2003 MAZDA MPV Complaints

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE DOWN SHIFTED WITHOUT WARNING. CONSUMER STATED THE PART WAS REPLACED FIVE TIMES; HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK VEHICLE DOWN SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL. *LA

NOT A COMPLAINT-MERELY A QUESTIONABLE VEHICLE SAFETY/DESIGN INQUIRY: I BOUGHT A 2003 MAZDA MPV IN DECEMBER. RECENTLY, WHILE UNDER THE VEHICLE DOING AN OIL CHANGE, I NOTICED A TROUBLING DESIGN IN THE GAS TANK LOCATION. IT IS RIGHT UP AGAINST THE DOOR SILL/ROCKER PANEL AREA ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THIS LOCATION LOOKS VERY VULNERABLE TO RUPTURE AND FIRE IN CASE OF A SIDE IMPACT COLLISION. HAS THIS DESIGN BEEN TESTED AS SAFE? IT REMINDS ME OF THE OLD PINTO DESIGN WITH THE TANK RIGHT AHEAD OF THE REAR BUMPER.*AK

ENGINE/SPARK KNOCKING. TAKEN TO DEALER IN CHARLOTTE. THEY COULD NOT DETECT NOISE. TAKEN BACK A SECOND TIME. DEALER CALLED HQ IN CALIFORNIA FOR INSTRUCTIONS. VAN IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP. THIS IS THE SECOND ATTEMPTED FIX ON THIS PROBLEM. 2003 MAZDA MPV OWNER.*AK

THIS CAR HAS NOT DRIVEN IN A SAFE MANNER SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES (WHICH BY THE WAY WAS A TOTAL PAIN). AFTER FIVE MONTHS OF 'RESEARCH' INTO THE PROBLEM MAZDA CLAIMS THAT IT'S NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. ALSO THE BRAKES MAKE A VERY UNSAFE NOISE AND DON'T SEEM TO STOP THE CAR VERY GOOD. THE CAR HAS BEEN PARKED FOR MONTHS, AS I DO NOT TRUST DRIVING IT ANYMORE. MAZDA HAS NOT BEEN HELPFUL AND HAS NO CARE FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY OR ME.

WE HAD AN ISSUE WITH OUR 2003 MAZDA MPV ES VAN THAT WAS REPORTED ON THIS SITE ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO. THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTING HARSHLY BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEARS. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO FIX THE PROBLEM, OUR DEALERSHIP FINALLY TOLD US THE MAZDA HAS IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM. THEY CALL IT SHIFT SHOCK AND IT REQUIRES A REPROGRAMMING OF THE COMPUTER.*AK

ABOUT 50% OF TIME, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTS VERY ABRUPTLY FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ON THE WEB, THIS MUST BE A DESIGN OR SOFTWARE DEFECT. I WORRY ABOUT LONG TERM DAMAGE TO THE DRIVETRAIN. OTHER THAN THIS PROBLEM, VAN IS VERY RELIABLE. I HAVE 9200 MILES ON ODO. *AK

TRANSMISSION BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR- IN THE LAST MONTH OR SO, WE HAVE NOTICED A HESITATION AND THEN HARD SHIFT INTO THIRD GEAR DURING REGULAR CITY DRIVING. WE SPENT 2/16/2004 AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR AN OIL CHANGE, TIRE ROTATION, AND EXAMINATION OF THIS PROBLEM. THEY PERFORMED A REFLASH OF THE TCM/PTM AND LEFT THE DEALERSHIP SATISFIED. ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER, IT STARTED AGAIN. WE CALLED BACK AND AS OF THIS MORNING, WE HAVE SCHEDULED A DRIVE WITH THE TRANSMISSION MECHANIC. I HAVE NOTICED A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS HERE AND ON EDMUNDS.COM. I REALLY HOPE THIS CAN BE SOLVED FOR AN OTHERWISE GREAT MINIVAN.*JB

THE CAR HAS A HESITATION WHEN ITS ACCELERATING FROM 20 MPH TO 30 MPH, AFTER THE HESITATION IT HAS A SLIGHT SURGE IN SPEED AND A KNOCKING SOUND. IT HAPPENS IN AN INTERMITTENT MANNER. DEALER KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM FROM OTHERS WHO HAD SIMILAR COMPLAINTS BUT SAID IT'S NORMAL. MECHANIC KNOWS THE CONDITIONS OF HOW IT OCCURS BUT CLAIM IN THE TEST DRIVE NOT TO BE ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS ONLY 2,500 MILES AND WAS HAVING THIS PROBLEM FROM 200 MILES ON.*AK

TRANSMISSION LAGS, THEN SLAMS INTO GEAR ON 2-3 SHIFT, PARTICULARLY UNDER INCONSISTENT ACCELERATION (SUCH AS IN TRAFFIC). CAUSES NOISE, UNCOMFORTABLE JERK, POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATION WHEN OTHER VEHICLES ARE CLOSE. *LA

THE CONSUMER SMELLED A STRONG CHEMICAL ODOR IN THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. THE SMELL CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO FEEL NAUSEOUS AND MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE LEATHER SEAT AND OTHER ACCESSORIES YET THE SMELL WAS STILL PRESENT. *NLM *SC *JB