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Mazda MPV: Problems & Solutions
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Comments
Believe me, had that check engine light now come on, I'd have let a sleeping dog lie too!
After suffering for another two weeks, I took it to another dealer who said a coil was bad and the complete coil pack would need replaced (since they did not have a way of figuring which coil it was???). The coil pack turns out to be around $350.00 with another $300 for labor. It seems that the intake manifold needs removed to get to the rear coils/plugs.
To sum it up, for a tuneup, new coils and plugs - $750 with tax. The vehicle is only three years old. Is this going the be a regular expense? What goes with the "coil on the plugs idea"? Being an engineer, I pride myself in making good design decisions (most of time). This "coil on plug" thing is not one!
My verdict. I will pay the $750 dollars for a new coil pack and fix the vehicle if I must. I will never buy a Mazda again. Coils should last the life of the car. I have never replaced any in the past!
Have enjoyed the handling but want a smoother ride. My kids feel every bump
in the road riding in the back. I know very little about tires. Is one brand superior to another (Michelin, Firestone, etc.)? Looking for some helpful advice on this topic.
BTW, I haven't posted in 2 years, but I enjoy this site very much.
I have not had any major problems w/ my MPV. I purchased it when they only had the 3 yr. warranty, which just expired, so I keep my fingers crossed now!
Only real complaint is the lack of space in middle for an infant seat. Front passenger
is cramped due to seatback angle to accomodate baby seat. Makes long trips tiring!
Appreciate any advice on choosing new tires.
My MPV is at the Dealer now and they do not have a fix yet. I will post a fix if they can figure it out.
If all else fails I am going to disconnect the solenoid in the steering column.
What a great design! As the bulbs burn out in the future and if I get stopped by the cops for not having lights on my rear plate, I'll just tell them to call Mazda and have them take care of my 'fix-it ticket'!! I actually had several techs looking at it and trying to figure out a better way to replace the bulb....wow! BTW, it's the same design on the 05 Tribute and MPV! I checked them out on the show floor today. Lot's of luck.
Mazda vehicles are notorious for needing plug wires every 30,000 to 40,000 miles. (Most Mazda vehicles' owner's manuals even recommend replacing them at this interval -- which isn't too bad, since they only cost about $50 a set.) It's because of the engine design, with the plugs down inside the valve cover. The heat, along with a little moisture, breaks down the last few inches of the plug wires and causes them to arc after a while. It's been the same story with all the Mazda cars I've owned since 1991 (five in all). Same symptom every time -- engine hesitation.
I think you got taken to the cleaners. :sick:
When it happens again (around 83,000 miles), replace your plug wires -- yourself. It takes about five minutes, although I've done it in less than 2.
Meade
Scott
Put me down as another unhappy owner of an MPV. I like the vehicle, but our 2000 MPV has 83,000 miles and over the last five years we've had to replace the front wheel bearings, the lift cylinders for the rear hatch, the CD/radio, the alternator, a side door handle and blower motor. Most of that was covered under the extended warranty, but right after it ran out, the exhaust manifold started leaking and I had to pay over $900 to replace it! Asking Mazda for some assistance was a joke. Then the power door lock on the driver's side broke two days later. Fortunately, I was able to take it apart and repair the broken piece which probably saved me another $200.
When we bought the car I thought we were purchasing a well-made reliable vehicle. Ha! What a disappointment.You'd think a "not recommended" rating from Consumer Reports would motivate a manufacturer to improve their product and provide a better warranty. I guess they just figure there are enough new suckers to buy their products instead of keeping current customers happy.
You sound a bit confused. You're only out a little over $900 in five and a half years of ownership...doesn't sound to bad. With the items that have needed repaired, it sounds as if you may be driving/handling the van a little to rough.
The "not recommended" rating from Consumer Reports is on the 2005 model. The 2000 model rated well and has shown to be highly reliable. In 2002( I believe) they increased the warranty from 3 years/36,000 to 4 years/50,000 miles. The number of "new suckers" buying has fallen to such that Mazda may or may not offer it's next generation of MPV to the NA market.
To answer you question - the Mass Air Sensor was replaced, although I suggest you try cleaning it first with carb cleaner before spending the $$ to replace. I also replaced the spark plugs. I still do not buy the K&N filter theory - there are lots of things that can make an Air sensor dirty - but that appears to be Mazda's line if for no other reason than to get out of warranty repairs.
How does "rough driving" cause an alternator, rear lift cylinders, a CD player, blower motor or door handle to fail? Our MPV is in very good condition and most of the miles are from 2-3 long trips a year. And, the front wheel bearing needed replaced after the first year, so how much rough driving could we have done in such a short period?
Shouldn't a vehicle's reliability get better as bug are ironed out over the first few years rather than worse?
I have my problem with my mazda MPV model 93 . When i going over 40 MPH all is fine, but when take way with slow traffic my car increase the temperature of the engine.
Anybody know what happen with this problem??
Thank you,
ALEX
-Brian
The check engine light on my 2003 MPV just turned on yesterday while driving. The mileage is around 28,500 miles. It has had no problems to this point except for the harsh shifting I read about on these forums. I plan to take it in next week, but was hoping someone could clue me in on possible reasons for it to turn on. I am going to have the software upgrade at the same time
The tranny has nothing to do with the CEL, your OD OFF light will flash if there is an issue with the tranny. There is a TSB for the tranny to get reprogrammed, it's been out since May 2004. That should smooth out the 2->3 shift
-Brian
We'd recommend you bring it in and have them check and replace this hose. It'll be free as it's a recall item.
Hope this helps.
-Rob
-Brian
Our keys on our new MPV are those switch blade types. Very cool, except I can't get any key ring to fit into it. The ones we got with our Passat were easy to hook up, but I can't seem to get the Mazda's to fit. Are there only certain types of rings that fit or is there something else that I'm missing?
(please avoid any references to "something missing" and "your brain", thank you)
Vic
Frank
My compressor to my gas shocks is Kaput, and costs around a grand to buy just the part.
I do not want to spend that kind of money, and would like to find out if I could just put regular shocks on instead of replacing parts of the ALL system. In effect bypassing the load leveler. My ride is bumpy, and I keep bottoming out.
Is there anyone out there with similar problems,and what did you do to correct it?
Glenn
Thanks in advance for any advice!!!
I recently had a flat for the second time on my '02 MPV LX; rear passenger tire; I decided to replace the two fronts and move the Dunlop SP4000's in front to rear. I did research and Tire Rack recommended:
Continental Conti Premier Contact: 215/60, 94H (as opposed to 95H ont he dunlops).
I went to local auto shop that has serviced vehicle before and they agreed the Continentals were a good match and better than the Dunlops. I Ordered and installed tires with high speed balancing. Drove off of lot and my steering wheel was off about 1/8th of a turn to left. Went back to them; they tried for 2 hours to get an alignment and could not- stating some crap about the rear solid axle and not being able to adjust the wheels in the back; every time they thought they had it; it would go out. They recommended going back to dealer.
Dealer Performed 4 Wheel Alignment; better but car was still drifting left. Went back to dealer for some warranty work- they tried to fix again and now the problem is back to the steering wheel being off a slight turn to the left when driving straight down road. They dont understand it and since their rear sensor on their machine broke- they have asked me to come back again and promise to get it right when the machine is back up. The tech says he wil rotate front to back and re-align to see if its a problem with the tires.
What do you think? Did I make a mistake not buying and replacing all 4 tires? The car is only 2.75 years old with 24k on it and good tread life remains on the 2 remaining tires. Could the difference in load ratings create an issue? Did the shop that install the tires make a mistake- I have never heard of or seen this problem just replacing two tires and moving front to back. Could the new tires be defective? Are we dealing with a mechanical issue in the steering or suspension as the manager of the shop who installed the tires believe. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
I have been searching the internet and the posts for the following problem I have had with our MPV LX- '02 for about 18 mos now. There is a slight squeaking sound whenever you turn the steering wheel; it sounds like a rubber band or the sound a tire makes when turning on the floor of a cement garage. It has gotten progressively louder but not terrible as it is not a loud sound to begin with. The car drives fine.
During course of normal servicing by dealer (Maxon in Union NJ) over the past 18 mos- they have lubricated the steering column- but it still happens. The Tech says that this is a normal sound for the MPV's steering and that all Mazdas make that sound. On the last visit; they agreed to replace the "Clock Spring" and gave me a loaner. The sound seems better but not altogether gone; it can still be heard. Any thoughts? Is there another problem or a steering linkage problem?
Thanks
Thanks for your post. I'm looking at replacing the spark plugs on our Mazda MPV. It looks very difficult to access the rear spark plugs. How did you do it? (step by step:) Thanks for your help!!!
In New Jersey, I tried the Lemon law for a failed transmission at 60,000+ miles in a 2003 Mazda MPV. They said the law only applies for the first year. I believe those shifting problem really damage the transmission over time. Mazda will not help you if the transmission fails after the warranty is over. I should have bought a Toyota or Honda. At $3,500 for the repair, I could have saved that money by buying a Toyota or Honda.