1998 Mazda MPV: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 19 owner complaints on record; most reports concern air bags.
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 19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mazda mpv. The contact stated that the hey failed to turn in the ignition switch intermittently. The contact stated that the failure was getting progressively worst. The contact later received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v674000 (electrical system) and the parts were not available for months and the contact was unable to determine when the vehicle would be repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000. Parts distribution disconnect.”Owner report · Electrical System · Dec 2015
“Tl* the contact owned a 1998 mazda mvp. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle at 55 mph, the engine caught on fire. The contact extinguished the fire. A police report was not filed. The contact did not sustain any injuries. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 300,000.”Owner report · Engine · Jan 2015
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mazda mpv. The contact stated that when attempting to start the vehicle, the ignition switch started to emit smoke and the instrument panel lights failed to illuminate. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v674000 (electrical system). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 217,000.”Owner report · Electrical System · Nov 2014
Show 7 more owner reports
“Tl*the contact owns a 1998 mazda mpv wagon. When attempting to start the vehicle, the contact heard a loud noise. The vehicle was towed to a local repair shop and the mechanic stated that they could not duplicate the failure or provide a remedy. Several months later, while the vehicle was idling, smoke appeared from the steering column. The vehicle was completely destroyed by the flames. The contact is in the process of retrieving a report from the fire department. The cause of the failure has not been identified. The failure and current mileages were 113,000.”Owner report · Steering · May 2008
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mazda mvp. The contact stated that while driving at 25 mph, the ignition began to smoke. No fire report was filed. There was no visible flames. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the ignition switch failed and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired. The contact later received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v674000 (electrical system). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.”Owner report · Electrical System · May 2008
“(1) it was raining. I was on the highway traveling at highway speed at as the highway turned slightly. (2) when I turned the wheel there was a delay for the wheels to respond. Consequently, I lost control of the vehicle. After a few seconds the wheel turned, then I turned the wheel in the opposite direction and the same thing happened. This happened about 5 times. As I slowed down to below minimum highway speed, I finally gained control of the vehicle. (3) I am afraid to drive the vehicle & have done nothing so far except to call mazda, as I could have been killed.”Owner report · Steering · Jun 2005
“Premature transmission failure. With only 66,000 highway miles, transmission starting slipping.vehicle has transmission cooler as part of factory towing package.*ak”Owner report · Power Train · Jul 2003
“Cracked front windshield : a crack developed at the bottom center. No sign of an object hitting it. It is symmetrical, straight up approx. 2" an arc then straight across 6-8" then an arc and straight down. The crack is smooth and straight. *nlm”Owner report · Visibility · Mar 2003
“Engine check light stays illuminated while driving. Consumer has taken vehicle into dealer a few times for this problem, but they could not find anything wrong with vehicle.*ak”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Sep 2001
“Consumer was driving about 40 mph when another vehicle cut in front of him. Consumer hit the other vehicle on the side. Neither airbag deployed in front end crash. No injuries. *ak *jb”Owner report · Air Bags · May 2001
When filing, owners marked a crash in 4 of these complaints and injuries in 4 - 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 1998 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 1998 Mazda MPV reliable?
NHTSA has 19 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 1998 Mazda MPV. The most complained-about area is air bags.
Does the 1998 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.