All 4 wheels are cracked on the outside, and bac side of the rims. They look deep and the wheels might break at any time.
The worst 1996 Mazda MX-6 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Airbags7
- Brakes2
- Body1
- Seat belts1
- Wheels1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags7
- Brakes2
- Body1
- Seat belts1
- Wheels1
Recalls 2
Electrical system: ignition: switch
- What is wrong
- Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 1989-1998 MPV, 1990-1995 323, 1990-1998 Protege, 1992-1993 MX-3, 1993-1995 929, 1993-1997 MX-6, and 1993-1998 626 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, grease applied to the contact points inside the ignition switch may become conductive and overheat.
- Risk
- If the ignition switch overheats there would be an increased risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. The recall began on December 17, 2015. Owners may contact Mazda Customer Experience Center at 1‑800‑222‑5500, option#6. Mazda's number for this recall is 8715J.
Recall number 15V674000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with the sas sensor unit. These vehicles can experience air bag deployments in minor undercarriage impacts.
- Risk
- Unexpected air bag deployment can result in occupant injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the sas unit to reduce the probability of unnecessary deployments in low speed undercarriage impacts.
Recall number 98V249000 · Recall details
See all 2 recalls for the 1996 Mazda MX-6
Defect investigations
Headlight failure
Obtained recall 99v‑358
RQ99022
Oversensitive air bag deployment
In may of 1997, odi upgraded to an engineering analysis with 51 complaints.odi is now aware of 88 complaints of alleged inappropriate airbag deployments.typical complaints allege that the airbags deployed after the vehicle hit a pot hole at between 20 and 45 MPH, or that the airbags deployed while driving at between 20 or 60 MPH for no apparent reason.approximately 25 drivers alleged that they did not hit anything in the roadway.mazda will conduct a safety recall ofall 1995 and 1996 models of the mazda 626 and mx-6, as well as a small number of 1997 mazda 626 models, equipped with the same sas unit.the sas unit controls the airbag systemit contains a built-in crash sensor to detect vehicle deceleration during a collision.affected models were assembled from june 1, 1994 through september 10, 1996 and have a VIN within the following ranges: mazda 626:1yvge22**s5300001 through 1yvge22**v5599030 mazda mx-6: 1yvge31**s5300001 through 1yvge31**t5589965all owners will be notified of the possibility that their vehicle may experience an unnecessary airbag depoyment in certain situations.they will be instructed to bring their vehicle to a mazda dealer to reprogram the sas unit to reduce the frequency of unnecessary deployments.
EA97012
Technical service bulletins for the 1996 Mazda MX-6 28
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- In accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer
- Speedometer replacement procedure
- Inadvertent disabling of brake shift interlock. tt
- Subject regarding paint damage - iron particles / industrial fallout / acid rain. tt
- Information regarding piston standardization for vehicles within certain VIN ranges. tt
- Subject regarding malfunction indicator light (MIL) illumination w/DTC P1407. yc
- Subject regarding malfunction indicator light (MIL) illumination w/DTC P0421. yc
- Concerns regarding intermittent 4-3 downshift or shifts in and out of overdrive. yc
- A condition with the MIL illuminated with code P1407 stored in memory. tt
- Experienceing a metallic tapping noise heard from the right ( rear ) cylinder head exhaust cam area. yc
1996 Mazda MX-6 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4‑cyl | FWD | 20-23 | 28-31 | 23-26 |
| 2.5L 6‑cyl | FWD | 18 | 24 | 20 |
What 1996 Mazda MX-6 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Vehicle was going 55mph , and consumer was not sure what vehicle ran over, but air bag deployed. Nothing was hit, and no damage was done. No injuries. Consumer is contacting manufacturer.
Head-on crash at 35-40 MPH, and neither airbag deployed. Driver sustained injuries.
Engine check light remains illuminated, indicating a malfunction within the system, cause unknown. Please give any further details.
No summary listed for abov evehicle.
Consumer was involved in an accident. Point of impact was drivers side, front at 60 to 65 MPH, in which there was no deployment of driver's or passenger's side airbags. Cause unkown. Also brake rotors have excessive wear and tear. Cause also unknown.
False/violent deployment of air bag, resulting in injuries.
While driving on good road conditions, no rain, driver applied the brakes in a regular stopping situation and the pedal went to the floor, causing the vehicle to crash into the rear of a truck. The vehicle is being repaired. The dealership could not find a problem with the brake system.
False deployment of driver's and passenger's air bags.
Both air bags deployed spontaneously.
Compare the 1996 Mazda MX-6
Other model years
Questions about the 1996 Mazda MX-6
Is the 1996 Mazda MX-6 reliable?
Owners have filed 12 complaints about the 1996 Mazda MX-6, close to a typical MX-6 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1996 Mazda MX-6?
Airbags, with 7 complaints. Next is brakes (2).
How many recalls does the 1996 Mazda MX-6 have?
2 recalls, covering electrical system and air bags.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Mazda MX-6 airbags?
Yes, 1 recall: 98V249000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What gas mileage does the 1996 Mazda MX-6 get?
Official estimates for the 1996 Mazda MX-6 range from 20 to 26 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.0L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 20-23 city and 28-31 highway.
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