AI Damage1997 Mazda B-Series Truck: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Mazda B-Series Truck filed 52 complaints with NHTSA, most often about tires and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 52
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Tires 25% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 13% of all complaints
- 5 Visibility 10% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
- 7 Seats 6% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
- Tires: 13 complaints (25% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 7 complaints (13% of all).
- Powertrain: 7 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 7 complaints (13% of all).
- Visibility: 5 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 52 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tires | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
When driving 30 mph and upon attempting to change lines gear shift knob came off, causing driver to become destructive which caused him to hit a curve. Consumer noted screw was missing.
Consumer was traveling about 45mph on the highway and it was raining outside there was another vehicle ahead without a signal on. Consumer vehicle veered into it. After the fact, it hit the windshield, and driver airbag went off. However, passenger side airbag didn't go off.
The air bag failed to deploy during head on collision and the driver sustained permanent injuries.
Seat failed to support head and spinal column during accident, causing injuries to consumers neck and back.
At inspection station meyer & sons, 62 sheffield road, egremont, [ZIP]: directional lights check; bumpers/fenders check both failed; there is a crack in the driver side rear tail light dome, which does not affect the operation of any lights. There is a large rust spot in the driver side rear wheel well.
The contact was driving approximately 15 mph proceeding to a traffic stop signal when unexpectedly, smoke expelled underneath the instrument panel and hood area which caused the driver to pull over to the side of the road. A temporary fix was performed and the vehicle was able to resume operation.
Upon filling mazda 1997 b-2300 truck with gas noticed a stream of fuel leaking under the gas tank inches away from exhaust. This is a very serious fire hazard and want to know what can be done.
The driver's seat back in my mazda pickup truck unexpectedly released falling backwards while driving. Fortunately I was going slowly in a parking lot at the time and there was no loss of control. I found the large torx-head screws that anchor the seat back to the reclining frame had sheared off.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 5,242 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).
On average one model year of the B-Series Truck has 36 complaints (20 years in the data). This year has 52, above average.
What to check before buying
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Other years of this model
- B-Series Truck 199016 sources
- B-Series Truck 199114 sources
- B-Series Truck 199211 sources
- B-Series Truck 19939 sources
- B-Series Truck 1994122 sources
- B-Series Truck 199542 sources
- B-Series Truck 199655 sources
- B-Series Truck 199867 sources
- B-Series Truck 199978 sources
- B-Series Truck 200058 sources
- B-Series Truck 200137 sources
- B-Series Truck 200228 sources
- B-Series Truck 200321 sources
- B-Series Truck 200424 sources
- B-Series Truck 200516 sources
- B-Series Truck 200611 sources
- B-Series Truck 200737 sources
- B-Series Truck 200811 sources
- B-Series Truck 20094 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Mazda B-Series Truck?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: tires, engine and cooling, powertrain. Total complaints: 52. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: vibration (12%), knocking, grinding or other noise (6%), smoke, burning smell, fire (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Mazda B-Series Truck?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1997 Mazda B-Series Truck from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1997 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.