AI Damage1991 Mazda MX-6: common problems
Owners of the 1991 Mazda MX-6 filed 13 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 13
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Seat belts 38% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 23% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 15% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 15% of all complaints
- 5 Exterior lighting 8% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 8% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 8% of all complaints
- Seat belts: 5 complaints (38% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (23% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (15% of all).
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (15% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (8% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 13 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 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.
Passenger side restraint system failed in a wreck aug/95 and was replaced. The driver side restraint system has been malfunctioning the past couple of years. Automatic shoulder belt either jams in the track or fails to operate. Dealer has refused to repair or replace system.
After changing oil, consumer noticed smoke coming from the tail pipe. After vehicle sat over night, and started it for first time smoke wold come from tail pipe.
When turning on the left and right turn signal the headlights flashes, radiator started to crack after only three months resulting overheating
Also, there was some type of knocking noise coming from the vehicle consumer thought the bearings and the hub broke again.
While driving vehicle the driver's side door light comes on ,owner also notes that must open door while driving, he states that his outside handle broke.
Lap belts in the rear seats have failed, unable to latch seat belts. Tt
Vehicle seat belt system intermittently fails midway and other positions. Tt
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 9,843 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 27% most complained about).
On average one model year of the MX-6 has 18 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 13, below average.
What to check before buying
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1991 Mazda MX-6?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, powertrain, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 13. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (23%), transmission slipping (15%), headlights and tail lights (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 Mazda MX-6?
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 1991 Mazda MX-6 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 1991 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.