Power Train. Review the 337 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Air Bags. Review the 67 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

43 crash reports8 fire reports33 injury reports

What owners actually said

488 reports

Mileage unknown · Mar 21, 1999

Power Train

AFTER SAS REPROGRAM, THE TRANSMISSION WILL SHIFT UP/DOWN OUT OF CONTROL AT ANY SPEED WHEN DRIVING UP ON SLOPE, IT WAS OK BEFORE SAS REPROGRAM. DEALER CAN'T FIND THE REASON

NHTSA ODI #704706

Mileage unknown · Mar 21, 1999

Power Train

TRANSMISSION SHUTS UP/DOWN CONSISTENTLY OUT OF CONTROL WHEN DRIVING UP ON A SLOPE

NHTSA ODI #704704

Mileage unknown · Mar 21, 1999

Power Train

TRNASMISSION SHUTS UP/DOWN CONSISTENTLY OUT OF CONTROL WHEN DRIVING UP ON SLOPE, AND BANG AND BANG.

NHTSA ODI #704703

Mileage unknown · Mar 5, 1999

Air BagsFire

WAS DRIVING ONTO AN EXIT RAMP & SLOWING DOWN FOR A RED LIGHT WHEN THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. DRIVER'S AIR BAG IGNITED & THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE & WAS TOTALED. HAD RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE 19 JAN 1999, REGARDING AIR BAG FIRES. *AK

NHTSA ODI #835486

Mileage unknown · Feb 17, 1999

Seats

FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT HAS TOTALLY RECLINED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE MY HUSBAND WAS SITTING IN IT AND I WAS DRIVING (ABOUT 50MPH). THIS PROBLEM CAN CAUSE BACK INJURIES, WOULD BE A PROBLEM IN A CRASH, AND I CANNOT PUT MY CHILD'S SAFETY SEAT IN THIS CAR UNTIL I PAY FOR A $377 PART (A NUT) TO GET IT FIXED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #703394

Mileage unknown · Jan 19, 1999

Visibility

SEALS ON ALL THE WINDOWS ARE COMING OFF, CAUSING LEAKS WHEN IT RAINS. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK *ML

NHTSA ODI #833665

Mileage unknown · Jan 11, 1999

Power Train

ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION CAUSES VEHICLE TO SHIFT GEARS ON ITS OWN, THIS CAUSES VEHICLE TO SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE ON ITS OWN ,AND SOMETIMES GEARS WON'T SHIFT AT ALL, CAUSING VEHICLE NOT TO MOVE INTO DRIVE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #833298

Mileage unknown · Jan 7, 1999

Engine And Engine CoolingPower Train

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE LOST POWER. ALSO, VEHICLE IS VERY HARD TO PULL. THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT KEEPS COMING OFF AND ON AND THE CLUTCH IS BURNING OUT. THE VEHICLE NEEDS OVERHAULING. *AK

NHTSA ODI #833178

Mileage unknown · Jan 6, 1999

Air BagsPower TrainCrash

Read full complaint

TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT AT BARELY OVER 50,000 MILES.THIS COULD POSE A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK, CONSIDERING THAT IT COULD GO OUT ON THE FREEWAY OR ANYWHERE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION.THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM AND SAME COMPLAINT,MAZDA KNOWS THERE IS A DEFECT, AND THEY REFUSE TO FIX THE DEFECT, OPTING TO WAIT UNTIL THE CUSTOMER IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND MAKING THEM ABSORB A PORTION OF THE CHARGES.ALSO,I HAVE HAD 2 ACCIDENTS IN MY CAR ONE WHERE I WAS REAR ENDED WHILE IN A STOPPED POSITION AND NEITHER AIRBAG WAS DEPLOYED.*AK

NHTSA ODI #701971

Mileage unknown · Dec 22, 1998

Fuel System, GasolinePower Train

WHEN AT ANY SPEED THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON, AND THE GEAR SHIFTS VERY HARD, THE VEHICLE JERKS/ SHAKES. ALSO, THERE IS SOME TYPE OF FUEL LEAKAGE COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #832541

Official recalls

15V674000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch

Oct 19, 2015

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 1989-1998 MPV, 1990-1995 323, 1990-1998 Protege, 1992-1993 MX-3, 1993-1995 929, 1993-1997 MX-6, and 1993-1998 626 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, grease applied to the contact points inside the ignition switch may become conductive and overheat.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the ignition switch overheats there would be an increased risk of a fire.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. The recall began on December 17, 2015. Owners may contact Mazda Customer Experience Center at 1-800-222-5500, option#6. Mazda's number for this recall is 8715J.

98V249000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

Oct 8, 1998

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE SAS SENSOR UNIT. THESE VEHICLES CAN EXPERIENCE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS IN MINOR UNDERCARRIAGE IMPACTS.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: UNEXPECTED AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT CAN RESULT IN OCCUPANT INJURY.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE SAS UNIT TO REDUCE THE PROBABILITY OF UNNECESSARY DEPLOYMENTS IN LOW SPEED UNDERCARRIAGE IMPACTS.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

RQ99022 · Headlight Failure

Opened Dec 20, 1999 · Closed Aug 30, 2000

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting

OBTAINED RECALL 99V-358

SQ98024 · Speedometer Inoperative

Opened Oct 29, 1998 · Closed Sep 10, 1999

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train

SEE RESUME FOR DETAILS.

EA97012 · Oversensitive Air Bag Deployment

Opened May 23, 1997 · Closed Oct 9, 1998

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags

IN MAY OF 1997, ODI UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS WITH 51 COMPLAINTS.ODI IS NOW AWARE OF 88 COMPLAINTS OF ALLEGED INAPPROPRIATE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENTS.TYPICAL COMPLAINTS ALLEGE THAT THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AFTER THE VEHICLE HIT A POT HOLE AT BETWEEN 20 AND 45 MPH, OR THAT THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING AT BETWEEN 20 OR 60 MPH FOR NO APPARENT REASON.APPROXIMATELY 25 DRIVERS ALLEGED THAT THEY DID NOT HIT ANYTHING IN THE ROADWAY.MAZDA WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL OFALL 1995 AND 1996 MODELS OF THE MAZDA 626 AND MX-6, AS WELL AS A SMALL NUMBER OF 1997 MAZDA 626 MODELS, EQUIPPED WITH THE SAME SAS UNIT.THE SAS UNIT CONTROLS THE AIRBAG SYSTEMIT CONTAINS A BUILT-IN CRASH SENSOR TO DETECT VEHICLE DECELERATION DURING A COLLISION.AFFECTED MODELS WERE ASSEMBLED FROM JUNE 1, 1994 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 10, 1996 AND HAVE A VIN WITHIN THE FOLLOWING RANGES: MAZDA 626:1YVGE22**S5300001 THROUGH 1YVGE22**V5599030 MAZDA MX-6: 1YVGE31**S5300001 THROUGH 1YVGE31**T5589965ALL OWNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEIR VEHICLE MAY EXPERIENCE AN UNNECESSARY AIRBAG DEPOYMENT IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS.THEY WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO BRING THEIR VEHICLE TO A MAZDA DEALER TO REPROGRAM THE SAS UNIT TO REDUCE THE FREQUENCY OF UNNECESSARY DEPLOYMENTS.

PE97006 · Inappropriate Air Bag Deployment

Opened Jan 30, 1997 · Closed May 23, 1997

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags

IN JANUARY OF 1997, ODI OPENED A PE BASED ON 9 ODI COMPLAINTS.ODI IS NOW AWARE OF 51 COMPLAINTS OF ALLEGED INAPPROPRIATE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS.TYPICAL COMPLAINTS INCLUDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS AFTER THE VEHICLE HIT A POT HOLE WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 20 AND 45 MPH AND AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 20 AND 60 MPH FOR NO APPARENT REASON.APPROXIMATELY 21 DRIVERS ALLEGED THAT THEY DID NOT HIT ANYTHING PRIOR TO THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT.IN FOUR OF THESE INCIDENTS THE DRIVER CLAIMS TO HAVE LOST CONTROL AND HIT A CURB AFTER THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.IN ADDITION THERE ARE FOUR INCIDENTS WHERE THE DRIVER ALLEGES THAT THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AFTER A TIRE BLOWOUT WHILE DRIVING.LESS COMMON INCIDENTS INCLUDE ALLEGATIONS OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYING AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE AND REMOVING THE KEY, CROSSING RAILROAD TRACKS, WHILE BEING TOWED, WHILE BRAKING, AFTER HITTING A CURB, AND AFTER HITTING A MANHOLE COVER.ODI IS UPGRADING THIS INVESTIGATION TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE REPORTS GATHERED TO DATE, THE SENSORS USED IN THE VEHICLES, AND TO ASSESS THE IMPACT THAT THE ALLEGED DEFECT HAS ON HIGHWAY SAFETY.