MAZDA MPV · model year

1994 MAZDA MPV

41 NHTSA complaints, 15 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1994MAZDAMPV carries 41 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 15 crashes, 0 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1994 MPV is air bags:frontal with 11 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (7) and service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (3). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 21 investigation files overlapping the 1994 MPV, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

41
Complaints
15
Crashes
0
Fires
5
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

41 filings

Crashes Reported

15 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL11
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE7
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE3
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION3
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL2
TIRES:TREAD/BELT2
SUSPENSION:FRONT1
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BACK UP LIGHTS1
AIR BAGS1

Recent Complaints

20090522TIRES

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

20031005CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

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

20030304CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH THE VEHICLE HIT A DEER. UPON IMPACT THE FRONT AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. *AK *NLM

20021009CrashAIR BAGS

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

Mileage: 125,000

20020508EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BACK UP LIGHTS

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

20020508SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

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

20020508POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

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

20011004TIRES:TREAD/BELT

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

20010109ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

LIFTERS & ROCKER ARMS REPLACED 3 TIMES - CARBON BUILD UP WAS NEVER FIXED CAUSES ENGINE TO NEED REPLACEMENT. *AK

20000823TIRES:TREAD/BELT

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 )

20000623POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

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

20000623EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH

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

20000523VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

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

20000229ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

THIS PROBLEM WITH THE LIFTERS HAS BEEN REPORTED TWO SEPARATE TIMES. BOTH TIMES WE WERE GIVEN A MAJOR RUN AROUND IN ORDER TO GET THIS ISSUE TAKEN CARE OF. ON THE FIRST VISIT WERE TOLD THAT KNOCKING WAS NORMAL FOR A ENGINE TO DO. WHICH I STRONGLE DISAGREED WITH. AFTER GOING INTO THE ENGINE IT WAS FOUND THERE THERE WAS SOME COLLAPSED LIFTERS. SOON AFTER THE REPAIR THE PROBLEM RESURFACED, THIS TIME SPACERS WERE INSTALLED. I WAS TOLD THAT NOT ENOUGH OIL WAS REACHING THE LIFTERS. AFTER THIS THE KNOCKING WAS GONE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AND I THOUGH THE PROBLEM WAS TAKEN CARE OF. UNTILL WE MOVED TO GEORGIA IN JULY OF 98 THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN WITH US UNTILL PRESENT. I CAN SAFTLY SAY THAT I TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF THE VAN THE OIL IS CHANGED ON A 2000 MILE CYCLE SO I WOULD THINK THAT THE OIL SHOULD BE ABLE TO REACH THE LIFTERS FINE. EVEN THOUGH I WAS TOLD BY THE MAZDA DEALER THAT THE KNOCKING NOISE WOULD NOT CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE, I HAVE TO DISAGREE. THE CAM SHAFT HAS TO HAVE SOME KIND OF W

19991108ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

-ALMOST EVERY TIME WE START THE ENGINE, A VERY LOUD CLACKING NOISE PERSIST FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THEN AFTER THE VAN IS WARMED UP THE CLACKING SOUND SUBSIDES TO A MINIMAL NOISE LEVEL BUT IS NEVER THE LESS STILL APPARENT. AT FIRST " STARTS" IN THE MORNINGS IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING LOUDER. IT SOUNDS LIKE THER IS NO OIL IN THE ENGINE AND THE VALVES ARE JUST CLICKING AND KNOCKING LIKE CRAZY. I CHANGE THE OIL EVERY 3-4000 MILES AND MAKE SURE IT IS CONTINUALLY FULL. I CALLED THE MAZDA MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT AT METRO MAZDA, 1087 I-20 WEST FRONTAGE RD., JACKSON MS, 601-944-1333 AND WAS TOLD BY ONE OF THE MECHANICS NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT , BECAUSE MOST OF THE MPV'S HAVE THAT PROBLEM.

19990723ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

SPRING INSIDE ENGINE LIFTERS GAVE OUT.CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY.CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

19990611CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 35 MPH, SEATBELTS DID NOT RETRACT, AND AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

19990611CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 35 MPH, SEATBELTS DID NOT RETRACT, AND AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

19990411ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ROCKER ARM/LIFTERS ARE NOISY, CONTACTED DEALERSHIP, RECOMMENDED REPLACING ALL LIFTERS, COST BET. $850-$1200.

19990223ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ROCKER ARM AND SHAFT REPLACED RESULTING IN ENGINE NOISE, HOWEVER CARBON BUILD UP STILL PRESENT.

Compare 1994MAZDAMPV to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1994 MAZDA MPV have?
The 1994 MAZDA MPV has 41 NHTSA complaints, 15 crashes, 0 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1994 MAZDA MPV?
The most-complained component for the 1994 MAZDA MPV is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 11 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
Is the 1994 MAZDA MPV safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.