2004 MAZDA MPV Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

THE ENGINE COILS HAVE FAILED 4 TIMES SINCE WE HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE. LAST NIGHT WHILE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE IN THE RAIN, KEY WORDS, IN THE RAIN IT STARTED AGAIN. I AM SURE AT LEAST ONE IF NOT TWO COILS WENT THIS TIME. JUST HAD A COIL AND ALL THE BOOTS THAT ARE SUPPOSE TO PROTECT THE COILS AND KEEP THE MOISTURE OUT REPLACED IN FEBRUARY, 2012. IT ALWAYS HAPPENS WHEN IT RAINS. MAZDA IS WELL AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND HAS DONE NOTHING TO FIX THIS ISSUE EXCEPT TO STOP USING THIS SYSTEM AND START MAKING THEIR CARS DIFFERENTLY. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO OWN THE OLDER MODELS? THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY, AT NIGHT, AND IT WAS POURING DOWN RAIN AND THE VAN STARTS SLOWING DOWN AND SPUTTERING ALONG, WITH TRAFFIC TRAVELING BEHIND ME. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE...

MY RADIATOR FAN CONSTANTLY RUNS INTERMITTENTLY BUT WITH INCREASING LENGTHS OF TIME, REGARDLESS OF THE WEATHER (HOT, COLD.) THE ENGINE DOES NOT OVERHEAT. BUT THE LIGHTS DIM AT NIGHT WHEN THE FAN KICKS IN AND CREATES A LOUD HUMMING SOUND THAT IS BECOMING MORE IRRITATING. I READ ON THE WEB THAT MANY EARLIER MODELS OF THE MAZDA HAD A RECALL FOR THE FAN CONTROL MODULE UP TO 2003. MY VEHICLE IS NOT IN THE RECALL, BUT I NOTICED A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE WEB HAVE MODELS AFTER THE RECALL PERIOD AND WE ALL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE RECALLED MODULES. (SP-60 I THINK IS THE RECALL NOTICE.) I'M NOT SURE I AM CONTACTING THE RIGHT OFFICE, BUT HOW DO YOU GET THIS ON THE RECALL PROGRAM OR DETERMINE THAT THE FAULTY MODULES AREN'T CREATING THE SAME PROBLEM FOR MODELS MADE AFTER THE RECALLED VERSIONS? CAN YOU HELP? *KB

IGNITION COILS RETAIN MOISTURE AND CAUSE CYLINDERS TO MISFIRE. THIS CAUSES VEHICLES TO STALL OR LOSE POWER -- USUALLY WHEN RAINING. IN OUR CASE, THIS HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY ON THE INTERSTATE DURING RAIN. WE EARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENTS BY OUR INABILITY TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC WITH OUR SUDDENLY-SLOWED VEHICLE. REPLACEMENT OF A SINGLE COILS COST US OVER $200. THERE ARE SIX IGNITION COILS (OVER $1000). MANY INTERNET FORUMS INDICATE THAT THIS PROBLEM IS SYSTEMIC IN THIS MAKE/MODEL. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE MANUFACTURER REDESIGNED THE COIL FOR SUBSEQUENT MODELS. THEY OBVIOUSLY RECOGNIZED THE FLAW.

WITH OUR MAZDA 2004 MPV, WE HAVE HAD FOUR SEPARATE INCIDENTS IN 2 1/4 YEARS FROM MAR 2008 THROUGH JUNE 2010 WHERE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON TO INDICATE AN ENGINE PROBLEM. IN EACH INCIDENT, THE VEHICLE RUNS VERY ROUGH AND VERY SLOW. EACH INCIDENT RESULTED IN US TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP WHERE SOME OR ALL OF THE IGNITION COILS WERE REPLACED. FOR SOME OF THE INCIDENTS, THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY BUT IN EACH INCIDENT ALL OR SOME OF THE COSTS WERE COVERED BY MAZDA. IN 2 OF THE INCIDENTS, WE WERE OUT OF TOWN AND IT WAS DARK. IN ANOTHER INCIDENT, WE WERE LEAVING TOWN, AND THE OTHER, WE WERE IN TOWN. NOW, WE WILL NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE OUT OF TOWN FOR FEAR OF COMPLETELY BREAKING DOWN AT NIGHT OR IN UNSAFE CONDITIONS. ON THE INTERNET, I FIND VERY MANY SIMILAR...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA MPV. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY DECELERATED. THE CONTACT APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND BEFORE STALLING. THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS WERE ENGAGED BUT TO NO AVAIL. AFTER TEN MINUTES, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED FOR THE FAILURE NOR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 42,400.

MY 2004 MAZDA MPV SUFFERED THE SAME PROBLEM AS MANY OTHER CONSUMERS. ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS I HAD TO REPLACE ALL OF THE COILS AND PLUGS ON MY VEHICLE. THE FIRST INSTANCE WAS JUST AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED AND INVOLVED ONE OF THE REAR COILS BUT THE SAID I SHOULD REPLACE ALL THREE REAR COILS. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED TWO MONTHS LATER TO THE FRONT COIL AND I REPLACED ALL OF THOSE - TOTAL COST $900. I COMPLAINED TO MAZDA BUT THEY WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR ME. THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND OWNERS COMPENSATED. *TR

2004 MAZDA MPV ENGINE COMPLETELY AND SUDDENLY DIES WHEN DRIVING - USUALLY WHEN PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AS THE ENGINE IS DECELERATING. DROVE CAR TO SHOULDER, PLACED IN NEUTRAL TO RESTART. APPEARS TO BE THE IDLE CONTROL VALVE (MADZA FORUM SITES REPORT NUMEROUS SIMILAR EVENTS). *TR

PROLONG OFF AND ON TICKING SOUND IN THE ENGINE , FINALLY THOUGHT IT WAS A BELT TOOK IT TO A SHOP TO HAVE BELTS CHANGED OR CHECKED , MECHANIC SAID IT IS NOT YOUR BELTS IT IS YOUR ENGINE, SO WE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED AT OUR EXPENSE TO THE DEALER WE BOUGHT IT FROM TO HAVE ENGINE CHECKED OR REPLACED , AND NOW MAZDA WON'T WARRANTY IT !!! THE MECHANIC FROM WHERE WE BOUGHT IT FROM ,GOT KIND OF NASTY AND TOLD US TO GET OUR DAM CAR OUT OF HIS F-ING SHOP , WE WERE UPSET BECAUSE MAZDA WON'T REPLACE ENGINE , NOW I AM STUCK WITH A 15,000 DOLLAR CAR NO ENGINE !!!! JUST TURNED 51,000, AND I BELIEVE THAT IS NOT RIGHT EITHER , I LEFT THE LIGHTS ON BY ACCIDENT ONE DAY FOR 30 MINUTES MAX AND MY BATTERY DIED , WHEN WE BOUGHT...

2004 MAZDA MPV. ENGINE WENT OUT WITHOUT WARNING WHILE CRUISING AT 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. THE CAR HAD ONLY 3000 MILES ON IT AT THAT TIME. GOT TOWED BY MAZDA ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO THE CLOSEST DEALER, WHO HAD NO TIME TO WORK ON IT FOR MORE THAN A WEEK (!). THEREFORE THE CAR WAS TOWED AT MAZDA'S EXPENSE TO THE DEALERSHIP I HAD BOUGHT IT FROM. THERE THEY DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT AND THEREFORE CONCLUDED THAT THE ECU MUST BE FAULTY. A NEW ECU WAS INSTALLED AND THE PROBLEM HAS SO FAR NOT RECURRED. THE CAR NOW HAS ABOUT 14000 MILES ON IT. *JB

PERSISTENT TICKING SOUND FROM ENGINE, WHICH HAS BECOME LOUDER WITH PASSING OF TIME. TSB RE TICKING SOUND HAS BEEN PERFORMED BY SHOWCASE MAZDA, AND ON FOLLOW-UP VISIT THEY ADVISED SITUATION IS NORMAL, THE TICKING SOUND NOTWITHSTANDING. A RESPECTED INDEPENDENT AUTO REPAIR SERVICE, COMBS AUTOMOTIVE, ADVISED THE ENGINE ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT BE MAKING THE TICKING SOUND WITH ONLY 30K MILES ON IT. PLEASE NOTE THAT BELOW I SHOW INCIDENT DATE AS THIS MONTH, BUT IT HAS BECOME MORE PRONOUNCE OVER PAST FEW WEEKS. *JB