Mazda Navajo Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 122 consumer complaints across the 4 model years of the Mazda Navajo (1991–1994) that have at least 5 complaints. 1994 has the most, with 49. Across all years, the part named most often is brakes (27 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Navajo model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 49 | 65,000 | 3 | 6 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1993 | 22 | — | 5 | 5 | — | Stable |
| 1992 | 12 | — | 3 | 5 | — | Not enough data |
| 1991 | 39 | 66,000 | 5 | 5 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Brakes27 22%
- Tires20 16%
- Transmission and drivetrain17 14%
- Engine cooling15 12%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)12 9.8%
- Vehicle speed control11 9.0%
- Body and structure11 9.0%
- Electrical system9 7.4%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1994: “Started vehicle snowy day turned on the defroster - smoke started coming in through heating and defrost vents, smelled like pine needles. Turned car off smoke proceeded to get worse - called fire dept. Suv was then on fire, SUV is completely totaled - from reading other incidents I really think this a fault where debris gets in the fan compartment and catches on fire - some type of notice should be sent to people with Navajo mazdas and ford rangers/explorers that have this type of fan compartment.”
NHTSA complaint #10260409, filed 2009-03, 65,000 miles1991: “While driving at 25 MPH, the sunroof of the vehicle was blown off by the wind. The sunroof tilts up at the rear and the dealer can not explain how the roof could be lost. There is a recall for this part, but the consumer's VIN is not included.”
NHTSA complaint #10048431, filed 2003-11, 66,000 miles1993: “I just received a notice from bridgestone firestone on a tire recall from years ago. I bought a new Mazda Navajo in 1993 and it had firestone atx tires. They failed way before any recall so I replaced them at my cost with the same. These tires failed also so I replaced them with something else. 2 sets (10 tires) at my cost. When the recall came out I got nothing. In fact, I didn't even own the vehicle anymore. My complaint is...when it takes so long to identify a problem, what about the people who had problems before the recall? …”
NHTSA complaint #10169642, filed 2006-09Other Mazda models
3,125 complaintsMazda MAZDA3
2,991 complaintsMazda CX-5
2,470 complaintsMazda MAZDA6
2,232 complaintsMazda Tribute
2,098 complaintsMazda CX-9
1,493 complaintsMazda CX-7
1,133 complaintsMazda Protege
1,074 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology