Factory build sheet

1997 Mazda MPV

Build JM3LV522-V · 3L 6cyl · Minivan

VIN positions 1 through 8 read JM3LV522 and position 10 reads V. Those nine characters define this build. Position 9 and positions 11 through 17 differ on every car.

Every MPV whose VIN starts JM3LV522 and carries V in position 10 left the plant with the same engine, transmission, drivetrain and equipment listed below. We know of 44 of them.

  • Decoded Jul 7, 2026
  • 44 known VINs

Factory specification

As filed by Mazda with NHTSA for this build. Fields the filing does not record are left out entirely — a missing row means no recorded value, not a missing feature.

Engine

Displacement
3 L
Cylinders
6
Configuration
V-Shaped
Engine model
JEE
Engine manufacturer
Mazda
Horsepower
137 hp
Fuel type
Gasoline

Drivetrain

Drive type
4x2
Brake system
Hydraulic

Body & chassis

Body class
Minivan
NHTSA body type
MULTIPURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLE (MPV)
Doors
4
Series
Wagon
Manufacturer
MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION

Weight rating

GVWR class
Class 1D
GVWR
5,001–6,000 lb

Gross vehicle weight rating is the loaded ceiling set by the manufacturer, not the car's own weight.

The same build, other model years

Mazda used the VIN pattern JM3LV522 for 8 model years. Nothing but the year changes between these pages, so the price gap between them is depreciation on an identical car.

How this VIN pattern is read

A 17-character VIN carries two kinds of information: what was built, and which one it is. This page is the first kind — the nine highlighted positions.

Positions Characters What they encode
1–3 JM3 MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION · World manufacturer identifier
4–8 LV522 Model, body style, engine and restraint system
9 × Check digit — computed per vehicle, not part of the build
10 V Model year — 1997
11 × Assembly plant
12–17 ×××××× Production sequence number, unique to each vehicle

44 vehicles carry this build

Every VIN we have decoded to JM3LV522-V shares the specification above.

  • 44 Known VINs

Neighboring configurations

Other factory configurations of the MPV, each with its own build sheet. The set is fixed by the VIN patterns themselves, so it does not shuffle as prices or inventory move.

Keep going

Where this data comes from

Specification fields are decoded from the manufacturer's filings in the NHTSA vPIC database, keyed on VIN positions 1–8 and 10. We publish the filed values as they stand and leave out anything the filing does not record.

Vehicle counts come from the 44 VINs of this build we have seen in dealer inventory. They are a sample of the road population, not a production figure.