Problems · NHTSA complaints

2001 Mazda MPV problems

Owners filed 71 complaints about the 2001 Mazda MPV with NHTSA between Oct 2000 and Nov 2018. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (14).

Complaints
71
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
10
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
20
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine and engine cooling14
  2. Power train11
  3. Air bags11
  4. Electrical system8
  5. Vehicle speed control7
  6. Structure6
  7. Service brakes, hydraulic5
  8. Tires3
  9. Equipment3
  10. Exterior lighting2
  11. Latches/locks/linkages2
  12. Suspension2
  13. Seat belts2
  14. Fuel system, other1

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
20001
20015
200212
200310
20048
20057
20065
20070
20084
20094
20106
20113
20120
20130
20142
20150
20162
20170
20182

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

Engine and engine cooling

14 reports
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2001 MAZDA MPV. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE OR STEAM AROUND THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY AND CONTACTED AAA TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE TRANSMISSION AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER WERE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,954. UPDATED 03/08/11 *BF UPDATED 05/24/11 UPDATED 12/20/11 *CN”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 27, 2011Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10379305

Power train

11 reports
“WHEN I INITIALLY BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IT HAD BEEN THROUGH PREVIOUS OWNERS AND I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIX THINGS BUT AM A SINGLE MOTHER OF THREE AND I JUST CAN AFFORD MUCH BUT I HAPPEN TO PUT THE YR MAKE AND MODEL INTO THE GOOGLE ONE DAY AND NOTICE OF RECALLS AND AS I READ THE SAME AS WHATS I HAD ALREADY NOTICED HAD ALREADY HAPPENED AND I FIGURED I COULD LIVE WITH IT BUT I WOKE UP ONE MORNING GOT IN IT AND BOOM DRIVING FOR TEN MINUTES AND BOOM ALL OF A SUDDEN I HAVE NO GEARS AND THEN I GET 1ST AND NOTHING ELSE THEN EVENTUALLY NO REVERSE , SO AFTER ALMOST GETTING STUCK IN THE COLD STREETS WITH A BABY AND MY FRIEND, I BARELY MADE IT HOME I WANNA KNOW WHY SUCH A NICE VEHICLE IS SO FUCT!!! AND WHY DID I GET A BUNK DEAL. LIKE I THOUGHT THIS WAS MY BREAK FINALLY I WONT HAVE TO WORRY SO MUCH ABOUT A VEHICLE JUST THE OTHER STUFF, BUT TO MY DISMAY........... HERE WE ARE?????? AND IF YOU HAPPEN TO CONTACT ME I CAN THEN EXPLAIN IN DETAIL THE DESTRUCTION OF THIS VEHICLE”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 14, 2018Power train, Electrical system, Unknown or otherODI 11151384

Air bags

11 reports7 crashes1 fire1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MAZDA MPV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SIDE AIRBAG ERRONEOUSLY DEPLOYED AS THE PASSENGER WAS GETTING INTO THE VEHICLE. THE PASSENGER SUFFERED AN INJURED BACK DURING THE INCIDENT. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT DURING THE DEPLOYMENT THE AIR BAG DID NOT INFLATE BUT WAS VISIBLE FROM THE SIDE OF THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NO NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,446.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 21, 2014Air bagsODI 10614897

Electrical system

8 reports1 crash1 fire
“HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION MAZDA MPV 2001 WHILE DRIVING MY MPV ON CITY STREETS & FREEWAYS, THE LOW BEAMS FLICKER, OR TURN OFF, AND THE HIGH BEAM INDICATOR ILLUMINATES ON DASH BOARD. HOWEVER THE HIGH BEAMS DO WORK. WHEN THIS OCCURS IT PERSISTS BOTH WHEN STATIONARY OR IN MOTION. THE LOW BEAMS WILL INTERMITTENTLY AND MOMENTARILY TURN ON, LATER THE "HIGH BEAM" INDICATOR WILL ILLUMINATE THAT THE LOW BEAMS OFF AGAIN. NO REASON. I CANNOT DRIVE AT DUSK OR AT NIGHT DUE TO THE ISSUE OF NEVER KNOWING IF THE LOW BEAMS WILL WORK OR NOT! IF I DRIVE WITH HIGH BEAMS ALL OTHER MOTORISTS ARE HONKING OR BOTHERED. I HAVE HAD THE BULBS CHECKED AND REPLACED AS WELL AS THE FUSES, ALL CHECK OUT GOOD. AN ELECTRICAL SPECIALIST ADVISED THAT I CALL MAZDA AND ENTER COMPLAINT DUE TO SAFETY ISSUES, BECAUSE HE CANNOT TRACE ANY FAULTY WIRING. TROUBLESHOOTING THIS HAS BEEN VERY COSTLY. THEY HAD TO REVIEW THE SCHEMATIC OF THE SWITCHES ON THE STEERING COLUMN AS WELL AS CONNECTIONS TO HEADLIGHTS - NO ANOMALIES FOUND. MAZDA HAS RESPONDED TO MY REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 16, 2016Electrical system, Exterior lightingODI 10926325

Vehicle speed control

7 reports1 related recall
“THROTTLE PEDAL WAS STICKING UPON COLD START. PEDAL HAD TO BE STEPPED ON HARDER THAN USUAL UPON START WHICH THEN CAUSED VEHICLE TO SURGE FORWARD. VEHICLE SEEMED FINE AFTER FIRST PUSH OF PEDAL. DEALER HAD TO CLEAN OUT CARBON DEPOSITS. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN PAST 2 YEARS. WORRIED THAT PEDAL WOULD POSSIBLY STICK WHILE DRIVING WHICH WOULD DEFINITELY BE A SAFETY ISSUE. THESE DEPOSITS HAVE OCCURRED DESPITE USING TECHRON GAS ADDITIVE. VEHICLE ENGINE LIGHT HAS ALSO COME ON MANY TIMES IN PAST - THESE ALSO MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO CARBON BUILDUP. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 6, 2006Vehicle speed controlODI 10170179

Structure

6 reports
“MY BROTHERS MAZDA MPV 2001 VAN HAS A MUSTY OR FREON LEAKING LIKE SMELL NOT SURE WHAT BUT WHEN AIR CONDITIONING IS ON IT'S REALLY BAD IS THIS HARMFUL TO BREATH FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN. I READ UP ON MANUFACTURER DEFECTS AN NO RECALL WAS ASSIGNED OR BROUGHT UP BUT SEVERAL AN I MEAN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS AND RECOMMENDED THINGS TO DO ABOUT THIS ) SMELL ISSUE) IS KNOW BY THE MANUFACTURER COMPANY BUT OM ALL MY RESEARCH AN FINDINGS CONTAIN NO EVIDENCE OF DEALSHIPS SEELING THESE VEHICLE HAVE NO RECORD OF DOING ANY REPLACEMENT OF PARTS OR MAINTENANCE ON EFFECTIVE MOLDY OR FREON SMELL MAINTENANCE COMING FROM VENTS ONLY REPLACED CABIN FILTER ON FEW OCCASIONS .THE MANUFACTURES CAUSE SAYS DIFFERENT PLEASE INVESTIGATE BECAUSE OF IT IS A MOLD ISSUE AND PARTS CAN BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF BAD DESIGN OR EVEN LACK OF MAINTENANCE DONE AT DEALERSHIP A RECALL SHOULD BE THE RESULT.I WILL ENCOURAGE THE NUTSA TO TRY FIRST TRY AN GET ANY CERTIFIED ANDERSON DEALERSHIP TO IDENTIFY PRESENTS OF MOLD COMING FROM VENTS WHAT THEY DID RESOLVE ISSUE, WHAT THEY REPLACED,HOW OFTEN AND CRITICAL IT IS TO DO SO BECAUSE OF MOLD OR SUCH UNSAFE FUMES COMING IN THROUGH VENTS INDIRECT…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 20, 2018Structure, Unknown or otherODI 11120970
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.