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Comments
The official statements we've seen to date are too "thin" to be credible. You want to claim that this hard shifting bit doesn't damage transmissions ? I'm sorry, that's VERY hard to believe, show me your evidence. If it's really that cut and dried, there should be no risk in doing so.
Otherwise, sorry again, your motivations become suspect. That's where the offensiveness begins, in my opinion. It seems like we're being sold for stupid, or ignorant, or both, to date.
There's all kinds of facts they could offer to help us understand the issue. How frequently does this seem to happen ? What are the risks to the transmission ? How do they know ? What should people do to report a problem ? Under what circumstances should owners report a problem ? What symptoms do people typically report ? Are there any workarounds available ? Who is working the problem at Mazda ? How high a priority is this for them ? When do they think they'll have a fix ? How about a statement of committment to the product from a heavy-weight manager ?
Come on, guys, we're talking - t r a n s m i s s i o n s - here!
Determining which of these bits are "safe" is not my expertise, but any of these points would help relieve worry and frustration. They have experts in PR and customer service who have the training and skills to make this happen. I understand the desire to not trumpet this to all the world. But you have to respond to your customers in need with more than some boiler-plate mumbo jumbo. (The latest statement touched on a couple of these points, but not in a credible fashion, in my opinion).
Sadly, I think your point on people indicating they're going with a different brand is what it will take.
When they first brought out the MPV, I really liked the design, but because we tow a small pop-top camper at altitude where power is down, I wasn't willing to buy one at first.
I did call and inquire about the prospects of a bigger engine though. I'm not saying that my call made the difference, but enough calls might have (as did some unfriendly press coverage). Mazda responded with a bigger engine - the one they should have used in the first place given the competition at the time (with all due to respect to you 2000-01 owners out there, of course).
So perhaps there's hope. Mazda might be one of those manufacturers that "learns slowly".
Time will tell...
-brianV
Don't bother me with this question. Call your local Mazda service manager with regards to this and he will have the latest info regarding the fix or timeline.(His standard response - They know about it. They have their best people on it. When they have the answers, I'll be the first to know.) And as far as that extended warranty thing ... fuhhgetaboutit.
This specific dealership has 8 known cases similar to mine waiting for the magical fix. I didn't ask for sales numbers so I don't know what the percentages are but I just figured that I would throw it out there as some people were discussing this earlier.
Merry Christmas,
John
Built my own PC in 1976 with a 8008 processor, it had 256 bytes of memory used finger bone Octal code... Computers are my business, got mixed up with automotive testing with the Govt...
If you ever owned a new Ford you would understand my comparsion to Ford and how they handle warranties. Ford sells cheap cars because of worthless warranties. Very surprised that a Japanese company crawfished on a warranty issue. Sounds like Ford has taken over management of Mazda (1/3+X = control). Hope I am wrong....
Test and Verify (Is the tranny oil clean? yes or no)
Still Love my PeeVee. It runs and shifts perfectly...
Tj
Unfortunately you only get to know who the "good" dealers are only if you have a problem. They are all great if everything is 100%.
My MPV is a good car, runs perfectly... If the tranny goes then I will have my trusted shop put a rebuilt in. The shop honors their warranties...
Even Lexus cars are having problems.. I think technology is out running humans ability to build it....
I wondered why my Mazda dealer went out of business...
I think my next car will be a street legal gas Yamaha golf cart (100 mpg). We have golf cart parades here to show off the custom jobs...(I wonder if a Chev small block V8 would fit with 4 in the floor?)
All you need for groceries and going to the rec center...
Tj
1)I have a 2000 MPV lx with 82,428 miles on it. My wife is primary driver and has been complaining of the moose moaning getting worse. So I finally tried the throttle hang fix from the contour site, which involves installing a half inch copper cap with a 15/64 hole drilled into it, installed in to the ECU hose. So far, no moaning from car or wife! LOL
2)While I did the moose fix, I tried to look at what it would take to replace the plugs. It looks difficult. I checked the contour site and instructions are fuzzy, has anyone done the plug replacement them self yet on the MPV? Or should I pay the dealer to do this job?
3)Is there a timing belt or is it a chain on the 2000 MPV?
I just noticed you live in Pittsburgh. Great town. I grew up there. In fact, right now I'm wearing my Steeler sweatshirt.
Very big improvement! We were not impressed with the OEM Dunlop SP 4000's in the slick - next to useless, really, TCS or no. I actually got stuck on an icy inclined driveway with the Dunlop's.
The Kumho's did the trick. The van with snow tires now drives comparably to our AWD Subaru with all-seasons in the snow and slush.
They're not magic - you can still overdrive them - but they're a huge improvement and worth the price.
-brianV
Steve, Host
tranny is actually not banging as bad in the snowy cold weather here in the Twin Cities. Maybe it's getting use to my slower driving habits now? One thing is sure, this baby is smooth in the snow. I have the TCS and it kicks on a lot up hills, etc. and holds straight very nicely. It also plows through deeper snow quite well. Problem is the GFX pkg really collects ice and snow pack in the wheel well area. I bought mine last March and didn't notice it much then. Now it's cold and sloppy on the roads and ice really cakes up quick...shame on me I guess.
Oh yeah, going in to get my new sockets on my fogs on Friday....and I'm on the growing list of TRANNY FIX people at the dealer too! Overall, there really have not been any surprises other than the tranny...and I'm use to that mess from 13 years of Chrysler products;-{
I agree the cold weather is helping the tranny - I think it's taking longer to warm up and cooling down faster.
Steve.
How long it's taking for the tranny to reach maximum operating temp is another question.
Steve.
My wife doesn't even miss the seat heaters that aren't available south of Canada, and THAT'S saying something.
The AC works very nicely, too. DW has a comfort range that spans a whole 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit, so I know of that which I speak...
We do have both rear heat and rear AC options, and would recommend them. It's a big vehicle to heat and cool from the dash alone.
Another nice feature: the front wipers "park" right on top of the defroster vent, so they resist ice build up. Makes a difference. Our Subie has front wiper heaters (in the glass, like a rear defroster) to keep the wiper rubber warm. Works well, but makes replacing the windshield pricey.
-brianV
-Brian
John
Steve.
Anyone else?
Steve.
-Brian
Exact wording from the manual:
"After starting the engine on very cold days, the TCS OFF indicator will remain on and TCS will not operate until the engine is warm."
Steve.
I bought at Walser in Bloomington before they went away and just handled Mercury's now at that site off of Lyndale and 494.
Had my recalled fogs fixed...whoopie!
Tranny has been better in the extreme cold now. Not as jerky...whatever! I'm on the list at Polar to be called when the FIX comes thru.
Also had the plugs taken out for the speakers in the dash. There ARE harnesses under the plugs for the new speakers I will be installing...cool!
My driver's seatbelt is not retracting in the cold now! They will replace that in a couple weeks; had to order a new retractor! Geez, just like my 99 Camry issue...what's with the Japanese and poor seatbelt retractors!
Come on Mazda!
Steve.
Tomek
I hope I am one of a few unlucky ones. I have one of the first 2000 MPVs, bought it in September, 1999. It is a 20th anniversary Mazda Miata blue ES.
The check engine light has always gone on and off a lot. I had it checked out several times but gave up when they never found anything. It would usually go on when I drive uphill on the highway and go off a few hours later. I also noticed that my mileage seemed to be lower than some of the other 2000 MPV drivers. I usually got between 210 and 218 per tank. I think most other people did better than that.
Anyway last week the check engine light starts flashing. I call the dealer and have the car towed in. I was guessing the exhaust system was shot. Not! They tell me to have some hoses replaced and replace the spark plug wires along with the spark plugs. They pull the plug on cylinder number 4 and it is fouled. The Mazda tech rep happens to be there so he tells them he has seem 3 MPVs with the problem in New England. It is always just cylinder #4 next to the radiator. They run the compression test and yeah, I need a valve job.
I have 67,000 miles on the car so the dealer is less than helpful and wants $2500 to do the valve job which will take 2.5 weeks because it is the week before Christmas.
I have decied it is futile to sink more money into the MPV. It is too bad. I really enjoyed driving the car. It was a little more expensive to maintain then I would have liked but it was a great car to drive.
I really didn't notice any problems with the way the engine was running. What I did notice was that my mileage per tank was about 10 gals less than what I had been getting before. There was a gas price war going on in my town so I thought it was just the cheap gas.
Looking back, I had to replace the alternator at around 55,000 and two of the stupid alloy wheels. One wheel over the last two winters. Ouch. I live in New England (pot hole heaven) so I suppose that is the breaks. I had the CD player, radio tuner replaced under warranty. There were little annoyances that got fixed under warranty but I still really liked the car. Too bad. I will miss it.
Those plugs on each corner of the dash have the wiring under each one to just add the Mazda tweeters in their place. I found a source called MAZDA SOUTH out of TX.. Richard is the contact name. Pretty simple approach. I've included the link here; parts@texasmazda.com
The total for two speakers with shipping was $172. Each speaker lists thru Mazda at $108, but I picked them up thru this source for $83 each. I know this seems a bit anal, but I wanted to add more punch to my system and this really does add 'high end' sound. The speakers simply plug into the same place where the plugs are with no modifications. As stated in earlier posts, the subwoofer addition in the rear is another story and much more complicated to add.
Do the Kumho tires you bought ride any nicer than the Dunlops? Our '03 LX has the 16" Dunlops, and though I can't complain too much about how they handle in the snow, I hate the way they ride. They are a very choppy riding tire. It's as if the sidewalls have absolutely no give to them. When it's time to replace the Dunlops, I'd like to find something a little nicer riding.
About the heater. The MPV has a very good heater, but the defroster can be outdone by the overabudance of windshield. We took a drive of about 50 miles about a month ago in somewhat of a snow storm with a windchill of -10 deg. I had to keep the selector all the way on defrost with the fan on high the entire time or the defroster wouldn't keep up. Even then, the outer portions of the windshield would not stay defrosted. I guess that much windshield is pretty tough to keep clear.
Also, some cars--most notably those without A/C--don't run the A/C compressor while defrosting. Running the compressor helps remove extra moisture from the cabin air, which is the cause of the condensation on the windshield.
Steve, Host