Mazda MPV

bottgers · November 2003

These are some of the other problems I'm having that I haven't mentioned. The AM portion of the radio doesn't work. If I press "seek" while it's on AM, it just continuously cycles through the frequency bands, never stopping on any stations. I've even tried manually tuning in stations, but it won't pick up anything. Also, the interior light in the rear door only works about 1/3 of the time. I'm telling you, our MPV is infested with mechanical gremlins! I'm just going to make a list of everything that's wrong and have the dealer fix them all at once.

subearu · November 2003

per the '02 Owners Manual states on page 8-4:

"Replace once a year or every 12,000 miles"

The engine air filter is due to replace every 12,000 or 18,000, depending on which schedule you're on (based on your driving habits).

-Brian

tomj5 · November 2003

Hummmmm, Engine timing causing the tranny to shift hard.. Give this shop the " Best Lie of the Year" award. I would try another dealer shop if it is under warranty.... In case they actually believe what they said.... (snicker)

Air Filters: Yeah, I have the engine air filter replaced once a year regardless of milage (before our annual trip to Wisconsin).

bottgers: If the FM part of radio is good then problem is bad radio(replace). If both radios are bad than probably antenna wire is disconnected or broken.. The scan isn't finding any stations to stop at. The rear lite could be a bad bulb..

Tj

bottgers · November 2003

.........related to one of my old girlfriends who thought her brake lights stopped working because her car was low on brake fluid.

lumbar · November 2003

I'm inclined to agree that it's a lot now, but IF you trade/sell in 3-4 years, some of that will be recouped in depreciation.

Depending on one's immediate needs, I suspect that the best of both worlds will be an '04 in about 6 mos-8 mos.

From at least the perspective of the ES, aren't there also items that are standard on the '04's that were formerly options?

backy · November 2003

I don't know about the ES, but one of the biggest additions to the LX standard equipment is rear A/C, which helps justify the price increase of the '04s.

There might be an advantage in 3-4 years to selling a high-mileage '04 vs. a low-mileage '03, but I wonder if it will be $2000. I agree that within 6-8 months or so, we'll see incentives on the '04s close to those of the '03s. Part of that will be due to increased competition from the '05 DC vans, due early in '04, and then by fall the next-gen Odyssey.

tccmn1 · November 2003

Has anyone noticed the distinct difference in volume if you go from AM to FM on the MPV tuner?
Mine is like 4 'dashes' higher on FM than when I switch to AM! I brought it into the dealer last spring and he said it was the eternal NORMAL! When I switch from AM to FM, I need to turn the radio down about 4 DASHES to get it back to a normal listening level. Going from FM to AM; I have to turn it up 4 dashes to hear it at all!!!
Geez, everything wrong with this unit is NORMAL!
Tranny clunks, hesitation at starting up of engine, smells, crazy volume levels between AM and FM, what next?
Oh that's right, the lab guys are working on the fix to get rid of the NORMAL clunking in my tranny. Maybe by spring they'll have the answer!

lumbar · November 2003

Serious question--would you buy it if you had it to do over? Do the virtues/value ratio compensate for the issues you're having?

I'm looking at one pretty seriously and it looks to me to be the best (small) van out there for the price, although all this tranny talk is bothering me. TIA

dwsmha · November 2003

Bottgers, if I recall, you have the DVD player? Read the DVD manual, the DVD player must be off (or at least set to not broadcast through the van speakers) if you are going to listen to AM radio (if I recall correctly). Kinda weird setup.

bottgers · November 2003

I'll give it a try and see what happens. Thanks.

dan2004 · November 2003

Having read up on the shifting problem in this forum before purchasing, I test drove the specific vehicle I purchased and it seemed to shift smoothly. However, over a period of several days the hard shift problem manifested itself 5 times. It happens only when the engine is warm and I am accelerating slowly away from a complete stop. The engine revs and then slams into the next gear.

Having gone back to the dealer, I was told that I should adjust my driving style and this was normal. I called Mazda customer service while at the dealership and also taked to Ira's general manager. A Mazda corp. service rep will now look at the car. The attitude I'm getting is that unless they can reproduce the problem it doesn't exit.

I would suggest prospective buyers hold off purchase until this issue is decisively resolved. It is a hassle I certainly could do without.

rumor24 · November 2003

I got my MPV back from service. They said they adjusted the linkage and that should take care of it. We will see, have not had time to take it too far to test yet but that is where I am right not. I told them if this 2004 is not absolutely perfect I am bringing it back. They have been good to me about it, I am just one of those non-trusting people. I will keep you all informed.

tccmn1 · November 2003

I was told that the techies at Mazda Labs are working on the computer fix. There will be NO BULLETIN! It will be up to us to keep in touch with dealers over the next month or so. The previous 'fixes' have not worked...linkages, etc. don't fix it! It's in the computer module.
If you just gun it from a start, it's fine....it's when you ease into the start (and try to save gas) that it bucks after 1st gear.

My Tuner is AM, FM, CD, Cass, in dash deal. No DVD and the volume is very different when I go between AM and FM. From AM to FM, it blows me away. From FM to AM, I can't hear the radio. NEVER had this problem with any other vehicles; GM, Chrys., Toys. What gives?! Evidently, I'm the only one whoever hits the AM button while on FM to jump over???

bill124 · November 2003

On the LX you said $5,000 off. I presume you meant off sticker, not invoice?

backy · November 2003

Correct, $5000 off MSRP, including rebates. That was from a "no-haggle" dealer. Of course, it's a better deal on a base LX than on a loaded ES.

bottgers · November 2003

That was exactly the problem with the radio. The DVD player was selected to play through the van's audio system. As soon as I switched it off, the AM portion of the radio started working. Thanks for the advice.

bill124 · November 2003

I signed this weekend for a loaded 2003 ES, silver, with $3,000 off of invoice (and I saw the invoice and it ties into Edmund's numbers). He said 2500 rebate and 500 dealer cash. Sticker is like 30150 for moonroof, power doors, security, four seasons, 6CD and roof rack. I really wanted GFX but too late for that. I pick it up this weekend. Deals are there to be had. Also got full book for 2000 White LX (with lots of extras). All in all, a good deal. With 4 year warranty, I'll keep this for four years and by then hopefully kids will be big enough so I don't need minivan.

bottgers · November 2003

Didn't someone say the MPV had a learning tranny or computer in it? My wife is the primary driver of our van and she said she's never had it do the shifting thing for her. It only does it when I'm driving. Could it have something to do with the computer's learning function when its trying to learn a different driver?

steveeast · November 2003

If it's anything to do with the learning function the it's a slow learner. My wife drives the van once a week on a Sunday. I drive it the rest of the time and get the flare whether it's Monday or Saturday. One thing I have noticed recently is that it's more prevalent when I start doing stop/start driving after a long high-speed run.

Just gotta keep waiting for the Mazda folks to figure it all out...

Steve.

niblik · November 2003

"One thing I have noticed recently is that it's more prevalent when I start doing stop/start driving after a long high-speed run."

That's exactly what happens to me. I do mostly stop-start driving, but have one semi-long highway stretch to go pick up my daughter after school. Then when I go back to stop-start, I am more likely to have the shifting problem.

subearu · November 2003

Maybe someone with the problem could try reseting their ECU to erase the 'learned' behavior and start out fresh with the default programming. IIRC, with a cold engine you disconnect the battery, step on the brake to further remove any residual power in the system, reconnect the battery, and then start the engine - letting it idle until warm.

Worth a try? Anyone, anyone? ;-)

-Brian

steveeast · November 2003

My TCM has been reset a whole bunch of times, including being being reflashed and replaced. No joy.

Steve.

rumor24 · November 2003

I got word from the dealer, and an email from mazda, also talked to them on the phone today. They are now aware of the problem and are trying to come up with a fix for it. They have no timeline at this time. My car dealer said they hope to hear something soon. The dealership has been very good to me so far, I am still mad at mazda. If they make this right I will endorse them, if not I will let everyone know about my troubles and word of mouth can either help or hurt. I have heard that this is not a widespread problem, just for those unlucky few like me.

pjgpt · November 2003

I just finalized the purchase of a 2003 LX (shimmering sand metalic)with rear a/c, 4 seasons pckg, DVD, rear bumper step plate, traction ctrl, side airbags and roof rack for a total cost of:

   $24,189 Invoice
- $500 Customer Cash
--------------------------
   $23,689
+ $2,072 Tax (8.75%)
--------------------------
   $25,761
- $2,500 Dealer Cash
----------------------------
    $23,261 FINAL COST

I was able to use the S Plan pricing (saved me maybe $200, I checked around to see if I could negotiate a better price without it) from my wifes job and also received $500 dealer cash and $2500 customer cash.

I did have to settle for no power doors and my second choice of color, but feel that the savings was worth it.

So, the point I'm trying to make is that there are definitely some good deals out there on 2003s, but you may have to start making some compromises on your wants.

Also, as suggested by Edmunds, look for your own financing. I was able to get 4.09 in 30 minutes rather than the 5 to 6% the dealer was quoting.

Good Luck!!

dan2004 · November 2003

Could you please post the text of the email you got from Mazda. I am meeting a Mazda factory service rep next week and would like to have that to show him.

Thanks

pb17 · November 2003

Is it me or does anyone else find the seats very firm on the mpv's? I'm seriously considering an mpv but the seats are much harder than my current Dodge Caravan. Has anyone found a fix for this? Are the leather seats softer than the fabric?

rumor24 · November 2003

I just got my 04 and the seats are a bit firmer than the camry I traded. Doesn't bother me though, of course I have not done 2 hr plus trips though. Mostly in/out town driving. If it gets to be a problem I will just buy seat covers. It will still be an awesome vehicle once they fix that one little issue I have

rumor24 · November 2003

What is the service rep? Is that a higher official than than the service tech locally. Let me see if I would get in trouble for posting the email, I don't think I will get in trouble, but don't want to do anything illegal. Isn't an email like posting a bulletine?

dan2004 · November 2003

Service rep is from Mazda corporate.

Why should you get into trouble sharing factual information from Mazda? It can only help everyone and make sure that Mazda plays it staight and consistent.

By the way, Mazda also benefits from customers who provide feedback-- the more data they have the faster they can resolve this.

The problem for both consumers and the Mazda engineers is distortion in the flow of communications.

bottgers · November 2003

S-Plan pricing saves a lot more than $200. Try more like $2000. I know for a fact my '03 LX would've cost me at least another $2000 without S-Plan pricing.

scott31 · November 2003

When we bought our LX (Feb '03) dealers were selling MPV's for invoice. S-Plan is a few bucks under invoice. I don't see how S-Plan saved you $2k when you would have gotten very close to S-Plan pricing just by walking in the door.

tomj5 · November 2003

Seats on the 03 MPV LX are very good. The covering is not great. It is hard to slide in and out for DW.

We bought custom cotton padded seat covers ($160)on the web(Eclipse Covers). The covers were a perfect fit. Seats were very comfortable during our 2000 mile trip last summer..
We ordered seats, arm rests, and head rest covers for the front only..
Tj

bottgers · November 2003

Getting an invoice price is no guarantee from any dealership. You may or may not get it, and there are many factors that play into this. S-Plan pricing is a guaranteed price, which takes the guess work, and the haggling out of the process all together. I can tell you S-Plan pricing, along with the $2K cash back knocked a little over $4K off the price of our LX.

pb17 · November 2003

Would someone explain this to me? I'm not familiar with the term.

Thanks

pjgpt · November 2003

pb17

S Plan pricing is available to employees of various organizations that allow the employee to purchase or lease vehicles from various manufacturers at "below invoice prices". The S Plan price is noted on the dealer invoice. You are also able to take advantage of any cash back as well.
The invoice (dealer provided, everything matched Edmund's except for an additional New York Assesment of $100)of my LX w/options was $24,205 and S Plan pricng was $24,189.

bottgers

You're absolutely right!!! When I said $200 I failed to account for the DVD which would have raised the difference between S plan and non S plan for me of $1,320.

bottgers · November 2003

S-Plan pricing is a form of employee discount. I have a brother who works for Ford, that's how I got mine. I've been told you can qualify if you just know someone who works for Ford and they're willing to get you a PIN. If you qualify, you give your PIN to the dealer at the time of purchase. The S-Plan price is based on a certain percent above dealer invoice, and I don't remember exactly what the percentage is. I do know it reduced the price of our MPV by $2027. This may not get you the absolute best possible deal, but it will get you a very good deal without having to do any haggling whatsoever.

bottgers · November 2003

Our PeeVee is approaching 10K miles and I'll be wanting to do a tranny fluid change shortly. I know I'll need a new tranny filter, and a tranny pan gasket. Are there any other gaskets or seals I'll need to replace, such as maybe an "O" ring gasket on the filter, etc.? I'd hate to find out I don't have everything I need AFTER I've drained the tranny.

lazyfox · November 2003

When we did the test-drive, I thought myself too, that the seats are sort of hard. However I like them, did a 3k trip and had no trouble at all and found them to be pretty comfy. Well I prefer harder bed too, so YMMV.

wpalkowski · November 2003

10k miles and a tranny flush? Jeez!! What have you doing, running Autocross all summer in the Mohave Desert? Thought the recommended service interval was "slightly" higher than that. N.Y.C. taxi cabs go longer intervals. It's your van, have fun.

tomj5 · November 2003

Maybe a tranny flush and filter cleaning might just solve the hard tranny shifts.... I remember in the '60s when automatic trannies became common there were bad shifting problems due to fluid passages getting clogged.... Dodge had problems with junk left over from manufacture clogging up the tranny...

When car is new it shifts ok and as it wears in then the problem shows up... Just a thought...
(There is rhyme and reason for all things under Heaven and Earth)

Tj

bottgers · November 2003

......having the shifting problems are having them with less than 10K miles on the vehicle (myself included). I doubt anything's getting clogged up that soon (at least not due to the fluid needing changing anyway).

pb17 · November 2003

A friends new Odyssey deveoped tranny problems out the door. The fix per the factory was to have the dealer drive it 10 miles and flush the tranny, three times in a row. Seems to have worked. Suggests contamination.

steveeast · November 2003

from new. While it's possible there's junk left in it from manufacture, I would imagine that Mazda would have picked up on that pretty easily. Whereas getting the TCM programming right is a lot tougher.

Steve.

rumor24 · November 2003

Here is a portion of the email sent to me from mazda concering all our shifting problems. For those of you who asked to see it, here it is. Mine still does it, but it has tamed down a bit. From what my mechanic tells me it should help better the performance as well. I still like the vehicle, I do not regret buying it at this time. For a family of 3 it suits us well. The Nissan Quest was my first choice but was too much vehicle to park, let alone drive. Going from a Camry to a van, this was an easier tranistion than a larger van. If Mazda holds true to their word that they will fix the problem then I will be a fan and repeat customer. If not, then I will be dissapointed. At this time I still recommend it for small families, Mazda if you are watching, please take care of your loyal customers.

In regard to your inquiry, Mazda is aware of the shifting concerns
you're experiencing with your MPV. Our Product Engineers are currently
working very closely with the manufacturer of the transmission equipped
in the 2003 and 2004 MPV in order to come up with a fix. We hope to
have a resolution very soon. However, we have no timeline at this time.
I certainly apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.

steveeast · November 2003

Don't want to give too much away do they?

Steve.

rumor24 · November 2003

Not sure at this time what is going on, all I can do is hope. This is really a good vehicle from what I have heard, it got bumped down to 4th because of the Nissan but I have hope that it can move up again, providing they treat their customers right.

bottgers · November 2003

I'm not flushing the tranny, just draining it and changing the filter. Draining the tranny only drains out about 1/3 of the fluid. A flush is recommended every 30K, this is why I plan to do a drain and filter change every 10K. The difference is most places don't change the filter when they do a flush. They claim changing the filter isn't necessary because the tranny gets flushed by flowing fluid through the filter backwards. I disagree. Flowing fluid through the filter backwards isn't as good as installing a new filter, and I'll be installing a new one every 10K, so I figure my procedure will be at least as good for the tranny as doing a flush every 30K would be. Plus I can do this myself, saving me money.

bottgers · November 2003

How so has the MPV been bumped to fourth? Last time I checked, compared to all the minivans available, overall the MPV ranked a close second, and I mean close, to the Sienna. It was ranked as a better overall minivan than the Odyssey and all other minis. The Nissan is too new for me to know anything about it yet, and is also too new to know anything about how reliable it will be. I really doubt this tranny issue with the MPV has had much of an impact on its overall ranking.

steveeast · November 2003

After one drain and fill, 2/3 of the tranny fluid will be the original. After two, 4/9 will be the original. After three, 8/27, i.e. about a third, will still be the original fluid.

Steve.

bottgers · November 2003

True, but it's also getting a new filter every 10K, which will keep the fluid very clean. This procedure is as good, if not better than 30K flushes in my book.

Mazda MPV

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