Total Complaints
16 filings
MAZDA MX6 · model year
1988 MAZDA MX6
16 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988MAZDAMX6 carries 16 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 1 fire, 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 1988 MX6 is seat belts:front:buckle assembly with 8 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (1) and electrical system:wiring:interior/under dash (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 1988 MX6, 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.
16
Complaints
1
Crashes
1
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 8 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:REAR | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040107SUSPENSION:REAR
WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED AND WITH NO WARNING REAR SUSPENSION COLLAPSED. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE SERVICE DEALER. *AK THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO SALT CORROSION. THE VEHICLE SPUN AROUND, SLID ACROSS THE LEFT LANE AND INTO THE MEDIAN. *SC
Mileage: 140,000
20020719ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT THAT DRAINS THE BATTERY IN AS LOW AS HALF AN HOUR AFTER THE BATTERY HAS BEEN CHARGED, THE ALTERNATOR HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES ALONG WITH THE BATTERY, MAIN FUSE AND DISTRIBUTOR, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. *SLC
20010807TIRES:TREAD/BELT
CONSUMER BOUGHT FOUR TIRES, AND THREE HAD TREAD SEPARATION. *AK
20000215SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELT LOCK AND RELEASE MECHANISM JAMMED RENDERING SEATBELT USELESS. NLM
19991001STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
INITIALLY WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED, I DISCOVERED THE DOOR HANDLE MECHANISM IS MADE OF POT METAL AND NOT OF A VERY STRONG NATURE FOR THE FREQUENT USE IT GETS. CHECKING WITH THE DEALER I FIND IT WILL COST $300 TO FIX. TO SAVE MONEY I RESEARCHED USED PART PLACES. I DISCOVERED THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM AND DOOR HANDLES ARE RARE TO COME BY AS MOST ARE ALREADY BOUGHT UP. I HAVE SEARCHED NORTHERN AS WELL AS SOUTHERN CA, AND WILL NOW TRY IN TX. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE MY 2 YEAR OLD WAS LOCKED IN THE CAR THE OTHER DAY AND THE HANDLE OF COURSE BEING BROKEN WOULDN'T OPEN. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO PUT SOMETHING DOWN THROUGH THE GLASS TO OPEN IT FROM THE INSIDE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECTIVE PART, IS THERE ANYWAY TO HAVE IT FIXED BY THE DEALER?.
19990922VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
HAD PARKED VEHICLE & PUT WINDOWS DOWN. WHILE PUTTING POWER WINDOWS DOWN, STARTED TO MAKE NOISES & GOT STUCK. POWER WINDOWS HIT A ROD. THE DOOR BECAME UNLOCKED & OPEN. TRIED CLOSING DOOR, BUT DOOR DID NOT CLOSE PROPERLY. WILL BE TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER TO HAVE DOOR & WINDOWS CHECKED. *AK
19970318CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
FRONTAL COLLISION, IMPACT 12:00 POSITION, LAP/SHOULDER BELT DID NOT RETRACT, VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED. *AK
19960415SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE DEALERSHIP DOES NOT HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE AND HASN'T HAD THE PARTS IN A MONTH 95V1003005. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19960209FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
WHILE DRIVING SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND THROUGH THE HEATING DUCTS, DRIVER PULLED OVER THE FIRE HAD STARTED. TT
19950811SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEATBELT WILL NOT LATCH AND WHEN IT IS LATCHED IT WILL NOT UNLATCH. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
19950608POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
VEHICLES AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS AN OVERDRIVE HOLD FEATURE WHICH COMES ON BY ITSELF AND SHIFTS INTO LOWER GEARS. THIS OCCURS WITH NO WARNING. TT
19950424SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
EXPERIENCES INTERMITTENT SEATBELT BUCKLE FAILURE, TAKATA BUCKLE WON'T INTERLOCK, WHEN PULL ON BUCKLE RELEASES. TT
19950224SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
BUCKLE MODEL NO 524. PLASTIC PART IN SEAT BELT WOULD NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY ON DRIVER SEAT. TT
19950221SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT LATCH ON DRIVERS SIDE HAS PROBLEM LATCHING AND STICKS WHEN YOU TRY TO UNLATCH IT. TT
19950221SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
PASSENGER SEAT BELT BUCKLE RED BUTTON BROKE, RESULTING IN INOPERATIVE SEAT BELT. TT
19950221SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
MODE NO 524, LAP/SHOULDER BUCKLE WILL NOT SNAP, PLASTIC INSIDE BUCKLE BROKE. TT
Compare 1988MAZDAMX6 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 1988 MAZDA MX6 have?▼
The 1988 MAZDA MX6 has 16 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 1 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 MAZDA MX6?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 MAZDA MX6 is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY with 8 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH.
Is the 1988 MAZDA MX6 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.