AI Damage2006 Mazda Mazdaspeed6: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Mazda Mazdaspeed6 filed 20 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 20
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 30% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 20% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 20% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 15% of all complaints
- 5 Exterior lighting 5% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 5% of all complaints
- 7 Suspension 5% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 6 complaints (30% of all).
- Engine: 4 complaints (20% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (20% of all).
- Air bags: 3 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (5% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 20 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 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.
Car-2006 mazda speed 6-mazda hit a pickup---slid sideways into the center guardrail--rear end then hit the side guard rail---front end then ran into the center guard rail and was lodge in center guard rail. Neither the side or front air bags deployed.
Takata recall 8 months since the first letter has been sent to me notifying me that there was a recall on the passenger side airbag. I have now received a letter stating that no one should ride in my passenger seat due to the recall.
Takata recall I get a letter every year that there is a recall but that the "remedy" is not available. There is no projection of when my remedy will be available. Meanwhile my vehicle has lower resale value, is getting older and I remain at risk.
Lost clutch to the floor while driving nearly having an accident. Took off clutch master cylinder as symptoms would suggest the repair would be. Found out that the pedal assembly is broke and that the firewall is "cracked" I can see lots of posts online where this seems to be very common and very dangerous
Last month started to feel intermittent loss of power during quick acceleration followed by plume of smoke at the tail pipe. Took to local mechanic shop and was told there was heavy carbon buildup at the valves as well as mass air flow sensor, o2 sensor, and other engine components.
An extremely common problem with many vehicles is clouding of the plastic lenses over headlights. This problem is exceedingly severely bad on the mazdaspeed 6. The clouding cannot be repaired via headlight restoration kits as once it's removed, it comes back even worse after.
My speed6 has always had a turbocharger smoking problem. At one point, it looked like a mosquito spraying truck going down the road. But that issue seemed to abate, and appeared to be under control on its own. Now the car is burning a quart of oil every 300 miles.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mazda mazdaspeed6 . The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission would slip into neutral without warning. The contact mentioned that while decelerating to attempt a turn, the vehicle automatically downshifted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer.
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 8,257 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 23% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Mazdaspeed6 has 15 complaints (2 years in the data). This year has 20, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Mazda Mazdaspeed6?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, engine, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 20. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (25%), knocking, grinding or other noise (15%), won't start (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Mazda Mazdaspeed6?
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 2006 Mazda Mazdaspeed6 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 2006 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.