Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1996 Mazda MX-6, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags7
- Unknown or other2
- Service brakes, hydraulic2
- Structure1
- Seat belts1
- Wheels1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
In the United Kingdom
20 cars built in 1996 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 60 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
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 4 variants: combined 9.5–12.6 L/100 km (about 19–25 mpg US), CO₂ 219–290 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| MX-6 · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 10.8 | 7.9 | 9.5 |
| MX-6 · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 12.1 | 8.7 | 10.6 |
| MX-6 · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 13.3 | 10.2 | 11.9 |
| MX-6 · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 14.3 | 10.6 | 12.6 |
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 1996 Mazda MX-6.
| 1999057 14 Apr 1999 | Fuel System Certain vehicles do not comply with the requirements of CMVSS 1105 - Evaporative Emissions. Fuel vapour may leak from between the fuel cap and the fuel filler … |
| 1998203 21 Oct 1998 | Seats And Restraints On certain vehicles, minor undercarriage impacts can result in unnecessary air bag deployment. This could result in personal injury and/or loss of vehicle cont… |
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.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE SAS SENSOR UNIT. THESE VEHICLES CAN EXPERIENCE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS IN MINOR UNDERCARRIAGE IMPACTS.
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 1996 Mazda MX-6: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 608126 | SUBJECT REGARDING PAINT DAMAGE - IRON PARTICLES / INDUSTRIAL FALLOUT / ACID RAIN. *TT |
| 606033 | INFORMATION REGARDING PISTON STANDARDIZATION FOR VEHICLES WITHIN CERTAIN VIN RANGES. *TT |
| 604036 | SUBJECT REGARDING MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT (MIL) ILLUMINATION W/DTC P0421. *YC |
| 604035 | EXPERIENCEING A METALLIC TAPPING NOISE HEARD FROM THE RIGHT ( REAR ) CYLINDER HEAD EXHAUST CAM AREA. *YC |
| 604031 | SUBJECT REGARDING MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT (MIL) ILLUMINATION W/DTC P1407. *YC |
| 603891 | CONDITIONS WITH STEERING WHEEL SLIGHTLY OFF CENTER. *YC |
| 603854 | INFORMATION REGARDING SEAT BELT EXTENDERS. *YC |
| 603126 | A CONDITION WITH THE MIL ILLUMINATED WITH CODE P1407 STORED IN MEMORY. *TT |
| 603119 | CONCERNS REGARDING INTERMITTENT 4-3 DOWNSHIFT OR SHIFTS IN AND OUT OF OVERDRIVE. *YC |
| 603116 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT (MIL) ILLUMINATED WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) P0421 STORED. *YC |
| 54320 | VEHICLE EXPERIENCING A OIL LEAK AT VALVE COVER. *YC |
| 54319 | PRE-PAINTING PREPARATIONS FOR FRONT AND REAR BUMPERS. *YC |
| 54318 | SUBJECT PERTAINING TO MTX OVERHAUL INFORMATION. *YC |
| 52524 | ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AND TERMINAL REPLACEMENT PART AVAILABILITY. *TW |
| 52520 | PARTS REPLACEMENT AFTER AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. *TW |
| 52503 | MAINTENANCE FREE BATTERY - DIAGNOSTIC AND CHARGING PROCEDURE. *TW |
| 52498 | PARTIAL ENGINE REPLACEMENT (PCV SYSTEM MODIFICATION). *TW |
| 52497 | USE OF A/C TRACER DYE. *TW |
| 52492 | WIPER MOTOR INOPERATIVE - CIRCUIT BREAKER ACTIVATION. *TW |
| 52489 | AIR BAG SYSTEM CHANGES. *TW |
| 52470 | STABILIZER BAR BUSHING REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE. *TW |
| 52466 | DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0741 TORQUE CONVERTER - CLUTCH SYSTEM PERFORMANCE. *TW |
| 52460 | DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURE FOR MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR TROUBLE (DTC P0171 / 181). *TW |
| 52455 | TAPPING NOISE WHEN ENGINE IS COLD. *TW |
| 46694 | LA4A-EL TRANSAXLE FLUID LEAK AT TORQUE CONVERTER HUB SEAL. *SD |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
HEADLIGHT FAILURE
OVERSENSITIVE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation