1990 Mazda MX-6

The 1990 model year represents the launch of this generation with 18 complaints, 1 recall, and 2 investigations—figures that remained relatively stable through 1992 before escalating dramatically to 59 complaints and 3 recalls by 1993. While half of the 1990 complaints involve seat belts, the data does not specify the root cause of these reports. Compared to the peak defect rates seen in 1993-1994, the 1990 model sits in an early window of lower federal scrutiny, though it carries significantly higher complaint volume than the final production years (1998-1999), which logged zero complaints. With zero fire complaints and only two crash-related complaints recorded, the safety profile appears manageable relative to the generation's troubled middle years. Given its position before the major reliability spike and its modest single recall, 1990 emerges as a comparatively sound acquisition within this generation.