Mazda MPV: Problems & Solutions

mrnyckk

Sorry to rub it in, but other than the recall for the emmissions and the upcomming bumper recall, I havent had any problems with my 2000 MPV. It has a manufacture date of 7/99 and we bought it in 10/99. It's got 5500 miles on it half highway half city driving, and the highway driving has averaged 80 mph (last week with the air on high)with no shaking or pulling. The only problem I have had is with the one rear speaker. One day it sounded like it had blown...popping and hissing....then the next day and ever since, it has sounded perfect...go figure

superbondo

Got a call from dealer guy today. He said the pulling is due to the tire so he rotates it to the back. Hope it works. Another thing is he said they can not do the bumper yet because he hooks my vin number to Mazda and there is no official recall. Does anybody already have the bumper upgraded?

meera

They just moved my front tires to the back and now there is no pulling OR SHAKING even at 85 MPH! I can't believe it!!! Finally! The service guy believes it has been out of alignment since delivery which caused the front tires to wear unevenly. Aligning it but leaving the tires in front left it still pulling and shaking slightly. Now the bad tires are in the back and it is driving great on the highway for the first time in 7000 miles and 5 visits to two different dealers! If the first dealer would have done their job my tires would probably not be ruined.

Superbondo- when was your van manufactured? Ours is 7/99. Make sure they check your alignment too! I have been told the bumper thing won't be until later this summer.

gene64

Got my MPV LX three days ago. Very nice car, but yesterday “check engine” indicator lights up. If I drive uphill its starts blinking and transmission or engine shakes all car. Did any one have something similar ???

zoew

I have the 6 CD changer. I think something is wrong with the Random function. It'll only play songs "randomly" on the last CD that I was listening to before I pressed the Random button. It seems to me that with the 6 CD changer, it should randomly pick from ALL SIX CDs. That's how my home stereo works. It seems idiotic to randomly play from one single CD. Is my stereo broken or is everyone's like this?

julyar

I got the same results when I tried it last which was quite some time ago. It does seem kind of ridiculous to randomly select from 1 CD, but I haven't had the time to look through the manual to see if there is a way to get a random selection from all CDs. If you find out before I do, please post the method.

tboner1965

It seems like there would be alot more mechanics involved in randomly playing from all six CD's. The mechanics are the weak link in any CD unit and to subject them to more wear by potentially changing disks every song is probably unreasonable from a reliability standpoint.

Additionally, there would be a significant delay between songs while the disks were changing.

My thoughts on this matter.

Cheers,

TB

dlncmay

Had our van in the service dept. today for some minor paint touch up from its demo days. The day I bought the van, May 12th, I mentioned the PCM and bumper recall. By the end of the day, I was told both were fixed. The next day I called to get documentation of the recall work. I waited til today to pickup the documentation due to getting the touch up work done. When I reviewed the paperwork only the PCM work was done, as I expected. The bumper recall is new enough that many dealers are not up to speed and even if they know about it, they don't have the reinforcement plates in stock. I was told today that I would receive written notification regarding the bumper recall. At this point the dealer would have the reinforcement plates.

Also, the rear bumper can scratch easily from loading and unloading activities. I would recommend purchasing the bumper step plate for $35 from your Mazda parts dept.

Take care.

kondo

I need advice. My passenger side mirror cover will not stay in the open position. It seems that it just was not clipped on properly and just needs to be snapped into place. I am hoping to accomplish this without breaking anything. Does anyone have any advice on how to carefully do this? Thanks!!! I am hoping to accomplish this without dealer intervention.

kondo

Ever had a rattling noise that just won't go away?! This is so annoying. If we pull the seat belt all the way taut the noise stops. Any advice? This is another fix I would like to try and accomplish without dealer intervention.

My immediate fix is to crank that awesome stereo! : ) But, when I am doing the carpool thing I can't have it THAT loud! Good thing school is out tomorrow!

Thanks for any input.

zoew

Thanks, julyar, for your response about the random function (#113). At least I know it's not just my stereo. The first thing I did when I noticed that it only randomly selected from one CD is get out the owner's manual, and, of course, it was useless. It was extremely vague.Basically, it said this: "Press random to select songs randomly." What a worthless option to just randomly select from one CD! I mean, it's so ridiculous, I'm laughing! I hope Mazda is reading this. If they are, I want to tell them to add another couple of options to the MPV: Passenger side lock/unlocking capabilities for all doors, and all the doors locking automatically when the vehicle reaches 12 miles per hour, as in the Caravan. Love that! Great for people who always forget to lock doors! Wish MPV had it. It's the little things...

kondo

It's ironic but one of the things I love about this van is that the doors do not automatically lock. That really got on my nerves in my last car! But, I have to agree, not putting an auto lock on the passenger side was an over sight!! And lets not mention the emergency break in the middle of the front seats!!! But, other than these minor quirks, boy do I love my van. I have never ever been happier with any other vehicle I have owned!!

baraby

We've had our MPV for about four months and just love it. Every where we go, people are turning their heads, pretty good for a minivan.

The only problems we've had so far is the paint on the rear bumber scratching off. I Was taking groceries out of the back in the dark the other day and the kids must have dragged the bags over the bumper. It looks terrible. Just imagine how it will look after a year.

Our inner door handle fell off, pretty sure that it's just a clip, but hesitant to leave it at the dealers all day because I need a special tool.

Live in Honolulu so I have yet to be able to drive on a smooth highway at high speed, but have not noticed a pull or vibration, will pay closer attention next chance i get. It has stalled a few times while idleing, but only the first month and the ac was on.

speaking of AC, I can barely feel mine blowing, are all like that?

We just rolled over 5000 miles, and the automatic shifting seems to be getting better.

We love our Mazda MPV, however the dealership gets two thunbs down for service.

kondo

If you have concerns about your rear bumper you should consider investing in a rear bumper step plate. We bought ours at time of purchase for $34 from the parts dept. It takes about 5 mins. to put on. It is solid black with "MPV" stamped on it. It has double sided sticky tape on the underside of it and guides to line it up properly on the rear bumper. It will protect your bumper from all the inevitable scratches that can mar an unprotected finish. It adds a lot of class to the bumper too!

p.s. I do not have any problems with the way our air blows. I live in Florida and use it daily. I have to turn it down most of the time and keep the blower set at 2 sometimes even 1. Sometimes if you have the side vents all the way open it will cause the air to not blow as strong from the middle bumpers. But, if it is like you are describing, and stalling, it sounds like you have a problem. Is it specific vents you are having problems with? Are the levers working properly on your side vents?

kondo

I mean "middle vents" not "middle bumpers"....bumpers on the brain!!! : )

cmuniz

gene64 - I haven't had this problem with my MPV ES, but have had it with a 95 Windstar and 96 Trooper. While there are several things that could be wrong in my case both times it was related to a bad spark plug. At any rate, obviously the dealer should look at it and correct the problem, but it's most likely something quite simple.

adamhut

I just got my LX yesterday, through Carsdirect.com, and although I ordered them, the mudguards were not installed. I was ambivalent about them to begin with - looks vs. functionality mainly. Anyone installed mudguards themselves? It seems easy enough to do, just wondering if anyone has any helpful advice. If it's just as easy as it appears, I'd just as soon do it myself than waste the time of a trip back and forth to a dealer.

marcb

way back in the original tailgate tails topic i remember someone mentioning this problem. it was caused by a loose gas cap.

when filling the tank you must let the ratchet click twice to make sure its tight. the reason is that mazdas seem to have an overly sensitive environmental sensors or something (sorry if im rather vague, i'm quoting from memory and dont own an mpv).

someone mentioned they had the same problem with their 626. the dealer fixed that by resetting the sensor computer or something.

roktman

Our salespersom told us that if the check engine light comes on to check the gas cap as the first thing to check. Claimed the sensors are indeed sensitive. Since we were told about this, suspect they must have had several occurences.

gene64

I owned my Mazda MPV 2000 for five day only. Two from five my car was in service department because of this indicator light. The first time dealer exchange some electrical part and reprogrammed something. Same night when I took car from the service the light came again. I brought back to the dealer. I was very angry, they fixed again. Now they said was the burnt wire from sparkplug. But the worse in this case that Mazda doesn't provide a loaner car no matter what happens to the car.

meera

My van is still driving smooth even at 85 mph. It has been two weeks since the last fix. I think it is finally really fixed. The road trip this weekend will be the real test.

bigdipper

I just noticed an AC problem as well. When I put the air on, and have the vent selector set to top & bottom, the top left and right vents blow very lightly even at the highest fan setting. However, when I have it set on top only, the air flow is very strong.
I don't know if this makes a difference, but my LX has the 4-season package and rear AC.
Baraby is this happening to you?
Has anyone else noticed this?

baraby

Hi bigdipper,
I do not have rear air, however The air flow you describe is simular to mine. I had the windows tinted very dark, and it still takes along time to cool the interior. Thank god it usually stays between 75 - 85 degrees here.

cmm4

I have the rear AC & 4 season pkg. and when using
top/bottom very little air comes out the left and right vents as well, so I always run mine with
top only. One of the great things about this van is the power down center windows. On hot days I'll
power them down for a few minutes to get rid of the hot air before I turn on the AC, this helps cool down the van very quickly. In my old Voyager because it only had the pop-outs it took forever for the van to cool.

blondemom1

My beloved van (never thought I'd be saying this about a mini-van) that I've had for 6 months and 15,000+ miles has a minor problem that is bugging me in a major way.

The rear license plate frame is vibrating when I drive, and the noise is very irritating. There is no bottom holes for screws drilled in the van, and when in motion, the license frame hits the van. Does anyone have a solution??? I really don't want to drill holes in the van for bottom screws, but I also don't want to listen to this for another 5-6 years.

My solution so far has been to increase volume of awesome stereo (oh yeah) but can't do that when fuddy-dud hubby is in the van.

tboner1965

Since your license plates have holes in them, perhaps you could put some screws through the plates, but instead of putting them into the van, find foam or rubber thick enough to hold the screws. This foam would rest against the back of the van.

Or just get some double stick tape to attach the foam to the bottom of the plate.

Cheers,

Tony

roktman

Blondemom, I haven't even put my plates on yet(only had my LX a week) so I haven't looked at the license plate frame/bracket. However, two possible fixes come to mind. Could you use foam mounting tape on the back of the frame to fill in the gap and dampen the vibrating? Another alternative is to use self-sticking velcro to secure the frame to the body without drilling holes. In both cases you'd probably have to use alcohol or something that would remove any wax or polish from the mounting surfaces to get good adhesion. The velcro should work well and would not be too difficult to remove or replace.

msgjvh

Hey Mom,

I just installed my "LUVRMPV" plates on the back. I hated the fact that the plates and frame were in direct contact with the paint. I was able to buy a frame backer plate from Kragen for about $5 bucks. I also bought the black metal frame with smoke covers about $6. It really looks sharp. I installed the backer plate first then I bought separate 1/4 inch black hex head bolts that screwed right into the backer plate. The were short enough to screw into the plate and not into the body of the vehicle. I also installed the buttons that cover the bolts or screws and it really looks sharp. I was bothered by the fact that every time I closed the rear door it all vibrated. Now its much better. I am still considering the foam cushions the others are talking about just to make sure the teal doesnt get worn from the plastic.

Good luck

JVH

blondemom1

(and no smart remarks about blondes thinking, OK?)

What about foam weather stripping? It is fairly soft, has a peel-off sticky backing, and is obviously made to withstand the elements? I think I will try this first, attaching it to the license plate first, and only on the van itself if that doesn't work.

Thanks all for the ideas. We truly do have the most helpful owners here. I will let you know how this works. Thanks again.

msgjvh

Just read topic 1362 on Odessey problems. While we are figuring out how to stop our license frames from vibrating, Odsessey owners are replacing trannies and putting KY on their sliding doors.


We done good!

blondemom1

Hope you were real quiet while lurking over there. Those Ody owners can be pretty dangerous.

msgjvh

I won't tell if you don't!!! Besides you have to be concerned about your fellow man/woman. Even if they did pay 20% more and waited ten times as long, remember they get more on resale.

cyclerklm

I installed my rear license plate in a black metal frame, and put several self-adhesive foam pads onto the lower back edge of the plate where it touches the van. The pads I used are sold to mount to picture frames or furniture drawers. I also added some pads behind the front plate (required in Maryland). Like msgjvh, I didn't want any metal touching the van.

It's all worked fine for 6 months, with no rattles or looseness at all. The weatherstripping sounds like a good idea too!

cyclerklm

A small point... if you try padding your license plate with weatherstripping, use several short lengths with spaces between instead of a continuous strip. This will allow water to drain instead of collecting behind the plate.

cudaman

My Wife and I are looking at an MPV, preferably the ES model...what are people paying? How much under sticker, etc any help would be appreciated. It seems most of our peers are buying those big honda Odysseys...me I'd rather have a smaller, nimbler van since I only have two kids to haul around...any thoughts.

dlncmay

Sounds like this problem has been solved with a variety of options. We have had our MPV for about 16 days. I quickly noticied the rattle when I shut the tailgate. I used weatherstripping with success, but I like the idea of using smaller spaced pieces rather than one long piece in order to promote drainage!!!

Thanks & Take care!

dlncmay

In case you haven't checked, check out Topics 1183 and 1179. The Cruisers Club is geared toward owners, while MPV IV is the most current discussion board dealing with the buying experience in general. Both would be helpful reading. We have an LX and love it. Just got back from our first road trip today. It was great!

Take care!

gagp

Here in Quebec, we don't have FRONT license plates but I find those holes to "break" this real cute front-end line.

Any idea how to aestheticly hide those ?

Silver Driver

blondemom1

Duct Tape. Definitely. It hides everything. :þ

gagp

Wooooooow ! It really looks great !! How can I ever thank you ?!? []oP

Silver Driver

msaxy

Fellow MPVers,

If you only have two keys and lose one, you
have to have the service department enter a
code into the computer. This service cost me
$75 + $30 for the cost of the key.

If on the other hand, if you have at least two working keys, a "do it your selfer" can buy the
$30 blank, have it ground, and by a special
sequence of key insertions/removals using your pair of working keys, you can add a new key yourself.

The technician accidentally left the instructions
on how to do this in my car if anyone is interested. It is probably straight out of the factory service manual.

The MPV can accept up to 8 key codes, and there is
no mention how to remove them, so don't lose your keys too often.

-Mark Cravatts (cravatts@home.com)
2000 MPV LX 13,000 miles

javadoc

We have a '00 LX model MPV (love it!) since 9-99 and it has 8500 miles. But for the past two weeks the rear drum brakes have squeaked/squealed as if there were some type of vibration. I don't know if it's connected to the factory 16" wheels or what. Our '97 MPV (4x4) has rear disks, and I wish the new model did also. Waiting 3 weeks for an appt. w/dealer (they're THAT popular?). Any1 have similar experiences?

javadoc

I am not, I repeat, I am NOT having an engine problem with my (double ott) MPV. I own a '00 MPV LX w/ the Touring package, and it has same Ford Duratec v6 engine as my 98 Contour SVT, just with a bit less power. I wonder if anyone has seen similar probs w/ their MPV as I experienced w/ my Contour that I should also watch for in my new MPV. The main problem is that for only having 13k miles, the Contour has been in the shop for a "Check Engine Light" problem 9 times. Each time the dealer said it was a faulty emmisions reading from the O2 sensor. They've replaced the sensor 6 times. Are any MPV owners out there experiencing check engine light problems with their vans? Our MPV now has 8500 miles and all I've taken it in for was that rattling rear license plate frame, which they installed rubber grommets on the bottom and solved the prob, and I've also broken three of the factory locking lug nuts using less than spec torque settings.

Other than that, it's a great rig. Wife drives it and I noticed that city mileage has risen to 19.8 over the past 1000 miles. Rented a Windstar in March in LA, and it got 12mpg on the freeway.

tboner1965

No problems with either our MPV or our Contour and our standard SE Contour has 11K on the clock.

Just a shot in the dark, ask the dealer if there is anything on the O2 sensor that is fouling it. Another thing, are all of the wires good? In addition to the sensor wires, there is a heating element that must warm the sensor so it works correctly until the engine warms up.

Another question, is it the same sensor. I believe there are three O2 sensors in the vehicle.

And of course have you been to www.contour.org ?

Finally, do you do java programming on the side? javadoc is a command that builds documentation out of java source code. (I taught java for a Sun partner since it shipped to the general public in 1996.)

Cheers,

TB

rjre

Somebody posted a bit back about buying a plastic backing plate from Kragens to go behind the license plate. I picked one up the other day, and it looks like a great way to go. After just a couple of days,the metal frame the dealer had installed was already marking the paint. I had to drill the top 2 wholes a little larger so that the license plate screws would fit through them. I plan on putting some double sided tape behind it so it does not move at all, and since the bottom of the license plate can be screwed to the bottom of the mounting plate with some short screws, the rattle should be completely gone. There is some mounting tape I have seen at a hardware store that is designed for mounting plastic hanging hooks to doors that I plan on using since the tape holds very well but is designed to be removed cleanly if needed. I will post on how it works and what the brand is. At least for now I have plastic against the paint, and it looks good too.

dlncmay

Interesting re: spare keys. I would like to hear more.

Take care.

msgjvh

That was me. I also installed the "Cruiser" black metal frame with the smoke cover to protect my personalized plates. The combination really completes the black and teal color combinations. I also installed the black screw covers that are optional. I know it sounds extreme but it puts a very nice finish on a great looking Van. I have not noticed a problem with the rattling plate any more. I would say in my option the back body panel of the door seams not as solid as I would like. It seems to jiggle a bit thus causing the rattling in the first place. But the foam double stick tape may help to.

I have even thought of putting the Van into our local car club event. Its called "RUN WHAT U BRUNG". Unfortunately, I think I have to work on the weekend of the show and shine. I am sure it would place!

Happy Cruising

msaxy

Several people requested the key copying
procedure. I hand copied the instruction and
made them available online.

Disclaimer: Please don't blame me if you decide to make your own copies and something goes wrong.

http://www.geocities.com/msaxy/MazdaKey.txt

-Mark

y2k_mpv

Thanks for making this info available! Hopefully I won't need it, but if I do, I printed a copy to go into the owner's manual. I'll bet the dealers hate to see this distributed. Too bad!

B~

javadoc

Good to know you have good luck w/your contour. They're great cars, I think somewhat problematic. I spoke w/ a mechanic at my Mazda dealer about the two cars because they use the same engine. He told me that Mazda uses a different engine management system totally than the Ford, so folks shouldn't see the same issues. He did say that Ford has trouble with the eprom settings on the SVTs. All told, the MPV is much more reliable than the Ford, although now owned by Ford from what I've heard.

Our MPV only has been in to the dealer now for the eprom update. Waiting to hear about the recall on the bumpers. Ours now makes a squealing sound from the rear brakes (earlier post). Love the van, does everything and does it with style!