Problems · NHTSA complaints

2002 Mazda 6 Series problems

Owners filed 88 complaints about the 2002 Mazda 6 Series with NHTSA between Jun 2002 and Feb 2020. The most-cited component is power train (70).

Complaints
88
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
6
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
6
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Power train70
  2. Electrical system4
  3. Suspension4
  4. Engine and engine cooling3
  5. Seat belts3
  6. Air bags3
  7. Tires3
  8. Structure2
  9. Equipment2
  10. Steering2
  11. Engine1
  12. Fuel system, gasoline1
  13. Service brakes, hydraulic1
  14. Visibility1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20024
20038
20045
200514
200612
200713
20086
20098
20106
20110
20123
20131
20142
20151
20163
20171
20180
20190
20201

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Power train

70 reports2 crashes
“WITHOUT ANY WARNING THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING OUT OF FORWARD GEAR WHILE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKES AND GENTLY PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THE VEHICLE DIDNT MOVE. MANUALLY SHIFTING INTO 1ST GEAR WAS THE CAR ABLE TO MOVE BUT CAUSING A VERY HARSH LURCHING FORWARD CAUSING A LOUD "CLUNKING" NOISE. I WAS ABLE TO LIMP THE CAR 3 MILES TO MY HOME. I WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR END ACCIDENT AT THE NEXT TRAFFIC LIGHT. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN 1ST GEAR AND HAVING THE BRAKES APPLIED THE TRANSMISSION CAUGHT IN GEAR AND LUNGED FORWARD CAUSING ME TO CONTACT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. BOTH MYSELF AND THE OCCUPANT OF THE VEHICLE I HIT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND WELL AS PROPERTY DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF MY VEHICLE AND THE BACK OF THEIRS.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 2, 2020Power trainCrash reportedODI 11306609

Electrical system

4 reports
“THE CAR STARTED TO NOT WANT TO CRANK IT WOULD CRANK SOMETIMES THEN ONE DAY WE WENT TO THE STORE THEN WHEN WE WENT TO LEAVE THE STORE IT FINALLY JUST STOPPED TRYING TO CRANK ONLY MAKING A CLICKING SOUND AND WHILE TRYING TO CRANK IT THE STEERING COLUMN STARTED SMOKING AND ALMOST CAUGHT ON FIRE I BELIEVE IT IS THE IGNITION SWITCH”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 19, 2015Electrical system, Unknown or otherODI 10811234

Suspension

4 reports
“HEARD NOISE AND BAD VIBRATION FROM FRONT LEFT , IT GOT WORSE AND LOUDER WHEN MAKING TURNS. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, WHO STATED THAT FRONT WHEEL BEARING WAS BAD. AROUND TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE SAME THING HAPPENED, HEARD LOUD NOISE ON FRONT RIGHT, GOT LOUDER WHEN TURNING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, WHO REPLACED FRONT RIGHT BEARING. CAR ALWAYS SERVICED AT DEALER, TWO WEEKS BEFORE TOOK CAR TO DEALER FOR PULLING TO THE RIGHT. DEALER STATED IT NEEDED AN ALIGNMENT AND BALANCING. DID THAT NEXT DAY AND SAME THING HAPPENED WITHIN THE PAST MONTH. I HAD NEW FRONT BRAKES, NEW TIRES, NEW RIGHT AND LEFT BEARINGS, AND SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO BALANCE AND ROTATE TIRES. ALSO HAVING PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION, BUT DEALER INSISTED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG, SOMETIMES THE CAR WILL NOT CHANGE GEARS LIKE IT SHOULD WHEN GOING OVER SPEED BUMPS. VEHICLE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES. ALSO, HAD TO REPLACE COOLANT BOTTLE THREE TIMES, AND ONCE CAR OVERHEATED. IT WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 19, 2005Suspension, Service brakes, hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, Power train, TiresODI 10118125

Engine and engine cooling

3 reports
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MAZDA 626. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE UNDERWENT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AND OIL CHANGES PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. FIRESTONE STATED THAT OIL WAS LEAKING IN THE ENGINE AND UNDER THE MOTOR. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ICE COLD MOTORS AND THEY CHANGED THE VALVE COVER GASKET. ICE COLD MOTORS DISCOVERED AN ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE, BUT DID NOT PROVIDE ANY FURTHER EXPLANATION. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 86,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 13, 2009Engine and engine coolingODI 10254913

Seat belts

3 reports2 crashes
“VEHICLE WAS IN A COLLISION ABOUT 35MPH, FAILURE OF FRONT DRIVER SEATBELT TO LOCK. RESULTED IN INJURY TO DRIVER BY IMPACTING KNEES WITH LOWER DASH BOARD, AND CHEST AND FACE HITTING STEERING WHEEL. NO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. FAILURE OF SEATBELTS AND INJURES, ALL NOTATED ON ACCIDENT POLICE REPORT. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 16, 2008Seat beltsCrash reportedODI 10221328

Air bags

3 reports3 crashes
“DT: CONSUMER STATES SHE HAD AN ACCIDENT ON 7-8-05. SHE WAS HIT ON THE FRONT END OF HER CAR BY SOMEONE TRAVELING WEST. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND AS A RESULT THE CONSUMER WAS INJURED. SHE HAS NOT TALKED TO THE DEALER OR THE MANUFACTURER. SHE DOES NOT KNOW HOW FAST THE PERSON WHO HIT HER WAS GOING. THE CONSUMER WAS GOING APPROX. 55-60 MPH. THERE HAD BEEN NO PREVIOUS AIR BAG PROBLEMS. THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT HAD NOT COME ON. SHE DID APPLY HER BRAKES PRIOR TO IMPACT. SHE WAS WEARING HER SEAT BELT. THERE IS A POLICE REPORT ON THE ACCIDENT. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 13, 2005Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10128617
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.