1996 Mazda Mpv

Routine

Owners filed 18 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags › frontal. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Tires2
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip2
000
Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner2
000
Air Bags › Frontal2
203
Visibility › Windshield1
000
Visibility › Power Window Devices and Controls1
000
Vehicle Speed Control › Cruise Control1
000
Vehicle Speed Control1
000
Suspension › Front › Macpherson Strut1
000
Suspension › Front1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Electrical System › Ignition › Switch15V674000
Filed Oct 19, 20151,368,500 vehiclesMazda North American Operations

Defect. Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 1989-1998 MPV, 1990-1995 323, 1990-1998 Protege, 1992-1993 MX-3, 1993-1995 929, 1993-1997 MX-6, and 1993-1998 626 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, grease applied to the contact points inside the ignition switch may become conductive and overheat.

Risk. If the ignition switch overheats there would be an increased risk of a fire.

Remedy. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. The recall began on December 17, 2015. Owners may contact Mazda Customer Experience Center at 1-800-222-5500, option#6. Mazda's number for this recall is 8715J.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Tires
Filed Jul 1, 2005122,795 milesMO

ON JUNE 29,2005 MY 5 MONTH OLD SON AND I WERE TRAVELING IN OUR 96' MAZDA MPV NORTH ON 291 HIGHWAY (I WAS MEETING MY HUSBAND) WHEN MY CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE. WE WERE TRAVELING APPROX. 65 MPH. AS I WAS GETTING READY TO GET OVER THE VAN JERKED HARD TO THE RIGHT CAUSING US TO VEER THROUGH BOTH LANES OF TRAFFIC. I FIGURED MY TIRE HAD BLOWN AND PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY. IT WAS A HOT DAY APPROX. 96 DEGREES OUTSIDE AND DUE TO WHERE WE HAD TO PULL OVER I HAD TO GET MY 5 MONTH OUT OF THE CAR BECAUSE WE WERE NEAR AN ENTRANCE RAMP AND ONCOMING CARS WERE CUTTING IT CLOSE TO THE VAN AND I DIDN'T WANT TO RISK THE VAN GETTING HIT WITH MY SON INSIDE. MY BROTHER LENNY HAD JUST CALLED ON MY CELL PHONE MOMENTS BEFORE THE INCIDENT SO HE COULD COME HELP US. HE WASN'T ABLE TO ARRIVE FOR 35-45 MINUTES. THE CAR IT HAD DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER SIDE BACK PANEL - SCRATCHES, DENTS, TEARING IN THE PANEL ITSELF, THE WHEEL WELL COVER WAS COMPLETELY MISSING, AND THE MUD GARD IN THE WHEEL WELL HAD BEEN TORN AND MANGELED. IT WAS ODD THAT THE TIRE HADN'T BLOWN - IT WAS STILL AIRED UP BUT ALL OF THE TREAD WAS OFF!!! THE TREAD COMING OFF HIT THE SIDE OF MY VAN AND DID A LOT OF DAMAGE! WHEN MY BROTHER ARRIVED HE SAW THE SITUATION AND TOLD ME TO PULL THROUGH THE MEDIAN TO AVOID BEING HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND AT THAT TIME MY BABY WAS LOOKING A BIT SWEATYAND HOT. I PULLED MY CAR THROUGH THE MEDIAN AND ABOUT 1/4 MILE DOWN THE RAOD THE A PARKING LOT WHERE MY BROTHER CHANGED MY TIRE AND MY HUSBAND (HAD BEEN CONTACTED THROU

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Radiator Assembly1 injured
Filed Sep 2, 2003CA

OWNER OF 1996 MAZDA MPV, WHILE TRAVELING TO AMMUSEMENT PARK REQUIRING LONG LINES FOR PARKING VEHICLE GOT HOT. WHEN MOTOR WAS TURNED OFF RADIATOR PRESSURE INCREASED, THIS PRESSURE WHILE BEING RELEASED SAFELY TO THE OVERFLOW BOTTLE THROUGH THE CONNECTING HOSE THE OVERFLOW BOTTLE WAS UNABLE TO RELEASE AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF PRESSURE. THIS RESULTED IN THE OVERFLOW BOTTLE TOP EXPLODING AND SPRAYING SCALDING FLUID IN THE FACE OF A 13 YEAR OLD BOY WHO WAS STANDING NEXT TO THE OPEN HOODED COMPARTMENT. HE SUFFERED 1ST & 2ND DEGREE BURNS TO ON MORE THAN 50% OF HIS FACE AND SOME ON HIS TORSO. THIS IS THE ORGINAL FACTORY OVERFLOW BOTTLE, BY CLOSER INSPECTION IT APPEARS THAT THE INPUT TUBE AND OUTPUT VENT ARE DIFFERENT IN SIZE, THE OUTPUT PORT IS SMALLER. THIS PROVIDES FOR THE PRESSURE IN THE OVERFLOW BOTTLE TO INCREASE AND EXCEED THE SNAP-ON-CAP'S HOLDING STRENGTH. HAS THIS BEEN A PROBLEM IN THE PAST?*AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Lever and Linkage › Column Shift
Filed Dec 28, 2000TX

WHILE TRAVELING 40MPH IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE UNIT LOCKED UP. DIRVER AND 5 PASSENGERS WERE PRESENT. VEHICLE STARTED TO SKID AND CAME TO A STOP. DRIVER ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES TO UNLOCK UNIT, AND SUCCEEDED IN PUTTING VEHICLE BACK INTO 2 WHEEL DRIVE. NO ACCIDENT OR INJURIES OCCURRED. *AK

Suspension › Front
Filed Oct 17, 2000CT

INCIDENT OCCURRED ON THE EVENING OF SAT. OCTOBER 14TH, 2000 WHEREIN MY GIRLFRIEND (WHO IS 9 MONTHS PREGNANT) AND MYSELF WERE TRAVELING NORTHBOUND ON I-93 IN BOSTON, MA. I HEARD A LOUD CRASH-TYPE SOUND AND MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO SWERVE UNCONTROLLABLY TO THE RIGHT. MY VEHICLE THEN PRODUCED A LOUD THUD AND THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE DROPPED DRAMATICALLY. I PROCEEDED TO THE NEAREST SAFE LOCATION WHICH WAS JUST OFF THE HIGHWAY AT THE SOUTH BAY SHOPPING PLAZA (IN FRONT OF THE KMART STORE). IN THE PARKING LOT I NOTICED THAT MY RIM WAS COMPLETELY DAMAGED AND MY TIRE WAS NOT ON THE VEHICLE. I CHANGED MY TIRE WITH A SPARE AND PROCEEDED TO DRIVE WHEN I NOTICED THAT MY AXLE AND ALIGNMENT WAS ALSO SEVERELY DAMAGED. I RETURNED TO THE HIGHWAY AND LOCATED MY BLOWN OUT TIRED AND SAW THAT THE TIRE WAS SHREDDED SEVERELY TOO (THE LOCATION ON THE HIGHWAY WAS CLEAN AND PAVED). ON TUESDAY MORNING I THEN PROCEEDED TO THE FIRESTONE DEALERSHIP IN BOSTON WHERE I WAS REFUSED SERVICE BY THE MANAGER...STATING THAT THE TIRE WAS NOT ON THEIR RECALL LIST. I THEN CONTACTED CONSUMER AFFAIRS OF FIRESTONE AND WAS GIVEN THE RUN-A-ROUND FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 1/2 HOURS. AS OF TODAY TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17TH, 2000, I AM STILL WITHOUT A VEHICLE WHICH IS A PRIORITY AS MY GIRLFRIEND IS READY TO DELIVER OUR CHILD ANY DAY NOW. I AM ALSO IN RISK OF MY FAMILY'S AND MY LIFE AND LIVILHOOD BY NOT HAVING A SAFE VEHICLE TO DRIVE. I WOULD APPRECIATE IMMEDIATE ATTENDANCE TO MY VEHICLE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.*AK (DOT NUMBER

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System
Filed Jul 23, 2000NY

RUST CAUSED COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF EXHAUST SYTEM AFTER 22,400 MILES (3 YEARS). BOTH DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED AND COLE MUFFLER (SPECIALIST) STATE THAT MUFFLER AND EXHAUST PIPES SHOULD NOT RUST OR DETERIORATE IN THIS TIME FRAME. AFTER MUFFLER SEPARATED FROM EXHAUST PIPE, IT REMAINED ATTACHED TO UNDERCARRIAGE OF MPV MINIVAN, AND CREATED A HAZARD BY CONTACTING THE TIRE AND BRAKLE CABLES WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING OPERATED.

Air Bags › FrontalCrash2 injured
Filed Aug 10, 1999CA

NO DEPLOYMENT OF NEITHER PASSENGER NOR DRIVER'S AIRBAG RESULTED IN IJURY WHEN VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER. NLM

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Jul 21, 1999NY

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION CAUSING COLLISION INSIDE GARAGE, NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING FRONT END COLLISION. MJS

Power Train › Driveline › Driveshaft
Filed Nov 6, 1998WI

AT LOW SPEEDS DRIVETRAIN BINDS UP. MAKES POPPING NOISES. VIBRATIONS OCCURS IN ACCELERATOR. DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEM WITH DRIVE TRAIN.*AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Jan 13, 1998ME

OWNER HAS ABS BRAKES. WHILE TRYING TO DEPRESS THE ABS BRAKE PEDAL, VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. ALSO ABS BRAKES LIGHT WOULD COME ON AT TIMES FOR NO REASON. THERE WERE NUMEROUS BRAKE SENSORS REPLACED WHICH DID NOT CORRECT PROBLEM. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Nov 5, 1997NY

WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED ON WET PAVEMENTS THE VEHICLE SKIDS TO THE LEFT. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

Suspension › Front › Macpherson Strut
Filed Oct 27, 1997CA

LEFT FRONT STRUT IS WEAK CAUSING DAMAGE TO TIRE.

Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner
Filed Sep 23, 1997NJ

AIR CONDITIONER TAKES TOO LONG TO COOL.

Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner
Filed Apr 14, 1997CA

AIR CONDITIONER FAILED.

Vehicle Speed Control › Cruise Control
Filed Apr 10, 1997CA

ROUGH IDLE.

Visibility › Power Window Devices and Controls
Filed Apr 8, 1997MO

WHEN GOING 48 MPH OR MORE AND ROLLING DOWN THE ELECTRIC REAR WINDOWS, THE WAY THE AIR COMES IN, IT CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY, AND THE AIR PRESSURE CAUSES SEVERE DAMAGE TO EARS. *AK

Tires
Filed Apr 2, 1997CA

OWNER WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 65MPH AND THE TIRE BURST. OWNER ALSO SAID THAT THE TIRE SIZE IN THE MANUAL DOESN'T MATCH TIRE CO. SIZE. *AK

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Feb 25, 1997CA

PROBLEM WITH DRIVER'S WINDOW.

Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured
Filed Nov 25, 1996MA

VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, IMPACT 12:00 POSITION SPEED 40MPH, DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

18 of 18 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2000
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
200612200Do not drive
200536300Do not drive
200471510Do not drive
2003113420Routine
2002124450Routine
200170320Routine
2000149530Routine
19992000Routine
199819130Routine
199722130Routine
1996 — this page18100Routine
199519100Routine
199436100Routine
199351130Routine
199261100Routine
199166310Routine
199047330Routine

Compare every Mpv 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.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Oct 19, 2015. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.