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Mazda MPV: Problems & Solutions
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My dealer was going to replace the rack on it at THEIR expense, but Mazda Corp. said no way. It is a 'normal' deal per what they say right now. They stated that the guru's at Mazda Corp. are working on a solution....but who really knows if that is true!
In the meantime, it sounds like it's in pain everytime I turn the wheel!! Funny, I posted 3 times about this back in March-May and no one ever replied that they had this problem back then. Maybe, as these cars get higher mileage, this issue will surface for more of us fickled MPV owners....?? :mad:
I have a 2004 MPV LX with 5000 miles on it. We are having some hot (95+) weather here and the AC seems to have a hard time keeping up. The only way that it will keep up is to keep it on recirculation all the time. Anyone else have this problem? Is it just Mazda AC units? Is there a problem with keeping it on recirculation? This is our first Mazda. Thanks.
so my question is, anyone else had the CEL blink b/c of bad plugs or wires and how common is it to have crapped out plugs and wires before 36k miles. that's pretty weak, but considering I had to replace original tires w/in 2 yrs, they must be putting in the cheap stuff under the hood too.
thanks in advance.
would still be curious of opinions on suitable mileage for changing OEM plugs-- dealer didn't mention this again.
PS Have an independent (non-Mazda) mechanic look into the noise this week.
I am hoping that they are only glued on with double-sided tape and a heat gun and some dental floss will work. I'm concerned that I may find a couple of holes under each badge where a rivet is holding the emblem to the car. That would suck.
Anyone have any experience?
I have a 2003 MPV and it's been moaning when turning the wheel either way since last winter. Dealer says a 'fix' is coming from corporate Mazda...but nothing yet.
See post by TCC and by another person last week on this.
PLEASE let us know what your mechanic comes up with when you find out!!
I just hate a noise on a $30K vehicle that makes it sound cheesy!!
Hope a fix will be coming soon!
PS: anyone ever tried replacing the rear license plate lights?? Be prepared for MAJOR surgery - removing the inside tailgate panel is the best option...sweet!
The following can get better mileage:
* Check often and keep up the tire pressure. Use another air guage if you suspect your one not accurate.
* Change motor oil to Mobil-1 tri-synthetic. I did it and feel the difference right away.
* Don't fill-up the tank, just 3/4 is good enough. More gas in the tank more weight carrying.
Mar 2003: Brakes were cliking-front clips had to be replaced.
Jul 2003: Recall on fog lamps, rotors had to be resurfaced.
Sep 2003: C/E light on-pvc hose had to be replaced.
Apr 2004: Enigine was reving hard when cold. I was told there wasn't a problem.
Creeking sound in steering wheel. They replaced both front tie rod ends and said it fixed the problem. I got in the car and could still hear the creeking. I had to get the tech in the car so he could "hear" what I heard. Mazda states that there is nothing wrong.
Nov 2004: C/E light onagain - pvc hose had to be replaced again.
Also recall done on fan module replacement.
Apr 2005: Leaking antifreeze. Mazda replaced water circulating pump.
Unfortunately they did not fill up the reservoir. My husband filled it when I got home. They had the car for 10 days. I got it back on a Wednesday.
Apr 2005: (3 days later) My husband got under the car to change the oil. Found
out that the oil pan was leaking oil. It was very obvious to him and would have been easily spotted by the tech that replaced the water circulation pump when he had the car up on a lift. My paperwork from the dealership states that a "Mazda Full Circle Complete Vehicle Inspection" was performed. It makes me think that they didn't tell me about the oil leak because it only had 2900 mile left on the warranty.
Jul 2005: 151 miles out of warranty. C/E light came on AGAIN. This time they
think it is a bad plug or coil in the #3 cyclinder. Had to have work done as engine is lugging. The dealership (out of the goodness of thier heart) took $200.00 off the total bill. $360.00 out of pocket plus two days rental car fees. Plus when I look back at all the times that they "test drove" my car I am sure that it totals more than 151 miles. Especially as the tech that repaired the oil leak took the car home for the night so that they could see where the oil was coming from.
That's about it for me. Does anyone know a good lemon law attorney for the state of Maryland? Or is it to late for that. This was the first and last Mazda we will ever buy. Their quality has gone drastically down hill since they merged with Ford. :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
The dealer wanted $475 for 1 shock and then found the air pump release value (to let air out of the system) is $980 for the pump and $250 to install. $1705 and I would have still had 1 old air shock. The dealer will NOT recomend this solution. For older MPVs ith this system and moderate towing it is a cost effective way to go.
FYI .
I tremble to think of what this vehicle will be like IF it makes it to 150K miles on it. My old DC had 185K miles on it when I sold it and it was still running fine...darn!
have you verified your air intake filter is clean and also your tires are not under-inflated? possibly the vehicle is running excessively rich due to a bad sensor, stuck injectors, or the catalytic convertor is messed up.
i guess i'd be asking an independant shop what you might try next in terms of a resonably priced diagnostic approach to the problem.
"evap kit" and a "reprogramming" of thePCM (?) I think they see me coming
My MPV is 2002 & 3 months off warranty - you sound like you know what you are talking about . I wish knew about the dianostic checks at Autozone - cost me $96 just to have it checked. Does this sound right to you???
Thanks again for your input.
The first time, the car had been sitting for a week, and we "forced" it by putting in a nut to hold the idle open, and after driving a couple times around the block, there was a groaning noise from under the hood, and the car then idled normally on its own after the nut was removed. It drove normally for a couple of days (including a 5 hour trip), then wouldn't start without coaxing the next morning. It's driven fine for several weeks, then the other day wouldn't start again.
The best guess at the shop is the ""Idle Air Control" valve. (I did a quick search in this forum, and aside from the one time groaning I mentioned above, I haven't heard unusual noises.) Has anyone dealt successfully with this? How?!? Thanks!
We noticed that the car began to idle roughly at stops when the air conditioning was on. Took it into the dealer and paid $60 for a diagnostic, which they say came up with nothing wrong. The problem became progressively worse even when the air conditioning was off. Took it back to the dealer and this time they stated that
the problem was related to the plugs and coils which needed to be replaced, a 900-1000.00 price tag. Had a similar estimate at another dealership. My concern is that the MPV has a Ford engine. So did i buy a Ford with their inherent problems?
A major tune up at less than 40K !! We may be trading this van in soon.
Since it was a Saturday and I was a bit concerned, I stopped at a local muffler shop just to see if they could put in on their rack and spot anything noticeably wrong. Nothing seemed out of place or loose.
It doesn't make the noise when you just rev up the engine in Park, Neutral, or even if you go in Reverse. Just Drive, which is what worries me.
It isn't the common creaking noise that comes out of the steering either. We've had that for years so I know THAT sound quite well. Although, in our case, it only seems to make that creak when the AC is on. The sound I'm hearing now is new and more like a rattle or vibration.
I'm worried that it could be in the transmisson after reading about so many problems other MPV owners have had with them. We've had a lot of problems, but none so far transmission-wise even though ours does shift rather hard at times. Has anyone else ever heard of something like this? I'm wondering (and hoping) if maybe it's something in the front suspension that makes the noise when the weight shifts and the suspension flexes, but I kinda doubt it. That has me really worried that it could be the start of transmisson problems. I'd sure appreciate hearing what others think. We just spent $900 in June to repair a leaking exhaust manifold on this vehicle. The last thing we need or can afford is another major repair!
Jim
Exhaust manifold is still holding up, but alternator had to be replaced recently, and it looks like I need a new O2 sensor.
Now at 63000 miles, the engine blows up. Actually a puff of smoke comes out of all sides as the car is on the highway and does a dead stop. Service station mechanics are completely amazed. They say Mazda should pay because my vehicle is in excellent condition.
Wife and kids on I-5 in rush hour. Car Stops. A real mess. Get towed to service station. Diagnosis: New engine needed. The bill - just under $9000. I get the MPV towed to a second station for a 2nd opinion. Same result. All mechanics agree, there is no reason the engine should give out at 63K. All mechanics agee...Mazda should be ashamed at this. Oil changes and maint performed. Blue Book value of vehicle is $8K. Junk yard offered $1000 for the not working MPV because it is clean! My question, does anyone have suggestions? Does anyone know how Mazda feels about standing behind their product? Or...am I screwed? Please help. Does any one have experience working with Mazda? Just my luck, the dealership I bought it from when out of business 1 month ago. Please help with advice.
You're probably a bit to much over mileage and warranty for Mazda to help much. Doesn't hurt to try though. Maybe, they would split the cost of a new engine as a goodwill gesture?
You could try to find a used engine thru junkyard or auctions. Or,find another 2000 MPV(a bare bones model) and use it for replacement parts. Would probably cost as much as a 2000 MPV.
good luck.
Apparently, they would only make noise when the car was put in drive or under torque and the chassis would flex enough to bring them into contact with the drivetrain (or something like that).
So for once we got off easily. Of course, so far we had to have the rear hatch struts replaced, the CD player, alternator, heater blower motor and front wheel bearings. Those were repaired under warranty. In addition, I had to pay for a door handle which snapped off and a new exhaust manifold/catalytic converter. One of the power windows broke too, but I was able to take it apart and solder a broken connection or who knows how much that would have cost?
Any wonder why I'm disillusioned with our MPV and in fear of what will go next?
From your experience do you think the mirrors would be covered under warranty? I would appreciate any suggestions on care of these mirrors. They seem to be first surface mirrors.
Thanks,
Lee
I doubt under the circumstances the mirrors would be covered under warranty. Never hurts to try though.
Lee
Thanks,
Lance