1988 Mazda MX6 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1988 Mazda MX6, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Seat belts956.3%
- Electrical16.3%
- Interior & seats16.3%
- Suspension16.3%
- Tires & wheels16.3%
- Transmission16.3%
- Body & structure16.3%
- Visibility16.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
SEAT BELT LOCK AND RELEASE MECHANISM JAMMED RENDERING SEATBELT USELESS. NLM
FRONTAL COLLISION, IMPACT 12:00 POSITION, LAP/SHOULDER BELT DID NOT RETRACT, VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED. *AK
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT THAT DRAINS THE BATTERY IN AS LOW AS HALF AN HOUR AFTER THE BATTERY HAS BEEN CHARGED, THE ALTERNATOR HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES ALONG WITH THE BATTERY, MAIN FUSE AND DISTRIBUTOR, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. *SLC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND THROUGH THE HEATING DUCTS, DRIVER PULLED OVER THE FIRE HAD STARTED. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED AND WITH NO WARNING REAR SUSPENSION COLLAPSED. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE SERVICE DEALER. *AK THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO SALT CORROSION. THE VEHICLE SPUN AROUND, SLID ACROSS THE LEFT LANE AND INTO THE MEDIAN. *SC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
CONSUMER BOUGHT FOUR TIRES, AND THREE HAD TREAD SEPARATION. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLES AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS AN OVERDRIVE HOLD FEATURE WHICH COMES ON BY ITSELF AND SHIFTS INTO LOWER GEARS. THIS OCCURS WITH NO WARNING. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
INITIALLY WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED, I DISCOVERED THE DOOR HANDLE MECHANISM IS MADE OF POT METAL AND NOT OF A VERY STRONG NATURE FOR THE FREQUENT USE IT GETS. CHECKING WITH THE DEALER I FIND IT WILL COST $300 TO FIX. TO SAVE MONEY I RESEARCHED USED PART PLACES. I DISCOVERED THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM AND DOOR HANDLES ARE RARE TO COME BY AS MOST ARE ALREADY BOUGHT UP. I HAVE SEARCHED NORTHERN AS WELL AS SOUTHERN CA, AND WILL NOW TRY IN TX. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE MY 2 YEAR OLD WAS LOCKED IN THE CAR THE OTHER DAY AND THE HANDLE OF COURSE BEING BROKEN WOULDN'T OPEN. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO PUT SOMETHING DOWN THROUGH THE GLASS TO OPEN IT FROM THE INSIDE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECTIVE PART, IS THERE ANYWAY TO HAVE IT FIXED BY THE DEALER?.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
HAD PARKED VEHICLE & PUT WINDOWS DOWN. WHILE PUTTING POWER WINDOWS DOWN, STARTED TO MAKE NOISES & GOT STUCK. POWER WINDOWS HIT A ROD. THE DOOR BECAME UNLOCKED & OPEN. TRIED CLOSING DOOR, BUT DOOR DID NOT CLOSE PROPERLY. WILL BE TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER TO HAVE DOOR & WINDOWS CHECKED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .