U.S. public vehicle records

2003 Mazda MPV problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

113 owner complaints analyzed

4 distinct recall campaigns

37,587 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2003 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 88 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Power Train:Automatic Transmission is the most frequently named component, appearing in 31 of 113 complaints (27.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Transmission and shifting	35	31.0%
Braking behavior	16	14.2%
Engine operation	9	8.0%
Steering behavior	3	2.7%
Electrical and battery issues	2	1.8%
Fuel system concerns	1	0.9%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Engine And Engine Cooling

Electrical System

Air Bags

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Unknown Or Other

Vehicle Speed Control

Electrical System:Ignition

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	31
Engine And Engine Cooling	9
Electrical System	8
Air Bags	7
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	6
Unknown Or Other	5
Vehicle Speed Control	5
Electrical System:Ignition	4

Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 31; Engine And Engine Cooling: 9; Electrical System: 8; Air Bags: 7; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 6; Unknown Or Other: 5; Vehicle Speed Control: 5; Electrical System:Ignition: 4

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 33; 25,000 to 49,999: 17; 50,000 to 74,999: 16; 75,000 to 99,999: 6; 100,000 to 149,999: 14; 150,000 and above: 2

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (33). 25 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2016

2017

2018

2019

2003: 16; 2004: 27; 2005: 10; 2006: 6; 2007: 6; 2008: 7; 2009: 9; 2010: 10; 2011: 8; 2012: 1; 2013: 3; 2014: 2; 2016: 2; 2017: 2; 2018: 3; 2019: 1

Pattern summary

Power Train:Automatic Transmission leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 35 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 16 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 9 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10043436 · 2003-10-23 (October 23, 2003)

2003 MAZDA MPV - TRANSMISSION SHIFTS VERY ROUGH FROM 2ND TO 3RD. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND UNPREDICTABLE. DEALER SAYS THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE DIAGNOSED AND FIXED UNLESS IT CAN BE DUPLICATED IN THE REPAIR SHOP. *LA

Owner-reported narrative. 10,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10043436 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10047687 · 2003-11-27 (November 27, 2003)

2003 MAZDA MPV - TRANSMISSION SHIFTS VERY ROUGH FROM 2ND TO 3RD. YOU CAN FEEL THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING THEN IT SLAMS INTO 3RD GEAR. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND UNPREDICTABLE. DEALER SAYS THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE DIAGNOSED AND FIXED UNLESS IT CAN BE DUPLICATED IN THE REPAIR SHOP. I PRINTED 30 PAGES FROM THE EDMUNDS.COM BOARD AND MAZDAUSA.COM BOARD AND HANDED IT TO THE SERVICE MANAGER TO SHOW THAT YES THIS IS A PROBLEM. THE VAN ONLY HAS 4100 MILES ON IT AND HAS DONE THIS SINCE PURCHASED. I WILL NOW KEEP A RECORD OF THE INCIDENTS. **RIVERSIDE, CA. …

Owner-reported narrative. 4,162 miles reported. Look up ODI 10047687 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10007590 · 2003-02-16 (February 16, 2003)

BRAKES REAR- SQUEAK FREQUENTLY WHEN STOPPING. ALREADY SERVICED ONCE, SQUEEKED ON THE WAY HOME. DUE FOR 2ND SERVICE. OCCURS ON MOST EVERY STOP, NEAR THE END OF THE STOP.

Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007590 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10044472 · 2003-10-22 (October 22, 2003)

THE REAR BRAKES SQUEAKED VERY LOUDLY WHEN COMING TO A STOP. THE CONSUMER HAD THE BRAKES INSPECTED BY THE DEALER THREE TIMES BUT THE DEALER HAS NOYT BEEN ABLE TO FIND OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. 25,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10044472 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10076174 · 2004-06-14 (June 14, 2004)

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

Owner-reported narrative. 13,250 miles reported. Look up ODI 10076174 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10132573 · 2005-08-12 (August 12, 2005)

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 FAILUR…

Owner-reported narrative. 32,779 miles reported. Look up ODI 10132573 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10157925 · 2006-05-20 (May 20, 2006)

I WAS GOING 55 MPH, SUDDENLY THE STEERING WHEELED PULLED TO THE RIGHT. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED IT BACK TO THE LEFT. ONCE AGAIN, THE WHEEL PULLED HARD TO THE RIGHT. I TRIED TO PULL IT BACK TO THE LEFT BUT COULDN'T. IT FELT LIKE A 500 POUND GORILLA WAS SITTING NEXT TO ME TUGGING THE WHEEL. I GOT SCARED AND SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES. THE CAR WENT ROUND IN CIRCLES AND SPUN OUT INTO THE JERSEY BARRIER. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 33,441 miles reported. Look up ODI 10157925 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10217431 · 2008-02-08 (February 8, 2008)

2003 MAZDA MPV STALLING IN TRAFFIC. DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE VEHICLE WILL JUST STALL, TAKING POWER STEERING, ETC. WITH IT. RESTARTS FROM NEUTRAL JUST FINE. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH VEHICLES BEHIND YOU. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 45,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10217431 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10222605 · 2008-03-28 (March 28, 2008)

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 CO…

Owner-reported narrative. 36,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10222605 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10392028 · 2011-03-17 (March 17, 2011)

2003 MAZDA MPV. 70,276 MILES. 3/8/11 - STARTED RUNNING ROUGH. TWO REAR COILS BAD; DEALER REPAIRED ALL THREE REAR COILS BECAUSE (ACCORDING TO DEALER) ONCE ONE GOES, THEY ALL GO. ($855.01) ONE WEEK LATER - 3/16/11, ROUGH IDLE AND ODOR OF GASOLINE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON. 70,339 MILES. DEALER REPLACED ALL 3 FRONT COILS. ($463.76) I AM TOLD THIS IS A *COMMON PROBLEM* WITH MPVS. DEALER TOLD ME HE HAS SEEN MANY OF THEM COMING IN, AND IT WAS A GOOD THING I WAS HAVING IT TAKEN CARE OF PROMPTLY. IF I DID NOT, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER GOES BAD…

Owner-reported narrative. 70,276 miles reported. Look up ODI 10392028 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10066476 · 2004-04-19 (April 19, 2004)

NOT A COMPLAINT-MERELY A QUESTIONABLE VEHICLE SAFETY/DESIGN INQUIRY: I BOUGHT A 2003 MAZDA MPV IN DECEMBER. RECENTLY, WHILE UNDER THE VEHICLE DOING AN OIL CHANGE, I NOTICED A TROUBLING DESIGN IN THE GAS TANK LOCATION. IT IS RIGHT UP AGAINST THE DOOR SILL/ROCKER PANEL AREA ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THIS LOCATION LOOKS VERY VULNERABLE TO RUPTURE AND FIRE IN CASE OF A SIDE IMPACT COLLISION. HAS THIS DESIGN BEEN TESTED AS SAFE? IT REMINDS ME OF THE OLD PINTO DESIGN WITH THE TANK RIGHT AHEAD OF THE REAR BUMPER.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10066476 at NHTSA ↗