Mazda MPV: Problems & Solutions

anaralai · September 2004

Starts fine but no power when you step on gas pedal. Also, there is a high pitch sound on the rt side on the engine. No problem on shifting. WE already cleaned the fuel injections parts but still no power. Can somebody be so kind to help me find the solutions, please? Thanks!!!

dtownfb · September 2004

mpvmom: what state did you buy our MPV in? NY has very strict emmission standards, similar to California. if you did purchase it out of state, your vehicle may not meet NYC emmission standards. If you did purchase it in NY, check your manual. I believe there is an emmission warranty on your vehicle for 5 yrs/ 50k miles or something like that. It should state it in the manual.

And do not have the fuel induction service done.

Also I would call the Mazda consumer information (check your manual for a phone number)line and expalin your problem to them. They should be more helpful then the dealeship

PF_Flyer · September 2004

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metsfan1 · September 2004

Hi, all! I'm a newbies (as a driver, MPV owner and member of this group). I bought the van last Saturday (77 mile on it, including the 5 or so of my test driving) and I found out the same day (after the deal was done) the rear AC was not working. I got it fixed on Monday, but found another huge problem: when I tried to drive it out of the dealer's parking lot, and put the gear on "D", it's not moving. The mechanics witnessed the problem and told me it's actually on "N" even though the screen showed it's "D". After he moved the gear a couple of time, it became normal again. He told me he saw that problem before and asked me to bring it in if it happened again. Has any of you experienced such a problem? I'm really quite disappointed and am a little bit scared (wondering whether something funny will happen on the road). Thanks for your input!

scott31 · September 2004

Ours had the issue that if you went into 3 or 2 or 1 it didn't show properly. Dealer did a quick adjustment, works fine.

subearu · September 2004

Yes, there is a TSB for an adjustment to the shift inhibitor that sounds like the issue you're having. Don't sweat it. It's a warranty fix, and an easy adjustment. Take it in.

-Brian

notasoccermom · September 2004

Well, I'm glad to hear most everybody's MPV's have been fixed since the latest TSB. Mine hasn't. Mine was doing the 2-3 hard shift (the violent one) almost every time. The recall in January was done and that's completely gone. Then it was fine for about 2-3 months. We took it in for an oil change, our regular service manager was out of town and some brilliant service manager taking his place saw that it didn't have the latest TSB update to the TCM, so they performed it without asking us if anything was wrong with the van. It's been all screwed up again ever since. Our regular service manager was p.o.'d and he even had a "lock" on our service account to prevent any more updates to be done to the van since it was working fine. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?? Well somehow the sub got around it and did this update. Now, it never seems to be in the right gear for the conditions. It's like it's "confused"! It spontaneously downshifts going down hills, and does an occasional violent hard shift from 1-2. It hesitates something awful from a stop and doesn't downshift when you ask it to unless you "floor" it. Then it downshifts TOO hard and lurches forward. It's in the shop for the 3RD time since then for another reflash, and we told them if it's not fixed, they've had strike 3 and we are pursuing the lemon law. I am so disraught over this whole thing because other than the transmission problems, we LOVE the van and have had no other problems except for 2 very minor ones that have been easily fixed. Once for the airbag recall, and once for the airflow of the dashboard vents. I don't know what I'd replace it with if they did take it back.......They said they are going to probably put in a new TCM this time and see if that helps. Thank goodness we have an AWSOME dealership service department and he always takes my word for it when I tell him something ain't right, even if they can't reproduce the problem.

asa0526 · September 2004

Dear ZoomZoomfan,

I also have the problem of clunking (from R to D).
Dealer told me it was the brakes so I will bring it in for a brake check (BrakeMasters - they do it for free).

Otherwise, the only problem I had was the PCV valve (fixed by recall).
My van is in the shop right now for the PCV and fan control module recalls.

I have a 2002 LX - with 53,000 miles.

asa0526 · September 2004

Under ther right rear tire wheel well, you should see a black hard plastic over the tire. This might be loose.
My left one is loose and is causing a noise.
Go check this out.

kentwong · September 2004

My 04 transmission had been reflashed since April. I'd been told that it's the latest TCM update. It has NOT been shifted smoothly than how I expected it should since then. It feels kinda jerky when the gear shifted from first to second(@3000 RPM) and then from seceond to third. I am not sure if that is what you're experiencing. The transmission reacts even worse when driving in slow traffic. Also it will upshift instead of holding onto the lower gear when I drive uphill. I am think about taking it to a transmission shop and ask for some expert advise.

notasoccermom · September 2004

Mine behaves a lot like you described, especially in stop and go traffic. Except occasionally from 1st-2nd I get the same hard shift I used to get from 2nd-3rd, where it sticks in 1st gear then "clunks" into second. A friend of mine was in the van with me when it happened one time and she said "Gosh! What was that!", so it's definitely noticeable even to someone in the passenger seat. Mine doesn't upshift going up a hill like yours does, it stays in the lower gear. Sometimes though it should upshift, because it gets to revving so high that it really should go to the next gear up but instead it revs really high and sticks there until I reach the top of the hill. Other cars I've driven up the same steep hill usually upshift at a certain point to relieve the torque on the engine. It also downshifts when coasting down a hill with the accelerator not depressed. It really should just go into neutral or overdrive when your foot's off the gas in my experience with other cars. I got it back tonight with a brand new TCM installed. My service manager said even though the old one was being reflashed, there is still some memory in the TCM that doesn't "reset" with a reflash. He really thinks this should do the trick. We also recently bought a Mazda3 that behaves completely normally, but it's a 4-speed auto without the adaptive learning tranny. I like it much better but my husband won't give it up.....!! I guess we weren't too unhappy with Mazda since we bought another one. It was really just the best choice in it's class and more car for the money, just like the MPV was.

jipster · September 2004

I've read about this adaptive learning transmission the MPV has. It learns the drivers habits and adjusts accordingly. Well, what if more than 1 person drives the thing? No wonder the transmission is going psycho. Every time it thinks it has it figured out...somebody new hops in to drive it...it gets some type of transmission anuryisum and has to start all over again. These 5 speed auto transmissions all seem to be having problems.Doesn't seem to be that much of a difference between a 4 and 5 speed...why fix what isn't broke?

notasoccermom · September 2004

I completely agree, I'd be much happer with just a plain ol' transmission, thank you very much. This thing's more trouble than it's worth. And we do both drive the van. I drive it to work every day, and my husband drives it on the weekends when we all go out with the kids. It's so much easier to get the toddler in and out of the van than the Mazda3. Lots of families do this sort of thing, so the van should be able to be driven by more than one person!!

stacksclan · October 2004

When you refer to your transmission issues, are you talking about a jerking feeling when you drive the car at a slow speed? I love my MPV, but on occasion, my car jerks when I'm accelerating slowly and then take my foot off the gas pedal slightly. I'm worried that I have a transmission problem (only 6000 miles on my MPV), but maybe it's a result of the issue you're discussing. My husband does drive my car on the weekend. What has your experience been?

jipster · October 2004

stacks, my transmission problem on July 1,2004 MPV has happened on one occasion. Last week my wife was driving in slow stop and go traffic. She was accelerating gradually up to around 20 mph when she had a hard shift(jerk),then the van lunging forward to where she had to apply brake.After talking to dealer they said they could not duplicate problem and their were no codes or problems when they ran diagnostics test.Said they couldnt do anything and if it happened near dealer to bring it back in. I'll bring it back in if it happens again whether its near the dealer or not. These type of problems are difficult to diagnois and fix.But hey, thats their problem not mine. Have you taken your van in to be looked at? It may need the updated reflashing program to the transmission (TCM)

tccmn1 · October 2004

I've been monitoring the problems here for the past two years and hadn't heard about THIS one yet. Mine is a 2003 LX bought in 3/03. I have taken very good care of this unit. Recently, I was wiping under the doors (with them open) and noticed RUST coming thru a weld seem on the passenger door! The paint is bubbling up and I could pop the bubbles with my finger. I took it into the only "St. Paul" MN. dealer we have and the manager said: "How much did you pay for this? I stated alot. He said, there is no such thing as a perfect vehicle. Every year they come out with better ones, but not perfect ones. That lit me up! I chirped about the tranny, fog lamp recall, pcv, fan, etc. recalls and he just said- there ya go." What an attitude! He is to let the 'regional' Mazda rep know of my problem. He said he has seen it all when I asked him if he had seen this problem before...what an evasive tactic. No remorse about rust on a vehicle that is 1.5 years old with 35K miles on it! Just a 'whatever' attitude.

Has anyone else seen this rust problem yet? If not, it sounds like it's not going to be a big deal...right! I had a DC Van and had similar issues AFTER 5 YEARS though and Chrysler stood behind it and REPLACED the door! Mazda will probably put duck tape on it and spray paint it with some rustolium stuff...whatever!

Karen_S · October 2004

The Mazda 6 had some rust (I believe Mazda referred to it as a "stain".) issues also, but this is the first I recall hearing about it with the MPV. You might want to search the 6 P&S topic for "rust".

notasoccermom · October 2004

Yes, the transmission "jerk" is a hard shift between gears, and it is definitely a BIG issue with these vans. If the dealership told you they couldn't reproduce the problem and gave you back the van unrepaired, demand that they review their TSB's (tech service bulletins), they should see that this is a common problem and do a TCM reflash. I don't think this problem would show up on diagnostics, my dealership never even bothered to try to reproduce the problem or run diags. They knew right away what I was talking about and didn't doubt me for a second. The reflash was done 3 times on mine and didn't fix the problem however. The "shift shock" as they call it is sporadic and hard to reproduce, but it's still a problem that really exists. They finally went ahead and completely replaced my TCM last week, and so far so good, but it's always perfect the 1st week after I get it back. I'm not holding my breath, we'll see how it is after it "learns" my driving habits again. I'm not letting my husband drive it for 2 weeks so it doesn't get "confused" and can adjust to just my driving habits for now. I'll keep everyone posted.

jipster · October 2004

They(the dealer)said it had the latest reflash. The van was bought new in July.I didn't really care for the service managers attitude though. That since they couldn't duplicate the problem there was "nothing they could do" Stated if I was in close proximity to the dealership to bring it in to see if they could duplicate it. They wish they would be able to get rid of me that easily. The slightest hickup and it goes back in.If you don't mind write back in about a month and let us know how the new TCM is doing.I think instead of having a smart transmission that learns...I would rather have an older dumb one that just shifts when it is suppose to.

jipster · October 2004

tccmn1, I read a post in the MPV club a while back. It also had a problem as you described. The van was only a couple years old. Can't really recall where the rust was located. He took it into the dealer and had it fixed. I believe the MPV has the rust proof warranty for 10 years/100,000 miles. So, take it in and tell them to fix the rust and hold the duck tape and rustolium.

kentwong · October 2004

"the transmission "jerk" is a hard shift between gears"
After replacing the TCM, could you feel the gear shifted at all?

cher · October 2004

I am looking at buying a 2000 MPV. I have no experience with these minivans and have a few questions for all of you owners.
It is mentioned in the Lemon-aide book that the 2000 model has power problems because it doesn't have a large enough engine for the size. Also it mentions that it is not good for winter driving because of the light rearend.
It anyone has any info on this as it seems like a great minivan but these issues worry me.

Karen_S · October 2004

Welcome to the Town Hall.

This discussion was created in March of 2000. Start on page one and scroll through reading the posts that interest you. It may take some time, but the info and opinions you're seeking are all here.

cher · October 2004

Hi Karen
I have actually scrolled through many of the posts and have seen nothing mentioning winter driving.
Cher

jipster · October 2004

cher,you'll have to test drive the 2000 yourself to see if it meets your power needs.
In reguards to the "light rearend" you could always throw some dead weight(cement blocks,weightlifting weights, husband)into the rear seat area for added traction. Good Luck.

Karen_S · October 2004

Okay...perhaps you'll have better luck on the Vans board. Try entering "winter driving" in the discussion search in this discussion.

My 2000+ Mazda MPV

javadoc · October 2004

Cher, I thought my 2000 MPV was superb for winter driving (living in Alaska even). Really, just about any fwd vehicle is going to handle winter weather fairly well. I never really thought the 2.5L V6 in the 2000 MPV was too underpowered. Sure, not the most powerful thing out there, but sufficient.

As far as it being difficult to drive in the winter due to a light rear end, this doesn't make sense. Being a fwd vehicle, traction is coming from the front end of the van, and rear weight will only reduce front axle traction. If you threw sandbags in the back, you'd accomplish two things. First, you'd change the weight distribution of the van to the rear more, and off of the drive wheels, reducing traction. Second, it will make the rear end of the van tend to want to come around, because you'll be adding weight behind the rear axles, which is never good.

Perhaps the comment you read about rear lightness was from a 89-98 MPV. These were rwd and 4wd vehicles, and I can see the comment applying to those rather than the 2000> MPVs.

HTH

jipster · October 2004

The weight distribution would be more evenly balanced over the body of the van which will increase traction. Any vehicle with an engine in the front is going to have the better traction in the front.you wouldn't reduce front axle traction...the weight will still be there. I sandbagged some of my old FWD wagons many a winter with much better traction and no problem with the rear end wanting to come around. If the rear end coming around with weight in the back was a problem...people would be telling you not to sit anybody in the back seat in winter conditions.

cher · October 2004

Thanks for your comments they are very helpful and will make my decision to go with the MPV a much easier one.
Cher

cynthia1 · October 2004

My 2003 MPV has a similar hard shift--it jumps into gear.

Also, we have a severe heat problem in the rear luggage area (3rd seat down) In the summer a long trip resulted in the luggage almost burning. We were told by the dealer that there is no rear heat shield in this model ie. "live with it" We carry a fire extinguisher now. Anyone else have this problem?

tccmn1 · October 2004

Talked to the dealer today who said that the rust will be fixed by their body shop next week. There will be no cost to me on THIS time...but would be in the future. Again, this rust is on the inner seam of the passenger door. MPV has 36K miles on it at this time. Sad, but true, cars still do have a rust problem these days. Warranty against rust on the MPV's only covers rust that perforates thru the OUTTER surface, not seams, like my problem....nice! It will be interesting to see how bad my $30K vehicle will look after it's paid for in 4 years! Could be a rust bucket by then!! Again, dealer made it sound like these things will happen...so deal with it.

ronr8 · October 2004

After changing numerous flats ( too many to recall) the spare tire hoist mechanism on my 2000 MPV has finally broken. I took it off and the cable has become frayed and can no longer function. Any ideas of where to find one of these besides the dealership? I'm sure it will be extremely expensive so I'm thinking of rigging something that would suffice.

stever · October 2004

Mine busted on my old '89 Voyager (I couldn't prove it, but I think an overzealous mechanic with a air wrench snapped the cable).

Anyway, I found one at a junkyard and it was an easy bolt-on job (~$80 iirc). Maybe try eBay or craigslist.org too.

Steve, Host

cynthia1 · October 2004

Anyone had a problem with excessive heating in the floor of the 2003 MPV

gonefishing · October 2004

I have a 2000 MPV with 109,000 miles on it. It just started that jerking thing back about 98,000 miles. But if you take it out of overdrive (overdrive off) it runs just fine. The only bad thing about this van is that it is in overdrive when you start it up. A friend I know that has been working on cars for the last 30 years. Told me that the tork converter was going out on it. That is why it only happens in overdrive. We took it in to have the oxygen sensor replaced back in the summer. The dealer shorted out the PC. Then try ed to get me to pay for a new one. $800.00 All hell broke loose over that. Ended up with a free rent a car for 2 days and the van with a new PC. "No Charge" But that is when the jerking started. I would like to know more about the TCM. What is that?

lazyfox · October 2004

No problem with our 2002 ES, but the ES has the privacy smoked glass, so I do not know if that makes any difference.

soxmpv · October 2004

My wife brought in our 2000 MPV for an oil change at the dealership. She has been bringing it there for all maintenance. This time they told her that the drain plug was stripped and the oil pan had to be replaced. She didn't see many options so she had it done and they charged her $280. I was a little upset that they charged us for this repair, as they were the ones to strip it. I went down to the dealership and was told that the oil pan was made of aluminium and this happened often.

My questions, have others heard of this and what are my options to get reimbursed?

Any help would be appreciated.

jipster · October 2004

Gonefishing, I'm no expert.But, since no one else has tried to answer your question I will. The TCM is the transmission control module. It is "suppose" to learn your driving habits and tells the transmission when to shift accordingly.
If it started jerking or having hardshift problems at 98,000 it sounds like it may be something other than the TCM.I belive most of the hardshift problems have occured with 2002-early 2004 models. Many people have taken their MPV in to have the TCM "reflashed" which is a way of reprogramming the TCM so that it will shift more smoothly. There has also been a recall on the PCV valve. It sounds as if your dealer may have screwed up putting in the PC.

jipster · October 2004

You're probably gonna have to fight for this one soxmpv. There are no dealer recalls on drain plugs and pans to my knowledge.Which indicates it has not been a major problem. Therefore, the only other possible explaination for the damage is that they overtightened the drainplug.The fact that it happens often is irrelevant. It may be prone to stripping if the mechanic isn't careful with tightening to the proper specifications.But, thats not your fault...it would be the dealers.Fight for reinbursement of the entire $280. Threaten to go to the Mazda regional rep and the BBB. They may offer to reimburse you for half. Up to you whether you should take it or not. Stay on their case and you should win. You are right...they broke it...they should fix it. Good luck.

ab03lx · November 2004

Does your MPV have a rear A/C unit? If not, the vent under the 3rd row seat only emits HOT air. Yes - HOT only.

You can just turn the rear vent off to solve the problem.

cynthia1 · November 2004

Brilliant--The problem is solved--Thanks

2000mpv · November 2004

I am interested in your problem related to the Overdrive. Our 2000 mpv with 65K miles has been bucking like a mad cow. Everywhere we bring it, people give us a different answer.
1. Torque converter clutch solenoid
2. Missfire from #2 cylinder
3. Transmission replacement !!! yikes!!
4. Tune Up
5. Cat converter plugged

This what seems like a missfire, happens even when the car is in park, which leads me toward bad plugs or some other timing issue.

Do you have any suggestions for me? I really appreciate it.

stoutclan3 · November 2004

HELP!
Problem: fog lights did not work so i traced the wiring back from lamps to relay to the switch on my dash. that took about 2 hours. now the wire on the other side of the switch (the +12v side) i could not find where it went (other then going into a massive maze of a wire harnesses) so i hooked it up to the aux. fuse in the fuse box inside by my feet. it works great and will turn off when van is turned off. bbbuuutttt.... the engine light comes on now every time i start the van. Q,is the wiring so sensitive that its finding it a problem or did i screw it up. Q, can this be disabled. please,someone help me.if this poses no problem in itself it still may mask a real problem that may come up later.

subearu · November 2004

The CE (an engine symbol) will illuminate for the following reasons (from page 5-27 of the 2002 Owners Manual):
 The fuel tank level being very low or approaching empty.
 The engines electrical system has a problem.
 The emission control system has a problem.
 The fuel-filler cap is missing or not tightened securely.

You can have the code(s) read at a local AutoZone, typically for free. That's the best place to start, since it will tell you what is wrong. You might have accidentally unplugged something, or perhaps it's coincidental that there is a real issue with something.

Also, OBDII can NOT be disabled. You can disconnect the battery to clear the light, but if the condition still exists when you restart the van, the light will illuminate again.

-Brian

stoutclan3 · November 2004

Brilliant--The problem is solved-- jiggled wiring harness and tweeked the fuel switches, no more engine light.

stoutclan3 · November 2004

My 2000 mpv's right drivers air vent pumps out cold air while the others are blowing hot. this seems crazy to me considering that all the vents are tapping off the same conduit behind the dash. Now i have taken the face off my dashboard and saw that there is no blockage ( diapers,toys,paper etc.)and it is blowing the same amount of air as the others so i can't figure out whats up. can anyone clear this one up for me. give me all your hot air! ha-ha-ha.

subearu · November 2004

According to mpvclub, there is a TSB that will address this - it's an adjustment to the venting system to direct the warm air in properly. Nothing major and should be addressed via warranty.

-Brian

stoutclan3 · November 2004

OK I'm stupid... whats the TSB ?

subearu · November 2004

technical service bulletin

it's just a document from corporate that explains details of a repair procedure. it's not a recall.

-Brian

stoutclan3 · November 2004

THANKS where do I find the TSB

Mazda MPV: Problems & Solutions

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Mazda MPV: Problems & Solutions