1989 Mazda MPV problems & reliability
22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 Mazda MPV, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts | 8 | 36% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 18% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 18% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 14% |
| Power Train | 2 | 9% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 5% |
| Seats | 1 | 5% |
| Unknown OR Other | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Consumer states that while driving at any speed and no warning the fuel tank had crack causing fluid to leak out and consumer can strongly smell gas fumes inside the vehicle dealer notified. Nlm”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Oct 2, 2002
“Consumer was driving on wet roads and on a turn vehicle slid and filpped over and ran into a tree. But, seat belts did not hold in place. Has not contacted dealership.*ak”
Seat Belts · filed Mar 27, 2001
“Engine stumbles on acceleration from a stop when the engine is on lean part of rich lean cycle and may cut off until the accelerator is released and pressed again.”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Jun 7, 1998
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- TAKATA SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA95005 · opened Mar 10, 1995 · closed Aug 1, 1995 · led to recall 95V103005
- THROTTLE STICKING
Preliminary Evaluation PE91088 · opened Jun 18, 1991 · closed Oct 21, 1991
Technical service bulletins
17 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1989 Mazda MPV. The 10 most recent:
Some vehicles may exhibit a no start, rough idle and / or lack of power after a 60,000 mile timing belt replacement interval. *tt
00100R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2000
Subject regarding 60,000 mile service, inspection and / or replacement of the tensioner pulley. *tt
00200 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 23, 2000
Information regarding seat belt extenders. *yc
00598 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 22, 1998
Conditions with steering wheel slightly off center. *yc
00198 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 15, 1998
Some vehicles may experience hla noise. *yc
00198 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 23, 1998
Concerns with hla noise heard after a cold start. *yc
00198 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 23, 1998
USE OF A/C TRACER DYE. *TW
008/97 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 19, 1997
1989-90 mpv microfiche corrections - o-ring set - cylinder head and cover - switches and relays. *tw
C81 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 28, 1997
Parts replacement after airbag deployment. *tw
007/97T · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 25, 1997
Maintenance free battery - diagnostic and charging procedure. *tw
001/97G · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 8, 1997
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1989 Mazda MPV has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1989 Mazda MPV?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.