1996 Mazda MPV Owner Complaints

ON JUNE 29,2005 MY 5 MONTH OLD SON AND I WERE TRAVELING IN OUR 96' MAZDA MPV NORTH ON 291 HIGHWAY (I WAS MEETING MY HUSBAND) WHEN MY CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE. WE WERE TRAVELING APPROX. 65 MPH. AS I WAS GETTING READY TO GET OVER THE VAN JERKED HARD TO THE RIGHT CAUSING US TO VEER THROUGH BOTH LANES OF TRAFFIC. I FIGURED MY TIRE HAD BLOWN AND PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY. IT WAS A HOT DAY APPROX. 96 DEGREES OUTSIDE AND DUE TO WHERE WE HAD TO PULL OVER I HAD TO GET MY 5 MONTH OUT OF THE CAR BECAUSE WE WERE NEAR AN ENTRANCE RAMP AND ONCOMING CARS WERE CUTTING IT CLOSE TO THE VAN AND I DIDN'T WANT TO RISK THE VAN GETTING HIT WITH MY SON INSIDE. MY BROTHER LENNY HAD JUST CALLED ON MY CELL PHONE MOMENTS BEFORE THE INCIDENT SO HE COULD COME HELP US. HE WASN'T ABLE TO ARRIVE FOR 35-45 MINUTES. THE CAR IT HAD DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER SIDE BACK PANEL - SCRATCHES, DENTS, TEARING IN THE PANEL ITSELF, THE WHEEL WELL COVER WAS COMPLETELY MISSING, AND THE MUD GARD IN THE WHEEL WELL HAD BEEN TORN AND MANGELED. IT WAS ODD THAT THE TIRE HADN'T BLOWN - IT WAS STILL AIRED UP BUT ALL OF THE TREAD WAS OFF!!! THE TREAD COMING OFF HIT THE SIDE OF MY VAN AND DID A LOT OF DAMAGE! WHEN MY BROTHER ARRIVED HE SAW THE SITUATION AND TOLD ME TO PULL THROUGH THE MEDIAN TO AVOID BEING HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND AT THAT TIME MY BABY WAS LOOKING A BIT SWEATYAND HOT. I PULLED MY CAR THROUGH THE MEDIAN AND ABOUT 1/4 MILE DOWN THE RAOD THE A PARKING LOT WHERE MY BROTHER CHANGED MY TIRE AND MY HUSBAND (HAD BEEN CONTACTED THROUGH MY SISTER-IN-LAW CALLING THE MCDONALDS ) SHOWED UP TO HELP TOO. MY BROTHER CHANGED MY TIRE AND ALSO FOUND TREAD JAMMED BETWEEN MY SHOCKS AND THE TIRE. UNFORTUNEATLY I HAVE FOUND THAT THE COMPANY COOPER CO THAT MAKES THESE TIRES HAVE HAD A LOT OF INJURIES AND CRASHES (EVEN DEATHS) WITH THEIR TIRES AND I HAPPEN TO HAVE 3 MORE ON MY VAN! THEY WERE COOPER TIRES FUTURA 2000 LTE P215/65R15 TOURING TIRES. THEY HAVE GOOD TREAD LEFT ON THEM BUT I AM GOING TO GET THEM ALL CHANGED.

NHTSA ID

10127256

Incident

Jun 29, 2005

Mileage

122,795 mi

OWNER OF 1996 MAZDA MPV, WHILE TRAVELING TO AMMUSEMENT PARK REQUIRING LONG LINES FOR PARKING VEHICLE GOT HOT. WHEN MOTOR WAS TURNED OFF RADIATOR PRESSURE INCREASED, THIS PRESSURE WHILE BEING RELEASED SAFELY TO THE OVERFLOW BOTTLE THROUGH THE CONNECTING HOSE THE OVERFLOW BOTTLE WAS UNABLE TO RELEASE AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF PRESSURE. THIS RESULTED IN THE OVERFLOW BOTTLE TOP EXPLODING AND SPRAYING SCALDING FLUID IN THE FACE OF A 13 YEAR OLD BOY WHO WAS STANDING NEXT TO THE OPEN HOODED COMPARTMENT. HE SUFFERED 1ST & 2ND DEGREE BURNS TO ON MORE THAN 50% OF HIS FACE AND SOME ON HIS TORSO. THIS IS THE ORGINAL FACTORY OVERFLOW BOTTLE, BY CLOSER INSPECTION IT APPEARS THAT THE INPUT TUBE AND OUTPUT VENT ARE DIFFERENT IN SIZE, THE OUTPUT PORT IS SMALLER. THIS PROVIDES FOR THE PRESSURE IN THE OVERFLOW BOTTLE TO INCREASE AND EXCEED THE SNAP-ON-CAP'S HOLDING STRENGTH. HAS THIS BEEN A PROBLEM IN THE PAST?*AK

NHTSA ID

10037073

Incident

Aug 5, 2003

WHILE TRAVELING 40MPH IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE UNIT LOCKED UP. DIRVER AND 5 PASSENGERS WERE PRESENT. VEHICLE STARTED TO SKID AND CAME TO A STOP. DRIVER ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES TO UNLOCK UNIT, AND SUCCEEDED IN PUTTING VEHICLE BACK INTO 2 WHEEL DRIVE. NO ACCIDENT OR INJURIES OCCURRED. *AK

NHTSA ID

877172

Incident

Dec 27, 2000

INCIDENT OCCURRED ON THE EVENING OF SAT. OCTOBER 14TH, 2000 WHEREIN MY GIRLFRIEND (WHO IS 9 MONTHS PREGNANT) AND MYSELF WERE TRAVELING NORTHBOUND ON I-93 IN BOSTON, MA. I HEARD A LOUD CRASH-TYPE SOUND AND MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO SWERVE UNCONTROLLABLY TO THE RIGHT. MY VEHICLE THEN PRODUCED A LOUD THUD AND THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE DROPPED DRAMATICALLY. I PROCEEDED TO THE NEAREST SAFE LOCATION WHICH WAS JUST OFF THE HIGHWAY AT THE SOUTH BAY SHOPPING PLAZA (IN FRONT OF THE KMART STORE). IN THE PARKING LOT I NOTICED THAT MY RIM WAS COMPLETELY DAMAGED AND MY TIRE WAS NOT ON THE VEHICLE. I CHANGED MY TIRE WITH A SPARE AND PROCEEDED TO DRIVE WHEN I NOTICED THAT MY AXLE AND ALIGNMENT WAS ALSO SEVERELY DAMAGED. I RETURNED TO THE HIGHWAY AND LOCATED MY BLOWN OUT TIRED AND SAW THAT THE TIRE WAS SHREDDED SEVERELY TOO (THE LOCATION ON THE HIGHWAY WAS CLEAN AND PAVED). ON TUESDAY MORNING I THEN PROCEEDED TO THE FIRESTONE DEALERSHIP IN BOSTON WHERE I WAS REFUSED SERVICE BY THE MANAGER...STATING THAT THE TIRE WAS NOT ON THEIR RECALL LIST. I THEN CONTACTED CONSUMER AFFAIRS OF FIRESTONE AND WAS GIVEN THE RUN-A-ROUND FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 1/2 HOURS. AS OF TODAY TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17TH, 2000, I AM STILL WITHOUT A VEHICLE WHICH IS A PRIORITY AS MY GIRLFRIEND IS READY TO DELIVER OUR CHILD ANY DAY NOW. I AM ALSO IN RISK OF MY FAMILY'S AND MY LIFE AND LIVILHOOD BY NOT HAVING A SAFE VEHICLE TO DRIVE. I WOULD APPRECIATE IMMEDIATE ATTENDANCE TO MY VEHICLE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.*AK (DOT NUMBER: HYM3 TIRESIZE: P215/70R15)

NHTSA ID

734543

Incident

Oct 14, 2000

RUST CAUSED COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF EXHAUST SYTEM AFTER 22,400 MILES (3 YEARS). BOTH DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED AND COLE MUFFLER (SPECIALIST) STATE THAT MUFFLER AND EXHAUST PIPES SHOULD NOT RUST OR DETERIORATE IN THIS TIME FRAME. AFTER MUFFLER SEPARATED FROM EXHAUST PIPE, IT REMAINED ATTACHED TO UNDERCARRIAGE OF MPV MINIVAN, AND CREATED A HAZARD BY CONTACTING THE TIRE AND BRAKLE CABLES WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING OPERATED.

NHTSA ID

725856

Incident

Apr 1, 2000

NO DEPLOYMENT OF NEITHER PASSENGER NOR DRIVER'S AIRBAG RESULTED IN IJURY WHEN VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER. NLM

NHTSA ID

547858

Incident

Jul 15, 1999

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION CAUSING COLLISION INSIDE GARAGE, NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING FRONT END COLLISION. MJS

NHTSA ID

547457

AT LOW SPEEDS DRIVETRAIN BINDS UP. MAKES POPPING NOISES. VIBRATIONS OCCURS IN ACCELERATOR. DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEM WITH DRIVE TRAIN.*AK

NHTSA ID

830317

Incident

Oct 18, 1998

OWNER HAS ABS BRAKES. WHILE TRYING TO DEPRESS THE ABS BRAKE PEDAL, VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. ALSO ABS BRAKES LIGHT WOULD COME ON AT TIMES FOR NO REASON. THERE WERE NUMEROUS BRAKE SENSORS REPLACED WHICH DID NOT CORRECT PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

820604

WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED ON WET PAVEMENTS THE VEHICLE SKIDS TO THE LEFT. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID

817201

Incident

Oct 10, 1997

LEFT FRONT STRUT IS WEAK CAUSING DAMAGE TO TIRE.

NHTSA ID

605308

AIR CONDITIONER TAKES TOO LONG TO COOL.

NHTSA ID

522321

AIR CONDITIONER FAILED.

NHTSA ID

602926

Incident

Mar 1, 1996

ROUGH IDLE.

NHTSA ID

603102

Incident

Jan 2, 1997

WHEN GOING 48 MPH OR MORE AND ROLLING DOWN THE ELECTRIC REAR WINDOWS, THE WAY THE AIR COMES IN, IT CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY, AND THE AIR PRESSURE CAUSES SEVERE DAMAGE TO EARS. *AK

NHTSA ID

810018

Incident

Jan 1, 1997

OWNER WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 65MPH AND THE TIRE BURST. OWNER ALSO SAID THAT THE TIRE SIZE IN THE MANUAL DOESN'T MATCH TIRE CO. SIZE. *AK

NHTSA ID

810624

Incident

Mar 28, 1997

PROBLEM WITH DRIVER'S WINDOW.

NHTSA ID

602751

Incident

Oct 1, 1996

VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, IMPACT 12:00 POSITION SPEED 40MPH, DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

NHTSA ID

805560

Incident

Nov 19, 1996