MAZDA MPV · model year

1998 MAZDA MPV

26 NHTSA complaints, 6 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1998MAZDAMPV carries 26 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 6 crashes, 3 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 1998 MPV is air bags:frontal with 4 filings, followed by electrical system (3) and service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (2). 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 1998 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.

26
Complaints
6
Crashes
3
Fires
5
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

26 filings

Crashes Reported

6 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:FRONTAL4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP2
AIR BAGS2
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
STEERING2
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE1
SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM1
SUSPENSION:REAR1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
TIRES:TREAD/BELT1
SEAT BELTS1

Recent Complaints

20160428ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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.

Mileage: 100,000

20160128ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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.

Mileage: 217,000

20160114FireENGINE

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.

Mileage: 300,000

20160108FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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.

Mileage: 101,000

20101112SEAT BELTS

BOLT HOLDING THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT LATCH SNAPPED IN TWO AND LEFT THE LATCH HANGING FREE. *TR

Mileage: 154,162

20090121FireSTEERING

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.

Mileage: 113,000

20070908TIRES:TREAD/BELT

TRAVELING 65 MPH ON INTERSTATE 275 NORTH OF TAMPA, FLORIDA AT 10:30 P.M. ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2006 WHEN THE TREAD SEPARATED ON A NEARLY NEW (6 WEEK OLD) FIRESTONE TIRE. I NEARLY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, SKIDDING SIDEWAYS TO THE LEFT AND THEN TO THE RIGHT, ALMOST OVER TURNING BEFORE BEING ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. I ALSO ALMOST COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE SEPARATING TREAD HIT THE LEFT BACK WHEEL WELL, TEARING OUT THE WHEEL WELL COVER, DAMAGING THE BACK BUMPER BEYOND REPAIR AND DAMAGING THE FRONT OF THE WHEEL WELL COVER AND LEFT BACK PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. THE FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL WAS CALLED AND A TROOPER KEPT HIS VEHICLE BEHIND ME WITH HIS EMERGENCY LIGHTS FLASHING WHILE I CHANGED THE TIRE BUT HE DID NOT WRITE A REPORT. REPAIRS WILL HAVE TO BE MADE. *JB

Mileage: 107,845

20050711STEERING

(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.

Mileage: 137,000

20040103POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

PREMATURE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. WITH ONLY 66,000 HIGHWAY MILES, TRANSMISSION STARTING SLIPPING.VEHICLE HAS TRANSMISSION COOLER AS PART OF FACTORY TOWING PACKAGE.*AK

Mileage: 66,000

20030319VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

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

20010910ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

WE DO NOT FEEL THAT WE SHOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE FOWLERERS WHEN IT IS PART OF THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER 50,000 MILE AND THE INSERVICE DATE IS 5-29-1998. ITS ONLY 3 MONTHS AFTER THE FACTORY WARRANTY. WHICK MEANS IT WAS PROBLAY BAD AT THE TIME IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. WE HAD ONLY HAD IT 2 WEEKS BEFORE WE HEARD TAPPING COMING FROM THE ENGINE,. WE TOOK IT TO ROSE CITY MOTORS AND THEY TOLD US IT WAS BAD FOWLERS AND MAZDA SAID WE SHOULD REPLACE ALL FOWLERERS WHICK COST 1,500.00 DOLLARS. THEY ARE WILL TO ONLY CHARGE US HALF. WE DO NOT CONSIDER THIS AS FAIR. THE ENGINE IS A MAJOR PART OF A VEHICLE. ITS SCARY TO THINK YOUR BUYING A GOOD VEHICLE AND SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE MOTOR ALREADY.*AK

20010907UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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

20010618CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

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

20001219CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

WHEN VAN WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH, THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS.

20000831SUSPENSION:REAR

REAR ANTI-SWAY BAR BRACKETS SNAPPED OFF (BOTH) FROM REAR AXLE HOUSING - MAZDA SERVICE REFERRED TO AUTO BODY - DETERMINED BY AUTO BODY THEY WERE NOT WELDED ENTIRE LENGTH OF BRACKET (ENGINEERING/PRODUCTION OVERSIGHT) - MAZDA CONSUMER COMPLIANCE HAS DENIED RESPONSIBILITY

20000127SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM

WITH THE TOW PACKAGE, THE OPTIONAL FEATURE LOAD LEVER WHICH IS USED BY AN AIR PUMP FAILED, CAUSING THE REAR SUSPENSION TO DROP AND MISALIGN. THIS MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. ALSO REAR PASSENGER SEATBELT DOES NOT "RECOIL" PROPERLY. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

19991221CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

ABS BRAKE PROBLEMS. WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP, BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, VAN STARTED ROLLING FORWARD AND HIT A COMMERICAL TRUCK TRAVELING ABOUT 50 MPH. VAN WAS TOTALLED. ALSO, AIR BAGS FAILED TO INFLATE. *AK

19991221CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

ABS BRAKE PROBLEMS. WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP, BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, VAN STARTED ROLLING FORWARD AND HIT A COMMERICAL TRUCK TRAVELING ABOUT 50 MPH. VAN WAS TOTALLED. ALSO, AIR BAGS FAILED TO INFLATE. *AK

19991029AIR BAGS

AIRBAG SENSOR FAILED ONE DAY AFTER PURCHASE. MJS

19991029FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP

GAS CAP DEFECTIVE CAUSING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. MJS

Compare 1998MAZDAMPV to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1998 MAZDA MPV have?
The 1998 MAZDA MPV has 26 NHTSA complaints, 6 crashes, 3 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 MAZDA MPV?
The most-complained component for the 1998 MAZDA MPV is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
Is the 1998 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.