2005 Mazda MPV LX review from North America

Gear shift lever obstructing the radio power button.

Very uncomfortable to sit in the 3rd row.

The "check engine light" (or CEL) on and off abnormally.

The "O/D off" light (over-drive off) falshes abnormally.

Actually, this is a shining new 2005 Mazda MPV. I guess this site is not updated for this year yet since the latest model year is 2004.

I bought this brand new Mazda MPV at Long Beach Mazda 21 days ago on March 1st, 2005 at a price of 17000 after 4000 cash rebate. I did a detailed research on the internet before I decided on the model. This ite and Carreviews.com are 2 of my most visited sites and I read all the reviews on Mazda MPV before I took the dive. The reasons: 1. Cheap, 2. it is a Japanese car which supposed to be "reliable".

Well, I am starting to feel this is a wrong decision. After 6 days we took the car home, the "check engine light" (or CEL) is on when I was driving on the highway. I took it right back to the dealor and they took a whole morning to pull the codes and check the connections. They found nothing wrong and send us home. Then yesterday again on the highway, the "O/D off" light (over-drive off) was flashing which according to Mazda is an indication of an electrical problem in the transmission and can cause damage to the vehicle if we continue to drive. So we pulled off and restarted the engine. The light went off.

Being a honda owner, I know what "care free" means. Now, I don't expect the same thing on the Mazda MPV. I expect to get it into the dealor every month and waste a half day there then be sent back home knowing nothing is found. False alarm? How many more times it will be turned on before it turns into a true alarm and break down on the highway?