Problems · NHTSA complaints
1996 Mazda MPV problems
Owners filed 21 complaints about the 1996 Mazda MPV with NHTSA between Apr 1996 and Jul 2005. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (3).
Complaints
21
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Engine and engine cooling3
- Power train3
- Air bags3
- Vehicle speed control3
- Tires2
- Suspension2
- Service brakes, hydraulic2
- Visibility2
- Equipment1
- Seats1
- Other / unknown1
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
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
2
9
2
3
3
0
0
1
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 2 |
| 1997 | 9 |
| 1998 | 2 |
| 1999 | 3 |
| 2000 | 3 |
| 2001 | 0 |
| 2002 | 0 |
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2004 | 0 |
| 2005 | 1 |
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.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Engine and engine cooling
3 reports
“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
3 reports
“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”
Air bags
3 reports2 crashes
“NO DEPLOYMENT OF NEITHER PASSENGER NOR DRIVER'S AIRBAG RESULTED IN IJURY WHEN VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER. NLM”
Vehicle speed control
3 reports
“VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION CAUSING COLLISION INSIDE GARAGE, NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING FRONT END COLLISION. MJS”
Tires
2 reports
“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…”
Suspension
2 reports
“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…”
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.