Problems · by component
2002 Mazda MPV power train problems
66 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2002 Mazda MPV cite power train, 53% of all 125 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
66
53% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the power train
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TRANSMISSION FAILED, COMPLETELY DISENGAGED. NO WARNING. HAD TO BE TOWED. REQUIRED A $2500.00 COMPLETE OVERHAUL. VERY LOW MILES ON THIS VEHICLE, ALWAYS PROPERLY MAINTAINED. *TR”
“DRIVING ON HIGHWAY WITH MY FAMILY WHEN MY MPV WOULDN'T SHIFT SO I COULD PASS A TRUCK. THEN IT STARTED TO LOSE SPEED. WOULD DEPRESS GAS PEDAL AND THE ENGINE WOULD REV BUT NO SPEED. HAD TO PULL OVER TO BREAKDOWN LANE WHICH BECAME A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. WE ARE LUCKY WE DIDN'T CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. MPV WOULD NOT WORK IN DRIVE, REVERSE, 3 OR 2 GEARS. WE WERE STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY AND HAD TO BE TOWED BACK HOME. DIAGNOSIS: TRANSMISSION GONE. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MPV AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. HAVE HAD SHIFT PROBLEMS IN THE PAST WHERE DEALER JUST RESETS THE CODES. I WON'T HAVE IT FIXED. I HAVE LOST CONFIDENCE IN THIS MANUFACTURER. *TR”
“TRANSMISSION FAILED IN 2008, HAD IT REPLACED AND IT FAILED AGAIN IN TWO WEEKS. VAN DROVE FINE UNTIL SUMMER 2011, WHEN I NOTICED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AGAIN. TOOK THE VAN TO A DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT FIXED AGAIN, BUT WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. FINALLY, ON 14 MARCH 2012, THE TRANSMISSION STOPPED PULLING AND WILL NOT ENGAGE PAST 2ND GEAR. THIS IS THE THIRD TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF $2700 EACH, PUTS A BIG STRAIN ON A FAMILY. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND MAZDA NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. *TR”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MAZDA MPB. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE GEAR SELECTOR LEVER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,000.”
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MAZDA MPV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN SLIPPING ON AND OFF FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 136,000.”
“I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 MAZDA MPV MINIVAN WITH 91,000 MILES ON IT ON THE FREEWAY AND WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE, IT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO HIGHER GEAR. IT SEEMED TO GO INTO NEUTRAL AND I BEGAN LOOSING SPEED. I HAVE DONE ALL MAINTENANCE AS WAS SUGGESTED IN THE HANDBOOK BY MAZDA. IN FACT, MAZDA HAS DONE ALL OF THE MAINTENANCE. THIS WAS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS AS THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS. I WAS TOLD BY MAZDA THAT IT NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND MAZDA REFUSED TO ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS EVEN THOUGH IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL AND YEAR. *TR”
Showing 6 of 66 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.