Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Mazda Mazda6 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Please can someone put in a recall for this my transmission is having problems again and this is my second madza 6... This doesn't make any sense we spend money of vehicles that suppose to run well... So why are there so many people having problems with these madza's and know one is doing anything about it.... I was on the highway with my kids when the car just cut off and wouldn't move and when it did it was started grinding when I put it in gear.... That was a scary thing... The same happened to me in my first madza 6 with only 89000 miles on it... Something needs to be done....
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Mazda 6. While driving various speeds, the clutch would shift automatically into neutral and the engine revved. After a few seconds, the gear would forcefully shift into any gear without warning. The failure occurred more often while on inclines or when the vehicle was in fourth, fifth, or sixth gear. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed, but the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was still under warranty at the time. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Mazda 6. While driving uphill at approximately 68 MPH, the vehicle slipped out of gear without warning. The contact lost control of the vehicle and the vehicle landed in a ditch. The failure recurred several times. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the trans-axle slippage was due to poor design. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000. Ma 08/05/2015 updated 10/23/2017
Transmission roughly jerks itself into 2nd-3rd gear. When the car has come to a stop and is then accelerated, engine stalls for a few seconds, then slams itself into 2nd or 3rd gear. This poses as a rear-end threat, as the car is forcefully put into gear, causing the car to jerk forward suddenly. For me this only occurs at lower speeds (10-30 MPH). I have researched this problem and many others have come across the same thing.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Mazda 6. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle jerked backwards without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 133,000. ..updated 04/23/15 updated 04/24/15
I leased my fully loaded 2006 Mazda a6 back in December of 2005. Ever since then, I have had trouble with the car. First, the driver side window was not going down. A few days after I bought the car, I realized that the turbo kept giving out on me. Then I came across a huge dilemma, where the limited slip differential, drive shaft, and all the bolts and hinges had to be replaced because of a bolt which was not torque enough. Then, the brakes kept making an annoying noise even without the brakes applied at low and high speeds. Subsequently, the tires wear and tear was horrible at 6,000 miles, to the point where I should have replaced them, and Mazda didn't do anything about it. Later I found out that the air pressure in the tire was too low. …
Pressed clutch in loud noise heard then grinding. Pedal stuck to floor while in traffic. Car I had happily owned 2 Mazda 6 2006 sedan and wagon and was considering another when the diesel comes out. That was last week. This week without warning the clutch pedal went to the floor and made a loud bang grinding noise. Car has extended warranty from Mazda we had told Mazda for over a year hard to get into reverse and 1-2 chatter noise but never got any resolution on this. Took car in dealer said it would be a clucth which is not covered I was not happy but somewhat OK with that. It turns out that went the part failed throwout bearing it destroyed the transmission and that is not covered (Mazda customer service must know about the problem as they tell you not covered and basically hang up on you. …
The issue has been ongoing, but originally started in the summer of 2008 (car had roughly about 42,000 or so miles on it). Initially the car would increase the RPM up to 7000r in 5th gear (going to 6th) and then decrease causing it to do a hard jerk (someone else described it as being rear ended and that's exactly what it feels like). I took my car to the Mazda dealership in marlow heights, md (while it was still under warranty) and the service person and I went for a drive (I was driving) he told me that he didn't notice anything off about it so I went back home. Fast forward to 2013 (the problem persisted through the entire time) when I took the car the arlington Mazda dealership. This is where they did a test drive on it and came to the conclusion that my car's transmission is going bad (the car had about 49,604 or so miles on it). …
While driving 65 MPH down the interstate, my 2006 Mazda 6 made a loud noise like grinding gears and stalled for a second revved up and went into 3rd gear. The car went from 65 MPH to almost a stop and then to 20 MPH in the middle of the interstate. After that, the car downshifted several times in the next couple of days. Research showed many other 2006 Mazda 6 owners with similar problems. A Mazda TSB was posted in December 2006, and the car was purchased in November 2006. Mazda has not notified any costumers of this problem and a transmission going out at 58K is not typical. The dealer said it was the valve body solenoids. Replaced those for $800 and still shifted out of gear. Then paid $3800 for a new transmission that might do the same thing in a few thousand miles. If you are out of warranty, Mazda does nothing for you. This is a very serious rear end collision hazard.
Potential rear end collision: I own a 2006 Mazda 6 VIN [redacted]. I have experienced frequent times when I have accelerated onto the highway (or any other need to avoid a collision) and have experienced a severe loss of power/acceleration. This could have easily resulted in a rear-end collision had the cars behind me not reacted immediately. I have notified the local dealership and "Mazda customer satisfaction" of this problem and was told that my vehicle is "out of warranty. I also found that Mazda has issued a TSB #05-016-06 that explains the potential cause. Mazda is aware of this problem.
Transmission complaints in other Mazda6 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2006 Mazda Mazda6?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2006 Mazda Mazda6, 12% of the model year's 173 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Mazda Mazda6 transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2006 Mazda Mazda6, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Mazda Mazda6 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 52,000 miles, and 21% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.