RoadVitals

1997 Mazda Millenia Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
16
Latest Feb 24, 2006
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
2
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since May 27, 1998

What this page shows

Our database holds 16 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1997 Mazda Millenia. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–16 of 16

Seat belts
Filed Feb 24, 2006

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED BOTH FRONT SEAT BELT STRAPS EXTENDED AND WOULD NOT RETRACT EXPOSING THE MANUFACTURER'S WARNING STICKER INDICATING A NEED TO REPLACE THE STRAPS. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE ALERTED. THE DEALER SUGGESTED REPLACING THE FRONT SEATBELT STRAPS, BUT NO REPAIRS WERE MADE.

NHTSA ID
10151129
Incident
Feb 24, 2006
Mileage
109,097 mi
AirbagsBrakes
Filed Feb 4, 2005
Crash reported

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH IN SEVERE COLD WEATHER BRAKE PEDAL COMMENCED TO MAKE A POPPING NOISE WHILE BRAKING. VEHICLE LOST BRAKING AND REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT. UPON IMPACT, NEITHER FRONTAL AIR BAG DEPLOYED. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. UPDATED 12/12/07

NHTSA ID
10110890
Incident
Jan 18, 2005
Mileage
63,000 mi
EngineTransmission
Filed Dec 7, 2003

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AND OFF FOR TWO YEARS. I'VE TOOK IT TO 5 DIFFERENT MAZDA SPECIALIST INCLUDING THE DEALER AND EVERYONE OF THEM TELLS ME SOMETHING DIFFERENT... THINGS THAT WERE ALREADY DONE. KNOW ONE CAN SEEM TO PIN POINT WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE CAR. OH BY THE WAY... THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REBUILT. I ALSO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE GEAR SWITCHING FROM THE FIRST TO SECOND AND IT'S NOT THE TRANSMISSION. THIS CAR HAS COST ME A LOT OF MONEY AND IT'S UP THERE WITH THE 626. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER MAZDA AGAIN. *LA

NHTSA ID
10049379
Incident
Dec 7, 2003
Mileage
125,000 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed Oct 29, 2003

TWO WHEELS HAVE CRACKED AT LESS THAN 50,000 MILES OF CITY DRIVING ON MY 1997 MAZDA MILLENIAS. THIS HAS CAUSED GRADUAL ESCAPE OF AIR--UNKNOWN TO THE DRIVER UNTIL POTENTIALLY UNSAFE TIRE PRESSURE DEVELOPED AND VISIBLE DEFLATION NOTED.

NHTSA ID
10045042
Incident
Oct 21, 2003
Mileage
48,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Jun 16, 2003

I PURCHASED A 97 MAZDA MILLENNIA IN 8/97 WITH 29K MILES. TODAY IT IS AT 77K MILES AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND FOUND THAT THE FUEL TANK HAS STARTED IMPLODING DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF SUCTION IN THE TANK. THE SUCTION HAS ALSO CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE FUEL LEVEL SENSORS. THE QUOTED REPAIR PRICE WAS $1,800. THE SERVICE REP INFORMED ME THAT MAZDA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS ISSUED AN ADVISORY TO MECHANICS TO NOT ONLY CHECK THE FUEL GAUGE BUT ALSO THE FUEL TANK. THIS IS NOT CURRENTLY A RECALL ITEM OR A DEFECT BUT SHOULD BE. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND SEVERAL CASES OF OTHER MILLENNIA OWNERS WITH SAME MODEL YEAR EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE REPAIRS SHOULD BE AT MAZDA'S EXPENSE SINCE THE SUCTION IN THE TANK IS TOO HIGH OR THE FUEL TANK ITSELF IS NOT STRUCTURALLY CAPABLE OF HANDLING THE PRESSURE. PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL/DEFECT NOTICE SO THAT THIS ISSUE CAN BE FIXED. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10023152
Incident
Jun 16, 2003
Mileage
77,500 mi
Heating & air conditioning
Filed Apr 9, 2003

WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER SAW SMOKE COMING FROM PASSENGER SEAT WHICH IS WHERE THE AUTOMATIC SEAT WARMERS ARE LOCATED. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10015539
Airbags
Filed Dec 31, 2002
Crash reported

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD AN ACCIDENT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. CONSUMER REAR ENDED THE VEHICLE GOING 30MPH. THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER NOTIFIED.

NHTSA ID
10001712
Incident
Dec 12, 2002
Fuel system
Filed Apr 4, 2002

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AND WITHOUT WARNING FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT MARK THE CORRECT MEASUREMENT OF FUEL IN GAS TANK. FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY NEEED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA ID
8006926
Transmission
Filed Aug 2, 2001

I HAD PROBLEMS GOING TO A MAZDA DEALER (VAL STROUGH MAZDA, OAKLAND, CA)IN GETTING THE TRANSMISSION DIAGNOSED. THEY FIRST SAID IT WAS THE SELECTOR WHCIH COST $300 PLUS , THEN AFTER CHANGING IT SAID IT WAS THE VALVE BODY AND WOULD COST $1200PLUS BUT WERE ONLY 90% SURE. IF IT WASNT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL $3000 PLUS FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. THEY REFUNDED ONLY THE COST OF THE PART APPROX $100 BUT STILL CHARGED ME FOR LABOR THAT WAS UNECESSARY.I DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP WHO IMMEDIATLEY TOLD ME IT WAS A MECHANICAL PROBLEM WITH INTERIOR DAMAGE TO THE GEARS. IT COST ME $2500 TO HAVE A REBUILT TRANSMISSION INSTALLED. MAZDA SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE IT OUT RATHER THAN TRYING TO RUN UP A BILL WHICH STILL WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A NEW TRANSMISSION OF COURSE AFTER PAYING $1500 PLUS DOLLARS TO FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. I ALSO FIND IT UPSETTING THAT A TRANSMISSION WOULD FAIL AFTER ONLY 68K MILES. MY MECHANIC (GEORGES AUTO, SAN LEANDRO ,CA) AND THE TRANSMISSION SHOP (DONS TRANSMISSIONS, SAN LEANDRO CA) HAVE SEEN MANY OF THESE VEHICLES RECENTLY WITH SIMILAR AND LESS MILEAGE HAVING NEED OF THE SAME REPAIR.. THEY CALL IT A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ONE WAS REPORTED WITHIN 2 DAYS OF MINE ANOTHER JUST 3 WEEKS LATER. AS RECENTLY AS THIS WEEK I SPOKE WITH MY MECHANIC AND HE'S SEEN 3 MORE. THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS.I WAS INFORMED BY DONS TRANSMISSION THATTHERE WAS A RECALL ON THE MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSION BUT I CANNOT FIND ANY RECORD,THE 626 USES THE SAME TRANSMISSION AS THE MILLENIA.*AK

NHTSA ID
749624
Incident
Mar 31, 2001
Filed Jul 22, 2001

THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON EVERY FOUR MONTHS IN THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS. EACH TIME I TAKE IT TO PULLIAM WRAY, I'M INFORMED THAT IT'S A DIFFERENT PROBLEM. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THERE IS THREE HUNDRED DIFFERENT THINGS THAT CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. WITH THIS IN MIND , I COULD SPEND A SMALL FORTURE. EACH TIME THAT I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP, I'M CHARGE NEARLY THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS. THE FIRST TIME THAT IT WAS IN THE SHOP, THE PART WAS UNDER WARRENTY. IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, I HAVE HAD SOME SENSOR REPLACED TWICE. AT THE PRESENT THE LIGHT IS ON, AGAIN.*AK

NHTSA ID
748921
Airbags
Filed Sep 5, 2000
1 injury reported

CONSUMER WAS AT A STOP WHEN DUAL FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT ANY IMPACT OR UNDER CARRIAGE IMPACT . VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT, AND THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING OF DEFECT. DEFECT CAUSED BURN ON ELBOW. *AK

NHTSA ID
869467
Powertrain (other)Transmission
Filed Oct 15, 1999

CONSUMER HAS PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE HUBS/ CLUTCH AND WHEEL BEARINGS. SHE HEARS A THUMPING NOISE. *AK

NHTSA ID
850926
Incident
Oct 5, 1999
Brakes
Filed Feb 1, 1999

BRAKES FROZE AFTER WASHING CAR BRAKES. YH

NHTSA ID
606706
Transmission
Filed Feb 1, 1999

TRANSMISSION IS NOISY IN LOW GEAR. YH

NHTSA ID
606013
Brakes
Filed Aug 24, 1998

I HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES & THEY CANNOT FIX IT. THEY HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR PARTS ALL OVER THE WORLD, THEY SAY, AND CANNOT FIND ONE. THEY CANNOT GIVE ME A DATE WHEN IT WILL BE REPAIRED. I AM LEASING THE CAR BUT I DON'T HAVE USE OF IT. THEY HAVE LOANED ME A CAR THAT IS NOT TO THE STANDARD I AM PAYING THE LEASE FOR. IT IS VERY FRUSTRATING.

NHTSA ID
540299
Incident
Aug 4, 1998
Driver assistance
Filed May 27, 1998

TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM FAILED.

NHTSA ID
535978
Incident
Feb 17, 1998

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .