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FaultScore report

1988 Mazda MX6 problems

Owners have filed 16 complaints about the 1988 Mazda MX6 with NHTSA between 1995 and 2004. The largest single group is the seat belts.

Read the complaints What breaks Worst years for the Mazda MX6
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Not graded

Too few complaints, or too short a model run, to compare fairly.

How this is worked out

The numbers

16

Complaints

1

Crashes reported

1

Fires reported

1

Injuries reported

How 1988 compares with every other Mazda MX6

Click any bar to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 1988 Mazda MX6

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Seat Belts 9 56.3%

1 crashes, 0 fires

Electrical System 2 12.5%

0 crashes, 1 fires

Tires 1 6.3%
Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 1 6.3%
Suspension 1 6.3%

Median failure at 140,000 miles

Body & Structure 1 6.3%
Transmission & Drivetrain 1 6.3%

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Feb 1995 peak 4 Jan 2004

NHTSA investigations into the 1988 Mazda MX6

An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.

EA95005 Opened 10 Mar 1995 Closed 1 Aug 1995 SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

TAKATA SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE

PE91088 Opened 18 Jun 1991 Closed 21 Oct 1991 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

THROTTLE STICKING

PE89167 Opened 15 Sep 1989 Closed 21 Dec 1989 POWER TRAIN

TRANSMISSION OIL LINE FIRE

Complaints that involved harm

Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.

Gladstone, MO Crash 1 injured

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

FRONTAL COLLISION, IMPACT 12:00 POSITION, LAP/SHOULDER BELT DID NOT RETRACT, VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED.

NHTSA complaint #978741 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Palmyra, PA Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

WHILE DRIVING SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND THROUGH THE HEATING DUCTS, DRIVER PULLED OVER THE FIRE HAD STARTED. TT

NHTSA complaint #978946 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

at 140,000 miles LE Claire, IA

SUSPENSION:REAR

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.

NHTSA complaint #10053508 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

South Jordan, UT

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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

NHTSA complaint #786035 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Waxham, NC

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

CONSUMER BOUGHT FOUR TIRES, AND THREE HAD TREAD SEPARATION.

NHTSA complaint #893758 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Countryside, IL

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

SEAT BELT LOCK AND RELEASE MECHANISM JAMMED RENDERING SEATBELT USELESS. NLM

NHTSA complaint #550825 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Austin, TN

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

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?.

NHTSA complaint #712667 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Kaysville, UT

VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

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.

NHTSA complaint #848447 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Gladstone, MO Crash 1 injured

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

FRONTAL COLLISION, IMPACT 12:00 POSITION, LAP/SHOULDER BELT DID NOT RETRACT, VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED.

NHTSA complaint #978741 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Waterbury, VT

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

THE DEALERSHIP DOES NOT HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE AND HASN'T HAD THE PARTS IN A MONTH 95V1003005. PLEASE DESCRIBE.

NHTSA complaint #982703 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Palmyra, PA Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

WHILE DRIVING SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND THROUGH THE HEATING DUCTS, DRIVER PULLED OVER THE FIRE HAD STARTED. TT

NHTSA complaint #978946 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Ocean Spring, MS

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEATBELT WILL NOT LATCH AND WHEN IT IS LATCHED IT WILL NOT UNLATCH. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT

NHTSA complaint #970286 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Nutley, NJ

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

VEHICLES AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS AN OVERDRIVE HOLD FEATURE WHICH COMES ON BY ITSELF AND SHIFTS INTO LOWER GEARS. THIS OCCURS WITH NO WARNING. TT

NHTSA complaint #966518 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Palm City, FL

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

EXPERIENCES INTERMITTENT SEATBELT BUCKLE FAILURE, TAKATA BUCKLE WON'T INTERLOCK, WHEN PULL ON BUCKLE RELEASES. TT

NHTSA complaint #964216 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Caledonia, MI

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

BUCKLE MODEL NO 524. PLASTIC PART IN SEAT BELT WOULD NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY ON DRIVER SEAT. TT

NHTSA complaint #960544 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Grosse Point, MI

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

SEAT LATCH ON DRIVERS SIDE HAS PROBLEM LATCHING AND STICKS WHEN YOU TRY TO UNLATCH IT. TT

NHTSA complaint #960257 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Brooklyn, MI

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

PASSENGER SEAT BELT BUCKLE RED BUTTON BROKE, RESULTING IN INOPERATIVE SEAT BELT. TT

NHTSA complaint #960259 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Alburn, WA

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

MODE NO 524, LAP/SHOULDER BUCKLE WILL NOT SNAP, PLASTIC INSIDE BUCKLE BROKE. TT

NHTSA complaint #960253 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.