Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1998 Mazda MPV, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags5
- Electrical system3
- Unknown or other2
- Steering2
- Service brakes, hydraulic2
- Suspension2
- Tires1
- Engine and engine cooling1
- Seat belts1
- Visibility1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 4 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1998 Mazda MPV failed the safety check 0.96% of the time — 44% less often than the average 1998 passenger car (1.71%). Median odometer at inspection: 125,953 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the United Kingdom
1 cars built in 1998 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
6 1998 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 14.7–16.8 L/100 km (about 14–16 mpg US), CO₂ 338–386 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| MPV · Minivan · Regular gasoline | 16.4 | 12.6 | 14.7 |
| 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
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 1998 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… |
| 2000176 28 Aug 2000 | Other Certain vehicles do not comply with Regulation 6 - Statement of Compliance. Vehicles have an incorrect National Safety Mark (NSM). Correction: Since this non… |
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 1998 Mazda MPV: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 635773 | SUBJECT REGARDING AIR CONDITIONING MUSTY / MILDEW ODOR. *TT |
| 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 |
| 603891 | CONDITIONS WITH STEERING WHEEL SLIGHTLY OFF CENTER. *YC |
| 603877 | SUBJECT ON AUDIO UNIT IDENTIFICATION. *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 |
| 600334 | COMPLAINTS OF TACH NEEDLE STUCK ON WRONG SIDE OF STOPPER PIN. *YC |
| 10217209 | In accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer. |
| 10215274 | This service bulletin provides testing and charging procedures in order to promote proper battery maintenance, to deliver new vehicles with fully charged batteries, and to reduce unnecessary battery replacement cost. For new vehicles in stock at the dealer, inspect and maintain the battery periodically according to the repair procedure. |
| 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 |
| 10213332 | Battery Maintenance |
| 10213331 | SULFUR SMELL FROM EXHAUST SYSTEM. |
| 10213326 | Mazda guidelines for factory scheduled maintenance |
| 10209778 | The Mazda DCA-8000 is required for all warranty battery testing. If the Mazda DCA-8000 is not used, incorrect battery testing may result in unnecessary battery replacement. Use the following test procedures in this Service Bulletin to test Mazda vehicle batteries and to generate a Warranty Code. |
| 10209761 | Accessory instructions can be found on OneMazda under Dealer Resources - Parts & Accessories. |
| 10206002 | Automatic Transmission/Transaxle Cooler and Lines Flushing Procedure: Automatic Transaxle/Transmission (A/T) oil cooler and lines must be power flushed completely before an overhauled or replacement A/T is installed (except SKYACTIV-DRIVE). The most common cause of repeat A/T failures is lack of lubrication to the front and rear planetary gears. This is usually caused by an accumulation of metal particles and debris (from a previous A/T failure) on the internal mesh type baffle of the oil cooler. Power flushing will remove the restriction by back flushing, followed by forward flushing to disl |
| 10205994 | Battery Maintenance: This service bulletin provides testing and charging procedures in order to promote proper battery maintenance, to deliver new vehicles with fully charged batteries, and to reduce unnecessary battery replacement cost. For new vehicles in stock at the dealer, inspect and maintain the battery periodically according to the repair procedure. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)