Research · complaint index
Mazda 6 Series years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 7 model years of the Mazda 6 Series by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. No single year stands far above the rest.
Complaints per year on the road
1.0 = typical year for this model
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 88 | 4 | 0.3 | 0 | 6 | Fewest complaints |
| 2001 | 189 | 7 | 0.6 | 1 | 10 | Typical |
| 2000 | 217 | 8 | 0.7 | 2 | 6 | Typical |
| 1999 | 320 | 11 | 1.0 | 4 | 11 | Typical |
| 1998 | 434 | 15 | 1.3 | 6 | 12 | Typical |
| 1997 | 360 | 12 | 1.1 | 4 | 17 | Typical |
| 1996 | 362 | 12 | 1.0 | 3 | 35 | Typical |
- 200288 complaints · 0 recallsFewest complaints
- 2001189 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 2000217 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
- 1999320 complaints · 4 recallsTypical
- 1998434 complaints · 6 recallsTypical
- 1997360 complaints · 4 recallsTypical
- 1996362 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Oct 28, 2026
Fewest complaints for their age: 2002.
About this comparison
What Mazda 6 Series years have the most complaints?
No Mazda 6 Series model year drew more than twice the typical complaint rate among the 7 model years compared. The highest was 1998.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.