DT*: THE CONTACT STATED BOTH FRONT SEAT BELT STRAPS EXTENDED AND WOULD NOT RETRACT EXPOSING THE MANUFACTURER'S WARNING STICKER INDICATING A NEED TO REPLACE THE STRAPS. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE ALERTED. THE DEALER SUGGESTED REPLACING THE FRONT SEATBELT STRAPS, BUT NO REPAIRS WERE MADE.
1997 Mazda Millenia
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Millenia years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 5 of 16 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
16 reportsWHILE DRIVING 35 MPH IN SEVERE COLD WEATHER BRAKE PEDAL COMMENCED TO MAKE A POPPING NOISE WHILE BRAKING. VEHICLE LOST BRAKING AND REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT. UPON IMPACT, NEITHER FRONTAL AIR BAG DEPLOYED. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. UPDATED 12/12/07
THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AND OFF FOR TWO YEARS. I'VE TOOK IT TO 5 DIFFERENT MAZDA SPECIALIST INCLUDING THE DEALER AND EVERYONE OF THEM TELLS ME SOMETHING DIFFERENT... THINGS THAT WERE ALREADY DONE. KNOW ONE CAN SEEM TO PIN POINT WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE CAR. OH BY THE WAY... THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REBUILT. I ALSO …
Read full complaint
THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AND OFF FOR TWO YEARS. I'VE TOOK IT TO 5 DIFFERENT MAZDA SPECIALIST INCLUDING THE DEALER AND EVERYONE OF THEM TELLS ME SOMETHING DIFFERENT... THINGS THAT WERE ALREADY DONE. KNOW ONE CAN SEEM TO PIN POINT WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE CAR. OH BY THE WAY... THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REBUILT. I ALSO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE GEAR SWITCHING FROM THE FIRST TO SECOND AND IT'S NOT THE TRANSMISSION. THIS CAR HAS COST ME A LOT OF MONEY AND IT'S UP THERE WITH THE 626. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER MAZDA AGAIN. *LA
TWO WHEELS HAVE CRACKED AT LESS THAN 50,000 MILES OF CITY DRIVING ON MY 1997 MAZDA MILLENIAS. THIS HAS CAUSED GRADUAL ESCAPE OF AIR--UNKNOWN TO THE DRIVER UNTIL POTENTIALLY UNSAFE TIRE PRESSURE DEVELOPED AND VISIBLE DEFLATION NOTED.
I PURCHASED A 97 MAZDA MILLENNIA IN 8/97 WITH 29K MILES. TODAY IT IS AT 77K MILES AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND FOUND THAT THE FUEL TANK HAS STARTED IMPLODING DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF SUCTION IN THE TANK. THE SUCTION HAS ALSO CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE FUEL LEVEL SENSORS. THE QUOTED REPAIR PRICE W…
Read full complaint
I PURCHASED A 97 MAZDA MILLENNIA IN 8/97 WITH 29K MILES. TODAY IT IS AT 77K MILES AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND FOUND THAT THE FUEL TANK HAS STARTED IMPLODING DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF SUCTION IN THE TANK. THE SUCTION HAS ALSO CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE FUEL LEVEL SENSORS. THE QUOTED REPAIR PRICE WAS $1,800. THE SERVICE REP INFORMED ME THAT MAZDA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS ISSUED AN ADVISORY TO MECHANICS TO NOT ONLY CHECK THE FUEL GAUGE BUT ALSO THE FUEL TANK. THIS IS NOT CURRENTLY A RECALL ITEM OR A DEFECT BUT SHOULD BE. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND SEVERAL CASES OF OTHER MILLENNIA OWNERS WITH SAME MODEL YEAR EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE REPAIRS SHOULD BE AT MAZDA'S EXPENSE SINCE THE SUCTION IN THE TANK IS TOO HIGH OR THE FUEL TANK ITSELF IS NOT STRUCTURALLY CAPABLE OF HANDLING THE PRESSURE. PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL/DEFECT NOTICE SO THAT THIS ISSUE CAN BE FIXED. *NLM
WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER SAW SMOKE COMING FROM PASSENGER SEAT WHICH IS WHERE THE AUTOMATIC SEAT WARMERS ARE LOCATED. *NLM
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD AN ACCIDENT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. CONSUMER REAR ENDED THE VEHICLE GOING 30MPH. THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER NOTIFIED.
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AND WITHOUT WARNING FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT MARK THE CORRECT MEASUREMENT OF FUEL IN GAS TANK. FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY NEEED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
I HAD PROBLEMS GOING TO A MAZDA DEALER (VAL STROUGH MAZDA, OAKLAND, CA)IN GETTING THE TRANSMISSION DIAGNOSED. THEY FIRST SAID IT WAS THE SELECTOR WHCIH COST $300 PLUS , THEN AFTER CHANGING IT SAID IT WAS THE VALVE BODY AND WOULD COST $1200PLUS BUT WERE ONLY 90% SURE. IF IT WASNT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL $3000 PLUS FOR …
Read full complaint
I HAD PROBLEMS GOING TO A MAZDA DEALER (VAL STROUGH MAZDA, OAKLAND, CA)IN GETTING THE TRANSMISSION DIAGNOSED. THEY FIRST SAID IT WAS THE SELECTOR WHCIH COST $300 PLUS , THEN AFTER CHANGING IT SAID IT WAS THE VALVE BODY AND WOULD COST $1200PLUS BUT WERE ONLY 90% SURE. IF IT WASNT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL $3000 PLUS FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. THEY REFUNDED ONLY THE COST OF THE PART APPROX $100 BUT STILL CHARGED ME FOR LABOR THAT WAS UNECESSARY.I DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP WHO IMMEDIATLEY TOLD ME IT WAS A MECHANICAL PROBLEM WITH INTERIOR DAMAGE TO THE GEARS. IT COST ME $2500 TO HAVE A REBUILT TRANSMISSION INSTALLED. MAZDA SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE IT OUT RATHER THAN TRYING TO RUN UP A BILL WHICH STILL WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A NEW TRANSMISSION OF COURSE AFTER PAYING $1500 PLUS DOLLARS TO FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. I ALSO FIND IT UPSETTING THAT A TRANSMISSION WOULD FAIL AFTER ONLY 68K MILES. MY MECHANIC (GEORGES AUTO, SAN LEANDRO ,CA) AND THE TRANSMISSION SHOP (DONS TRANSMISSIONS, SAN LEANDRO CA) HAVE SEEN MANY OF THESE VEHICLES RECENTLY WITH SIMILAR AND LESS MILEAGE HAVING NEED OF THE SAME REPAIR.. THEY CALL IT A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ONE WAS REPORTED WITHIN 2 DAYS OF MINE ANOTHER JUST 3 WEEKS LATER. AS RECENTLY AS THIS WEEK I SPOKE WITH MY MECHANIC AND HE'S SEEN 3 MORE. THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS.I WAS INFORMED BY DONS TRANSMISSION THATTHERE WAS A RECALL ON THE MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSION BUT I CANNOT FIND ANY RECORD,THE 626 USES THE SAME TRANSMISSION AS THE MILLENIA.*AK
THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON EVERY FOUR MONTHS IN THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS. EACH TIME I TAKE IT TO PULLIAM WRAY, I'M INFORMED THAT IT'S A DIFFERENT PROBLEM. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THERE IS THREE HUNDRED DIFFERENT THINGS THAT CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. WITH THIS IN MIND , I COULD SPEND A SMALL FO…
Read full complaint
THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON EVERY FOUR MONTHS IN THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS. EACH TIME I TAKE IT TO PULLIAM WRAY, I'M INFORMED THAT IT'S A DIFFERENT PROBLEM. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THERE IS THREE HUNDRED DIFFERENT THINGS THAT CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. WITH THIS IN MIND , I COULD SPEND A SMALL FORTURE. EACH TIME THAT I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP, I'M CHARGE NEARLY THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS. THE FIRST TIME THAT IT WAS IN THE SHOP, THE PART WAS UNDER WARRENTY. IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, I HAVE HAD SOME SENSOR REPLACED TWICE. AT THE PRESENT THE LIGHT IS ON, AGAIN.*AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
Illustration