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Mazda MPV: Problems & Solutions
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The fact that you have to revert to such measures says one of three things: 1. The dealership is terrible. 2. Mazda is terrible. 3. Both the dealership and Mazda suck.
I'm sorry to hear about your situation. I also just bought a new MPV in March and "feel your pain". Keep us posted. May the force be with you.
Tranny hardshift starts happening after the car was driven about 25 mins in city. Then DURING ACCELERATION FROM STOP you feel a sudden jerk or feel like a little bump from behind when the tranny upshift from 2 to 3rd gear (25-30MPH, 2000-2500RPM).
Your hard brake problem seems to me is during your foot taps the brake, right?
After 9 months and 7000 miles, found rattling noise from the passenger side front door when go over manholes, patch-up or rough pavements.
Do any other MPV owners experience same, or know the remedy? I think it is something with the weather-stripping inside the door.
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There is a TSB on this issue. So you can argue it is a "defect" even if not a warranted repair.
If you are original owner & polite you may get some policy adjustment from Mazda by constructing and presenting the argument you would use in arbitration.
If they say no, then ask to arbitrate.
You will NOT get 100% so try and get say... parts free + labor at Mazda warranty hours quantity (dealer sets this amount on non-warranty work). You might pay for this labor. Perhaps get cost down to 1/2 or less...
Good luck
Thanks.
At least I know I'm not totally nuts now! No one could tell me why this might have happened!!!
moonroof
4-seasons
LX plus
and little options that would not affect performance.
I test-drove a different car and then looked for one with the options we wanted. Drove THAT car about 10 miles, unfortunately to see my son in a performance at church. The AC SEEMED to be getting a little warmer toward the end of drive and I made a mental note to remember to look at controls more carefully when I returned to car. When I came back, car would not start. Called Mazda dealer and they had it towed (after we waited about 90 minutes). They've tested battery and ignition switch and those check out. More extensive diagnostic tests are set for Monday. Meanwhile, we're driving a Dodge Grand Caravan with 360 miles on it. Enterprise tried to tell us they were "extremely nitpicky" and it was probably worth the $13-$15 for damage coverage since we'd be hit hard for any scratches or dings. I think we'll just park far away if we take it shopping and pray there are no hailstorms (the other tale of woe they gave us about a misguided soul who declined additional coverage).
Please tell me that there could be some reasonably easy fix for this. We were completely shocked. Our 2000 MPV never stranded us through 91K and four years (and side airbags kept injuries down to cracked ribs -- it could've been much, much worse).
Any ideas of what this could be? Dealer is being very nice (as well they should be!)
Stranded in Atlanta
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Immediately following at 6-7pm PT/9-10pm ET, we keep the chat party going with the Mazda Mania chat.
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http://home.columbus.rr.com/bikinibottom/auto1/
For all you 2000 MPV owners, make sure each Spring you clean them as part of routine maintenance. Let us know how it works out kacey.
We are actually thinking of trading in our MPV for an Isuzu Ascender 7 passenger. The amount of room is unbelievable in that vehicle for a really good price.
The Frugal Life
Lundermac
I use fresh ground coffee for odors, but gas may be a bit much to overcome.
Steve, Host
Good luck!
I have a 2000 MPV with about 37K miles. I believe MPVs of this vintage had a bad lot of 16" Dunlop SP 4000's installed. (I've seen this model of tire on new Siennas) At about 35K, shimmying started, presumably due to one or more of the tires becoming out-of-round. Rebalancing helped partially. I am now starting to hear a faint, speed-dependent high-pitched whine.
Could driving around on shimmying tires have damaged a wheel bearing or something? Or could the whine be coming from the bad tire?
The van has been very dependable otherwise. FYI, we took it on a 800 mile drive to and from Disneyland. My brother-in-law took the same trip in his 2002 Honda Odyssey. He broke down.
Thanks for any advice you can give,
Norm
Owners manual seems to indicate that there might be one, but I can't find it listed on any of the equipment lists that came with the vehicle.
Thanks, John
In any case, take it to the dealer, they will have to reset the check engine light.
John
John
However, this last Mazda, unlike the previous two, has given me nothing but problems.
1. Transmission hard shift. This was later on "fixed" by the dealer
2. Transmission clunks when put into reverse from park or drive. Not fixed, because the dealer can't ever reproduce it. I've taken it in several times now to have this resolved. For me the clunk can happen at any time, whether engine's warm or cold. On occasion it dissappears. 8/10 times its there.
3. Sliding doors hard to close. Doors spring back out on first closure attempt. Took to dealer. Dealer said, "oh its the door seals... they swell up making the door hard to close". Dealer replaced the seals. Got the car back and guess what... doors were still hard to close. Whatever dealer did make no diff at all.
4. Engine power. I think this is a transmission problem though. Every car on the road out-accelerates me without fail from a red light. I'm no Schumacher or Villeneuve, but I find it troublesome that a Hyundai Excel can get off the mark quicker. The MPV feels like its straining to get up to speed. Don't think its the engine. I don't recall having this problem before the TCM fix mentioned in step 1 above. Personally, I think the transmission's logic is choosing the wrong gear at the wrong time, or spending too long or not long enough in a particular gear.
5. The cruise control on this car is down right annoying. Where I live, we have a lot of rolling hills. I sometimes set the cruise control on long hauls. If the highway is making a long climb up a hill, the cruise control will go nuts somewhere near the top of the hill... transmission will continuously downshift to keep the speed constant, up to the point where the RPMs are almost at 5000.
6. To drive this car normally, i.e. keep up with traffic, I have to push the pedal down hard and have to force the car to shift around 3000 rpm. This seems unnaturally high to me. Anything less, and I end up at the back of the pack.
Just wondering if anyone else has had these problems.
Oh, and my Mazda dealer's service staff are the most arrogant and condescending people I've ever met. They think they're smarter than their clients. They scoff at me when I explain my problems to them. One guy even said, "so... drive the car harder...", then looks over at his co-worker, and then they both kinda giggle/laugh. I'm so sick of dealing with them.
However, I just love the look of my van. Its an LX and came with uuuughleeeee 15" steel wheels. I recently upgraded the wheels to 17" original Mazda wheels. The car looks really sweet now. Its a head-turner too. One guy commented "Wow... that's a minivan?"
Regardless, I remain a loyal fan of the product.
I would love to hear from owners who are having/have had similar problems with their MPVs.
Regards.
Just received the recall notices in the mail;
1. Relating to the fan sensor which could cause over heating - fans may not turn on to cool down engine causing over heating.
2. Related to vacuum system. Causing rough running. I had this fixed once already and it happened AGAIN yesterday on a 300 mile trip. Things went fine until I drove into a heavy rain storm for one hour straight and the unit lost power and the CHECK ENGINE light started blinking! Stopped at a gas station and filled and restarted again, but engine was still running rough. We limped home and this morning I started it and it was fine. May be due to the extreme rain I was driving through, but sounds like the recall notice in action!
Anyone else have these things happen or get the recall notices??
One more thing; I'm hearing a clink sound when I back up and go forward. Sounds like something in the chassis that is slipping or loose...anyone else have that too?
Regards.
-Brian
1) hard shift, it's been "fixed" by dealer. But 1 to 2 shift, and 2 to 3 gear shift is kinda jerky.
2) No clunking reverse from park or drive.
3) passenger-side sliding door, and all front doors are hard to close, I have to slam it to fully close them. No fix I think.
4) I agree with what you stated on the transmission logic, and problem 1 is the result of the wrong timing.
5) I'd never used the cruise control. Try turning the OD off when you decide to to downshift and passing other car.
6) You get all the HP and torque at @3000 rpm by the design since the 02 model. I wonder if it's the main cause of hard shift due to the trans. control module changes on the 03-04 models.
7) The ride is kinda rough and I can always see and feel the shaking on newly paved freeway. It causes the interior rattlings that make me feel uncomfortable.
The service station I use told me my MPV's drive and ride are normal. I am not good at arguing with them.
2) Haven't heard of the problem much, thought there was one or two posts on this.
3) Sliders work OK for us (we have the powered ones). You can hear in posts now and than about quirks with sliders, but sure not more or leven a bit less than on other vehicle brands.
4) I notticed lately on our 02, that sometimes the engine would rev too much before it shifts while trying to accelerate on HGHWY. I still didn't get the reflash for the hard shift which seems to disapeared for most of the time. I still plan to get it reflashed and perhaps it will also take care of this.
5) It does downshifts, but I do not see it as a problem. Our Protege used to do it too. I see the "problem" in the engine being not as strong as one would wish, but it's adequate for most of the time I'd say.
6) I do not have problem with that except ocassionaly as described in the point 4)
2)Haven't experienced the klunking while shifting will have to pay more attention.
3)I have a 2003ES and I open and close the doors with the remote. I do wish the side sliders would open wider as a lot of times I have to load the van from the back hatch becuase the sliders don't open far enough.
4&6)I find the weak acceleration to happen when I'm trying to pass on the freeway. I almost have to floor the gas pedal to get any kind of response acceleration is almost an after thought before it finally kicks in. Very annoying.
5)I've experienced the same thing while cruise is engaged and climbing hills. The van almost seems to be confused at what it is supposed to do and what gear to shift into.
I have experienced the same problems with the 91 model. It may be a problem with the fuel pump getting old. The bearings get worn and it works when cool then shuts off as it gets weaker.
It is located in the fuel tank. I think it is good to replace the fuel filter also.
I spent a lot of time with a mechanic who replaced the computer in the van. In retrospect, it may have been the clogged filter/weak pump.
2003 Mazda MPV
NHTSA 10005737
Service Bulletin (TSB) Number 0004180
(copy from a previous thread)
We just bought a new 2004 MPV ES and have 1500 miles on it so far. I did that the tires were inflated to 50 psi, when the driver side sticker calls fro 32 psi--and I've heard that the sticker should really say 35 psi? Nevertheless, I deflated the tires to 42 psi and it rides much better. I like the tires inflated a little high, but not 50 psi!
No complaints so far. Transmission doesn't shift roughly--something that I've been reading about.
My question: what are things about the MPV that I need to know about? E.g. specific things about maintaining the vehicle (we usually get dealer service), things that go wrong early, etc.
Thanks!!!
Will you be changing the oil yourself? Who's the primary driver? What's your other vehicle (if you have one)? What kind of trips will the MPV be used for?
-Brian
The MPV is the family vehicle, mostly suburban driving and the occasional long distance trip. It replaced a very beloved '97 Honda CR-V that just didn't work with carpooling and two young kids. My wife is the primary driver and one specific reason we chose the MPV is because she didn't want an enormous minivan, which seems to be the norm today.
My daily driver is a '99 Protege LX. We don't roll up many miles on our cars--maybe 7500 miles a year each.
Last year, after failing an inspection at a local inspection station, the car was brought to NYC dealership and passed the tests. We were not told what was done - whether any adjustments/repairs were done in order for the car to pass the inspection.
This year we have the same problem, which leads me to believe that the last year inspection was "helped".
I visited a Mazda dealership in Nanuet, NY. After just contacting her technician and without even looking at the car, a service representative there told me that the car needs to have "fuel induction service done that cleans top part of engine" - $180 worth service. She further informed me that is is pretty common with MPVs. I have never heard that before. Why the car that is considerably new (4 years, 18K miles) would need this kind of service? The car is garaged and driven reasonably (it doesn't sit in the garage but is not driven excessively either) - highway miles mostly. Am I being taken for a ride here?
Additionally, the dealership in NYC is reluctant to provide the information was was done to the car last year for it to pass the inspection. We called there several times and were given a run around.
many thanks to whoever responds!
MPVmom
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