1994 Mazda MPV: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 36 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is air bags (31% of complaints); the 1995 and 1996 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Oct 2015
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 36 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Defective tires. Steel belts split. Tires ready to explode. Futura 775 purchased at pep boys 02/2005. Less than 10,000 miles driven on 55,000 tire. Showed tires to 4 different auto shops and asked if this was a normal thing or if it was a defective tire? All 4 said it was a manufacturing defect, including the people in the pep boys garage. The manager of the store said it was not a defect and would not replace the tires, but offered to sell me a couple of new tires. *tr”Owner report · Tires · Apr 2009
“I had a mva on 9/20/03. A vehicle pulled in front of me and I collided with their front passenger side. The driver side air bag in my vehicle did not deploy. I was driving a mazda mpv 1994. Mpv totaled. Mpv front end collapsed. *jb”Owner report · Air Bags · Sep 2003
“The consumer was in an accident where the vehicle was struck , and in the front center of the vehicle the air bag did not deploy. The dealer was notified. Mr scc”Owner report · Air Bags · Sep 2002
Show 7 more owner reports
“Peoo 020 ; vehicle had a flat tire on passenger's rear side. She took vehicle to a tire place, and mechanic told her thattwo tire treads had separated from vehicle. Firestone, wilderness, p215/65r15, dot w2vfh30358. These tires were not original tires on vehicle, but there was a problem.*ak”Owner report · Tires · Oct 2001
“I saw this 'special assignment' report on ch. 2 in la, I had the same problem on my tires, the treads on the tires came off the tire while I was driving down a steep hill making a turn and my van could of tiped over. I had to replace the tires at my cost. *ak( dot number: hymo316 tire size: p205/70r15 )”Owner report · Tires · Jul 2000
“My dealer and repair shop say they have seen several cases of this switch failure. It causes the headlights to come on by themselves. Must be a defect in the switch assembly that mazda is aware of. Mazda should cover the repair. *ak”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Jun 2000
“Consumer was at stop light when trying to take off and vehicle didn't move at all. Throttle was to the floor. Consumer towed vehicle to dealer. *ak”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · May 2000
“On april 28,2000, the transmission in our l994 mazda mpv mini-van went completely out. I was travelling at an approximate speed of 60 miles per hour on interstate l2 in baton rouge. We purchased the van, used, in january 2,000. When we had the vehicle towed to a repair shop, we were informed that the transmission could not be rebuilt. We then purchased a used transmission for installation in the van. The total cost was approximately $2,200.00. We are currently in the process of trying to determine if there are any technical service bulletins listed for the l994 mazda mpv mini-van involving the transmission. Thank you for your time. *ak”Owner report · Power Train · Apr 2000
“When we purchased this vehicle we noticed for no apparent reason lights would come,transmission went out before expected,even when replaced brakes would make a grinding noise.after talking to many people,we found out that mpv vans for several years have these same type problems*ak”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Sep 1999
“Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision at 35 mph, seatbelts did not retract, and airbags did not deploy. Manufacturer has been notified. *ak”Owner report · Seat Belts · Jun 1999
When filing, owners marked a crash in 12 of these complaints and injuries in 5 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 1 campaign
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. Mazda's number for this recall is 8715J.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 1994 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact MPV by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 1994 Mazda MPV reliable?
NHTSA has 36 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 1994 Mazda MPV. The most complained-about area is air bags (31% of complaints).
At what mileage do 1994 Mazda MPV problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 125,000 miles or less.
Does the 1994 Mazda MPV have open recalls?
1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning electrical system:ignition:switch. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.