LIFTERS & ROCKER ARMS REPLACED 3 TIMES - CARBON BUILD UP WAS NEVER FIXED CAUSES ENGINE TO NEED REPLACEMENT. *AK
1994 Mazda Mpv
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1994 Mazda Mpv do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 36.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Mpv years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 1 of 36 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
10 reportsTHIS PROBLEM WITH THE LIFTERS HAS BEEN REPORTED TWO SEPARATE TIMES. BOTH TIMES WE WERE GIVEN A MAJOR RUN AROUND IN ORDER TO GET THIS ISSUE TAKEN CARE OF. ON THE FIRST VISIT WERE TOLD THAT KNOCKING WAS NORMAL FOR A ENGINE TO DO. WHICH I STRONGLE DISAGREED WITH. AFTER GOING INTO THE ENGINE IT WAS FOUND THERE THERE WAS SOME COLLAPS…
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THIS PROBLEM WITH THE LIFTERS HAS BEEN REPORTED TWO SEPARATE TIMES. BOTH TIMES WE WERE GIVEN A MAJOR RUN AROUND IN ORDER TO GET THIS ISSUE TAKEN CARE OF. ON THE FIRST VISIT WERE TOLD THAT KNOCKING WAS NORMAL FOR A ENGINE TO DO. WHICH I STRONGLE DISAGREED WITH. AFTER GOING INTO THE ENGINE IT WAS FOUND THERE THERE WAS SOME COLLAPSED LIFTERS. SOON AFTER THE REPAIR THE PROBLEM RESURFACED, THIS TIME SPACERS WERE INSTALLED. I WAS TOLD THAT NOT ENOUGH OIL WAS REACHING THE LIFTERS. AFTER THIS THE KNOCKING WAS GONE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AND I THOUGH THE PROBLEM WAS TAKEN CARE OF. UNTILL WE MOVED TO GEORGIA IN JULY OF 98 THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN WITH US UNTILL PRESENT. I CAN SAFTLY SAY THAT I TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF THE VAN THE OIL IS CHANGED ON A 2000 MILE CYCLE SO I WOULD THINK THAT THE OIL SHOULD BE ABLE TO REACH THE LIFTERS FINE. EVEN THOUGH I WAS TOLD BY THE MAZDA DEALER THAT THE KNOCKING NOISE WOULD NOT CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE, I HAVE TO DISAGREE. THE CAM SHAFT HAS TO HAVE SOME KIND OF WEAR AS WELL CONSIDERING THATS WHAT THE PUSHES THE LIFTERS UP.
-ALMOST EVERY TIME WE START THE ENGINE, A VERY LOUD CLACKING NOISE PERSIST FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THEN AFTER THE VAN IS WARMED UP THE CLACKING SOUND SUBSIDES TO A MINIMAL NOISE LEVEL BUT IS NEVER THE LESS STILL APPARENT. AT FIRST " STARTS" IN THE MORNINGS IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING LOUDER. IT SOUNDS LIKE THER IS NO OIL IN THE ENGINE …
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-ALMOST EVERY TIME WE START THE ENGINE, A VERY LOUD CLACKING NOISE PERSIST FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THEN AFTER THE VAN IS WARMED UP THE CLACKING SOUND SUBSIDES TO A MINIMAL NOISE LEVEL BUT IS NEVER THE LESS STILL APPARENT. AT FIRST " STARTS" IN THE MORNINGS IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING LOUDER. IT SOUNDS LIKE THER IS NO OIL IN THE ENGINE AND THE VALVES ARE JUST CLICKING AND KNOCKING LIKE CRAZY. I CHANGE THE OIL EVERY 3-4000 MILES AND MAKE SURE IT IS CONTINUALLY FULL. I CALLED THE MAZDA MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT AT METRO MAZDA, 1087 I-20 WEST FRONTAGE RD., JACKSON MS, 601-944-1333 AND WAS TOLD BY ONE OF THE MECHANICS NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT , BECAUSE MOST OF THE MPV'S HAVE THAT PROBLEM.
SPRING INSIDE ENGINE LIFTERS GAVE OUT.CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY.CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER. *AK
ROCKER ARM/LIFTERS ARE NOISY, CONTACTED DEALERSHIP, RECOMMENDED REPLACING ALL LIFTERS, COST BET. $850-$1200.
HYDRAULIC LASH ADJUSTERS WERE IMPROPERLY DESIGNED AND RESTRICT OIL FLOW.
ROCKER ARM AND SHAFT REPLACED RESULTING IN ENGINE NOISE, HOWEVER CARBON BUILD UP STILL PRESENT.
LIFTERS IN UPPER VALVE TRAIN MAKE CLICKING NOISES. *AK
LIFTERS IN UPPER VALVE TRAIN ASSEMBLEY MAKES CLICKING NOISE.
CRACK IN CYLINDER HEAD PISTONS INOPERATIVE. PLEASE EXPLAIN OTHER PROBLEMS. TT
Official recalls
115V674000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch
Oct 19, 2015
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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