What are the most common problems with the 2006 Mazda 6?

Owners filed the most complaints about air bags, followed by the power train and the engine.

Does the 2006 Mazda 6 have recalls?

Yes. The count is in the by-year fact, and the Recalls section on this page lists them.

How much does the 2006 Mazda 6 cost to fuel?

See the fuel section of this page for the MPG and annual fuel cost.

Is the 2006 Mazda 6 reliable?

NHTSA has 173 owner complaints for this year. Look at the problem groups above and the by-year comparison on this page to judge for yourself.

Is 2006 the best year for the Mazda 6?

The by-year comparison section on this page puts each year side by side, so you can see how 2006 compares.

2006 Mazda 6 Problems, Recalls and MPG

NHTSA has 173 owner complaints on file for this Mazda 6^[1]. The air bags group is the largest^[2].

173owner complaints^[1]

3recalls^[3]

19–24MPG combined (EPA)^[4]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Safety
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

Owners filed complaints under several parts of the car, and these are the groups named in the facts.

Air Bags. 93 complaints^[2]. In the stories we read, owners describe crashes where the air bags did not go off, or where one bag went off late. Some of these crashes involved injuries.
Power Train. 20 complaints^[5]. Owners describe a transmission that shifts hard, drops gears on its own, or leaks fluid. Some also describe a sudden loss of power when merging into traffic.
Engine. 19 complaints^[6]. Owners describe power that fades on hills, an engine that stalls in slow traffic, a high pitched noise at idle, and a strong overheating smell on a new car.
Electrical System. 11 complaints^[7]. Owners describe battery acid and burnt cables under the hood, windows and locks that act on their own, and a cooling fan that keeps running. One complaint describes smoke and a fire from a door.
Steering. 7 complaints^[8].
Brakes. 7 complaints^[9].
Tires. 7 complaints^[10].
Structure. 7 complaints^[11].

Recalls

Newest first. Each recall covers only certain vehicles, so not every 2006 6 is necessarily included.

Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module (19V781), October 2019. About 47,006 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: explosion, injury, death. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[12]
Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module (18V402), June 2018. About 308,591 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: explosion, injury, death. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[13]
Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module (17V474), July 2017. About 308,992 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, injury, death, an air bag that may not work as intended. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[14]

Fuel economy

EPA ratings depend on the engine and drive. Annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not prices when the car was new.

Version	City / highway / combined MPG	Annual fuel cost
6, 2.3L 4-cyl, Manual 5-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[4]	21 / 29 / 24	$2,800
6, 2.3L 4-cyl turbo, Manual 6-spd, Premium, 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive^[15]	17 / 23 / 19	$4,350
6, 2.3L 4-cyl, Automatic (S5), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[16]	21 / 28 / 23	$2,900
6, 3.0L 6-cyl, Manual 5-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[17]	17 / 25 / 20	$3,350
6, 3.0L 6-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[18]	17 / 25 / 20	$3,350
6 Sport Wagon, 3.0L 6-cyl, Manual 5-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[19]	17 / 25 / 20	$3,350
6 Sport Wagon, 3.0L 6-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[20]	17 / 25 / 20	$3,350

Safety ratings

NHTSA lists these versions as not rated: WAGON W/SAB FWD^[21], 4-DR FWD/AWD^[22], 5-DR HATCHBACK W/SAB FWD/AWD^[23].

How 2006 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each 6 model year. The 2006 is highlighted^[3].

Show the numbers

Model year	Complaints	Recalls
2003	174	6
2004	160	4
2005	147	3
2006	173	3
2007	156	4
2008	111	4
2009	386	9
2010	225	9
2011	135	6
2012	99	6
2013	23	4
2014	137	4
2015	60	3
2016	77	1
2017	60	1
2018	58	2
2019	6	1
2020	2	0
2021	17	0

NHTSA's counts for the 6 show 173 complaints and 3 recalls for 2006^[3]. Among the 19 model years listed, 15 have fewer complaints than 2006 and 3 have more^[3]. The fewest complaints are for 2020 (2) and the most are for 2009 (386)^[3]. These counts are not adjusted for sales, so treat them as a rough guide. The chart above shows every year.

Should you buy a used 2006 6?

The 2006 Mazda 6 has 173 complaints on file with NHTSA^[1]. Air bags make up the biggest share, and they are also the group tied to the most crashes and injuries^[2]. Power train and engine reports come next^[5]^[6]. These are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for how many cars were sold. If you are shopping for one, check the air bag and transmission history first, and read the recall section on this page for the recalls on record^[3].

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2006 Mazda 6?: Owners filed the most complaints about air bags^[2], followed by the power train^[5] and the engine^[6].
Does the 2006 Mazda 6 have recalls?: Yes. The count is in the by-year fact^[3], and the Recalls section on this page lists them.
How much does the 2006 Mazda 6 cost to fuel?: See the fuel section of this page for the MPG and annual fuel cost.
Is the 2006 Mazda 6 reliable?: NHTSA has 173 owner complaints for this year^[1]. Look at the problem groups above and the by-year comparison on this page to judge for yourself.
Is 2006 the best year for the Mazda 6?: The by-year comparison section on this page puts each year side by side, so you can see how 2006 compares.

Keep exploring

Other model years of the Mazda 6

2006 this page
2014 137 complaints, 4 recalls
2015 60 complaints, 3 recalls
2016 77 complaints, 1 recall
2017 60 complaints, 1 recall

Compare all model years of the Mazda 6

Other Mazda models from 2006

2006 Mazda Tribute 135 complaints, 2 recalls

All Mazda models

Similar cars from 2006: midsize cars

2006 Dodge Stratus 74 complaints, 0 recalls
2006 Lexus GS 180 complaints, 8 recalls
2006 Mercury Milan 214 complaints, 4 recalls
2006 Pontiac Grand Prix 239 complaints, 1 recall
2006 Acura RL 32 complaints, 8 recalls
2006 Acura TL 247 complaints, 4 recalls

All midsize cars we cover

Facts and sources

NHTSA has 173 owner complaints on file for the 2006 Mazda 6 (13 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 8 injuries, 0 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
93 complaints name the air bags component group (8 crashes, 0 fires, 7 injuries, median mileage at failure 85,000). NHTSA vehicle records
Owner complaints and recalls for every Mazda 6 model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for 6, 2.3L 4-cyl, Manual 5-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 21 city / 29 highway / 24 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,800. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
20 complaints name the power train component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 50,750). NHTSA vehicle records
19 complaints name the engine component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 60,000). NHTSA vehicle records
11 complaints name the electrical system component group (0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 81,000). NHTSA vehicle records
7 complaints name the steering component group (2 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, median mileage at failure 109,000). NHTSA vehicle records
7 complaints name the brakes component group (3 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 74,000). NHTSA vehicle records
7 complaints name the tires component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 136,056). NHTSA vehicle records
7 complaints name the structure component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 80,500). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 19V781, filed October 31, 2019: Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module. NHTSA recall database
Recall 18V402, filed June 15, 2018: Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module. NHTSA recall database
Recall 17V474, filed July 26, 2017: Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module. NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for 6, 2.3L 4-cyl turbo, Manual 6-spd, Premium, 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive: 17 city / 23 highway / 19 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $4,350. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for 6, 2.3L 4-cyl, Automatic (S5), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 21 city / 28 highway / 23 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,900. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for 6, 3.0L 6-cyl, Manual 5-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 17 city / 25 highway / 20 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,350. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for 6, 3.0L 6-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 17 city / 25 highway / 20 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,350. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for 6 Sport Wagon, 3.0L 6-cyl, Manual 5-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 17 city / 25 highway / 20 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,350. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for 6 Sport Wagon, 3.0L 6-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 17 city / 25 highway / 20 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,350. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, WAGON W/SAB FWD: not rated. NHTSA vehicle records
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, 4-DR FWD/AWD: not rated. NHTSA vehicle records
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, 5-DR HATCHBACK W/SAB FWD/AWD: not rated. NHTSA vehicle records

Complaints submitted to NHTSA by owners; unverified reports, one complaint can name several components. Complaint counts are not normalized by sales; compare years of the same model, not different models. EPA annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new. Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles. Dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US models.

2006 Mazda 6: problems, recalls and fuel economy