IllustrationDRIVER'S SEAT ELECTRIC SEAT WARMER BURNED HOLE THROUGH LEATHER SEAT BACK, AS WELL AS MY JACKET AND SWEATER I WAS WEARING AT THE TIME. MAZDA'S POSITION IS THAT IT IS AN OUT OF WARRANTY FAILURE. MY POSITION IS A COMPONENT "FAILURE" THAT BURNS THROUGH DRIVER'S CLOTHING IS A SAFETY DEFECT THAT MAZDA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR.*AK
1998 Mazda Millenia
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Mazda Millenia do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 20.
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: 9 of 29 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.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports
What owners actually said
29 reportsTHE POWER TILT STEERING WHEEL HAS FAILED AND WILL NO LONGER OPERATE. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SAFETY DEFECT, AS THE WHEEL IS STUCK IN AN EXTREMELY UPRIGHT POSITION AND WILL NOT COME DOWN, MAKING THE CAR VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER SAFELY. FROM MY RESEARCH ON THIS SITE AND OTHERS, AS WELL AS CALLS TO 5 DIFFERENT MAZDA DEALERSHIPS, TH…
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THE POWER TILT STEERING WHEEL HAS FAILED AND WILL NO LONGER OPERATE. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SAFETY DEFECT, AS THE WHEEL IS STUCK IN AN EXTREMELY UPRIGHT POSITION AND WILL NOT COME DOWN, MAKING THE CAR VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER SAFELY. FROM MY RESEARCH ON THIS SITE AND OTHERS, AS WELL AS CALLS TO 5 DIFFERENT MAZDA DEALERSHIPS, THIS IS APPARENTLY A COMMON PROBLEM. IN FACT, ACCORDING TO ONE DEALER, THE PROBLEM IS SO COMMON THAT MAZDA HAS BEGUN OFFERING A SPECIAL REPAIR KIT THAT JUST INCLUDES THE DEFECTIVE ACTUATOR RATHER THAN THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN. IT IS MY VIEW THAT THIS IS A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT THAT MAZDA SHOULD COVER UNDER A SPECIAL SERVICE PROGRAM OR BY RECALL. *JB
THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY 98 MAZDA MILLENNIUM. WAS 1 MONTH AFTER WE BROUGHT IT "MAY 2001". THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON THE CAR, THEY PUT AN NEW TRANSMISSION IN. NOW FOR THE SECOND TIME "MARCH 2003" THE TRANSMISSION IS ACTING UP AGAIN, AFTER SHIFTING INTO SECOND GEAR IT WILL NOT GO INTO THIRD GEAR CAUSING THE C…
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THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY 98 MAZDA MILLENNIUM. WAS 1 MONTH AFTER WE BROUGHT IT "MAY 2001". THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON THE CAR, THEY PUT AN NEW TRANSMISSION IN. NOW FOR THE SECOND TIME "MARCH 2003" THE TRANSMISSION IS ACTING UP AGAIN, AFTER SHIFTING INTO SECOND GEAR IT WILL NOT GO INTO THIRD GEAR CAUSING THE CAR TO JERK AND REDLINE. SINCE I HAVE BROUGHT MY CAR I HAVE COME INTO CONTACT WITH ALOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS OUT OF THIS CAR. IF MAZDA KNOWS THAT THESE CARS ARE HAVING THESE KINDS OF PROBLEM WHY ARE THEY STILL SELLING THEM. I'M AFRAID TO PUT MY DAUGHTER IN THIS CAR BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT. AND I AM GETTING NO HELP FROM THE PLACE WHERE I BROUGHT THE CAR EXCEPT WE'LL PUT A NEW ONE IN. WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS? WHEN SOMEONE GETS HURT AR KILLED? PEOPLE PLEASE DO RESEARCH ON ALL THE CARS THAT YOU PURCHASE. *NLM
TRANSMISSION FAILURE, AT 55K MILES CAR SHOULD NOT HAVE MAJOR TRANS. PROBLEMS. CHECKED INTERNET AND FOUND THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH MAZDA VEHICLES FOR MANY YEARS. WHY ARE THEY STILL HAVING THESE PROBLEMS? DRIVERS MAY BE INJURED TRYING TO GET INTO TRAFFIC WHEN THE TRANS. FAILS. DT
THERE IS A FUEL LEAK INSIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. DUE TO AN ODOR FUEL SMELL COMING INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE DEALER NOTIFIED TS
CONSUEMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION INTO AN EMBANKMENT OF 35 MPH. AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, CAUSES BURNS ON CONSUMER LEFT SIDE OF ARM AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOREHEAD. MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. NLM
WHILE VEHICLE WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT VEHICLE BEING IN AN ACCIDENT,DAMAGING WINDSHIELD AND SUNROOF.DEALER CONTACTED.*AK
WHILE IDLING AT A STOP SIGN OR TRAFFIC LIGHT, VEHICLE RACES TO EXTREMELY HIGH RPMS. AFTER VEHICLE IS RESTARTED, IT THEN RETURNS TO NORMAL. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. *AK CONSUMER ADDS THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL RESUME FEATURE WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. *TT
3 TIMES GAS PEDAL HAS CAUSED VEHICLE TO HESITATE. SEVERAL COMPLAINTS HAD BEEN MADE REGARDING THIS PROLBEM. VEHICLE WAS PLUGGED TO COMPUTER, BUT NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND. CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED, BUT NO REMEDY HAS CORRECTED THE PROBLEM.*AK
VEHICLE EXPERIENCES A BRAKE LOSS WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN AND APPLYING BRAKES. BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, AND VEHICLE CONTINUES INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, CAUSING A VEHICLE CRASH.DEALER / MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *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.