2002 MAZDA MPV Complaints

TRANSMISSION FAILED IN MY 2002 MAZDA MPV AT 111K MILES. AFTER READING SEVERAL STORIES ONLINE THAT SOUND IDENTICAL TO MINE, I FELT COMPELLED TO FILE A COMPLAINT. I WAS TRAVELLING ON A MAJOR INTERSTATE WITH 5 CUBSCOUTS AND THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED, LEAVING US STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. TRANSMISSION GAVE NO WARNING THAT IT WAS ABOUT TO FAIL, OTHER THAN A FEW ROUGH SHIFTS FROM TIME TO TIME. MECHANIC CHECKED FLUID LEVELS AND PRESSURE OF TRANSMISSION AND ALL CHECKED OUT OKAY AFTER INCIDENT. THIS WAS NOT DRIVER OR MAINTENANCE ERROR. THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT ENGAGE AT ALL IN DRIVE, LOW GEARS OR REVERSE.

ON THE FREEWAY, MY TRANSMISSION FAILED AND HAS TO BE REPLACED. MY CAR ONLY HAS 42,000 MILES. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 2002 MAZDA MPV FAILED WITH JUST 53,000 MILES ON IT. I HAD NOTICED SOME PROBLEMS SHIFTING ON HILLS AND FREEWAYS. THE REPAIR MAN CALLED IT "FLASH SHIFTING" WHEN I TOOK IT IN TO BE CHECKED OUT. DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AND PERFORMED A "REFLASH" OF THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. 3 DAYS LATER, THE CAR LOST THE UPPER GEARS. LOST THE OTHERS THE NEXT DAY. I HAD IT TOWED TO ANOTHER REPAIR SHOP AS EVERY TIME I TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER, I'M BACK 2 MONTHS LATER WITH A MORE EXPENSIVE REPAIR. THE TRANSMISSION HAS NOW BEEN PULLED OUT 4 TIMES IN 6 WEEKS TO BE REBUILT, REPLACE SOLENOIDS, ETC. I HAVE HEARD THAT MANY OTHER MAZDA MPV OWNERS HAVE HAD TO REPLACE TRANSMISSIONS ON VEHICLES WITH EVEN LOWER MILEAGE THAN MINE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS CAR IS DANGEROUS. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE IT WITH MY 3 YOUNG SONS. I'M SO GRATEFUL THAT THIS HAPPENED IN A PARKING LOT AT A SOCCER GAME AND NOT ON THE FREEWAY ON THE WAY TO THAT SOCCER GAME. THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. MAZDA SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR SELLING CARS WITH FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS. WE ARE STILL WAITING TO GET OUR CAR BACK FROM THE THIRD REPAIR. MAYBE IT'S FINALLY FIXED, MAYBE NOT. *TR

MY HUSBAND AND I OWN A 2002 MAZDA MPV LX. LAST WEEK ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2009, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING ON THE WALT WHITMAN BRIDGE COMING TO PHILADELPHIA. ALTHOUGH OUR VAN IS 7 YEARS OLD, IT ONLY HAS A LITTLE OVER 40,000 MILES ON IT AND WE KEEP IT IN GREAT CONDITION. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED TO 2 DIFFERENT MECHANICS, IT IS NOW COSTING US BETWEEN $2400-$2600 TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT. THE MAZDA DEALER WHERE WE PURCHASED THE VAN TOLD US IT WOULD COST $4,189.00 TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION. WE ARE NOT IN A FINANCIAL POSITION TO PURCHASE A NEW OR USED VEHICLE, SO WE ARE BORROWING THE MONEY TO PAY FOR THIS COSTLY PROBLEM. AFTER READING HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING TRANSMISSION FAILURE (I'M SURE THERE ARE A LOT MORE) WITHOUT WARNING ON THE 2002 MAZDA MPV, ESPECIALLY AT LOW MILEAGE, I BELIEVE A RECALL OF THIS VEHICLE IS IN ORDER. I ALSO BELIEVE THE 2002 MODEL OF THE MAZDA MPV HAS A DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THANK GOD THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND THAT OUR CHILDREN WERE NOT IN THE VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MAZDA MVP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH ON AN INCLINE, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CONTACT SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL IN ORDER TO PREVENT HIMSELF FROM BEING REAR-ENDED, HE HAD TO PUSH THE VEHICLE TO A PARKING LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND A TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE TRANSMISSION PUMP WAS DESIGN DEFECTIVELY; HOWEVER, UPON NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER HE WAS NOT PROVIDED ANY ASSISTANCE. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 58,000. UPDATED 12/07/09 *BF UPDATED 12/09/09.*JB

THIS COMPLAINT IS ABOUT PART DESIGN DEFECTS FOR 2002 MAZDA MPV. OVER YEARS, I WAS STRUGGLING TO SOLVE ENGINE LIGHT-ON WHICH TOOK PLACE EVERY ONCE WHILE. RECENTLY, THE THING GOT WORSE - ENGINE IDLE ROUGH, ENGINE LACK OF POWER, JERKING AT LOW RPM. AFTER LONG TIME STRUGGLE, I'VE FINALLY FOUND THE PROBLEM, WHICH WAS CAUSED BY A PCV HOSE FAILURE. I'VE NEVER THOUGHT IT WAS A PCV HOSE PROBLEM, BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL PCV HOSE (PART # AJ51-13-89) HAS BEEN RECALLED BY MAZDA AND REPLACED BY NEW ONE (PART # AJ51-13-89YA, IT LOOKS LIKE REVISION A) BACK TO YEARS AGO. I'VE THOUGHT MAZDA HAS SOLVED THE PROBLEM. OBVIOUSLY, IT?S NOT YET. THIS TIME THE PCV HOSE HAS FAILED AGAIN, AND IT'S SO WEAK THAT THE HOSE COLLAPSED AGAIN UNDER VACUUM PRESSURE. TO FIX THE PROBLEM, I ORDERED A NEW HOSE, PART # AJ51-13-89YB. IF YOU LOOK AT THE PART # CAREFULLY, YOU CAN INFER THAT MAZDA HAS REALIZED THAT THEIR REVISION A HOSE DIDN'T?T WORK, WHICH WAS USED TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL UNDER RECALL # 2204H, BECAUSE THEY HAVE RE--DESIGNED REVISION B HOSE. IT?S CLEARLY THAT THE ORIGINAL HOSE AND REVISION A HAD DESIGN DEFECTS. HOWEVER, THEY HAVEN?T ISSUE A RECALL TO REPLACE REVISION A YET THIS TIME. MAZDA SHOULD REALLY RECALL THIS PCV HOSE AGAIN. THE THING IS EVEN BAD TO CUSTOMERS. BECAUSE THE DESIGN DEFECTS AND UNCERTAINTY OF THE PART MAKE THE HOSE REALLY SPECIAL, NO RETAIL STORES CARRY THIS HOSE. THE ONLY PLACE YOU CAN FIND IT IS AT MAZDA DEALERSHIP, AND IT COSTS $67, MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE. IT?S JUST A RUBBER HOSE, USUALLY A COUPLE OF DOLLARS. I CALLED THE MAZDA USA, THEY TOLD ME SINCE THE ORIGINAL RECALL WAS PERFORMED ON MY VAN, I HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE, LOT OF MAZDA OWNERS HAVE THIS PROBLEM, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OWNERS REPORTING THIS ISSUE.HTTP://FORUM.MPVCLUB.COM/VIEWTOPIC.PHP?T=17546. *TR

MY 2002 MPV SUFFERED A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT ABOUT 75K MILES, STALLING OUT IN MORNING TRAFFIC AND NEEDING TO BE PUSHED FROM THE ROAD. THE TRANSMISSION OCCASIONALLY KICKED WHEN SHIFTING SINCE THE CAR WAS NEW. I CALLED MAZDA, WHICH REFUSED TO PAY ANYTHING TOWARD THE REPAIR, SAYING IT HAD RELINQUISHED LIABILITY FOR A VEHICLE SEVERAL YEARS PAST WARRANTY. DESPITE WHAT I SEE IN NHTSA'S COMPLAINT LOG AND ELSEWHERE ON THE NET, MAZDA TOLD ME THAT IT DOES NOT AGREE THAT THE TRANSMISSION ON THE 2002 MPV IS UNUSUALLY PRONE TO FAILURE. IN THE PAST SEVEN MONTHS, THIS MPV HAS NEEDED SEVERAL OTHER EXPENSIVE ENGINE REPAIRS, SOME OF WHICH ALSO REPEATEDLY SHOW UP ON THE NHTSA COMPLAINT LOG: 3 IGNITION COILS, A PCV HOSE, AN IDLE CONTROL VALVE, AND AN OXYGEN SENSOR. THIS IS QUITE A STRING OF EXPENSIVE FAILURES FOR A CAR LESS THAN 7 YEARS OLD. THE DEALER OFFERED TO DO THE TRANSMISSION WORK FOR $3600, ALTHOUGH IT LOOKS LIKE I WILL HAVE IT DONE ELSEWHERE FOR SOMEWHAT LESS. I STRONGLY URGE NHTSA TO REEVALUATE WHETHER A RECALL IS MERITED FOR THE 2002 MPV'S DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. *TR THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAD TO HAVE 3 IGNITION COILS, A PCV HOSE, AND IDLE CONTROL VALVE NAS A RIGHT UPPER OXYGEN SENSOR. UPDATED 02/12/09. *JB

2000-2003 MAZDA MPV MODELS HAVE A COOLANT SEEPAGE FROM REAR HEATER PIPE WHICH CAN CAUSE SEVERE ENGINE FAILURE AND TRAFFIC HAZARD DUE TO NON-DRIVABLE VEHICLE. MAZDA MPV 2002 WAS FOUND TO HAVE A COOLANT LEAK IN REAR HEATER PIPES AND WAS TAKEN TO MAZDA REPAIR CENTER. MAZDA ADVISED A VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE RUN WITHOUT COOLANT SINCE IT CAN DAMAGE THE ENGINE, AND REPLACED THE LINES FOR A COST OF $1000 (PARTS + LABOR). MPV WAS DRIVEN 18 MILES AFTER COMPLETED REPAIR, THEN THE ENGINE SUFFERED A COMPLETE FAILURE IN TRAFFIC AND VEHICLE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION, POSING A DANGER TO MPV PASSENGERS AS WELL AS OTHER VEHICLES. MAZDA REPAIR CENTER CLAIMS THE ENGINE FAILURE IS DUE TO DRIVING WITH LOW/NO COOLANT PRIOR TO REPAIR. REGARDLESS, IF THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A FAILED REPAIR OR DUE TO THE REASON MAZDA STATES, THIS IS A KNOWN PRODUCT DEFECT BY MAZDA THAT SHOULD BE ISSUED AS A RECALL NOTICE TO ALL AFFECTED MPV OWNERS. MAZDA HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (US BULLETIN NO: 07-002/05) STATING THAT WARRANTY REPAIR IS APPROVED ONLY IF THE VEHICLE EXHIBITS COOLANT LEAKAGE AND THE VEHICLE IS WITHIN THE EXTENDED 7-YEAR WARRANTY FROM VEHICLE IN-SERVICE DATE. TSB REFERENCE: HTTP://MAZDA5CLUB.COM/TSB.PHP?ID=168 THIS KNOWN PRODUCT DEFECT SHOULD BE ISSUED AS A RECALL NOTICE FOR ALL AFFECTED MAZDA MPV MODELS DUE TO THE HIGH RISK THAT COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE POSES WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE IN TRAFFIC. *TR

AT 72K, TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT HWY SPEEDS. TRANSMISSION WENT INTO NEUTRAL ON ITS OWN. HAD TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION. ALSO ALL 6 COILS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. 1 FAILED AT APPROX. 38K, 2ND AT 50K, THE REMAINING AT 72K. *TR

MY VAN STARTED JERKING INTO 2ND GEAR AND IT HAD NO PICKUP, I COULD FEEL IT NOT CATCHING GEARS SO I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND THEY SAY IT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. IT WILL COST BETWEEN $2000 AND $4000 TO FIX. *TR