2002 Mazda MAZDA6 problems & reliability
28 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 Mazda MAZDA6, 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.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 12 | 43% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 10 | 36% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 11% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 7% |
| Equipment | 2 | 7% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 7% |
| Tires | 2 | 7% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 4% |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 12 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 22 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 53,111 miles (middle 50% between 37,531 and 80,084 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I was driving my well-maintained 2002 mazda mpv (odo 66,000miles) on the freeway at 65 mph, when all of a sudden it was as if it was shifted into neutral. Had car towed to an independent repair facility, which diagnosed failed transmission. Had it towed to mazda dealer, who corroborated the diagnosis, and put in a…”
Power Train · filed Jan 10, 2008
“Driver's side car seat belt latch broke. Dealer required prepayment to order part from manufacturer. Manufacturer does not inventory this part. It has to come from japan. Unable to drive my car since the seat belt latch is broken. This is a "safety issue" part. *tr”
Seat Belts · filed Jan 7, 2008
“The 2002 mpv has had recurring problems with the fan control module. Their has been a recall on this item, but after having had the fan control module repaired under warranty the same problem resurfaced after only 24,000 miles -- and this time was not covered under warranty. The repair cost $233.35. *tr”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Dec 28, 2007
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
14 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2002 Mazda MAZDA6. The 10 most recent:
This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA listed below: The changes are noted in Red. SA-011/24 02/12/24, 06/06/24, 07/29/24 DESCRIPTION Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance…
SA-029-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 21, 2026
Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle-specific workshop…
SA-011-24a · Other · issued Jun 7, 2024
Some vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage when parked near a glass building or Low-E windows. This may be caused by the sun's reflection.
SA-039-23a · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 13, 2023
Some vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage when parked near a glass building or Low-E windows. This may be caused by the sun's reflection.
SA-039-23 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 6, 2023
Speedometer replacement procedure
09-016-23 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 28, 2023
Some vehicles may exhibit the inner cloth (A) falling down at the rear end causing a poor appearance and obstructing the view of the back window.
09-034-21-3850 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 19, 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
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
The Mazda DCA-8000PM is required for all warranty battery testing. If the Mazda DCA-8000PM is not used, incorrect battery testing may result in unnecessary battery replacement. Use the following test procedures in this…
01-005-21-3778 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 8, 2021
In accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer
09-002-21-3770 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 21, 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 2002 Mazda MAZDA6 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 2002 Mazda MAZDA6?
- · 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.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 53,111 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.