2003 MAZDA MPV Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

2003 MAZDA MPV. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO UNSATISFACTORY CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM DEALERSHIP AND VEHICLE COMPANY. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HIS VEHICLE DID NOT PASS A SAFETY INSPECTION, DUE TO A FAULTY CATALYTIC CONVERTER, DESPITE SPENDING OVER $3,000 TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.

VEHICLE HAS ABOUT 112, 500 MILES WHEN IT HAD A CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE. COST TO REPAIR $1800. SERVICE MANAGER SAID THIS REPAIR IS TIED TO DRIVING WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON DUE TO ENGINE COIL FAILURES. ALL ENGINE COILS HAD BEEN REPLACED BEFORE 89000 MILES. SINCE THE COILS WERE REPLACED EARLIER, NO WAY TO IDENTIFY THE NEXUS TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS "CHECK ENGINE" WARNINGS AND RELATED REPAIRS: O2 SENSOR, PCV HOSE, AND O2 CANNISTER HAVE BEEN REPLACED IN ADDITION TO ALL 6 ENGINE COILS. THERE WAS NO RECALL NOTICE ON ANY OF THESE FAILURES AND THERE WERE OTHER "CHECK ENGINE" WARNINGS WHERE NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND. I HAVE DRIVEN SEVERAL CARS OVER 112000 MILES AND I HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A CATALYTIC CONVERTER. BASED ON THIS EXPERIENCE, AND THE TREATMENT AT THE MAZDA DEALER, I WOULD NOT BUY ANOTHER MAZDA PRODUCT. *TT

Mileage: 112,500

ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, ENGINE COIL ON 2004 MAZDA MPV BROKE WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN AND ANOTHER OCCASION ON A 2003 MAZDA MPV I ALSO OWN AN ENGINE COIL BROKE WHILE DRIVING IN WET WEATHER. EACH TIME IT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP ADMITTED TO PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE COILS BUT REPORTS NO RECALL FOR THEM. THE IS A DESIGN FLOW THAT PREVENTS THE COILS FROM DISPERSING MOISTURE PROPERLY. *TR

Mileage: 60,000

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA MPV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO STALL INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE PCV VALVE ON 10/5/2004. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER 2010. THE IGNITION COILS WERE ALSO REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AGAIN ON 9/28/2010; HOWEVER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,427. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106478. THE WATER PUMP WAS CRACKED, AND THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR FAILED. THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND THERE WAS A BURNING ODOR COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE IGNITION COIL THAT WAS REPLACED IN SEPT 2010 HAD GONE BAD AND THE IGNITION COIL THAT WAS REPLACED IN APRIL OF 2008 HAD ALSO GONE BAD. UPDATED EVOQ 03/25/11 UPATED 04/15/11

Mileage: 25,427

2003 MAZDA MPV LX WITH 35,000 MILES IGNITION COIL FAILURE AFTER DRIVING THROUGH RAINSTORM IN EXTREMELY RURAL AREA. I WAS DRIVING ALONE AND HAD TO LIMP THE VEHICLE 30 MILES BACK TO TOWN AT 25 MPH. ONLY ONE PLACE IN TOWN COULD FIX IT AND IT WAS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE MAZDA MPV AND IF SO, THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THE POORLY DESIGNED COIL. *TR

Mileage: 35,246

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA MPV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK WHEN SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE ONE OF THE O2 SENSORS WAS REPLACED. THROUGHOUT THE FOLLOWING YEAR, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATE ON THE DASHBOARD BEFORE INDEPENDENTLY TURNING OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER SEVERAL TIMES WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD NO LONGER BE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE THEN BEGAN TO JERK WHEN SHIFTING GEARS AT ANY SPEED. AFTER CONDUCTING HIS OWN RESEARCH, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE ALL OF THE ENGINE COILS WERE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH LATER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD RE-ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 89,566.

Mileage: 70,000

2003 HONDA MAZDA MVP. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEMS WITH CYLINDER COILS AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *TGW

THE CAR WAS OPERATING NORMALLY, THAN THE WATER PUMP BROKE. THIS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. THE WATERPUMP WAS REPLACED AND THE ENGINE REQUIRED A VALVE JOB. *TR

Mileage: 122,000

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA MPV. IN 2004, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE PCV HOSE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE HOSE, EVEN THOUGH NO FAILURES WERE PRESENT. THERE WERE NO ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE FOR FIVE YEARS. CURRENTLY, THE VEHICLE IDLES VERY ROUGHLY, SHAKES, AND SURGES WHENEVER IT IS IDLING AT A STOP SIGN. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON AND OTHER INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE HOSE ONCE AGAIN; HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL MODEL NOR THE RECALLED MODEL. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN OPERATING NORMALLY SINCE THE MOST RECENT REPAIR. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE PLACED THE CURRENT HOSE ON THE VEHICLE BACK IN 2004 AT 30,000 MILES. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 78,000. UPDATED 08/14/09. *LJ UPDATED 08/14/09.*JB

Mileage: 78,000

COIL FAILURES ON 2003 MAZDA MPV. THE FAILURES ARE WIDELY REPORTED. CAUSES VEHICLE STALLING AND LOSS OF POWER IN TRAFFIC. GENERATES CEL (CHECK ENGINE LIGHT). *TR

Mileage: 74,801

THE PROBLEM IS WITH A FAULTY 2003 MAZDA MPV PCV HOSE. ORIGINAL MAZDA RECALL NUMBER 2204H WAS CONDUCTED TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL FAULTY PCV HOSE. (NOTE: WHEN PCV HOSE COLLAPSED, IT CAUSED A VACUUM LEAK THAT AFFECTED MY BRAKE SYSTEM AND CAUSED PROBLEMS WHILE IN TRAFFIC, PROBLEM INTENSITY WAS BETWEEN MINOR AND MAJOR) I HAD MY PCV HOSE REPLACED IN 2004 UNDER THE RECALL, BUT THE REPLACEMENT HOSE ALSO COLLAPSED. I'VE NEVER HEARD OF A PCV HOSE COLLAPSING. I'VE HEARD OF THEM BECOMING DRY/BRITTLE SINCE IT'S A RUBBER HOSE, BUT I'VE NEVER HEARD OF A PCV HOSE COLLAPSING UNTIL THE MAZDA RECALL. THERE IS SOME VACUUM ON THE HOSE, BUT IT'S NOT VERY STRONG, I DON'T THINK IT'S STRONG ENOUGH TO CAUSE A COLLAPSE. IN MY OPINION, THERE NEEDS TO BE A SECOND RECALL TO REPLACE THE NOW COLLAPSING REPLACEMENT HOSES. I CONTACTED MAZDA CORPORATION AT 11:30 A.M. ON 7 MAY 09, THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY DID NOT KEEP RECORDS ON EXPECTED LIFE SPAN OR REPETITIVE PROBLEMS WITH PARTS AND THAT SINCE I HAD PUT A LOT OF MILES ON THE VAN AND IT WAS 5 YEARS OLD, AND SINCE THEY DID THE RECALL WORK, IT WAS NOW MY RESPONSIBILITY TO REPLACE THE FAULTY REPLACEMENT HOSE. IT'S DIFFICULT FOR ME TO BELIEVE THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT KEEP RECORDS ON FAULTY, RECALLED PARTS, ESPECIALLY FOR UNUSUAL PROBLEMS. MAZDA'S CASE FILE FOR MY COMPLAINT TO THEM IS 123531180. *TR

Mileage: 124,000

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE FIVE OF THE SIX COILS ON MY 2003 MAZDA MPV OVER 3 YEARS. THEY FAIL FREQUENTLY AND CAUSE THE ENGINE TO MISS OR STALL EVEN WHILE MOVING. VERY DANGEROUS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. I SEE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MAZDA MPV 2002 - 2006. VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE THE BACK COILS - SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS. THE FRONT ONES ARE EASY TO REPLACE. *TR

Mileage: 80,000

THE IGNITION COILS ON MY 2003 MAZDA MPV FAILS WHILE I WAS DRIVING. MY VAN ONLY HAS 27,000 MILES ON IT. WHEN I DID MORE RESEARCH, I FOUND THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR MPV. THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL! *TR

Mileage: 27,400

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA MPV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED FOUR TIMES. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED EACH TIME. THE DEALER INSTALLED ANOTHER ENGINE IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE AND THE COIL IGNITION HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE. THE DEALER INSTALLED NEW SPARK PLUGS IN THE VEHICLE ON MARCH 13, 2007; HOWEVER, THEY FAILED A YEAR LATER AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER ALSO INSTALLED A WIRING HARNESS. THE BATTERY WAS DYING, THERE WAS A COOLANT LEAK, AND THE RADIATOR CORE, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, MANIFOLD STUDS, AND PCM ALL FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 48,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000.

Mileage: 36,000

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA MPV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED FOUR TIMES. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED EACH TIME. THE DEALER INSTALLED ANOTHER ENGINE IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE AND THE COIL IGNITION HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE. THE DEALER INSTALLED NEW SPARK PLUGS IN THE VEHICLE ON MARCH 13, 2007; HOWEVER, THEY FAILED A YEAR LATER AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER ALSO INSTALLED A WIRING HARNESS. THE BATTERY WAS DYING, THERE WAS A COOLANT LEAK, AND THE RADIATOR CORE, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, MANIFOLD STUDS, AND PCM ALL FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 48,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000.

Mileage: 36,000

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA MPV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED FOUR TIMES. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED EACH TIME. THE DEALER INSTALLED ANOTHER ENGINE IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE AND THE COIL IGNITION HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE. THE DEALER INSTALLED NEW SPARK PLUGS IN THE VEHICLE ON MARCH 13, 2007; HOWEVER, THEY FAILED A YEAR LATER AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER ALSO INSTALLED A WIRING HARNESS. THE BATTERY WAS DYING, THERE WAS A COOLANT LEAK, AND THE RADIATOR CORE, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, MANIFOLD STUDS, AND PCM ALL FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 48,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000.

Mileage: 36,000

2003 MPV'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SHORTLY AFTER GETTING ON THE INTERSTATE. VAN HAD A "STUTTERING" FEEL. EVEN THOUGH THE VAN WAS 5 WEEKS OUT OF WARRANTY BY TIME, NOT MILEAGE (39901 MILES) I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP HOPING FOR A GOODWILL FIX. THEY SAID IT WAS THE EGR VALVE. I HAVE NEVER SEEN AN EGR VALVE TO OUT SO EARLY. DEALERSHIP DID COVER THE PART AND CHARGED ME $180 IN LABOR TO REPLACE THE VALVE THAT WAS ONLY A TWO BOLT REMOVAL AND EXTREMELY EASY TO GET TO. MAZDA SHOULD HAVE COVERED THIS FULLY. I WAS EXPECTING THIS TO BE THE FAMOUS COIL PROBLEM. *TR

Mileage: 39,901

AT SPEEDS OF 25 - 35 MILES PER HOUR, OUR 2003 MAZDA MPV LX STALLED FOR NO APPARENT REASON IN TRAFFIC. ALL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WAS LOST WHEN IT STALLED, LUCKILY, WE WERE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS AND IN A LANE THAT NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED, HOWEVER, IT WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. WE HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED AT A DEALER LOCAL TO WHERE WE WERE VACATIONING. THE DEALERSHIP, HOLMAN MAZDA IN EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, NJ, REPLACED AN AIR BYPASS VALVE, WHICH THEY STATED WAS THE REASON FOR STALLING AT APPROXIMATELY 2500 RPM. WHEN ASKED IF THIS WAS A NORMAL FAILURE, THE DEALER DID NOT BELIEVE SO. *NM

Mileage: 32,779

MY DAUGHTER, DANIELLE GRANDE, WAS BURNED ON THE LEG BY THE TAILPIPE OF MY MAZDA MPV MINIVAN. HER LEG TOUCHED THE TAILPIPE BECAUSE IT STICKS OUT PAST THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE BACK BUMPER. I CALLED MAZDA AND REPORTED THE PROBLEM BUT THEY REFUSED TO FIX IT OR TAKE ANY ACTION.

WHILE BRAKING AT 45 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER RESTARTED VEHICLE, AND PULLED OVER. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

Mileage: 13,250

CARBON MONOXIDE WAS RELEASED INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT DUE TO CATALYTIC CONVERTER MALFUNCTIONING. THIS PART WAS REPLACED SEVEN TIMES. HOWEVER THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

Mileage: 50,000

ENGINE/SPARK KNOCKING. TAKEN TO DEALER IN CHARLOTTE. THEY COULD NOT DETECT NOISE. TAKEN BACK A SECOND TIME. DEALER CALLED HQ IN CALIFORNIA FOR INSTRUCTIONS. VAN IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP. THIS IS THE SECOND ATTEMPTED FIX ON THIS PROBLEM. 2003 MAZDA MPV OWNER.*AK

Mileage: 8,500

THERE IS A SULFUR SMELL COMING FROM THE ENGINE INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, DEALER SAID ITS THE ETHANOL GAS THAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM AND THAT IT IS SEASONAL; DEALER SAID TO TRY OTHER GAS; DEALER HAS SAID THEY HAVE RECEIVED OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME SMELL AND THAT AT LEAST ONE (PREGNANT) OWNER CANNOT DRIVE HER CAR WITHOUT BECOMING SICK. *LA

Mileage: 3,980

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE GEARS IN THE VEHICLE SEEM TO BE SLIPPING. THE GEARS DIDN'T CHANGE AT THE PROPER INTERVALS. THERE WERE TIMES WHEN THE CONSUMER WOULD BE AT A STOP LIGHT AND THE VEHICLE WOULD LURCH FORWARD , AS IF STRUCK FROM BEHIND. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO REPROGRAMMED THE PCM MODULE IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE REPROGRAMMING DID NOT STOP THE ENGINE FROM SLIPPING, BUT IT DID CAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO GO OUT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR THE ENGINE SLIPPING THREE TIMES, AND THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN INFORMED OF THE PROBLEM. *PH

Mileage: 57

THERE IS A SULFUR SMELL COMING FROM THE ENGINE EXHAUST, DEALER SAID TO TRY DIFFERENT GAS, AND IT SHOULD GO AWAY, I HAVE TRIED SEVERAL BRANDS OF GAS AND THE SMELL IS STILL THERE. *JB