2002 Mazda MPV Engine Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MAZDA MPV. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO NOT ACCELERATE PROPERLY AND SHOOK WHILE IDLING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE COIL PACK FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MAZDA MPV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 122,000.

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. THE DEALER OFFERED TO DO THE TRANSMISSION WORK FOR $3600, ALTHOUGH IT LOOKS LIKE I WILL HAVE IT DONE ELSEWHERE FOR SOMEWHAT LESS. I STRONGLY URGE NHTSA TO REEVALUATE WHETHER A RECALL IS MERITED FOR THE 2002 MPV'S DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. *TR THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAD TO HAVE 3 IGNITION COILS, A PCV HOSE, AND IDLE CONTROL VALVE NAS A RIGHT UPPER OXYGEN SENSOR. UPDATED 02/12/09. *JB

2000-2003 MAZDA MPV MODELS HAVE A COOLANT SEEPAGE FROM REAR HEATER PIPE WHICH CAN CAUSE SEVERE ENGINE FAILURE AND TRAFFIC HAZARD DUE TO NON-DRIVABLE VEHICLE. MAZDA MPV 2002 WAS FOUND TO HAVE A COOLANT LEAK IN REAR HEATER PIPES AND WAS TAKEN TO MAZDA REPAIR CENTER. MAZDA ADVISED A VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE RUN WITHOUT COOLANT SINCE IT CAN DAMAGE THE ENGINE, AND REPLACED THE LINES FOR A COST OF $1000 (PARTS + LABOR). MPV WAS DRIVEN 18 MILES AFTER COMPLETED REPAIR, THEN THE ENGINE SUFFERED A COMPLETE FAILURE IN TRAFFIC AND VEHICLE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION, POSING A DANGER TO MPV PASSENGERS AS WELL AS OTHER VEHICLES. MAZDA REPAIR CENTER CLAIMS THE ENGINE FAILURE IS DUE TO DRIVING WITH LOW/NO COOLANT PRIOR TO REPAIR. REGARDLESS, IF THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A FAILED REPAIR OR DUE TO THE REASON MAZDA STATES, THIS IS A KNOWN PRODUCT DEFECT BY MAZDA THAT SHOULD BE ISSUED AS A RECALL NOTICE TO ALL AFFECTED MPV OWNERS. MAZDA HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (US BULLETIN NO: 07-002/05) STATING THAT WARRANTY REPAIR IS APPROVED ONLY IF THE VEHICLE EXHIBITS COOLANT LEAKAGE AND THE VEHICLE IS WITHIN THE EXTENDED 7-YEAR WARRANTY FROM VEHICLE IN-SERVICE DATE. TSB REFERENCE: HTTP://MAZDA5CLUB.COM/TSB.PHP?ID=168 THIS KNOWN PRODUCT DEFECT SHOULD BE ISSUED AS A RECALL NOTICE FOR ALL AFFECTED MAZDA MPV MODELS DUE TO THE HIGH RISK THAT COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE POSES WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE IN TRAFFIC. *TR

SINCE NEW, HESITATES BETWEEN 40-50 MPH, CAUSING SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER, HIGH RPMS BUT NO ACCELERATION. REMOVING FOOT FROM GAS VAN SOMETIMES RECOVERS. HAS HAD TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE REPLACED AS A RESULT, THEN IGNITION COILS WERE BLAMED AND THOSE WERE REPLACED ONE BY ONE, SOMETIMES MORE THAN ONCE, THEN COOLANT TEMPERATURE SENSOR WENT, NOW AT 85,000 TRANSMISSION WENT. EACH EVENT STRANDED MY FAMILY BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CAR HAD TO BE TOWED. *TR

LOUD TAPPING NOISE EXISTED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, SOUNDED LIKE A VALVE TAPPING. PROBLEM WAS A CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD. DEALER FOUND CRACKED MANIFOLD AND A STRIPPED ATTACHING BOLT. BOTH WERE REPLACED. MANUFACTURER SUBSEQUENTLY REPAID ME FOR COST OF PARTS. I PAID LABOR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MAZDA MPV. AS SOON AS THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED FAILURES WITH HER VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD MAJOR ENGINE FAILURE. SINCE THE SUMMER OF 2007, THE ENTIRE VEHICLE VIBRATES WHEN DRIVING 40-50 MPH AND STALLS WHEN APPROACHING A STOP. THE VEHICLE IS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE DEALER STATED THAT CYLINDER THREE WAS MISFIRING AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT NEWER MODELS HAVE BEEN UPGRADED. WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, BUT THERE WAS NO BRAKE OR STEERING FAILURE. THE CONTACT ALSO SMELLED ROTTEN EGGS IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPAIRED AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REPLACED, IN ADDITION TO OTHER SMALL FAILURES. THE VEHICLE BEGAN RUSTING WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF BEING PURCHASED. THE VIN, PURCHASE DATE, ENGINE SIZE, NUMBER OF CYLINDERS, TRANSMISSION TYPE, POWERTRAIN, AND FUEL SYSTEM WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 67,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,000.

ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND MISFIRED. ONE DEALER SAID THIS WAS A TRANSMISSION MODULE. AFTER KEEPING IT FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND SAID THE SPARKS NEEDED ADJUSTING, WAITED ON THE TRANSMISSION MODULE BECAUSE IT WAS RUNNING FINE. THEN IT STOPPED SUDDENLY IN SNOWY WEATHER, TOWED, I WAS LEFT STRANDED FOR 2 HOURS IN COLD WEATHER, BATTERY REPLACED, 2 MONTHS LATER IT WAS RUNNING EXTREMELY ROUGH AND MISFIRED. A NEW DEALER SAID IT WAS NOT THE TRANSMISSION MODULE BUT THE COILS AND ALL WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED FOR A $1,000. THEY SAID 3 WERE BAD, BUT IF THEY REPLACED THOSE THEY WOULD BE BACK REDOING THE OTHERS WITH IN A FEW WEEKS. CAR HAD 56,000 MILES ,BUT WAS PAST WARRANTY DATE NOT WARRANTY MILEAGE. THIS SEEMED TO BE WHAT WAS WRONG ALL ALONG. I UNDERSTAND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER MIGHT GO DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE HEARD THAT COILS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT THIS POINT.*AK

HAD TO REPLACE TWO IGNITION COILS WITHIN 100 MILES OF EACH OTHER, AND AT LEAST ONE OF THE COILS HAS BEEN CAUSING PROBLEMS FOR A YEAR. ALSO, IT LED TO A CATALYTIC CONVERTER MALFUNCTION. *AK

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MAZDA MPV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELBOW FITTING CONNECTED TO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD DEVELOPED A TEAR WHICH CAUSED A VACUUM LEAK IN THE ENGINE AND MADE THE BRAKES LOSE VACUUM ASSIST. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE HE FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS PART THAT WAS GOOD UP TO 70000 MILES. THE CONTACT STATED HE WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL. *AK

2002 MAZDA MPV STALLED UNEXPECTEDLY. *TS THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE WOULD JUST SHUT DOWN WITHOUT ANY WARNING LIGHTS. *JB

I HAVE HAD THREE ISSUES WITH MY MINIVAN. I HAVE HAD A ROTTEN EGG SMELL FOR THE LONGEST TIME AND WAS TOLD TO CHANGE THE TYPE OF GAS I USED. AFTER FURTHER PERSISTENCE WITH THE DEALER, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS AND THEY ARE NOW FINALLY REPLACING THEM AFTER 5 TRIPS TO THE DEALER COMPLAINING. SECOND, THERE WAS A COMPUTER SENSOR FAILURE WHICH CAUSED THE VAN TO OVERHEAT...I HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER AND GET A NEW SENSOR AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE. THIRD, I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT HESITATION IN THE TRANSMISSION ON TURNS AND WHEN SLOWING DOWN AND THEN ACCELERATING. THIS IS STILL UNRESOLVED. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO STATE THAT THE STEARING COLUMN GEAR SHIFT IS EXTREMELY ANNOYING AND I HAVE ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION HIT THE VEHICLE OUT OF GEAR.*AK

EXHAUST SYSTEM: CATALYTIC CONVERTOR VEHICLE EMITTING STRONG SULFUR ODER FROM CATBACK SYSTEM. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE, ESPECIALLY AT 20,000 MILES. DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT. NOTED THIS WAS A COMMON COMPLAINT WITH THIS VECHICLE ( MPV). DEALER SAID- "THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE COMMON IN NEW V6 AND V8 ENGINES.- SOMETHING IN THE DESIGN OF LOWER EMMISSIONS. AGAIN, UNRESOLVED- THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE (FOR ANY VEHICLE). *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON, AND VEHICLE STALLED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A CHECK UP. DEALER DETERMINED THAT PCV HOSE SPLIT. CONSUMER REPLACED PCV HOSE TWO TIMES IN THE LAST 9 MONTHS. *AK *PH

A STRONG CHEMICAL FUME ENTERED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *JB

ROTTEN EGG SMELL COMING FROM EXHAUST SYSTEM. VEHICLE HAS 13,000 MILES ON AND ODOR SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE.*JB

OIL BURNING SMELL WAS FILLING THE CABIN OF THE VAN WHENEVER IT WAS RUNNING. BROUGHT THE VAN IN TO HAVE THEM FIND OUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING, THEY PUT DYE IN THE OIL TO TRACK AN OIL LEAK WHICH WAS LEAKING ON THE EXHAUST DIRECTLY BEHIND THE ENGINE. RETURNED A WEEK LATER TO FIND OUT THEY BELIEVED IT WAS THE TIMING COVER AND ORDERED PARTS TO REPLACE THE GASKET. RETURNED A WEEK LATER AND LEFT VAN TO BE REPAIRED. TWO DAYS LATER WE PICKED THE VAN UP AND DROVE HOME. THE NEXT DAY THE SMELL WAS BACK. CALLED THE DEALERSHIP BACK AND HAD TO SCHEDULE ANOTHER APOINTMENT (A WEEK LATER) WHICH THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY LEAK. THERE IS FLUID (POSSIBLY TRANSMISSION FLUID ) LEAKING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ENGINE. I HAVE ANOTHER APOINTMENT SCHEDULED TO RETURN FOR OTHER ISSUES SUCH AS THE DASH LIGHTS FLICKERING ON AND OFF WHEN VEHICLE IS COLD, AND A THUMPING NOISE IN THE FRONT OF VEHICLE. THIS VAN ONLY HAS 14000 MILES ON IT AND I DO NOT NEED IT TO CATCH ON FIRE...

THE EXHAUST SYSTEM RELEASED A BAD ODOR.*JB THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED THE CONSUMER CHANGE THE TYPE OF GAS WHICH WAS BEING USED, HOWEVER THE ODOR STILL EXISTED. *JB

CONSUMER NOTICED A "ROTTEN EGG" ODOR IN CABIN. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE. THE MANUFACTURER SENT CONSUMER A LETTER STATING THAT SEVERAL MODELS EXHIBIT THE ODOR. CONSUMER BELIEVES VEHICLE HAS AN EXHAUST LEAK INTO CABIN WHICH INCLUDES CARBON MONOXIDE. CONSUMER HAS EXHIBITED SYMPTOMS OF BREATHING THOSE PARTICULAR FUMES. PH

THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER MALFUNCTIONED AND AS A RESULT A FOUL ODOR SEEPED THROUGH THE VENTS AND INSIDE THE VEHICLE COMPARTMENT. *AK THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OCCURRING SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE SMELL IS VERY FOUL AND HAS CAUSED PROBLEMS FOR THE CONSUMER'S ASTHMATIC CHILD. *PH *NLM