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Mazda MPV: Problems & Solutions
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sequence with us. Thanks.
followed. Thanks. Best wishes to you.
Happy motoring! Hey, shouldn't MPV owners have a "wave" like VW vanagon and Eurovan owners? Hmmmm...
That was not a big concern for me, as I believe the current generation Duratec is improved over the 95-97 model years. It certainly is not as stressed as the engine in the SVT.
Unless your MPV is different from mine, its got a Ford computer, MAF and throttlebody. Who knows about O2 sensor, temp sensors and the like.
I don't claim to know it all, but I'd ask your mechanic for a clarification. Especially if you do notice the ford computer under the dash.
Cheers,
TB
Thx for the info Tboner on the Ford/Mazda brains. Can't trust anyone anymore. Or, the mechanic was just blowing smoke up my #$%.
Gordobr, I haven't had the problem you describe with your MPV on my '00 model. I have noticed that from time to time it isn't as smooth engaging Drive or Reverse from park. This is normally when cold tho, so I might attribute it to cold fluids. I did notice a significant improvement of the tranny performance after 6000 miles as opposed to the first 3000 miles.
My two cents, but I don't know everything... ;-)
Good Luck!
--Java
http://www.highwaysafety.org/news_releases/2000/pr032900.htm
http://www.highwaysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/low_speed_vans.htm
- white
- Touring pkg.
- Rear A/C
- GFX (I wouldn't have ordered this but... not so bad)
- 6 disk in-dash
- moonroof
- MSRP 27,400 or so
This minivan had been traded back in to our local Mazda dealer on a new 626. It was originally purchased in February, 00 and had 5200 miles. It was in virtually perfect "new" condition, the previous owner had come from a sports car and was dissatisfied with the idea of driving a minivan. They must have taken quite a hit on deciding to trade in so quickly. We will have 32 months/45000 miles remaining on the warranty. Funny thing, we had just this past Friday night researched new minivans to replace our 1993 Dodge Grand Caravan ES. When we went in for a test drive the "used" one caught our eye. It had been traded in just two days before - another customer had offered on the van and was declined on his credit application - and they had just returned the MVP to the front lot. We paid $19,900 +TTL (should probably have tried for lower but there were two other customers seriously looking at the van - one was going to test drive it, we liked it, so snapped it up). We are going through the same "WOW! What a great van" experiences that we see described on the various MPV boards. It is too early to tell for sure, but I estimate that we are going to get around 22 or 23 mpg on our first tankful check. The MPV is perfectly stable at all speeds (including the 75 to 85 mph that some find shaky) and it tracks perfectly (no pulling). I find the power adequate, though it is no racer from a standing start. Great fun to drive and best of all, my wife, the main driver, likes it A LOT. I have a few questions that maybe some of you more knowledgeable MPVers may know about.
- When the car is warm (don't notice when cold) there is a sort of a small squeak/pop noise coming from either the steering assemblies or engine compartment/transaxle/front suspension areas. This is only noticed when accelerating from a standstill and it only does it two or three times each start. It sounds a bit like some sort of heavy spring loading - sort of a subtle "pop" (and I do mean subtle). Has anyone ever noticed anything like this or heard of it?
- Our MPV was manufactured 7/99 and is due for the engine recalls. Does an orange tag on the drivers door mean that this has been performed? (I will check for sure with my dealer, just thought some here may know)
- Has anyone removed the GFX package? Is it just a screw on affair (looks to be)? Is it likely that the four months of use has scratched or discolored the underlying finish in any way?
Thank you in advance for any response that you may provide.
I have to say, to anyone considering a Honda Odditty (oops!), the paint on the Mazda is far superior, which should make a difference in the long run. Look at any Honda that's a few years old. Rock chips and chips on the paint everywhere. I've seen 2000 Oddesseys with a myriad of chips in their hoods already.
No, I won't say my wife is careless, but she won't park in the "no ding" zones at the mall. You know the ones, way out where no one will ding your doors, where I park my car. I've yet to see a ding, or scratch on the doors of the MPV, except on the rear bumper. So, Kudos to Mazda for not skimping on the paint like Honda seems to do.
-Java
Take care.
* Vibrating - pulling to left ! (could the tire pressure actually be the fix?!)
* bumper recall (must I buy an MPV manufactured after 4/00 ? Or is that even a help?)
* AC not blowing
* stalling! (A one time fix? If so, can this be fixed at the dealer BEFORE purchase?)
* rear-bumper easily being chipped
Seems like a line up of head-aches.
Please help.
- None on mine.
* bumper recall:
- Still no recall in Canada (a bit annoying though...).
* AC not blowing
- Haven't experienced it too many times here North !
* stalling:
- No stalling problem but yes, the van is hesitating sometimes. Got used to it.
* rear-bumper easily being chipped:
- You will have to get the rear step plate. Looks and works great !
Hope it helps a bit ...
Silver Driver
As for the vibrating or pulling,seems me that if one of the new ones has this, it has been fixed by an alignment, proper inflation, or balancing.
Bumper recall will happen soon. Just be sure not hit anything. (Normal when you have a new car).
AC not blowing, I think that is an isolated incidient. Ours will freeze you out after about 5 mins.
Stalling, never happened to us. Had to teach the wife how to start it true, but that is operator head space and timing.
Rear bumper paint chipping, true I would agree that the paint on the rear seems to chip easily. But the fix is the step plate and a $5.00 bottle of touchup paint.
For those of us that are owners, this "line of headaches" is easily tolerated any time you are behind the wheel. It truly is a great vehicle, the sound system is awesome, the side windows roll down (exclusive feature) and the moonroof is great. I would seriously consider making the jump to the touring package you will find it is well worth it.
Good luck on your reading.
I had concerns about the pulling to the left, the vibrating, the engine etc etc.... At the time I truly felt we had reason to pause.
One month ago we bought our LX. We have rear a/c, sec pkg, roof rack, 3 in 1, cargo net and the rear bumper step plate.
Our van was mfg 2/00. Overall I am extremely happy with the van! More so than I thought possible.
We purchased the bumper step plate before we left the dealer. It is sharp looking and will keep our bumper from getting scratched. Without a doubt a great investment! (It was either 34 or 43 dollars)
I only remember one complaint about someone's a/c not blowing properly. I believe they have a unique problem that needs dealer attention.
We live in a very hot climate and some days we don't even need the rear a/c on! Yes, the van does cool off slower than our car, but when you compare the size there is no comparison. A larger vehicle takes longer to cool off - tinted windows or not. But, once it is cooled my a/c works great as I have read with most other MPV'ers.
As for vibrating and pulling to the left. (After reading everything I also questioned whether the problem was related to tire pressure.) I have experienced none of those problems. We made sure to test drive our van on the interstate going over 75 mph. I think this is an old issue that is not happening in the 2000 mfg MPV's (IMO)
I wish the bumper recall had taken place prior to our purchase as the damage that can happen without the reinforcements is scary. But, I don't plan on being in an accident : ) and I personally felt it was not worth the wait. If you can wait and it's important to you then you should.
I really can't stress to you how pleased we are with this van. We have no issues related to the power! (Personally I am sick of the subject.) The MPV runs great in the city and on the hwy. We took an 1000 mile trip and we cruised at 76 mph and passed without a problem.
We broke the van in for 600 miles prior to our trip and we did not use the cruise until then. Now there is over 2000 miles on the van and it is running extremely smooth. I can't believe how much nicer it runs than when we first got it. And it ran fantastic then.
I love my van. If what you posted are the only things holding you back I really don't personally feel you have cause for concern.
We test drove a few other MPV's and some we knew just weren't for us. We ended up waiting another month once we heard that 3 in 1 was available. Once we drove our current van we just knew in our hearts it was it.
I think that dollar for dollar we made a great investment. Every other non MPV van owner that has seen our van has really been impressed with ours. The MPV truly has some great features and dollar for dollar it beats out the competition.
That's my opinion. I am going to hide this response since I got so long winded! : )
Can't emphasize enough how much we enjoy our MPV.
I strongly agree that the rolldown windows are a great and unique feature - only found on the MPV.
It's great for the kids. We drove by our neighbors while they were taking a stroll with their kids. When we stop to say hello, I was able to rolldown the side window so my daughter could look out and say hi as well. My neighbor was amazed at this feature and said that they would be looking at the MPV to replace their older model Dodge Caravan in the next few weeks.
Good luck with your decision making!
We have an LX w/ rear a/c, sec. pkg., & 4 seasons:
No problems w/ vibrating and I think those that have experienced it have gotten to the root of the problem.
Bumper Recall - patiently waiting for the recall
AC - works great!
Stalling - no problems!
Rear bumper chips - bought step plate asap (looks good)! BTW $35
Bottom line - No headaches, only pleasure driving a great looking, nice handling, full featured minivan, at a reasonable price.
Take care.
Trussmonkey: Don't worry! As you can see, we all are extremely happy with our vans. Even the people who have had some minor problems still love their vans. I've had my ES with moonroof, 4-seasons, CD changer for almost 7 months, and have driven almost 16,000 miles. I have experienced none of the problems you mention, nor any others. The van runs great, looks great, sounds great (awesome stereo system) and you'll look great driving one!!
Turned out the problem was glazing on the brake pads.
My local Mazda dealership picked up my van... repaired the problem at no charge...
and returned the van to me cleaner than I sent it!
No more squealling and I'm @ 8400 mi. now.
LOVE THIS MINIVAN!
The AC is also not cold enough compared to other cars' AC (new and old). I don't know if it's the new freon or just my van since some of the posts refer to AC not blowing.
Also has anyone noticed a persistent ticking sound emitting from the engine compartment? It seems like valve ticking noise similiar to my old car.
They're also trying to trace my ghost cold start issue, but it didn't present itself to them. Ho hum.
Gas mileage is still good, and increasing. Looks like we're getting 19mpg with all in-town driving. Still love it.
We're looking at an 86 Volvo 850R Turbo for me right now. Conveniently, the Mazda and Volvo dealers are one and the same in our two-horse town (Anchorage, AK, pop 325,000), so service is doubly convenient.
Speaking of service, I have to say that my Mazda service experience is far and away better than that which I have experienced with the Ford POS I own, and am trading in for the Volvo.
Happy trails!
--Javadoc
I also think you need to get your AC checked. Too many other people are getting good performance from their AC in warm climates for it to be a systemic problem. Have the dealer check the AC.
Take care.
Pulling seems to have stopped after an alignment and balancing, but there is still a very noticable vibration beginning at 65-70 mph. So much so, that my hand vibrates violently on the steering wheel and my wife's hand will go numb after about 15 minutes of driving in this condition.
We keep the tires inflated to 35PSI or so, just like the manual states, so I'm pretty sure it's not the tire pressure. I'm reluctant to tell the dealer what to do, but it just seems it has to be either the alignment, the rotors, or the tires. I just hope they can finally figure it out, because it is ruining what is otherwise a very fun vehicle to drive.
Good Luck
I was a little ticked with my dealer today. I called and made an appointment today for an oil change and to have the tires looked at.
They wrote up all the paperwork and I left the vehicle with them for 6 hours. They called and told me my car was ready and I could come pick it up.
When I got there, the oil change had been done, but they said that they couldn't look at my tires because they were too busy and warranty work, by policy, is only done on weekdays. I was told to schedule another appointment to have the tires checked.
The service department was already closed and everyone had gone home for the day. I didn't feel it was necessary to take anything out on the cashier, so I'll have to wait until Monday to call them and complain to the service manager.
They could have told me this all up front. I was very clear when I called to make the appointment that I needed warranty work, and I was also clear when I dropped off my car. It's very inconvenient to have to now make two separate trips.
Thanks for letting me vent. In the meantime, I will try your suggestions. I need to rotate the tires anyways, so I'll start with moving the front to back and see what happens.
Thanks
love to read everyones posts..
we just came off a 95 degree day here in NYC and I noticed
that when I had the A/C on high the air is not as
cold as when it's on no. 2 setting. It seems as
though the blower is too fast for the compressor.
Don't get me wrong it was still ok, especially for
that type of day, I was just wondering if that's
normal for vans in general, some cars I've owned
froze me up after awhile, I don't see that
happening here and I'm heading for Florida in JULY
!!..
On Friday the airbag dashboard light started flashing intermittently. Doesn't stop at all. Then on Saturday we discovered that the driver's side floor mat was soaked from underneath. I called Mazda this morning and was told the A/C water disposal line must be clogged. Funny but the same thing happened on my new VW GTI.
But hopefully the airbag light isn't flashing because the connector or sensor got wet. Electronics will die when wet. First Mazda couldn't get to me till next Monday, then I asked if my regular mechanic unclogs the line will they still repair the damage (clean/dry/replace) carpet?. Then they said we could bring it in Tuesday morning to unclog it. I'll let you know what happens.
Getting close to 1,000 miles and we love it!
Safe driving!
I asked a few friends of mine who own Minivans and was told the same thing about their A/C systems on really hot days... (one owns a chevy venture, the other a dodge caravan, I'm the new hot shot with the MPV ES in Rainforest Mica ;-)
Another Tip that I didn't try that day was to recirculate the cabin air, I have heard that will make things considerably cooler also..
Take Care..
Good luck
I try to keep it on recirculate, then adjust the temp level so the compressor does not cycle on as much. This I believe gives better fuel economy.
Cheers,
TB
I brought the van to my local dealer where the first words out of the service advisors mouth were, "It's the road conditions!" I shrugged that off rather quickly and told him that his excuse was "unacceptable", that I had just purchased this van yesterday and that I wanted him to check the alignment and the tires. I also requested a free rental which both he, the service manager and "Mazda Corporation" were unwilling to provide me. I held my ground and got the rental, (that's another story!) The next day, I was told that they could not find any alignment problem so they sent the van to an alignment "specialist" who had more up to date equipment. They told me that the specialist found the "camber" to be slightly off, and adjusted it. After returning to pick up my van, the service advisor told me that both he and a technician drove the van together and decided the problem had been fixed. Driving the van back home, it started drifting to the left again! I even drove on a road with a crown to the right. The van stayed nearly dead center before eventually drifting left.
Now, I'm a bit concerned! I won't go back to that service dept. I'm thinking of going to another dealer to see how they handle the situation. I'm starting to sour on this whole thing. Someone please snap me out it!
Oh yeah. Some other minor quibbles:
1) The auto. shift lever blocks some buttons on the 6 disc CD changer/radio when in drive.
2) I've confused the wiper/washer lever with the auto. shift lever 3 times already. (Bad placement!)
3) I've hit the cruise control lever a number of times with my fingers while turning the steering wheel. (Again, bad placement!)
4) Engine needs more power! (C'mon Mazda!)
Other then that, everythings hunky-dory! We like the van!
Sorry if I sound too much like a complainer. First time mini-van buyer blues you know!
It was only at lower speeds (upto 40 mph)as when I took it on the express way I didn't notice it at all. After an hour test drive (by myself ... no sales person blabbing in my ear) the drift was the only thing I noticed. I then took the silver for a 1 hour test drive and no drift what so ever. I drove it at at high and low speeds (20 - 75 mph)
and it no problems and I was satisfied with off the line performance. I bought the silver.
1 - tilt the steering wheel down one notch and you'll be able to see the buttons.
2 & 3 - You'll get use to the placement of these very quickly.
4 - You didn't notice this on the test drive !!??
** Always test drive the vehicle your going to buy
before you buy and if they offer to take care of the problems, tell them to fix it 1st, then you'll buy.
I'm a bit concerned about the longetivity of the Duratec engine... any insights???
Rrbhokies= your's sounds exactly like mine. Ask them to rotate your tires and send it out to an alignment shop. That's how mine was finally fixed. The tires that have been on the front so far are probably worn unevenly on yours too. Keep bugging them and go to another dealer if this one's not doing the job. It took six visits to two differnt dealers before mine was done! GOOD LUCK!!!
If you want to talk to long term Duratec users, check out the forums at www.contour.org
Since they are using the same basic engine, you could ask for firsthand accounts.
Cheers,
TB