Total Complaints
14 filings
MAZDA MX-6 · model year
1996 MAZDA MX-6
14 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996MAZDAMX-6 carries 14 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injury, 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 1996 MX-6 is air bags:frontal with 6 filings, followed by unknown or other (2) and air bags (1). 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 1996 MX-6, 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.
14
Complaints
4
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
4 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 6 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 1 |
| WHEELS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20060410WHEELS
ALL 4 WHEELS ARE CRACKED ON THE OUTSIDE, AND BAC SIDE OF THE RIMS. THEY LOOK DEEP AND THE WHEELS MIGHT BREAK AT ANY TIME. *NM
Mileage: 110,000
20010802AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
VEHICLE WAS GOING 55MPH , AND CONSUMER WAS NOT SURE WHAT VEHICLE RAN OVER, BUT AIR BAG DEPLOYED. NOTHING WAS HIT, AND NO DAMAGE WAS DONE. NO INJURIES. CONSUMER IS CONTACTING MANUFACTURER. *AK
20010328CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
HEAD-ON CRASH AT 35-40 MPH, AND NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES. *AK
20000802UNKNOWN OR OTHER
ENGINE CHECK LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED, INDICATING A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
19991208UNKNOWN OR OTHER
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
19980820CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. POINT OF IMPACT WAS DRIVERS SIDE, FRONT AT 60 TO 65 MPH, IN WHICH THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS. CAUSE UNKOWN. ALSO BRAKE ROTORS HAVE EXCESSIVE WEAR AND TEAR. CAUSE ALSO UNKNOWN.
19980820CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. POINT OF IMPACT WAS DRIVERS SIDE, FRONT AT 60 TO 65 MPH, IN WHICH THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS. CAUSE UNKOWN. ALSO BRAKE ROTORS HAVE EXCESSIVE WEAR AND TEAR. CAUSE ALSO UNKNOWN.
19980513AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
FALSE/VIOLENT DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG, RESULTING IN INJURIES.
19980313CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WHILE DRIVING ON GOOD ROAD CONDITIONS, NO RAIN, DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES IN A REGULAR STOPPING SITUATION AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO THE REAR OF A TRUCK. THE VEHICLE IS BEING REPAIRED. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM. *AK
19970319AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
FALSE DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS. *AK
19970218AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
BOTH AIR BAGS DEPLOYED SPONTANEOUSLY.
19970212STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD
WHILE LIFTING HOOD UP THE HOOD FELL DOWN ON THE CONSUMER. THE CONSUMER WAS NOT HURT BUT COULD HAVE BEEN HURT VERY BADLY. *AK
19960814AIR BAGS
AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES WITH CAUSE NOT KNOWN. SECOND TIME DEALERSHIP REPLACED A CLOCK SPRING. NOW FOR THE THIRD TIME AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT IS FLASHING AGAIN. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THIS MEANS AIR BAG IS DISFUNCTIONAL. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK.
19960814SEAT BELTS
AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES WITH CAUSE NOT KNOWN. SECOND TIME DEALERSHIP REPLACED A CLOCK SPRING. NOW FOR THE THIRD TIME AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT IS FLASHING AGAIN. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THIS MEANS AIR BAG IS DISFUNCTIONAL. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK.
Compare 1996MAZDAMX-6 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
RQ26002Recall QueryOpen
Momentary increase in steering effort after recall remedy
PE19006Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Inadvertent Curtain Air Bag Deployment
PE18006Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Front Subframe Corrosion
PE15022Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Lower ball joint separation
PE14005Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Brake Booster Failure
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1996 MAZDA MX-6 have?▼
The 1996 MAZDA MX-6 has 14 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 MAZDA MX-6?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 MAZDA MX-6 is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 6 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and AIR BAGS.
Is the 1996 MAZDA MX-6 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.