Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1997 Mazda MPV, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags8
- Engine and engine cooling5
- Seats2
- Power train2
- Latches/locks/linkages2
- Steering1
- Seat belts1
- Engine1
- Electrical system1
- Suspension1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 10 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
In the United Kingdom
4 cars built in 1997 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 1 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In New Zealand
19 1997 cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 14.2–16.8 L/100 km (about 14–17 mpg US), CO₂ 327–386 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| MPV · Minivan · Regular gasoline | 16.0 | 12.0 | 14.2 |
| MPV 4X4 · Minivan · Regular gasoline | 18.8 | 14.4 | 16.8 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 1997 Mazda MPV.
| 2015489 19 Oct 2015 | Electrical On certain vehicles, a defect in the ignition switch could cause an electrical short to develop over time. This could result in smoke and/or fire, increasing th… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 1989-1998 MPV, 1990-1995 323, 1990-1998 Protege, 1992-1993 MX-3, 1993-1995 929, 1993-1997 MX-6, and 1993-1998 626 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, grease applied to the contact points inside the ignition switch may become conductive and overheat.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Mazda told its dealers about the 1997 Mazda MPV: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 621310 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A NO START, ROUGH IDLE AND / OR LACK OF POWER AFTER A 60,000 MILE TIMING BELT REPLACEMENT INTERVAL. *TT |
| 614124 | CIGARETTE LIGHTER DOES NOT WORK OR STAY IN POSITION. *TT |
| 609949 | SUBJECT REGARDING 60,000 MILE SERVICE, INSPECTION AND / OR REPLACEMENT OF THE TENSIONER PULLEY. *TT |
| 608126 | SUBJECT REGARDING PAINT DAMAGE - IRON PARTICLES / INDUSTRIAL FALLOUT / ACID RAIN. *TT |
| 603914 | SUBJECT ON WATER LEAKS FROM SLIDING SUNROOF. *YC |
| 603906 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE HLA NOISE. *YC |
| 603891 | CONDITIONS WITH STEERING WHEEL SLIGHTLY OFF CENTER. *YC |
| 603875 | SUBJECT PERTAINING TO TACH NEEDLE WHICH IS STUCK ON WRONG SIDE OF STOPPER PIN. *YC |
| 603873 | CONCERNS WITH CHATTER, GRIND, OR SQUEAK TYPE NOISE HEARD DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF THE FRONT POWER WINDOWS. *TT |
| 603854 | INFORMATION REGARDING SEAT BELT EXTENDERS. *YC |
| 603850 | INFORMATION ON LOWER CUP HOLDER REPLACEMENT. *YC |
| 600334 | COMPLAINTS OF TACH NEEDLE STUCK ON WRONG SIDE OF STOPPER PIN. *YC |
| 600148 | CONCERNS WITH HLA NOISE HEARD AFTER A COLD START. *YC |
| 52520 | PARTS REPLACEMENT AFTER AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. *TW |
| 52509 | TACH NEEDLE STUCK ON WRONG SIDE OF STOPPER PIN. *TW |
| 52508 | KEYLESS ENTRY TRANSMITTER INOPERATIVE. *TW |
| 52505 | SLIPPAGE IN FORWARD AND REVERSE DUE TO LOW ATF LEVEL. *TW |
| 52503 | MAINTENANCE FREE BATTERY - DIAGNOSTIC AND CHARGING PROCEDURE. *TW |
| 52499 | SPORTS APPEARANCE PACKAGE SERVICE INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS. *TW |
| 52497 | USE OF A/C TRACER DYE. *TW |
| 52492 | WIPER MOTOR INOPERATIVE - CIRCUIT BREAKER ACTIVATION. *TW |
| 10213429 | Paint damage Mazda pocket paint guide |
| 10213425 | Speedometer replacement procedure |
| 10213422 | PROPER USAGE OF DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT. |
| 10213333 | Battery test procedure requirements using the GR81291 |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)