Mazda MPV: Problems & Solutions

dan2004 · December 2003

Some more money down the drain. Hard shift continues despite flush & change to Mobil 1. I'll give Mazda a little while longer to come up with a fix and then its off to see the Attorney General.

I'm completely pissed off at the moment.

tccmn1 · December 2003

I took my 03 MPV in to dealer today to simply have the drivers seatbelt retractor replaced. Some may recall that my seatbelt would not retract in "cold" weather.

After waiting in the guest room for a half hour, the service writer came out and said that "We've started the day out with a BANG". Chuckling and not really knowing what he meant, he details for me that my SIDE AIRBAG went off while the joker tech was trying to replace the retractor!!! Ok, so my van will be in the shop until eod Monday and they gave me an IMPALA to use for the weekend with an empty tank to boot!
I think I'm doomed too! Poor tech probably has the $400 replacement taken out of his check!

Oh yeah, they confirmed that the fix is coming for the tranny in January and 'I'm on the list!

tomj5 · December 2003

Weird, I wondered about that issue with the "seat" airbags as the seat gets slammed around as respect to the dash bags.... I didn't get them... So becareful when you set down in the seat.. That is terrible that the poor Mech has to pay for it. Very interesting. Keep us informed...
Tj

tba04 · December 2003

I have an 04 mpv with 300 miles no shift problems with tranny ,sept. build date.

oldmedic · December 2003

Don't be so quick to swap for an 03 TCM, my ES has the same 2-3 shift problem too. Have 500 miles on it and have experienced rough shift 3 or 4 times. The first time was the worst, felt like someone rearended me in traffic. Smooth as butter as long as engine isn't warmed up. What input to the TCM does engine temp have? Could an increase or decrease voltage or resistance from that sensor spell relief?

notasoccermom · December 2003

Well, it isn't what we had hoped for, but better than nothing I guess. Our rep said they know what the problem is with the hard shift, they are working on the problem, and hope to have a fix soon. But of course he could not give a timeframe. They would not swap vehicles or buy back our minivan, but he said we of course could pursue the lemon law avenue and would probably have a good case. He offered what was in his power to do, which was to give us a 7-year 100K bumper-to-bumper warranty on the van with no deductible for free to show that they stand behind their cars and are confident they can fix it. He put us first on the list in the area to get the fix, and he will call us the second it is released. He doesn't see it taking more than 6 months worst case, but of course he can't promise anything. We probably will take the warranty and give it a few months. We don't keep our cars for that long anyways, and if the transmission falls out they'll have to fix it. In the meantime we are babying the van and not letting it do the hard shift. We are so disappointed with this whole thing, but still glad we didn't get the Kia!! I do wish we got the Nissan Quest instead though, but my husband hated the dashboard design.

owr084 · December 2003

Make sure the warranty is transferable, otherwise it is worthless to the people you sell the van to...

bigdadi · December 2003

Thanks for your update. Did he tell you how to obtain that 7-year/100K-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty? Just want to know the procedure if I want to do same.

oldmedic · December 2003

Does this mean Mazda is extending its warranty on all its MPV's or just yours? I'm calling my dealer tomorrow. So far he's feined ignorance of any shifting problems but it looks like Mazda Corp has backed themselves into a corner. I wish they would tell us what they think the problem is so we could stop scratching our heads. Best of luck to all MPV owners! DH

notasoccermom · December 2003

Basically you have to b***** and moan and raise a big stink, and threaten to sue them for a new van under the lemon law! Really--I'm serious!! We demanded an appointment with our regional Mazda service rep when the dealership told us they couldn't fix the problem. We met with him and told him we either wanted a new van without the problem or for Mazda to buy it back. He said that Mazda will not do either of those things willingly, we'd have to sue. But then he told us what they could do until we got the van fixed, and that was to offer the warranty. It's basically to shut us up and avoid a law suit until they can get the fix in place. He didn't give us any timeframe at all for the fix. We are going to be bugging the crap out of him for the next few months for updates. If a fix isn't at least on the horizon in the next few months, we WILL pursue the lemon law. It is definitely in our rights to do so.

To get the warranty we are meeting with him next week for some paperwork to fill out. I think they will probably just use their contract paperwork for when you purchase a warranty, but it will be at $0 cost.

Oh, and I believe the warranty is transferrable if we would have PURCHASED it, but since Mazda is giving it to us it may not be, don't know for sure. But, we really don't give two hoots if it's transferrable or not, because all we care about is that this van holds up while we own it. We aren't paying for the warranty, it's just our assurance that if the trans falls out of the car several years from now because of this defect, Mazda will have to replace it. The rest of the bumper-to-bumper coverage on the warranty is just icing on the cake!!

danog · December 2003

The reason I ask is because we had our Certified Pre-Owned 2002 TL/S bought back because of the widely known problems with their transmissions. Some had it, others didn't. Ours had 5 in under 32,000 miles so we worked a deal for them to buy it back less $1500 (two payments and down payment). We only had it two months. Acura declined to meet with us or even get involved since it was used. They really stand behind their CPO vehicles don't they? NOT!!!!

We bought a 2004 MPV and at 3000 miles, no problems with the tranny. The drivers side power door doesn't close completely sometimes and the sulfer smell comes and goes.

***Hint - Try talking with the dealers GM, not the SM or anyone else. The GM has the ability to make the decision and consult directly with the owner(s). Document everything, the conversations, service, time spent waiting on replies and anything pertaining to your issue. If you've only had it a month or so, tell them you want to rewind the deal.

If you really want to know why it takes so long for a correction, take a look at the 16MB document for the Acura's tranny issue and pay close attention to the tests the engineers ran. You certainly wouldn't want a correction that fixed the problem temporarily and have a failure later. It's all about how much it'll cost.

That 7yr/100mile warranty is the same "good faith" offer that Acura offered to owners covering multiple year and makes. It is only worth it if you can get beyond the problems you have and dismiss the inconvenience it may cause. The next offer will be taking your current vehicle back for trade on another vehicle on their lot.

Our states Asst. Attorney General and several local friends in the car business really helped during our troubles. I only hope this 04 MPV we bought doesn't start having issues.

If your not sure about your purchase and have any reservation, hold off or find something else. Spend your hard earned money wisely!

Happy New Year!
Dano

tccmn1 · January 2004

Well, The dealer didn't get all the necessary parts to fix my side airbag accident in time for the Holiday, but they got me a RENTAL Town and Country Grand 03 to use for our trip to WI.. That was nice, but it also proved to me that I'm glad I did NOT choose the Chrysler product when I purchased my MPV last winter. The T&C does have some neat features; windows remain operable after you shut car off for 30 seconds, as does radio. But the vehicle just doesn't seem to have the quality of the MPV....nor the power either. Of course, being a GRAND, it's like a motor home compared to the MPV!!

Anyway, my airbag should be fully assembled tomorrow and have my MPV back tomorrow evening or Saturday AM. I guess they had a devil of a time figuring out why the airbag light on the dash kept blinking after they had fixed the seat...evidently, since there was no collision to cause the deployment, they didn't realize the sensor still had to be replaced. So they figured it out after a half day and ordered that now too.

What a messy expense for them AND inconvenience for me. I figure, this is costing the dealer about $1K total; Van rental from Enterprise for 3 days plus fixing the side airbag which is not cheap!

Plus the tech. got the brunt of the bang and had quite a chaffed face from the explosion. Lessons to be learned.

alf928 · January 2004

Just an update. We sent a letter off to Mazda Corp to invoke our rights under the lemon law back in Nov. Haven't heard a thing yet. Its very aggravating, to say the least. Since then, we had our 03 MPV back at the dealer on Dec 12th to "fix" for the 5th time. Two weeks later, we experienced problems with the door again, not closing flush, popping back open when you try to close it. We are operating the doors manualy for now. We also have been occasionally experiencing a hard shift, not all the time.

notasoccermom · January 2004

danog: It's Mazda offering us the 7/100K warranty because of our hard shifting 2004 MPV that we purchased in Nov '03 that they admitted they can't fix yet. It started doing it at 500K miles, and has been chronic ever since. Now yesterday it just started doing it before the van is warmed up--used to never do it when the engine was cold. Although the hard shift isn't slamming as bad as it did at first. Now it's just a softer "clunk" into third gear. Still not good.

Alf928: I wouldn't hold your breath about a buyback of your van, Mazda told us they will NOT do a buyback or swap under any circumstances and we'd have to sue them. They probably filed your letter in the circular file. They are really wonderful, aren't they??!! I think the worst part about this whole thing is that Mazda just doesn't give a d***. Maybe a letter from a lawyer would work?

danog · January 2004

My question was mostly sarcastic but both Acura and Mazda appear to be tossing the 7yr/100K warranty to appease their upset customers. Have you really put 500K miles on your MPV in two months? I'm guessing it should have been 500 miles.
As for a buyback, it is not going to be an option easily attained. I'm sure it depends on each case. Whether Mazda or any other manufacturer cares or not isn't factored into the decision. How many owners would return their purchase if it were as easy as taking something back to Wal-Mart.
The fact remains a dealer and the manufacturer should stand behind their product.

rotarykid · January 2004

Never touch the rotors after driving- they will be too hot no matter how far you have driven or how much you have been braking. The rotors make some contact with the pads even when the brake pedal is not applied and that friction is enough to make it extremely hot. Any ABS sensor issues should not have interupted normal braking.

bigdadi · January 2004

Recently Consumer Report rated the MVP as No.3 right behind Sienna and Oddessey. That is the reason I bought MVP because it's 4-5 thousands of cheaper than these 2. I will surely email CR inviting them to look at this forum and probably CR will mention and warn new buyers about the HARD SHIFT problem that Mazda can't fix. Maybe CR will lower the MVP rating in near future.

Why threre're so many transmission problems? It seems pretty hard to find a mini-van without tranny issues.

notasoccermom · January 2004

Actually, we are at 3K miles now. We bought it right before Thanksgiving, and have made 2 trips in it from Ohio to Illinois which accounts for all the miles. Plus my husband has a 20-mile each way commute to work each day.

danog · January 2004

I'm with you, why are there so many transmission problems? IMO, it is the electronically controlled trannys. If I start having any problems we'll be at the service center and have them check it out. We are only @ 1700 miles.

So far I'm pleased with the MPV and only miss some minor features that the new Sienna has. For the money though, I think it to be the best choice available.

rumor24 · January 2004

I don't know that they would care either. I tried to contact them about an issue with the mpv and I got this very generic letter. I asked them why the internet version rates the mpv as recommended and the book in stores does not have the recommended mark. They skirted the issue and I never really got a good answer. The illinois highway and safety just knocked the mpv down the list in their ratings also. There are now 4/5 in front of the mpv for safety ratings. Can you believe that ford beat out the mpv? I think mazda is going to heck in a hand basket since ford stepped in. Maybe that is the plan, eliminate the competition to make ford look better. Turn mazda into poo so everyone will buy ford again. I will for sure never buy mazda again and some of the dealerships are swaying people towards other brands on their lots so they dont have to deal with angry customers. Even in Chicago they are not pushing them like they normally would. I think I will go back to toyota again after this. Sorry to say, this was a very expensive mistake for me.

bigdadi · January 2004

Even for Toyota, there're problems on 2004 Sienna about tranny and rattles. Check the 2004 Sienna problem forum before spending your hard earned cash.

I think the Japanese transmission company, The JATCO is main cause. Any car using JATCO's tranny has the potential tranny issues.

rumor24 · January 2004

Oh I would not buy right away, I just got this 04 in november. I 6 more years to go if I keep it after the waurentee is up. If the body holds up after the 4 years, I may trade it or replace the guts altogether. I have been reading up on the jatco thing, but reguardless mazda should step up and do the right thing. They chose jatco and it was the wrong choice, bite the bullet and make it right, change trannys and get back into the game.

mpvky · January 2004

I purchased an 03 MPV LX about 2 months ago and began noticing the hard shift at about 600miles. Like many other owners that have left messages here I have been getting the run-aruond from Mazda, my dealer and the service department. They did try to fix it once by reprogramming the shift patterns and seemed to smooth out the overall shifting for about 100 miles but then it started again. Since then every time I call they tell me "Mazda is aware of the problem and we will let you know when they find a solution". I don't know about anyone else out there but that just isn't good enough especially when you put down money for a new car. Anyone with more information regarding the hard shift problem please let me know. I need to gather all the info I can before taking legal action.

mratl · January 2004

My keyless entry stopped working for my 96 MPV. I tried searching around to see about reprogramming or other ideas but found nothing useful. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
mike

backy · January 2004

The remotes are eight years old--maybe their batteries are dead?

bottgers · January 2004

......have been around for the last 80 years or so, someone would be able to get it right by now. There doesn't seem to be any company out there that can build a reliable and durable auto tranny. At any rate, Mazda needs to step up and take care of their customers on this and quit pretending that this isn't a real issue.

backy · January 2004

There doesn't seem to be any company out there that can build a reliable and durable auto tranny.

How about GM? Or BMW?

bottgers · January 2004

????? They have their problems too.

backy · January 2004

I just haven't heard as much about their problems I guess, compared to those of Chrysler (minivans), Honda, Mazda, Toyota etc. I've always heard Hydramatic is one of GM's strongest components, along with Delco A/C.

notasoccermom · January 2004

I have a 2001 Chevy Impala and the trans failed at 13K miles. Some part was defective within it. They had to take the whole thing apart and rebuild it--twice--because the new part they first replaced it with was defective also. It took 2 weeks for me to get my car back. I have no faith in any make of car these days, we thought we'd be doing better by buying a Japanese made (mostly) car. I've heard of lots of Impala's have trans problems, and steering column problems which mine had as well.

jeff_nh · January 2004

2003 LX purchased in November. We have been experiencing the hard shift problem. More so when I drive than my wife, must be the way I accelerate. Anyhow, seeing as there is no solution I don't want to even waste my time bringing the van in for service at this time. Who should I notify first that I have the problem though, service dept, mazda, dealer? I didn't think buying a new car would mean I would have to start making these types of calls.

dan2004 · January 2004

Purchased a Mazda oil filter for my 2004 MPV for $6.50 at the dealer and then took it to Autozone to see how it matches up with aftermarket filters. The Mobil 1 & Bosch filters look smaller (although the SKU was specified as correct in the parts book) but I was happily surpised to find that the Motorcraft 820S (Ford) was identical in every detail and cost $3.64.

For do-it-yourselfers, the original filter has a somewhat unusual shape and requires an oil-filter wrench to put on. I found that a universal oil filter wrench found at Wal-Mart (orange color) fits perfectly. Please note you do have to tighten the canister 1 full turn after hand-tightening.

notasoccermom · January 2004

The proper protocol is to go ahead and take it to the dealership for service. You have to at least let them make an attempt to diagnose/fix the problem even though we know they won't be able to. Have them document on your service order that they found the problem but cannot fix it. That is your evidence if you decide to pursue further action against Mazda either through legal avenues (lemon law) or further up the food chain with Mazda. We demanded to meet with our regional Mazda service rep, and at least got the extended warranty out of him. They apparently are working on a fix but I'd cover yourself by taking it in for the documentation that it's got the problem, and to get yourself on the list for the fix.

tomj5 · January 2004

Maybe Mazda should change their slogan....

How about ZOOM BANG BANG ZOOM

OR CHITTI CHITTI BANG BANG ZOOM (lol,, lol)

Tj

danog · January 2004

That made me laugh!

I've been fairly lucky to drive several vehicles from different manufacturers in the past 15 years and only until the past two years have I ever been reading about or discussing tranny issues. Every manufacturer has had problems so none are immune to this topic. I'd have to say that most older style trannys are better so leave this electronic control out of the mix. Or at least run them through the QA department before releasing them and see what happens.

Has anyone verified that the Jatco tranny is used in all these makes having issues? This is the first mention of this I've seen, but I really haven't been looking for it either.

bottgers · January 2004

.....with a powerglide tranny that lasted 309K miles. I guess they don't make trannies like that anymore. Maybe I should look into putting one in our MPV.

tomj5 · January 2004

That is a good question. Why do the late model trannies have rough shifting problems?
My Theory is that the so called smart trannies were invented not for the customer but, to enable the car to pass the enviromental and milage requirements imposed by the government..
Like anything the government gets into, it doesn't work.
The problem as I see it, is that the software control program is designed to keep the power train in a narrow range of parameters to meet government requirements.
But, humans being what they are, operate the car outside the limited parameters and thus "confuse" the dumb software. So the next step is for the government to create a mandatory training program for all drivers to "learn" how to drive government controled cars...
If that fails then raise taxes so high no one can afford a car and must use government mass transit, which nobody in their right mind will use unless forced...
Problem Solved....
I prefer "Chitti, Chitti, Bang, Bang, Zooooom"
Or look at it this way, the Bang, Bang keeps you awake... Better than mass transit.
That is my guess why Mazda is having a hard time changing the software. They don't want to P--- off the government if the car falls outside of government requirements...
Tj

tomj5 · January 2004

Hey guys and gals check out this site..

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/automatic-transmission8.htm

Tj

oldmedic · January 2004

OK I read about this hypergrounding on some models of Infinity and Nissan, but none of these folks were trying to really fix a major problem. True, they claim to get better acceleration, smoother shifting, and smoother idle, but at this point anything is worth a try. Must admit the battery ground on the MPV is really tiny. Smallest battery cable I've ever seen.

tomj5 · January 2004

That is a great idea. I know from experience a noisy ground will drive a computer nuts... The problem is that it may take several straps. The battery ground is but one of many. The next question to ask is what does the computer consider ground. Sometimes chassis ground may not be the same as the "computer Logic ground". But assume that they are the same. A ground cable common with the battery ground cable should be run to the tranny frame(gaskets and rubber shock mounts isolate frame from engine ground) as close to the TCM as possible... Fuzzy logic converts analog(voltage level) signals to digital code so noise in that loop will cause serious problems... Also cables that are too small for the current load will cause voltage drops that will cause problems... Grounding is a good bet..

Tj

tomj5 · January 2004

Yeah you are right. I checked my MPV with 4 seasons pack(big battery) and that is a crappy ground cable. It is way too small. The kids have bigger cables on their motorcycles... The cable runs from the battery to a car body (body ground) (not engine block) right below the battery. Where moisture and battery acid can get to the ground point. Another small cable runs from that point to an engine ground... That is the dumbest grounding system I have ever seen...
The battery ground should run to the engine block close to the starter and another cable should run to the tranny frame and a third cable to the car body..
My MPV runs good because of the dry desert where I live. Plus the big battery doesn't fume as much as a smaller one..... biomed_eng has hit on a very good possible solution..........

dan2004 · January 2004

Perhaps to use cables with alligator clips (in addition to stock setup) to test various grounding alternatives to see if they make a difference?

biomed_eng · January 2004

I tried to delete my "Post 3352" because I am in violation of forum rules by linking to other forums. It didn't delete for some reason.

Back on subject...marketers call it HyperGrounding but in all reality it is merely fixing the poor grounding that Mazda provides.

As any electrical engineer knows, "good" grounds are EXTREMELY important for low noise logic performance (i.e. computer controlled shifting), high current actuation (i.e. transmission solenoids), and reliability and consistency in design and performance.

Ask your dealer if they have pursued this avenue.

biomed_eng · January 2004

1. You can try the "before and after" method. My suggestion:
a. hearty connection from the transmission to the chassis (at least 6 ga).
b. hearty connection from the battery to the chassis (at least 4 ga).
c. from the transmission ecu (location??) to the chassis (at least 10 ga).

2. If you are an EE or tech and have an o-scpoe or digital voltage recorder, drive around and monitor the voltage between the above three suggestions one at a time and see which fluctuates or if there is any correlation between shiting moments and ground potential shifts or spikes/drops. Troubleshoot from your observations.

Collect many happy smiles

from MPV owners when you find the offending ground point or points.

eapking · January 2004

Bought a 2003 MPV ES new in August. Took me a couple of weeks to realize the drivers side seat (leather) is highly uncomfortable. Feels like a couple of rocks under the right side of the seat bottom. If I sit a certain way it's not too bad. On a long trip I think I'd have to be hospitalized (ha). Has anyone else had this trouble? What are my chances getting this fixed under warranty. Due to go in any day now for 3k mi. check up.

declansdad · January 2004

My DW and I purchased our 03 LX in August. Since then, I have noticed hard shifting from 2nd to 3rd gears, but only when the traction control is engaged. This past weekend, our family went on a road trip and I experimented with the traction control feature--results: whenever the traction control was turned off, no hard shifting. I wonder if the software for the TC is causing some problems for the automatic transmission?

YMMV,

Michael

dan2004 · January 2004

Perhaps the best place to start is to check that all existing ground straps and connections are tight.

stever · January 2004

A bit more info is in the Grounding Kit discussion.

Steve, Host

bottgers · January 2004

Personally, I could live with the hard shifting. It's not that big of an annoyance. The ONLY thing that worries me about it is what it's going to do to the tranny in the long run. I don't want to drive the van without the dealer being able to fix the problem, only to have the tranny scatter all over the road the day after my warranty expires. That's my only issue with the hard shifting tranny.

dtownfb · January 2004

bottgers: I would take it in to the dealer to look at and get the stiuation documented. So if something were to happen to your tranny, at least it is on record.

Mazda MPV: Problems & Solutions

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles

Mazda MPV: Problems &amp; Solutions

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles

Mazda MPV: Problems & Solutions