1997 Mazda Millenia

Routine

Owners filed 16 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train › automatic transmission. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components2
000
Power Train › Automatic Transmission2
000
Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly2
000
Wheels1
000
Vehicle Speed Control1
000
Unknown or Other1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip1
100
Seats › Front Assembly › Seat Heater/Cooler1
000
Seat Belts › Front1
000
Power Train › Axle Hubs1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Seat Belts › Front
Filed Feb 24, 2006109,097 milesMA

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED BOTH FRONT SEAT BELT STRAPS EXTENDED AND WOULD NOT RETRACT EXPOSING THE MANUFACTURER'S WARNING STICKER INDICATING A NEED TO REPLACE THE STRAPS. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE ALERTED. THE DEALER SUGGESTED REPLACING THE FRONT SEATBELT STRAPS, BUT NO REPAIRS WERE MADE.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited SlipCrash
Filed Feb 4, 200563,000 milesNC

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH IN SEVERE COLD WEATHER BRAKE PEDAL COMMENCED TO MAKE A POPPING NOISE WHILE BRAKING. VEHICLE LOST BRAKING AND REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT. UPON IMPACT, NEITHER FRONTAL AIR BAG DEPLOYED. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. UPDATED 12/12/07

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Dec 7, 2003125,000 milesGA

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AND OFF FOR TWO YEARS. I'VE TOOK IT TO 5 DIFFERENT MAZDA SPECIALIST INCLUDING THE DEALER AND EVERYONE OF THEM TELLS ME SOMETHING DIFFERENT... THINGS THAT WERE ALREADY DONE. KNOW ONE CAN SEEM TO PIN POINT WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE CAR. OH BY THE WAY... THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REBUILT. I ALSO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE GEAR SWITCHING FROM THE FIRST TO SECOND AND IT'S NOT THE TRANSMISSION. THIS CAR HAS COST ME A LOT OF MONEY AND IT'S UP THERE WITH THE 626. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER MAZDA AGAIN. *LA

Wheels
Filed Oct 29, 200348,000 milesMN

TWO WHEELS HAVE CRACKED AT LESS THAN 50,000 MILES OF CITY DRIVING ON MY 1997 MAZDA MILLENIAS. THIS HAS CAUSED GRADUAL ESCAPE OF AIR--UNKNOWN TO THE DRIVER UNTIL POTENTIALLY UNSAFE TIRE PRESSURE DEVELOPED AND VISIBLE DEFLATION NOTED.

Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly
Filed Jun 16, 200377,500 milesGA

I PURCHASED A 97 MAZDA MILLENNIA IN 8/97 WITH 29K MILES. TODAY IT IS AT 77K MILES AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND FOUND THAT THE FUEL TANK HAS STARTED IMPLODING DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF SUCTION IN THE TANK. THE SUCTION HAS ALSO CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE FUEL LEVEL SENSORS. THE QUOTED REPAIR PRICE WAS $1,800. THE SERVICE REP INFORMED ME THAT MAZDA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS ISSUED AN ADVISORY TO MECHANICS TO NOT ONLY CHECK THE FUEL GAUGE BUT ALSO THE FUEL TANK. THIS IS NOT CURRENTLY A RECALL ITEM OR A DEFECT BUT SHOULD BE. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND SEVERAL CASES OF OTHER MILLENNIA OWNERS WITH SAME MODEL YEAR EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE REPAIRS SHOULD BE AT MAZDA'S EXPENSE SINCE THE SUCTION IN THE TANK IS TOO HIGH OR THE FUEL TANK ITSELF IS NOT STRUCTURALLY CAPABLE OF HANDLING THE PRESSURE. PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL/DEFECT NOTICE SO THAT THIS ISSUE CAN BE FIXED. *NLM

Seats › Front Assembly › Seat Heater/Cooler
Filed Apr 9, 2003NJ

WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER SAW SMOKE COMING FROM PASSENGER SEAT WHICH IS WHERE THE AUTOMATIC SEAT WARMERS ARE LOCATED. *NLM

Air BagsCrash
Filed Dec 31, 2002MD

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD AN ACCIDENT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. CONSUMER REAR ENDED THE VEHICLE GOING 30MPH. THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER NOTIFIED.

Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly
Filed Apr 4, 2002RI

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AND WITHOUT WARNING FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT MARK THE CORRECT MEASUREMENT OF FUEL IN GAS TANK. FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY NEEED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Aug 2, 2001CA

I HAD PROBLEMS GOING TO A MAZDA DEALER (VAL STROUGH MAZDA, OAKLAND, CA)IN GETTING THE TRANSMISSION DIAGNOSED. THEY FIRST SAID IT WAS THE SELECTOR WHCIH COST $300 PLUS , THEN AFTER CHANGING IT SAID IT WAS THE VALVE BODY AND WOULD COST $1200PLUS BUT WERE ONLY 90% SURE. IF IT WASNT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL $3000 PLUS FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. THEY REFUNDED ONLY THE COST OF THE PART APPROX $100 BUT STILL CHARGED ME FOR LABOR THAT WAS UNECESSARY.I DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP WHO IMMEDIATLEY TOLD ME IT WAS A MECHANICAL PROBLEM WITH INTERIOR DAMAGE TO THE GEARS. IT COST ME $2500 TO HAVE A REBUILT TRANSMISSION INSTALLED. MAZDA SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE IT OUT RATHER THAN TRYING TO RUN UP A BILL WHICH STILL WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A NEW TRANSMISSION OF COURSE AFTER PAYING $1500 PLUS DOLLARS TO FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. I ALSO FIND IT UPSETTING THAT A TRANSMISSION WOULD FAIL AFTER ONLY 68K MILES. MY MECHANIC (GEORGES AUTO, SAN LEANDRO ,CA) AND THE TRANSMISSION SHOP (DONS TRANSMISSIONS, SAN LEANDRO CA) HAVE SEEN MANY OF THESE VEHICLES RECENTLY WITH SIMILAR AND LESS MILEAGE HAVING NEED OF THE SAME REPAIR.. THEY CALL IT A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ONE WAS REPORTED WITHIN 2 DAYS OF MINE ANOTHER JUST 3 WEEKS LATER. AS RECENTLY AS THIS WEEK I SPOKE WITH MY MECHANIC AND HE'S SEEN 3 MORE. THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS.I WAS INFORMED BY DONS TRANSMISSION THATTHERE WAS A RECALL ON THE MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSION BUT I CANNOT FIND ANY RECORD,THE 626 USES TH

Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 22, 2001SC

THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON EVERY FOUR MONTHS IN THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS. EACH TIME I TAKE IT TO PULLIAM WRAY, I'M INFORMED THAT IT'S A DIFFERENT PROBLEM. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THERE IS THREE HUNDRED DIFFERENT THINGS THAT CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. WITH THIS IN MIND , I COULD SPEND A SMALL FORTURE. EACH TIME THAT I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP, I'M CHARGE NEARLY THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS. THE FIRST TIME THAT IT WAS IN THE SHOP, THE PART WAS UNDER WARRENTY. IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, I HAVE HAD SOME SENSOR REPLACED TWICE. AT THE PRESENT THE LIGHT IS ON, AGAIN.*AK

Air Bags › Frontal1 injured
Filed Sep 5, 2000NC

CONSUMER WAS AT A STOP WHEN DUAL FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT ANY IMPACT OR UNDER CARRIAGE IMPACT . VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT, AND THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING OF DEFECT. DEFECT CAUSED BURN ON ELBOW. *AK

Power Train › Axle Hubs
Filed Oct 15, 1999MD

CONSUMER HAS PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE HUBS/ CLUTCH AND WHEEL BEARINGS. SHE HEARS A THUMPING NOISE. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Feb 1, 1999CA

TRANSMISSION IS NOISY IN LOW GEAR. YH

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components
Filed Feb 1, 1999CA

BRAKES FROZE AFTER WASHING CAR BRAKES. YH

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components
Filed Aug 24, 1998OH

I HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES & THEY CANNOT FIX IT. THEY HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR PARTS ALL OVER THE WORLD, THEY SAY, AND CANNOT FIND ONE. THEY CANNOT GIVE ME A DATE WHEN IT WILL BE REPAIRED. I AM LEASING THE CAR BUT I DON'T HAVE USE OF IT. THEY HAVE LOANED ME A CAR THAT IS NOT TO THE STANDARD I AM PAYING THE LEASE FOR. IT IS VERY FRUSTRATING.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed May 27, 1998AK

TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM FAILED.

16 of 16 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1995
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20031000Routine
200221000Routine
200129000Routine
200019000Routine
199927000Routine
199829000Routine
1997 — this page16000Routine
199615010Routine
199582013Fatalities reported
19911001Fatalities reported

Compare every Millenia year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.