Electrical complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
We own a 2005 Mazda MPV. Four years after purchasing, the vehicle started to shake continuously and the check engine light turned on. Also when going uphill it almost can' t make it to the top. After taking it to the mechanic it turns out the engine was misfiring due a bad ignition coil. We replaced the coil. A few weeks later it started doing it again. This time we changed the six ignition coils. A few weeks later it started again with the same problem but not as bad as it was before. We kept using the vehicle like that, for a short period of time. Now the problem was worse, the vehicle started shaking and it started holding back. We took it to the mechanic again. He changed one ignition coil. It worked for a few days. Then it started shaking again. The mechanic change another one, the six spark plugs and one injector. It kept with the same problem. …
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2005 Mazda MPV. The contact stated that there was a random failure and various warning indicators flashed, including the service engine and air bag warning indicators. In addition, the interior lighting failed to function. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V354000 (air bags) several months ago and was unable to schedule a repair with a dealer within a reasonable time frame. The contact was uncertain of when the vehicle would be repaired. The failure mileage was not available. Parts distribution disconnect.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Mazda MPV. While driving at speeds of 30 MPH, the vehicle began hesitating as if it were attempting to stall. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they replaced the electrical coil to the cylinder. The repairs were performed under factory warranty. The failure recurred within a year and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The mechanic placed insulating materials around the coil to prevent moisture from entering the coil. The mechanic advised when moisture would enter the electrical coils; it would cause a shortage contributing to the failure. In addition, when the engine was shut off, the cooling fan would continue operating. The failure persisted. There were no recalls for the failure. The failure mileage was 23,000 and the current mileage was 100,000.
I purchased a 2004 MPV arch 28, 2005. To date, I have had this van in for warranty service to replace ignition coils three times: 10/31/06 '' 31,770mi - #4 coil replaced. Transmission range sensor replaced also 12/05/06 '' 33,229mi - #4 coil replaced again 1/08/07 '' 34,708mi - #6 coil replaced. Today as I was driving, the same symptoms '' steering wheel vibration, bucking, lurching '' occurred as before when the other coils failed. The CEL came on, I checked for the code and I discovered that the #5 coil has failed. Now this will be the fourth service for the same problem. There has been no effort on the part of country Mazda to find the source of the coil failure. Replacing the parts obviously is not solving the problem.
Every time this Mazda MPV gets a little wet it will not go over 40 MPH. I have contacted the dealership with no return phone call or email. The coils allow moisture to get in which will cause the vehicle to think it is overheating and will not go no matter what you do. I was on the highway when this happened in jacksonville during rush hour and being stuck in the middle of no where because of a faulty coil that the dealership does not want to take responsibility for, is beyond frustrating. I have kids that have been in the vehicle other times when this has happened and we had to sit in the van or go to gas stations and wait until it was somewhat derivable again. I have read forum after forum and there seems to be a lot of people having this issue with their MPV, ranging from 1993-2006 models. Something needs to be done with this before someone gets hurt.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Mazda MPV. The contact stated that while driving the engine light illuminated and the engine began to stall intermittently. The dealer replaced the pcv valve on 10/5/2004. The failure occurred again in September 2010. The ignition coils were also replaced. The vehicle was repaired again on 9/28/2010; however, the check engine light came on again. The failure mileage was 25,427. The failure mileage was 106478. The water pump was cracked, and the transmission range sensor failed. The consumer stated the engine light illuminated again and the vehicle began to run rough and there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle. It was determined that the ignition coil that was replaced in sept 2010 had gone bad and the ignition coil that was replaced in April of 2008 had also gone bad. Updated evoq 03/25/11 upated 04/15/11
My 2002 MPV suffered a complete transmission failure at about 75K miles, stalling out in morning traffic and needing to be pushed from the road. The transmission occasionally kicked when shifting since the car was new. I called Mazda, which refused to pay anything toward the repair, saying it had relinquished liability for a vehicle several years past warranty. Despite what I see in NHTSA's complaint log and elsewhere on the net, Mazda told me that it does not agree that the transmission on the 2002 MPV is unusually prone to failure. In the past seven months, this MPV has needed several other expensive engine repairs, some of which also repeatedly show up on the NHTSA complaint log: 3 ignition coils, a pcv hose, an idle control valve, and an oxygen sensor. This is quite a string of expensive failures for a car less than 7 years old. …
Engine was hesitating during acceleration causing difficulty in driving, especially merging into traffic. Problem got worse as engine heated up. Dealer diagnosed problem as a bad coil but could not determine which of the 6 coils were faulting. Dealer finally gave in and replaced them for no charge after I complained to corporate. Possible recall item?
Related recalls (1)
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
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.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Which Mazda MPV years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2003 (16), 2004 (13), 2000 (11), 2002 (9) and 2001 (8) model years. Electrical complaints make up 14% of all complaints for the 2003.
Is there a recall for Mazda MPV electrical problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 15V-674 (switch, Oct 19, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Mazda MPV electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 63,000 miles; 39% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the ignition (14 mentions), followed by the ignition › module (4).
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.