2004 Mazda Mazda6 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
197 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Mazda Mazda6, alongside 7 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 50/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Airbags leads the reports.
Below average
Where 2004 sits among all Mazda6 years
What owners report
“Takata recall: three months with no remedy in site. Been unable to use car as designed. What is status for fix? When can a use the passenger seat?”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Mazda6
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 110 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 70,878 miles. Half of those reports fall between 32,864 and 115,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (7)
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2003-2008 Mazda6, 2004-2005 MPV, 2004 RX-8, and 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 vehicles. These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators…
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of…
Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2003-2008 Mazda6, 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 and 2004 MPV vehicles nationwide. Mazda is also recalling 2005-2006 MPV vehicles in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, the District of…
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free…
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2003-2008 Mazda6, 2004-2008 RX-8, and 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture…
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternate inflator,…
DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
THULE, INC. IS RECALLING 2,323 OWNER-INSTALLED ROOF-MOUNTED FIT KITS, MODELS 3068 AND 3069, MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JANUARY 1, 2008 AND FEBRUARY 28, 2009 THAT ARE USED WITH THULE PODIUM FOOT PACKS, MODELS 460 AND 460R. THESE FIT KITS WERE SOLD AS AFTERMARKET…
Fix: THULE WILL MAIL A RETRO FIT KIT ALONG WITH REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS TO OWNERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE APRIL 13, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THULE TOLL-FREE AT…
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE RIGHT AND/OR LEFT REAR SEAT BELTS MAY NOT LOCK PROPERLY DUE TO MISSING RETAINING PINS ON THE HOUSING.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE REAR SEAT BELTS AND REPLACE DEFECTIVE SEAT BELT RETRACTORS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 27, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MAZDA AT 1-800-222-5500, OPTION #4.
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their…
Led to recall campaign 13V172000.
Technical service bulletins
219 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2004 Mazda Mazda6. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2004 Mazda6 TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2004 Mazda Mazda6 reliable?
The 2004 Mazda Mazda6 drew 197 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 50/100, scored against the model's worst year (2009).
What are the most common 2004 Mazda Mazda6 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Mazda Mazda6 are airbags (55 complaints), electrical (22), and transmission & drivetrain (19).
At what mileage do 2004 Mazda Mazda6 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Mazda Mazda6 problems around 70,878 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 32,864 and 115,000 miles.
Does the 2004 Mazda Mazda6 have recalls?
7 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 Mazda Mazda6. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.