Transmission complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
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.
2004 Mazda MPV - transmission issues and engine coil failures. Transmission has shift shock, where the vehicle slams into the next gear at 20 MPH. The shock sends the vehicle dangerously forward. Mazda had two service bulletins for this defect which included replacing sensors and switches. Mazda also supplied a diagram to instruct drivers to "wiggle" the gear selector between gears. None of this solved the problems. Engine coils were replaced three times at 24,000 miles, 32,000 miles, and 35,000 miles. This caused the vehicle to stop running correctly while driving.
My 2003 Mazda MPV has a horrible transmission shifting problem. Took it to dealer and they said it's the transmission control module. They charged me 1,500 dollars to install new and and reflash it and the transmission still doesn't shift properly.
2003 Mazda MPV - transmission shifts very rough from 2nd to 3rd. Problem is intermittent and unpredictable. Dealer says the problem cannot be diagnosed and fixed unless it can be duplicated in the repair shop.
I have a lemon 2002 Mazda MPV. We have taken the van in for several attempts to fix the transmission problem, only to be told that there was no indication that the transmission was going bad. I also experienced the nasty rotton egg smell in my van only to assume it was the area I was in (sewer). On April 1, 2004 I was driving on a highway with my three children in the van when my van stopped working. I pulled over onto the snowy highway to try to restart the car but failed. After sitting on the highway for 2 hours, waiting for a tow, I came to find out that the transmission went bad in my van. They replaced my transmission over a period of 8 days. The very next day after receiving my van back, it would not start in the mornings and began to backfire and stall. I took the van in the night before the service day only to be with out it for another week. I just got my van back on April 23. …
Driving along with my 2 1/2 year old daughter on the freeway in very fast and very busy traffic conditions the van suddenly and without warning lost all power transfer to the wheels. The red lines raced up into the red, but the van would not be propelled any further by engine power. I had to coast nearly a mile or more on shoulder less rush hour highway, all the while transitioned lanes to the first exit I could access, then as momentum decreased I had to step out of the car into extremely heavy traffic and push a further 30 yards to the first turn-off, drivers door open, baby screaming with 55 mile an hour traffic screeching and swerving around me and the blind corner I was hidden behind. The van has 54,000 miles on it and is well looked after May I add. Now Mazda says "not their problem" but look at all the other people on here with the exact same story! …
When I initially bought this vehicle it had been through previous owners and I have been trying to fix things but am a single mother of three and I just can afford much but I happen to put the yr make and model into the google one day and notice of recalls and as I read the same as whats I had already noticed had already happened and I figured I could live with it but I woke up one morning got in it and boom driving for ten minutes and boom all of a sudden I have no gears and then I get 1st and nothing else then eventually no reverse , so after almost getting stuck in the cold streets with a baby and my friend, I barely made it home I wanna know why such a nice vehicle is so fuct!!! And why did I get a bunk deal. Like I thought this was my break finally I wont have to worry so much about a vehicle just the other stuff, but to my dismay........... Here we are?????? …
Tl contact owns 2001 Mazda MPV. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the contact noticed smoke or steam around the vehicle. The contact was able to exit the highway and contacted aaa to have the vehicle towed to the dealer. The contact did not know what caused the failure. The transmission and catalytic converter were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 112,954. Updated 03/08/11 updated 05/24/11 updated 12/20/11
Frequently asked questions
Which Mazda MPV years have transmission problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2002 (66), 2003 (35), 2001 (10), 2004 (8) and 2000 (7) model years. Transmission complaints make up 53% of all complaints for the 2002.
Is there a recall for Mazda MPV transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for any Mazda MPV model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Mazda MPV transmission problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 49,000 miles; 46% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic transmission (106 mentions), followed by the automatic transmission › gear position indication (prndl) (3).
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.