1998 Mazda MPV problems & reliability
19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 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 (4 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 5 | 26% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 16% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 11% |
| Steering | 2 | 11% |
| Suspension | 2 | 11% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 11% |
| Engine | 1 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 5% |
| Power Train | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 13 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mazda mpv. The contact stated that the hey failed to turn in the ignition switch intermittently. The contact stated that the failure was getting progressively worst. The contact later received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v674000 (electrical system) and the parts were not…”
Electrical System · filed Apr 28, 2016
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mazda mpv. The contact stated that when attempting to start the vehicle, the ignition switch started to emit smoke and the instrument panel lights failed to illuminate. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v674000…”
Electrical System · filed Jan 28, 2016
“Tl* the contact owned a 1998 mazda mvp. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle at 55 mph, the engine caught on fire. The contact extinguished the fire. A police report was not filed. The contact did not sustain any injuries. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The…”
Engine · filed Jan 14, 2016
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
69 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Mazda MPV. The 10 most recent:
In accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer.
09-024-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 18, 2022
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…
01-006-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 22, 2022
Accessory instructions can be found on OneMazda under Dealer Resources - Parts & Accessories.
SA-014-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 29, 2022
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…
01-003/22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 17, 2022
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…
01-006-21-3779b · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 21, 2021
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…
05-002-21-3854 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 8, 2021
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…
01-006-21-3779a · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 24, 2021
This service bulletin provides information regarding the proper use of the driverâ  s floor mat to avoid any potential interference with the foot pedals. The following are possible causes of floor mat interference…
09-025-21-3824 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 17, 2021
Accessory instructions can be found on OneMazda under Dealer Resources - Parts & Accessories. The links provided below can be used for quick access: For 2016 models and newer: NOTE: Instructions are found under the…
SA-041-21 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 9, 2021
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…
01-006-21-3779 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 8, 2021
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 1998 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 1998 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.