Most common 2006 Mazda Mazdaspeed6 problems
Share of the 20 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mazda Mazdaspeed6 complaints by model year
2006 Mazda Mazdaspeed6 recalls (4)
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2009-2011 RX-8 and 2006-2007 MazdaSpeed6 vehicles. Fuel may leak from the fuel pump mounting rings.
Remedy: Dealers will install new fuel pump mounting rings. Dealers will also add a thermal insulation pad to the fuel tank on RX-8 vehicles. Repairs will be performed free of charge.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2003-2008 Mazda6, 2004-2005 MPV, 2004 RX-8, and 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 vehicles. These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2003-2008 Mazda6, 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 and 2004 MPV vehicles nationwide. Mazda is also recalling 2005-2006 MPV vehicles in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky,…
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2003-2008 Mazda6, 2004-2008 RX-8, and 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion and other factors, including manufacturing variability that, over…
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2006 Mazda Mazdaspeed6:
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
What 2006 Mazda Mazdaspeed6 owners say
Engine & cooling
Takata recall driving down the highway speed 55 MPH dropped valve blow hole in block which also blew big pieces of the piston and block on the highway which could have bounced back into traffic causing injury to on coming drivers or drivers following vehicle. I collected pieces of the piston and block about the size of a medium size hand well over 50 yards behind the vehicle after I did an immediate stop to the side of the road. Thankfully no one was following me or on coming traffic so no one got hurt. This seems to be a major problem in the Mazdaspeed6 or mazdaspeed3 vehicles. I would recommend having these motors replaced with a better built one before some one gets hurt or worse dies.
Driving the car on the turnpike and heard what sounded like a blowout. Immediately pulled car to the side of the road. Noticed the engine was not running. Attempted to restart, but made noise and would not start. Called husband, who arrived and said the engine had come apart. There were physical pieces of the engine block up to the size of a golf ball in the skid plate under the engine, as well as oil underneath the car and on the road. We had received a letter from Mazda a few weeks earlier indicating a problem with the seals in the turbo and a stop pin in the variable valve timing (vvt) and if the vehicle exhibited any of the symptoms to bring it to the dealer for evaluation and repair, up to 7 years/70K miles. Called dealer and Mazda hq next morning. …
Transmission & drivetrain
Lost clutch to the floor while driving nearly having an accident. Took off clutch master cylinder as symptoms would suggest the repair would be. Found out that the pedal assembly is broke and that the firewall is "cracked" I can see lots of posts online where this seems to be very common and very dangerous
5 months ago, took car to Mazda dealer for timing chain, vvt noise and was replaced under extended warranty. Last month started to feel intermittent loss of power during quick acceleration followed by plume of smoke at the tail pipe. Took to local mechanic shop and was told there was heavy carbon buildup at the valves as well as mass air flow sensor, o2 sensor, and other engine components. The bill was for about 1800 worth of parts and labor for deep cleaning the valves (intake manifold removed). After repairs were completed, took car home and drove for about 25 miles when I heard a loud bang from the engine compartment. The engine suddenly stopped and I smelled burnt oil and smoke inside the cabin. I was able to steer the car to the side and looked under the car to find large amounts of oil leaking from engine. …
Air bags
Takata recall I get a letter every year that there is a recall but that the "remedy" is not available. There is no projection of when my remedy will be available. Meanwhile my vehicle has lower resale value, is getting older and I remain at risk. While 31% of at risk vehicles have received some kind of remedy, the rate of remedy appears to be slowing down. Five years after the recall, I might have a 50/50 chance of getting a remedy. I believe there is a good possibility that my vehicle will be in the junk yard before a remedy is offered. Seems like a good plan if you have to pay to make the repair. Where is the directive to serve the public? Yes, 7 million airbags sounds busy. Kennedy's moon program was completed in 8 years 2 months.
Car-2006 Mazda speed 6-Mazda hit a pickup---slid sideways into the center guardrail--rear end then hit the side guard rail---front end then ran into the center guard rail and was lodge in center guard rail. Neither the side or front air bags deployed. Driver hit his head on the side and was unconscious----unsure of exact speed and mileage at time of incident.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Mazda Mazdaspeed6 a good car?
There isn't enough complaint history for the Mazdaspeed6 to compare model years reliably. So far owners have filed 20 complaints with NHTSA.
What is the most common problem with the 2006 Mazda Mazdaspeed6?
The engine & cooling — 8 complaints, 40% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (6) and air bags (3).
How many recalls does the 2006 Mazda Mazdaspeed6 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2006 Mazda Mazdaspeed6, the most recent from September 24, 2021 (fuel pump). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do 2006 Mazda Mazdaspeed6 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 65,000 miles; 37% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 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.