Vehicle safety record

2004 Mazda MPV Problems, complaints & recalls

Owners have filed 96 complaints about the 2004 Mazda MPV with NHTSA, most often about the engine & cooling (36) and the airbags (17). Those complaints describe 8 crashes, 1 fire and 7 injuries. It is covered by 5 recalls, the latest in October 2019 for the inflator module. For comparison, the 2003 has 114 and the 2005 has 42.

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NHTSA data checked 19 hours ago

29/100Safety Index

DMore problems than a typical MPV year, for its age

#108 most complained-about 2004 vehicle

Complaints: 96
Recalls: 5
Crashes: 8
Fires: 1
Injuries: 7
Deaths: 0

Most common 2004 Mazda MPV problems

Share of all 96 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.

2004 Mazda MPV recalls 5

Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do

Air bags: inflator module

19V781000Oct 31, 201947,006 vehicles affected

Do not drive

The problem: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2003-2008 Mazda6, 2004-2005 MPV, 2004 RX-8, and 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 vehicles. These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 2618F. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 13V130, 14V362, 14V773 and 15V869.

Air bags: inflator module

18V402000Jun 15, 2018308,591 vehicles affected

Do not drive

The problem: Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2003-2008 Mazda6, 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 and 2004 MPV vehicles nationwide. Mazda is also recalling 2005-2006 MPV vehicles in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. On July 9, 2019 this recall was expanded to include certain 2004-2011 RX-8 vehicles that were previously recalled under 16V-354 but have not yet been repaired. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these passenger air bag inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began July 6, 2018. Mailing to the affected RX-8 owners began July 6, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 2618F. Note: With the addition of the RX-8 vehicles, this recall fully supersedes recall 16V354.

Equipment: labels

04V282000Jun 10, 200420,000 vehicles affected

The problem: The tire inflation pressure indicated on the vehicle certification label is not correct. The labels show the maximum tire pressure as 240 kpa/32 psi when it should be shown as 240 kpa/35 psi. As a result of this error, the load ratios for the 205/65r15 94h and the 215/60r16 95h tires exceed the levels permitted by fmvss 120.
The risk: If the tire is operated in an under-inflated condition, the load carrying capacity of the vehicle may be compromised, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Owners will be provided with a corrected label that they can apply to their vehicle, or they can have a dealer install the label, if desired. The recall began on july 16, 2004. Owners should contact mazda at 1-800-222-5500, option #4.

Equipment: labels

04V109000Mar 9, 2004350 vehicles affected

The problem: Certain minivans fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, "Occupant crash protection." Some of these vehicles were produced with air bag warning labels intended for the canadian market. Thus, the labels contain warnings in both english and french. As a result, the area of the english warning is only 16 square centimeters, as opposed to the 30 square centimeters required by the standard.
The fix: Owners will be provided with air bag caution labels and installation instructions which were mailed on july 22, 2004. Owners should contact mazda at 1-800-222-5500.

Air bags: frontal

04V073000Feb 17, 200415,800 vehicles affected

The problem: As a result of an ncap test, certain minivans fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, "Occupant crash protection." The front passenger seat air bag was not correctly wiring.
The risk: In the event of a crash, the air bag will not provide adequate protection.
The fix: Dealers will install a new wiring harness in the front passenger seat air bag system. The recall bagan march 5, 2004. Owners should contact mazda at 1-800-222-5500.

What owners say

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96 complaints about the 2004 Mazda MPV

Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 4.

Other & unknown

2004 Mazda mpv. Consumer writes asking to be removed from recall list because they no longer own the vehicle.

Other & unknown

Front cross member corrosion; frame damaged; car dangerously unstable. Wheel alignment cost me $72.64 And frame repair cost $693.36. The vehicle in the shop for 4 days. Mental anguish. Mazda dealer declined repairs. Mazda customer service declined to pay. Now they are admitting that problem on mazda 6 vehicles. It's an old problem probably related to metallurgy or improper paint protection.

Suspension

SUSPENSION SUBFRAME RUSTED AND CRACKED.

AirbagsCrash

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mazda mpv. While the contact's wife was driving 15 mph, she struck another vehicle on the driver's side door. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an unknown location. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to send documentation from the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 166,000.

Airbags

I went into the dealership to get my safety recalls done at the mazda dealership on torrance but they said I needed to fill out a form and to wait for them to receive the auto parts. It has been more than 6 months since I went, I have not heard from the at all.

Airbags

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2004 mazda mpv. The contact stated that the recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 16v354000 (air bags) was received in may of 2016. After contacting the manufacturer on multiple occasions, the contact was informed that the parts needed for the recall remedy were still not available and no estimated time for receiving the parts could be provided. The local dealer was not notified. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Airbags

Air bag inflator replacement first notice rec.8/1/16,Called bomarito(local dealer)-no parts-would call called again1/2/17-same response second notice rec.4/17/17-Called again same response.

Airbags

Takata recall: I received mazda offer to replace defective part and accommodate for transportation while the car is being repair. The only requirement to have this accommodations is to make an appointment for them to deliver such offer to fix the inconveniences that this brings. I called to make the arrangements but now mazda refuses to give another transportation while fixing the car, even though this is included in their written offer.

Airbags

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2004 mazda mpv. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v354000 (air bags) however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts unavailable.

Suspension

There is no way to adjustment the alignment of the rear wheels on this year mazda mpv, thus the tires ware out early because they are not in alignment. Tire failure occurred while driving on highway mazda dealer says no adjustment can be done as mazda did not provide a way to correct this alignment problem so early tire failure can result. Mazda dealer work sheet for alignment states that the rear wheels are out of factory specification and if not corrected can lead to excessive tire wear, handling and safety...

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issues. Mazda by there own admission did not provided any way to correct this safety issue. I'm driving a vehicle with tire safety issues due to lack of ability to align the rear wheels to mazdas own specifications. *Tr

Airbags

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2004 mazda mpv. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v354000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.

Airbags

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2004 mazda mpv. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v354000 (air bags) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.

Airbags

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2004 mazda mpv. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v354000 (air bags) however the part to do the repair was unavailable. The manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts unavailable.

Fuel system

Accelerator (gas pedal) stock open when pedal pressed for acceleration onto interstate highway. Vehicle accelerated to very high speed. Pressing brake slowed vehicle to 55 mph. Shifted to neutral, heard a low pop and accelerator mechanism disengaged.

Airbags

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mazda mpv. The vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 14v773000 (air bags); however, the air bag light continuously illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.

Airbags

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 mazda mpv. The contact stated that the driver side air bag was faulty. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was previously repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 14v773000 (air bags). However, the recall only included the passenger side air bag. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, who advised the contact that the drivers side airbag was discontinued and the part needed to do the repair was unavailable. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 51,000.

Airbags

Why does recall only cover the passengers side air bag inflator? What company manufactured the drivers side air bag inflator? I would like the drivers side replaced also. I was told by service department that mazda will not cover replacement of drivers side air bag inflator. I asked parts department if I could purchase drivers side inflator. They said that the part was discontinued. I don't feel safe driving my vehicle. What is the solution to this problem? *Tr

Engine & cooling

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mazda mpv. The contact stated while driving various speeds the vehicle would intermittently stall without warning. Immediately after the failure occurred all of the warning indicator lights illuminated on the contacts instrument panel. Both the manufacturer and dealer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 100,000. The vin was not available. Rk

SuspensionTransmission & drivetrainElectrical system

Vehicle was lurching, no warning light was on. It took a while to figure out the rear coil was bad. We spent $1200 getting a tune up and that didn't fix the problem took a while to figure it out. Also, the transmission failed on this vehicle completely at 55 thousand miles. We had taken it in 3 times before it failed and they said nothing was wrong with it. *Tr

Acceleration & cruise controlFuel system

I was on i-75 when I accelerated hard while trying to merge into a gap in heavy, merging traffic. When I took my foot off the accelerator my van continued to accelerate as the engine continued to rev at a high rpm. I stabbed at the accelerator with my foot to see if I could unstick it, but it only caused the engine to rev even higher - to full-throttle. I jabbed at it multiple times to no avail. I tried to lift the gas pedal with my foot by jamming it underneath the pedal and pulling it up, but it floated...

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freely and continued to fall back to its full-throttle position. Although I was confident that the floor mat was not the cause of the problem I pulled it away from the pedals and, as expected, there was no effect. I was able to keep control of my van by applying extremely heavy pressure to the brake while shifting between neutral and drive. During that time I was still jabbing and lifting the accelerator with my right foot trying to 'unstick' the gas pedal. I was entering and crossing and overpass that was undergoing construction. Concrete barriers lined both sides of the highway and bridge where the emergency lanes would have otherwise been located. I had to maintain some speed, for fear of being rear-ended, while searching for the first opportunity to pull over. My vehicle was towed to the nearest mazda dealership where the mechanic was able to quickly ascertain that the screwing mechanism from an unsecured air hose clamp had snagged the throttle arm - the clamp attaches the hose to the engine. As I pushed harder on the gas pedal it further exacerbated the problem by locking the arm in a more wide-open throttle position. The clamp had been left unsecured from previous work done at a mazda dealership. According to the mechanic, this could have also occurred if the clamp had been secured, but not positioned out of the way of the arm. *Tr

Engine & cooling

The engine coils have failed 4 times since we have owned the vehicle. Last night while traveling on the interstate in the rain, key words, in the rain it started again. I am sure at least one if not two coils went this time. Just had a coil and all the boots that are suppose to protect the coils and keep the moisture out replaced in february, 2012. It always happens when it rains. Mazda is well aware of the situation and has done nothing to fix this issue except to stop using this system and start making their...

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cars differently. But what about the people who own the older models? This is a dangerous situation as I was on the highway, at night, and it was pouring down rain and the van starts slowing down and sputtering along, with traffic traveling behind me. This should be a recall issue as it is a known problem and it is because of a manufacturing defect not anything that owners can avoid. *Tr

Engine & cooling

My radiator fan constantly runs intermittently but with increasing lengths of time, regardless of the weather (hot, cold.) The engine does not overheat. But the lights dim at night when the fan kicks in and creates a loud humming sound that is becoming more irritating. I read on the web that many earlier models of the mazda had a recall for the fan control module up to 2003. My vehicle is not in the recall, but I noticed a lot of people on the web have models after the recall period and we all have the same...

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problem as the recalled modules. (Sp-60 I think is the recall notice.) I'm not sure I am contacting the right office, but how do you get this on the recall program or determine that the faulty modules aren't creating the same problem for models made after the recalled versions? Can you help? *Kb

Engine & coolingElectrical system

Ignition coils retain moisture and cause cylinders to misfire. This causes vehicles to stall or lose power -- usually when raining. In our case, this has happened repeatedly on the interstate during rain. We early caused an accidents by our inability to get out of traffic with our suddenly-slowed vehicle. Replacement of a single coils cost us over $200. There are six ignition coils (over $1000). Many internet forums indicate that this problem is systemic in this make/model. We understand that the manufacturer redesigned the coil for subsequent models. They obviously recognized the flaw.

Electrical system

2004 Mazda mini van the ignition coils are continually having to be replaced-i am on the 4th time having one of them replaced over the pass 4 years. *Tr

Engine & coolingElectrical system

2004 Mazda mpv. Consumer states that while driving speeds of 70 mph the vehicle just lost all acceleration dropping to below 5 mph. She also states that the vehicle just shut off. *Kb the mechanics were unable to find a problem. *Jb

Mazda MPV: every year compared

'89 '90 '91 '92 '93 '94 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 96'04 '05 '06

Year	Complaints	Recalls	Crashes	Fires	Top problem	Grade
2006	12	2	2	0	Airbags	A
2005	42	3	5	0	Engine & cooling	C
2004	96	5	8	1	Engine & cooling	D
2003	114	4	12	2	Transmission & drivetrain	F
2002	125	4	4	5	Transmission & drivetrain	F
2001	71	3	10	2	Engine & cooling	D
2000	149	5	12	3	Body, doors & structure	F

All MPV years

2004 Mazda MPV vs rivals

Vehicle	Complaints	Recalls	Crashes	Grade
2004 Mazda MPV	96	5	8	D
2004 Mazda RX-8	515	10	23	F	Compare
2004 Mazda MAZDA6	185	7	17	D	Compare
2004 Mazda Tribute	182	7	21	D	Compare
2004 Mazda MAZDA3	170	3	24	D	Compare
2004 Mazda B-Series	49	0	9	D	Compare
2004 Mazda Miata MX-5	33	0	6	D	Compare

More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.

Questions about the 2004 Mazda MPV

Does the 2004 Mazda MPV have any recalls?

Yes - NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2004 Mazda MPV: inflator module (October 2019); inflator module (June 2018); labels (June 2004); labels (March 2004) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.

What are the most common problems with the 2004 Mazda MPV?

By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the engine & cooling (36), airbags (17), electrical system (15).

How many complaints has the 2004 Mazda MPV had?

96 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on March 20, 2004 and the latest on September 21, 2021. Of these, 8 describe a crash and 1 a fire, and together they report 7 injuries and 0 deaths.

Is the 2004 Mazda MPV a reliable vehicle?

Its Safety Index is 29 out of 100 (grade D: more problems than a typical Mazda MPV year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.

Which Mazda MPV years have the most complaints?

2000 (149), 2002 (125), 2003 (114). See every Mazda MPV year compared.

What should I do if my 2004 Mazda MPV has a problem?

If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked 19 hours ago. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

2004 Mazda MPV Problems, complaints & recalls

Most common 2004 Mazda MPV problems

2004 Mazda MPV recalls 5

What owners say

96 complaints about the 2004 Mazda MPV

Mazda MPV: every year compared

2004 Mazda MPV vs rivals

Own a 2004 Mazda MPV? Share your experience.

Questions about the 2004 Mazda MPV