mazda Connect vs aftermarket.
Flash firmware before the hub goes in
Section titled “Flash firmware before the hub goes in”v70.00.021A added the CarPlay and Android Auto stacks together. Check your current version under Settings → System → About (how to check).
Firmware first. The hub changes the USB topology in a way that can block a normal USB-stick firmware update, so get to v70+ while the stock single port is still in place.
v74.00.324A is the recommended target, not just the minimum v70. v74 includes Android Auto session-handling fixes, and the path up is get to v74.
Phone floor: Android 9.0 or newer
Section titled “Phone floor: Android 9.0 or newer”Wired Android Auto requires Android 9.0 or higher; Google raised the minimum in July 2024 (requirements). A wireless adapter raises the floor further: Android 11+, or Android 10 on select Pixel and Galaxy phones. An Android 8 phone will not connect no matter what the car has.
After the retrofit: wired only, knob only, one data port
Section titled “After the retrofit: wired only, knob only, one data port”A retrofitted car behaves exactly like a factory-equipped late-2018 car. Three behaviors surprise owners:
- Wired only. The OEM hub runs Android Auto over the cable, and no firmware changes that. Wireless exists only through an adapter plugged into the wired port, and the adapter inherits every wired fault. Options and trade-offs: wireless Android Auto.
- Commander knob only. Mazda’s Gen 6 implementation disables the touchscreen in Android Auto at any speed. CarPlay touch works; Android Auto touch does not, and no tweak enables it. Detail: Android Auto touchscreen.
- One data port. On the retrofit hub, only the phone-icon port runs Android Auto; the other port charges. Plugging into the wrong port looks like a dead install.
The 7-inch panel is 800x480, and Android Auto renders at that resolution; if the image looks letterboxed or small, see Android Auto full screen. If the install is done and the phone charges but nothing launches, work through Android Auto won’t connect.
References
Section titled “References”| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| Mazda dealer bulletin: 2018 retrofit kit rollout ($199 MSRP) | static.nhtsa.gov |
| Genuine kit 00008FZ34 listing | parts.mazdausa.com |
| Google: Android Auto requirements | support.google.com |
| Galpin Mazda retrofit pricing | galpinmazda.com |