1998 MAZDA 626

WE TRAVELED FROM INDIANAPOLIS, IN ATTEMPTING TO GET TO PHILADELPHIA, PA FOR A FUNERAL. WHILE ON THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE THE SPEED DROPPED FROM 60 TO 35 MILES PER HOUR. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THEN THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON. WE HAD AN COMPLETE TUNE UP TWO WEEKS AGO AT AN INDEPENDANT SERVICE COMPANY. ALSO, WE HAD JUST CHECKED THE WATER, WINDOW WASHER SOLVENT, GAS AND OIL 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE ENGINE LOCKED UP. IT WAS EXPLAINED TO US THAT THE ENGINE GASKETS HAD MELTED, THE ENGINE SKIPPED TIMING, AND THE CAM LOCKED. A NEW ENGINE WAS REQUIRED BECAUSE WE WERE A YEAR OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS HAS BEEN A GOOD CAR AND WE BELIEVE MADZA CORPORATION OWES US FOR THE REPAIR AND THEY ALSO OWE US AN EXPLANATION FOR WHY THE ENGINE SKIPPED TIME AND LOCKED UP. PLEASE ASSIST US WITH OUR COMPLAINT.

Transmission failed at 79,000 miles, which should not have happened. The transmission failure was not a result of misuse or an accident, and in fact, transmission maintenance was performed per the manual within the last 6 months. After speaking with a former Mazda mechanic and searching online, I’ve found out there have been multiple transmission failures with this car due to a design defect which has since been corrected by Mazda in the newer models, however Mazda has not seen fit to issue a recall on the defective model years.

To whom it may concern. My problem was with the dealer. I bought a Madza 626 1998 from a dealer. The car was $8995.00I gave them 3000.00 dollars deposit. I financed the rest of the money. However I ended up pay the bank more money because the dealer gave me a universal warranty for $1.600But I never received any paper from the universal company to tell me I have a special warranty in the car. When the car broke down I had to pay somebody to fix the car. At the beginning nobody explained to me I paid $1.600 for a special warranty and I never received any paper work from the universal company. I found out when I had an accident with the car, the car was totally lost when I looked in the sale paper I found out about that special warranty. When I went to the dealer, they told me first of all it was too late the warranty was for 81.000 mils. I bought the car with 57.000 mil. and the car had 90.000 mils. I felt like the dealer company make me pay for something they didn’t explain to me and the universal company they never sent me any paper or letter to let me know.I would like to know if there is anything I can do about that I need my money back. Anyone can help me?Luke..

Since Dec 13,2004 the engine light keeps going on, the car is serviced and within a few days the engine light goes on again, in the past 2 weeks I have spent 1200.00 with $899.00 ,the last service yesterday being a tune up @ $274.33 because the engine light was on again. Does any mechanic know how to research this problem and correct it, this is the 2nd repair shop I have gone to in the past 3 months and the problem continues, this is getting costly without any remedy coming to light.

Since approximately June, 2002, the immobilizer has been turning off the engine immediately after I start the car, even though the alarm is deactivated. I usually have to wait 24 hours or so for the alarm to reset itself. This occurs every 2 months or so, but when it happens, it continues to occur for several days. It has happened even when the car wasn’t locked. June, 2002, replaced battery; Dec. 2002, installed new fuel pump; Jan. 2003, installed fuel pump again; April, 2003, bought new key and “clicker”; Sept. 2003, dealer wants to replace immobilizer @ nearly $800. All of these repairs are at dealer’s request, and are interspersed with many tows and alarm resets.

Normal driving conditions, O/D light flashing on dashboard, car would not accelerate when in drive. Placed in neutral, then back into drive car would not move. This happened while driving 55 mph. Dealer will not inspect powertrain. Manufactuers policy is to replace with refurbished part at 2495.00 plus labor and taxes. Transmission failing without warning is unaceptable. Various articles state that problems have been persistant with transmissions since 1994 on same model vehicle.

My 1998 Mazda 626 4CL 2.0 engine has approx. 71K miles on it. The transmission starting having problems in August 2003, at which point we had the transmission fluid flushed,& the spark plugs changed. The mechanic told us to drive it a little while and let the conditioners take effect, but the car shows no difference in driving. The O/D light flashes now on occasion, and the RPM goes up to 4 or 5 before it shifts to a higher gear. We are not driving it now..its been sitting in our driveway for a week & a half. I called the Mazda dealership and before seeing the car they said it needed a new transmission. I have a extended warranty thats good thru 90K, but they may or may not honor it, I can’t afford to take the chance if the warranty company dosent reimburse me. This is our only car, and I still have 2 years of payments left. After reading 56 pages of comments on-line with people experiencing the same problem, I have no faith that a new tranny would even solvethe problem…it looks as though even with a rebuilt one they go out right after the rebuilt warranty. I have not seen a carfax on my car, but I would not be surprisedif this wasn’t the first transmission. We can not afford to buy a new car without selling this one, but how can I sell a car that dosen’t run, especially when I still owe money on it.

I purchased my 626LX used in the year 2001. When test driving it, I felt a light "kick" to the car. The salesman told me it was a special feature of the transmission. That it acts as a v6 but only a 4 cylinder so "it will save me on gas". In taking the dealers word, I purchased the vehicle believing it was in fine condition. After a week of having it, it was "kicking" harder. I took it to a Mazda Dealer to have it examined, when all I was told is, "It checked out ok". They said it was a characteristic of the vehicle. Now, after all the run around of taking it to all the auto shops I know for different opinions. According to one of the professional transmission shops, I hear the worse diagnose of what I was afraid of initially. That "the transmission needs replacing". I took it back to the same Mazda dealer to have them REDIAGNOSE it since they were the ones that had said it was fine just eight months previous. Then they told me, "The transmission indicates an internal problem". That it should be replaced. So another $100 bucks later for a 10 minute diagnose, I find my car was defective from the first day I got it! In taking my vehicle back to the dealer I got it from, all I got was, "Let`s get you into something else, but of course we`ll have to deduct any cost it will take to fix it to resell it". So I went higher..I took it to Mazda Corporation..( I was tired of dealing with this for almost two years already)I explained my problem with them and they told me to write a letter. I was frustrated in having to wait and wait so I called back a week later telling them my story again but to a different person. I had researched all types of facts from every source to use against Mazda about the exact model of the 626 I have. When reading every document I had in my hand confronting their defects in the vehicle, the Rep. told me she`ll take it to her manager and call me back. A day later, she did. She also told me that they`ll pay for the transmission as long as I pay for the labor which is $600.00 She explained to me that they were only taking care of it because my mileage was SO LOW (46,800 at time of phone call). I was happy with that until I found that this type of vehicle keeps repeating the same damage (transmission failure) In discovering the "Secret Warranties" information, I feel i shouldn`t even have to pay for labor. I also feel this car should have been RECALLED…or at least the TRANSMISSION. Maybe authorities see it as not life threatening, but what if one day, something does happen? Obviously, there are ENOUGH complaints regarding this defect of the vehicle…what will be done???? I feel this was poorly overlooked and should`ve been a recall. There are SO MANY recalls on silly things, like mirrors and poor paint jobs, but why not on this TRANSMISSION ????(such a COSTLY DEFECT ALLOWED BY MAZDA). Please help me understand why Mazda is getting away with such a defect? My car still isn`t fixed as of now…and when and if it is, how long will it be before it breaks again? We all know Mazda will still be in DENIAL when it repeats itself. Now, I can`t even sell the car. With the 40 Technical Service Bulletins Slapped on the model, who will want to buy it now?? I`m stuck in a DEBT because of MAZDA.

I bought a 1998 Mazda 626 from World Ford of Kendall (Miami, Florida) on 02/08/03 and then on 04/30/03 an extended bumper to bumper 24 months/24,000 miles warranty from Fidelity Insurance. On 05/09/03 the car stalled and I brought it in to a Mazda dealership to be informed that it needed a new engine. Fidelity refuses to repair it because they say there is sludge in the engine and it is a previous condition. World Ford refuses to fix it saying it’s not their problem. We pay $7,500 cash and bought an extended warranty. No one wants to pay to fix it. We need help.

I am currently the second owner of a 1998 Mazda 626 LX and have had nothing but problems since I bought it in 2001. After about a month of owning the car the drivers seatbelt would automatically come unhooked by itself. When I went back to the dealer they told me that it was not covered under the warranty. Then one thing after another. The passenger side electric window will go down but not up. The radio volume control will not work right. My interior light went out and it is not the bulb, it is electrical. The transmission shift hard in first gear every now and then….but does not seem to do so when it has been taken to a mechanic for inspection. There is a squeaking in the belt on the motor. The engine hesitates sometimes. The engine belt always squeaks no matter what is done to it. The transmission has just went out. The engine started riding rough and idling funny a short while after I bought the car. The transmission started to shift hard around 60,000 miles but would come and go. I have had it looked at plenty of times and was told there was nothing wrong with it. Now yesterday the transmission was jerking when shifting and completely went out. I know of at least 3 other people with Mazda\’s like mine that are or about the same year and they have all had either transmission problems or something wrong with the car as well. A family member of mine works at a dealership and he purchased the same make and model of this Mazda and the transmission went out at about 80,000 miles. I am absolutely upset that I have purchased this car and so many things have went wrong. The car does have sudden acceleration when it is put into drive and about a month after I purchased it the alarm system messed up as well….Another electrical problem. The doors would automatically lock themselves when the doors shut. I am a mother of 2 boys and I am now afraid to even have them in the car because I do not feel it is safe with the seatbelts coming unhooked and the numerous problems since I purchased the car. It is ridiculous that it is 3 weeks before Christmas and I have to find a way to come up with over $1,000 to have a car fixed that does not even have 95,000 miles on it and that has been well taken care of. Please forward this to anyone that might be able to help or that is really concerned about a company selling poor products to their clients. And like I said, I will NEVER advise any of my family, friends, or customers to buy a Mazda because they are total junk.

Fuel pump. Car would not start after short trips, over and over. Pump was replaced. Problem started happening again (usually summer)four years later, replaced fuel pump again (it costs $720 to diagnose, tow and replace pump.The transmission just went, not much warning at about 79,000 miles. Total replacement (rebuilt)that cost me $3,141.30, including tow.

External spring in the timing belt tensioner broke and caused the timing belt to break. 1998 Mazda 626 cars were recalled for this problem, but only the cars manufactured from Aug 1997 to August 1998. This did not cover my car.The recall should be extended past August 1998.

Engine: Hesitation during acceleration/engine stalling (no code) (put the best plug, best wire, best injector cleaner, air filter, cleaned throttle body) without any significant result Engine RPM goes up and down abnormalcy (when cold even after a few minute). When it warms up it goes away.Lifter (solid) are very noisy and way to much expensive to be repaired (24 x 42$CDN each + Labor).Suspension: Noise all over the car. Sounds like bushing but when I check under everything seems to be normal.Electrical: 96000 km – Battery froze up car was in the yard for over a month at -20 Celsius (maybe it

A spring became caught in the timing belt which caused it to break. *nm while researching the consumer discovered that there was a safety recall issued for the consumer's vehicle. based on the vin the consumer vehicle should have been included but the consumer never received any notification. *nm

Hi my name is [xxx].i bought my mazda 626,1998 from nissan dealer rated number 1 in santa barbara california.when i bought the car the odometer registered 82500 miles. i paid 9800 to buy the car. after driving only 10000 miles the car broke down. when i took the car to the mechanic he told me that the transmission broke down and that was going to cost me 2300 to replace it. when he found out that my car had only 10000 miles after i had bought from the dealer he asked me to take the car to the dealer and see if they can help me with the cost. so i took the car to the dealer and explained what had happened.thay told me that i didn't had warranty and that they could do nothing to help me. so i ended up paying 2300 dollars for my car .i feel that i have been cheated and i this model mazda 626 should definitely be recalled because lots of people that i know have the same problems with their mazda (transmission break down).*ak information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Takata recall. the transmission cd4e tranny doesn't have switch gears unless you use excessive rpm.

Since owning the mazda 626 i have had a very big problem the transmission slipping. it will slip going into second gear. if its below 60 degrees the car wont shift into drive until the motor gets hot enough. the car is like this every single day and does it every time it is driven. also the interior lights work somtimes on and off and the back windows wont roll down from the driver button

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mazda 626. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start and the ignition failed to release the key. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v674000 (electrical system) and stated that the part needed for the repair was not available. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 173,735. parts distribution disconnect.

I was driving 60mph slowing down to the speed limit which was 55 all of a sudden something popped there was nothing on the road and my steering wheel locked the car went in to the wall and flipped over twice. everything on the vehicle was damaged including the windows. *tr

Transmission problems! right now the car is at the mechanic having the transmission replaced. i know i am not the only one with this problem, please do something. right now replacing it for a rebuilt one is $1,100, but being a manufacturer problem, it may not last another year. i am the 3rd owner, so i am not sure how many more times this transmission have been repaired or replaced, but when i bought it was working well. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 mazda 626lx. the contact stated that the vehicle would not start and at times would stall. approximately one year ago, the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they replaced the timing belt. the problem continued. the current mileage was approximately 198,000 and the failure mileage was 187,000. the vehicle was at the dealer awaiting repairs.

105,626 original mileage. coming from a long highway drive. car began to rev really high. transmission was slipping. o/d light began blinking. crawled the vehicle to repair shop. was told there was a complete failure of the transmission. transmission was rebuilt. *tr

I bought a mazda 626 1998 and it had 116,000 miles on it the transmission o/d light began to flash and then it started shifting hard then oil started to burn and i had to install a external transmission cooler this only lasted for a while and then the transmission shifted hard and oil went everywhere. *tr

While driving exit the highway, the engine shut down. push to the side and could not restart the car. after toll back to home, we can start the car next day. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mazda 626. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 to 60 mph, the vehicle would vibrate. in addition, when depressing the accelerator pedal, there was a hesitation in the vehicle's response. the contact was concerned that there was a defect in the fuel system and that the amount of fuel flowing to the engine was minimal. the contact also stated that nhtsa campaign id number 97v228000 (fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system) was directly related to the failure. the contact was unable to confirm if his vin was a part of the recall or if the recall repair had been performed by the previous owner. the vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. the approximate failure mileage was 182,035 and the current mileage was 186,000.

Tl- the contact has 1998 mazda 626. the contact stated that there is a recall and the campaign number is 00v134000 that their vehicle is not a part of. the contact stated that the dealer stated there is a recall for this but the vehicle was not involved. the contact had the timing belt tension spring break causing the vehicle to stall. the contact was pulling out of a drvie way and traveling 5mph at the time. the vehicle had 114000 miles at the time of the failure and 11400 miles currently. updated 06/25/10. *lj updated 07/27/10*j

Transmission failed in 98 mazda 626 with 149k miles. *tr

1998 mazda 626 lx 4 cyl car was fine took it to have transmission service next day slipping starting out in 2nd gear shifting hard before service was done car drove like a dream. *tr

1998 mazda 626, while driving the highway going 60 mph the engine stalled and we coasted to the break down lane of the highway. car would not start back up. had it tow. car diagnostics pending. *tr

1. long highway drive (8-10h) during temp. stormy conditions (1-2h) 2. transmission defect, 3800$ repair bill + additional costs for rentals/motels 3. replaced transmission. *tr

The external spring in my timing belt tensioner has broken, and there is no recall on my specific vehicle. however, there is one on the mazda 626 2.0 ltr engine (4 cyl). *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 mazda 626. the contact noticed that her radio was inoperative accompanied by a heating sensation. in addition, the vehicle would fail to start. she called the manufacturer in reference to nhtsa campaign id number 98v243000 (equipment:electrical:radio/tape deck/cd etc.), in which a representative stated that they would not assume any responsibility for the repairs. the contact was referred to a dealer. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 20,000 and current mileage was 46,000.

I was driving home(logan) after driving from logan,ut. to layton,ut. when i heard a loud pop, the rpms redlined and the car stalled out. i pushed the car (1998 mazda 626) to the side of the road, the car was smoking so i opened the hood and smelled transmission fluid, i looked under the car and seen transmission fluid leaking on the road. this car has had an external transmission fluid added and it has still gone out. i am trying to investigate the problem for myself and have not come to a conclusion yet. i do not have the money for the service to be don so i will try to contact mazda or ford to get the issue corrected, luckily i wasn't on a very busy highway or the problem could have possibly resulted in a serious accident or damage to myself or someone else. *tr

The tranny was slipping and the od light kept blinking on and off and the transmission stopped working due to faulty parts, with all the other complaints on this transmission they should either replace the part(s) or buy the vehicles back from the consumer! *tr

I have 103,000 miles. my transmission hasn't failed yet, which i now see i should feel lucky about. i have had all the other transmission issues i now find are common because mazda put too small an engine into this car. i have had the o/d light flash on and off, the transmission be jerky, check engine light on. (this has gone on for several years now) i was told by a dealer i needed a range sensor and an aftermarket transmission cooler. i thought i had a leak of transmission fluid but it's just spewing up from the transmission overheating. every time they change the fluid it gets worse. now i can see from what others say that my transmission will no doubt fail soon. i had to find this out by going online; no mazda repair shop ever told me any of this, until today when i was told that there was an "issue" with the 1998 transmission. unbelievable. mazda should have to do something since it's their design defect. i will never buy another mazda!!!!!!! toyota, here i come. *tr

Gears began slipping and then transmission completely failed. *tr

I have a 1998 mazda 626 4cyl. automatic transmission. i have had numerous problems with this transmission, i have had the torque converter replaced, along with fluid flushes and even some electrical connections replaced and now the car sits in my driveway with a perfect motor and when its in reverse it is in drive, there is no reverse anymore. i have spent thousands of dollars trying to get this fixed and i am on a fixed income and need help repairing it. *tr

I own two 1998 mazda 626s. the transmission went out in the first one. i bought a replacement and installed it. at the same time, i bought another mazda 626 and my wife started driving it. each transmission had about 100, 000 miles on it. we are small business owners on a budget with a big family and very mindful of preventable maintenance and driving with integrity. to make a long story short, i am sitting here this morning with three, yes three, useless transmissions and several thousands of dollars wasted thus far. mazda needs to own up to this problem with your help! *tr

Transmission problems with the year of 98's transmissions made by ford. transmissions have had multiple issues starting from shifting issues, transmission fluid overheating requiring more and more mazda 626's to have aftermarket transmission coolers installed, transmission overheating. this year that ford made this transmission has caused many people to often replace transmissions for this vehicle. you will see many people have replaced their transmissions 2 or 3 times within putting 150k on the vehicle. please look into as i have had my transmission slip and completely not work, to getting rebuilt and now my o/d is now flashing, which requires me to install an aftermarket oil cooler for my transmissions, which does not come with the vehicle already. transmission rebuild is costing over 2,000 dollars due to the unavailability of parts from the dealer and aftermarket suppliers. please recall this transmission!!!!!! a mazda technical service bulletin exists for some 1998-2001 models. tsb 05-005/02 deals with one specific circumstance: "after extended highway driving, the o/d off light is blinking and code p1783 is set (excessive atf temperature). occasionally there will be overflow through the dipstick tube and harsh shifting. mazda's recommended fix is to replace the radiator and to install an auxiliary cooler for the transmission." when the light goes on, it enters a fail-safe mode? (the epc solenoid opens up and brings line pressure up to 'max') ... the only catch is it raises the fluid pressure well beyond normal specs (it goes from 100 to 400 psi). ford cd4e transmission http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/724066 - issues also with transmission. *tr

My mazda was doing just fine then one day it started having major problems shifting from 1st to 2nd gear and revs very high going between gears, and the o/d light flashes. i have not been able to afford the repairs yet. *tr

I was driving the car at 75 mph on the freeway, when all of a sudden, the transmission basically went into neutral. traffic was light, and i was able to cost to the right shoulder of the freeway. i was unable to get the car to work in any gear (r, d, 1, 2). the car was towed to a local transmission shop for repairs. the shop discovered that the torque converter had a catastrophic failure and littered metal parts through the entire transmission. the entire transmission had to be required at the cost of $2,212. *tr

1998 mazda 626 automatic transmission car will not go into gear, forward or reverse. the problem just started while driving at about 45 miles an hour on a smooth highway. the car had to be towed back home. *tr

My 98 mazda 626 transmission went out twice within 2 years after i bought it! mazda did a ¿!@#$% job with that transmission and should have came up with a solution that does not involve me spending 2,000 dollars to fix it!!! *tr

I have a 1998 mazda 626 with 120,000 miles on it. i have had the original tranny rebuilt once then replaced with a new transmission and now it has been sitting for 6 months with another transmission failure. this time the transmission malfunctioning has cost me a very good job. this is insane and it is my understanding that this is a very common problem. *tr

While driving down the rode the transmission just began to lurch, shift in and out of gear, no warning at all, very dangerous. no transmission light or check engine light illuminated. *tr

This is the second mazda i have had since i ever started driving. i am 23 years old and have had my license for 4 years. my first car was a 92 mazda mx-3, i loved the car i then started to have issues with the transmission, which pissed me off because i was very aware with the maintenance done on my car. as time passed me and the mx-3 had to part ways. i then got a 98 mazda 626. i continued to support the mazda movement only because i thought you had to know how to drive a car in order to own a mazda. i'm about to have two years with this car, continuing to be aware of the maintenance and the transmission has failed. i am kind of upset. a month ago the censor in the brake pedal to switch gear had locked, when i got the part fixed the mechanic said everything was fine he made it a point to check the transmission fluid, only because i am pretty adamant about that particular fluid especially knowing the history. april 1, 2008 the car was struggling to reverse, it would jump if i would accelerate, other than that it wouldn't move. i was hesitant to believe that it was the transmission. i checked the fluid and it was super low. i bought about 4 bottles and the problem was still existent. i even started struggling to drive the car. my father thought maybe it was the cable that was loose, but no. i couldn't believe that this car hasn't complete its second year with me and its of no use. i brought it to the mechanic and he himself confirmed that it was a transmission failure. once again the mazda and i will soon have to part ways, which is sad i always believed that mazdas were good vehicles. i am now discouraged about purchasing a mazda in the future. i am not sure what this scenario will do but hopefully they get this problem fixed. i understand it's not a brand new car but if its well kept it is a bit agitating. i don't see myself being a loyal customer to mazda, when mazda has yet to be loyal to me. *tr

I was driving at 65 mph on a freeway when o/d light started blinking, then the engine accelerated to 7000 rpm at the speed. pulled over and stopped, after that i could not move the car. apparently, the transmission is blown (as what everyone says). i researched this extensively and it looks like it is a defect that the manufacturer was aware of and, as such, should help mitigate. looks like tons of 626s were damaged like this. i will attempt to have dealer take a look at it and hopefully they will fix it. but i believe all the complaints on this forum are a valid ground for a recall. *tr

The vehicle jolts when coming off the highway which i was informed was due to the overheating transmission. after about two hours of highway driving i had to pull to the side of the highway because the vehicle became unstable. *tr

Transmission on my 1998 mazda 626. i've purchased the vehicle in sept. 2000. i have replaced the transmission twice. the most recent replacement was july 2006. this car has had numerous transmission issues. *tr

1998 mazda 626 lx 2.0l 4cylinder engine. returning back to the guest house after dropping a friend off at the airport that evening, after getting off the interstate, i heard a crack (followed by a grinding noise) from the passenger's side of the engine. within moments as i slowed the car to a safe spot, i heard a whipping noise from the same region. that later happened to be the serpentine and alternator belts both broke just after exiting the interstate, the engine and battery lights came on at once.., and then, immediately after that, the engine stopped working. i called my insurance and had my car towed to the guest house. the car was looked at and the diagnoses were the gears in the water pump were broken which froze the alternator belt, the alternator belt-now stiffened- shredded and mangled the serpentine belt. then the serpentine belt tore along the grooved lines. plus, the engine is now leaking coolant. repairs???? i am waiting for the estimate to come in. i have been warned that it would not be cheap to fix. $500-$700 i asked? nope! he said, after letting out a chuckle..., much higher he replied. at least $1000 or more. *tr

Transmission failure. i know of a lot of people with 626's that has transmission problems, and the bad thing about it is mazda knew about it. we are hoping to get mazda to do something about it, it's pathetic. i was hoping i wouldn't have any problems out of mine, but i have. we need to have something done about this, i can't afford to replace this transmission, and mazda knows about it. why don't they do a recall? it could pose as a hazard. my car erratically changes gears, and rpms, it could just stop in the middle of the road and cause a serious wreck. why wait until accidents happen, why not go ahead and do a recall???? *tr

1998 mazda 626 with same problem as described in the recall. consumer states that he believes the recall does not include all affected vehicles. his has that problem and his is not included in the recall. *kb the consumer believed there was a faulty spring on his timing belt tensioner, which was confirmed by the repair shop. the consumer was told only vehicles manufactured between july 1997 and november 1997 were affected by the recall. the consumers vehicle was manufactured in february 1998. the windshield wiper didn't work in the intermittent mode. (recall 00v134000)*jb

Transmission failure.*cn

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 mazda 626. while driving approximately 55 mph, the engine light illuminated and the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed and the contact was informed that the tension spring on the timing belt failed, causing the vehicle to stall. the dealer stated that his vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 00v134000 (engine and engine cooling:engine) and would not reimburse him for the repair. the contact filed a formal complaint with the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 80,000 and current mileage is 87,000.

This will be the second time that i have replaced the transmission on my 626. the first time was august of 2006. it started with the o/d light flashing the smoking and finally going out completely. the car left me stranded on the freeway in the middle of no-where. i had to wait for a tow truck for 3 hours and $200.00 to get it towed to a shop near my house. i was able to find a used transmission from a junk yard and had it replaced for a total cost of $1200.00. cheap compared to what everyone else has paid. the second time was just recent 12/7/07. the transmission started jumping between gears (2nd and 3rd) then it stayed stuck on 2nd gear. finally it went out and would not engage any gear including reverse. so far i have not found another (reasonably priced) transmission. the cheapest i found with a 30 day warranty is $1000.00. this does not include the labor which is about $400.00. *tr

My mazda 626 transmission fail 3 times in 18 months. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 mazda 626. when the gear was shifted into drive, the vehicle would not accelerate. the vehicle would not drive in reverse or drive unless the gear was placed in neutral. the repair shop stated that the transmission failed. no repairs were made. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 110,000 and current mileage was 135,000.

Overflow tank for radiator has cracked and lost all water to my car at least 5 times since 2004, i have gone to alhambra mazda for help also to mazda corporate headquarters in irvine, all refuse to acknowledge the problem. i was towed over 800 miles this summer due to breakage, the seam around dto tank cracks and leaks, causing heating problems, they stated that it was a unknown problem and that it was the way i drive, this is not possible, the part is defective, it will crack at any time or place, they keep trying to do pressure test and make me replace sensors, there is no problem with sensors. please help me, i am seventy and cannot afford a new car. i am a good driver and keep my car serviced. *tr

My transmission slips, and will not go into first or second gear. car is in perfect shape, completely maintained throughout lifetime, and only has 104,000 miles. transmission must be replaced. *tr

1998 mazda 626 2.0l automatic tranny issues. car has 118k miles and the tranny is needing a rebuild. looked it up and several people are complaining about the cd4e ford number or the la4a-el mazda number tranny. *jb. updated 01/02/08. *lj updated 12/12/07 *tr

7 months ago, the transmission needed to be replaced at 150,000 miles. that is to be expected for that mileage. when i put the car in drive it is sluggish moving forward. this is because the car is starting out in 2nd gear instead of 1st. at 15 - 20 mph, the car downshifts to first, then immediately back to second gear. at 20mph, the car does not want to shift into 3rd gear for about 15 seconds, but eventually shifts. the o/d light begins to flash on the dashboard. when i slow down, the car will down shift abruptly in to a lower gear. i took it to my mechanic and he said that this should not happen to a 7 month old transmission. i researched online and there are tons of people that have experience this very same problem with the 626. this is a manufacturer defect and i would like to see what can be done about it. the car is unsafe to drive. *tr

My 1998 mazda 626 has a faulty transmission, which has failed at 110k. the resulting failure will cost about $2,000 to fix, and the replacement transmission will likely have the same problem. i have done nothing to fix the problem, because i am afraid a new transmission will only fail as well. *tr

Transmission are bad in 1998 mazda 626. *tr

I had my first mazda 626 transmission fail at 65,000 miles and i got it replaced, and then at 120,000 my transmission needed to be reaplced again. therewas obviously something wrong with the mazda 626 transmission, and there should be a recall and some financial compensation to all those who have had problems. *ak

Replaced transmission at 42,000 miles and again at 128,000 miles

I bought my 626 new in 1998. i have had transmission troubles regularlysince then. in 2003-4, i had the transmission rebuilt, then purchased a new one. the new one is having problems. it will get hot, the o/d light flashes, and we are stuck on the side of the road waiting for it to cool.

Transmission failure, repaired recurring problem. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 mazda 626. while driving 45 mph, the vehicle began to automatically decelerate and a whining noise was heard coming from the transmission. the vehicle was towed to the mechanic who rebuilt the transmission. the current and failure mileages were 115,000. the consumer stated the cd4 transmission is used in a mazda but made for a lighter vehicle but used in a mazda 626. the consumer provided a copy of the repair invoice. updated 09/05/07 *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 mazda 626. when attempting to start the vehicle, it failed to shift into neutral or reverse. the contact stated that the vehicle felt sluggish while driving. there were no warning indicators. the vehicle has not been diagnosed. the current mileage is 106,138 and the failure mileage was unknown.

1998 mazda 626 4 cylinder transmission being replaced for the fourth time...the auto is under 100,000 miles...*jb

Tl- caller owns a 1998 mazda. current mileage 140000. caller does not know failure mileage. while driving down street at 3mph the car shut off. warning lights came on afterwards. car would not start back up. he pushed car back to his home. mechanic came over next day and noticed spring tensioner was broken ;this was replaced in 2000 under recall 00v134000 . weather was warm approximatley 82 degrees. ktf

We are complaining about our 1998 mazda 626 because the transmission failed with only 76,691 miles on the car. we are the original owners, so that mileage is correct. the total cost to have it rebuilt was $2,222.87. had this happened on the highway in heavy traffic, there certainly would have been a horrible accident with serious, if not fatal injuries. when we looked on the internet, we found many other people complaining of transmission problems. the problem, which mazda is aware of is, it that they put a ford transmission in the mazda 626, but this transmission was meant for a smaller, lighter car, which is the reason for the overheating and eventual transmission failure. their bulletin tsb# 0500502.addresses this problem. mazda has refused to replace these transmissions or compensate owners for this problem. since this transmission failure happens very suddenly, it is only a matter of time before someone is gravely injured or killed in an accident on a busy highway. please make mazda do the right thing!*ak

Transmission failure on mazda 626 ( again) second time. *jb

I own a 1998 mazda 626 4 cylinder automatic transmission, the transmission has failed twice now, 1st repair was over $2,000 second repair will be just as much or more. after checking message boards on the internet and talking to transmission mechanics this is a huge problem with all these ford/mazda vehicles. with a failure rate this high and continual problems with these vehicles over several years some sort of recall needs to be made. there is also a danger factor with these transmissions, they have a huge tendency to over heat causing transmission fluid to boil over through the dipstick causing oil slicks on streets and highways. *nm

Mazda dealer diagnosis po732 and po734 internal transmission failure of 1998 mazda 626. *nm

1998 mazda 626 transmission failure. *jb

I have a 1998 mazda 626 with 2 failed transmissions costing $1800-$2100 each. this is utterly ridiculous! the first one failed at only 70,000 mi.,now the second rebuilt one has failed at 140,000 mi. never buy mazda again!! *nm

Driving down the highway during normal rush hour traffic, transmission starts to slip. car goes slower and slower until it finally won't move at all. had transmission fluid changed at regular 30k intervals. car was taken to a local transmission shop where i was told that the trans was shot, ruined, kaput, etc...estimate of $2500. have been informed that this is a very common failure in my car. and the dealer refuses to help or even talk about helping on the repair cost. my car only has 89k on it!! now the car is sitting in my driveway collecting dust, i don't have $2500 to fix a problem that the manufacturer is well aware of since most mazda 626's are having this failure. *jb

The transmission on my 1998 mazda 626 with 89,000 miles just failed. according to my mechanic, a pump failed, and now my car has "no forward gears." i have since learned that transmission failures are very common with this model, due to a design flaw of which mazda is aware. i am currently having the transmission rebuilt, but i believe that mazda should be held responsible for not recalling this model and correcting this problem. *nm

Transmission failure... almost got into an accident on the freeway when my cars transmission failed. luckily there was some traffic on the freeway. it has been doing that for the past month. *nm

I bought a mazda 626 1998 model during february' 06. it had 69k miles on it. last month, when i was driving the car, when i pressed the gas, it did not move on the road. luckily i was on the local road. so i could put turn and put it on a parking lot at a speed of 5 miles/hr. when i contacted firestone they told the transmission is a failure and it has to be replaced. i spent a total of 2400$ for the rebuilt transmission. i am totally upset about this. i meed mazda north america to refund my money back. thanks. vinod. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle stalled without warning. it was towed to the contact's residence. an independent mechanic determined the timing spring fractured. there was a nhtsa recall, #00v134000, regarding the engine. the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin.

Transmission failure - would not go into d. *nm

I along with about every mazda 626 owner i know am facing replacing my transmission. it is not shifting properly and is a real hazard sometimes is works sometimes it doesn't. it is slipping between first and second gear and will "hunt" for first gear at times with several jerks between gears before it shifts. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle jerked when the accelerator pedal was depressed. at 50,000 miles the transmission was flushed and the fluid was black. the repair shop determined the seals on the gaskets were worn and the transmission needed to be replaced within 30,000 miles. then, while traveling 40 mph, the transmission failed. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop who determined a rebuilt transmission needed to be installed.

Car had o/d light on when bought it and told it was fine by dealer. eventually the light was off for good. car is currently down shifting for no reason and now the mechanics that i took it to say that it is the transmission and stuck in 3rd gear. *jb

Vehicle downshifted to 2 while i was driving at 70-75 mph. caused vehicle to skid on wet road! while crossing an intersection, transmission started slipping and almost caused a multiple vehicle accident. *nm

Transmission breakdown. back on april 07, 2003, i brought my 1998 mazda 626 into a transmission repair shop to get my vehicle fixed. i was told the transmission was toast. it had overheated and burnt up most of the internals. i ended paying for a rebuilt unit, a new torque converter, and a drive chain. the total out of pocket expense was $1272.00 now exactly three years down to the month i'm starting all over with the same problems. the transmission is going downhill again. fortunately this time i parked it in the driveway and haven't fixed it yet. i am currently researching the problem and it appears to be a nationwide problem, yet nothing is being done about it. *nm

Hello, we have a 2.0l engine and automatic transmission in our mazda 626 which was purchased new in 1998. the car has always been serviced on a regular basis. we have just experienced a major transmission failure at 99,000 miles after driving the car about 250 miles on a 95 degree day. a tsb was issued by mazda in 2002 but current owners were not sent any notification regarding this issue. we are looking at a fairly substantial ($2500) repair bill on an issue that should not have occurred on a vehicle with this low of miles that has been properly maintained, and never abused. mazda has known of this issue and there are hundreds, if not thousands of documented failures on this issue, yet they have refused to do anything to correct this issue. *nm

Failed transmission in 1998 mazda 626. mazda continued to use transmissions they knew would fail, instead of fixing their problem, they passed the cost along to the consumer. *nm

Last october (05), my automatic transmission, finally went out. not wanting to spend to much money to fix something, when the car isn't worth it. i got a used transmission (not sure how used it was, but the guy that put it in, said it was really clean (little wear) on it. now aug 06 the transmission is going out again. the system can't shift between 2-3 gear. i have yet to get it fixed, but it well probably run me around $1300 like the last one did. when the car itself is worth maybe 2,800? i think mazda needs to take some responsibility for this. *jb

While driving, my '98 626lx the transmission will disengage from the engine. aamco transmission determined the problem to be that due to excessive heat, the torque converter failed and fragments penetrated the transmission while being suspended by the transmission fluid. no less than $2000 to repair. here's where i really got upset. mazda published a technical service bulletin-005/02 in 2002 which outlines preventive measures to take to avoid this heat related failure. when contacted about a claims procedure, they told me that there was no such bulletin and that there was no recall for my vehicle. i understand that failures do occur on vehicles. however, when the manufacturer is aware of the issue and fails to even make a cursory effort to inform the vehicle owner/purchaser, it seems to me that the company is negligent and should in part bare the burden of the cost of repair. *jb

My daughter was driving the car in heavy traffic when it stalled and lost all power. it would not start and it was towed to a shop where it was found that the timing belt had broken and caused much damage. we had to have the following replaced: cylinder head gasket, timing belt, timing belt tensioner, idler, spark plugs, thermostat, 2 drive belts, and the water pump. it cost us almost $1,700 to get it repaired. i have owned this car since it was new and have lived at the same address and was never notified of any recall before this happened. i have heard that there have been many other people that have had the same problems but their cars were not included in the recall... only ones with certain vin numbers. i believe it is a problem with all 1998 626 models. *nm

Failure of 1998 mazda 626 automatic transmission. transmission overheated on the interstate resulting in boiling out of fluid, fluid was replaced and the transmission overheated again blowing the main seal. sudden loss of power occurred on the interstate (was able to maintain vehicle to exit ramp -incident occurred very close to ramp). the seal was prepared and the check engine light came on (ptc 0743). diagnosis at local shop indicated that the transmission needed to be replaced. mileage was only 90,000. *jb

I just bought a 98 626 with a little over a 100k on it in may before i bought it i took it to mazda to have all parts and componets checked out they said the transmission was healthy and the engine was good and all parts looked great. so i bought the car the same day the check engine light came on they told me it was the gas i was using then reset my code. since then i have had problems with the alternator the belts and now the transmission. since may i have put over 1100 in parts and labor in this car now they say i need a new transmission which is over 2200 any suggestions on what to do. *jb

I purchased a 1998 mazda 626 in oct. 2001 with 71 thousand miles. this transmission went out at 110. i had it replaced with a used one (before i knew of all the defects), it lasted 8000 miles. in sept 2004 a transmission specialist put in a new transmission from mazda. it lasted 18,000 miles. i was told it had a three year warranty. mazda now denies this. they say its 6 months out of warranty. this transmission had to be rebuilt. being disabled this has really been a disappointment. the inconvenience and expense are taking its toll. in 3 years time mazda has cost me over $5000 in repairs and close to $500 in towing. they are aware these transmissions are faulty but refuse to help people. it seems morally and ethically wrong.. any 'new' transmission should last longer that these. i recently gave this car to my daughter, but i am going to continue the fight with mazda. thank you! *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle idles to low due to the air flow ratio. there is a nhtsa recall, # 97v228000, regarding the fuel system gasoline fuel injection system. the vin was not included in the recall.*ak

I just finished paying for the second transmission in my 1998 mazda 626. the original transmission went 93,000 miles before complete failure. that unit was replaced with a used transmission and it failed at 105,000 miles. i had the second failure rebuilt at a cost of $2,100, the first used transmission cost $1,700 to replace. *jb

My 1998 mazda 626 replaced transmission at 49000 miles on it o/d light flashing on transmission down shifting on its own. transmission fluid blew out, the dipstick was replaced, speedometer gear set also flushed rad.& cooler now new transmission doing same thing at over $2600 dollars out of pocket. heard lots others have had same problems would like to report. to see if the mazda dealership could be responsible for repairs. *jb

Purchased car used one week ago and immediately transmission failure at ~155k probably earlier...awaiting repairs costing 3k dollars. *nm

Mazda 626 4 cylinder, 4 door, automatic; 93k mi; transmission failed due to internal overheating (¿¿o/d off¿ light flashes). i never used this car to tow anything; driving pattern is very light. approximately 40 miles daily to work on highway at 40-60 m/h speed (traffic). my research shows that mazda was clearly aware of this problem - sb0500502/nhtsa 634465. sb details a very simple and relatively inexpensive fix - external trans oil cooler. dealer clearly states the car is not safe to drive. if it was not safe to drive my family uses this car routinely why would mazda be so negligent and not advice owners of this potential risk and the alternative repairs, which would save thousands of dollars in property damage? it is now in the thousands to fix the car. *jb

Transmission failure car 120,000 miles and has been diagnosed by a technician to need transmission replacement (technical service bulletin #05-00502). *jb

I have a 1998 mazda 626 lx 4 cylinder, automatic transmission. i am sure you are aware of the transmission problems with these vehicles from 92-02. during long drives (over 30 miles), i began experiencing problems with the o/d (overdrive) light flashing. accompanying this phenomenon, was erratic shifting at high speeds between third and fourth gears. when pulling over and stopping the car, black smoke can be seen coming from the left side under the hood. this only seems to occur at high speeds, above 50 mph. this occurred on long drives as soon as i purchased the car. multiple mechanics were unable to diagnose the o/d light problem. i had the o2 sensors replaced. i found out later through internet chat rooms for the mazda 626(aka: support group for automatic transmission 626 owners), that this problem is the first sign that the transmission is burning up. the transmission finally failed at 105,000 miles(lucky to last that long). cost me $2000 to replace transmission with one from a junk yard. now the o/d light still flashes when driving over 30 miles over 50 mph. just waiting for the transmission to go out again. mazda should pay for these repairs, and the thousands of other unfortunate mazda 626 owners out there. *nm

Transmission went out. its to expensive to get fixed. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 65mph, the automatic transmission began to hesitate, and the overdrive light illuminated. the vehicle was seen by an independent repair shop. a diagnostic test was performed which detected a failing transmission. the dealer was alerted about the problem.

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop for an oil change at 40,000 miles. during the oil change the mechanic discovered the transmission fluid was discolored and recommended further diagnostic testing of the transmission. the diagnostic testing was not completed and the vehicle was driven until the transmission failed at 58,000 miles. while attempting to pulling from a parking space the vehicle stalled and it was pushed back into the parking space. a local mechanic came to the scene, inspected the vehicle and determined the transmission failed.

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle is making noises in the engine. there is a nhtsa recall, # 00v134000, regarding the engine and engine cooling: engine. the vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however it is not included in the recall due to the vin.

Dt: the contact had the spring for the timing belt replaced. later, she found nhtsa recall campaign 00v134000 concerning timing belt. when contacting the manufacturer she was told to take the vehicle to a dealership for inspection. the vehicle was inspected, and she was reimbursed for recall repair work completed previously. the vehicle currently was not working, and the mechanic found that the recall repair work had not actually been done. he stated a kit should have been installed. the manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was told that because she was already reimbursed there was nothing they could do for her. *ak

I had the automatic transmission on my 1998 mazda 626 rebuilt at no. 1 auto repair center in stafford, va, back in november of 2002 at a cost of 1650.00. on january 1, 2006, while driving home from lorain, oh, to kettering, oh, this rebuilt transmission seemed to overheat and blow. the transmission went out suddenly and smoke proceeded to billow from my hood while i was driving at a speed of 75 mph. the o/d off light had been blinking a few weeks ago, so i took the car in to grismer auto repair in dayton, oh. they said the transmission fluid was very dark and sludgy and recommended a flush and change. the o/d off light went off after that and didn't come on again until moments before this second transmission failure. now it looks like i will have to get a second rebuilt transmission for the same car within a span of approximately three years. by the way, my last payment is next month on a five-year lien. that's two rebuilt transmissions i have had to pay for before the car was even paid off. will someone please tell me how this is fair. *nm

Transmission failure: i have a babied 1998 mazda 626lx. at 107,000 miles i noticed some very slight transmission shift problems. i consulted the manual. nothing. i called the dealer, vague answers, no recommendations. i drove it and noticed the o/d light coming on at about 60 miles ( heat ? ). so i started short driving only. finally it failed and blew fluid all over the engine compartment. repairs. so far - $1590.00, but no confidence it is over. my mechanic said the trans cooler was designed poorly and could not be cleaned to where it would work properly. we put on an aux cooler. we hope it works. problem is the car is not worth it. i am angry at ^&% ^%$#^& mazda for their inept support and stupidity. i will never use them again. they have leeched me long enough on this car. they could have helped a long time ago about the heat build-up of the fluid. they knew this was coming. they are vultures waiting for your car to die and then they will help themselves to your $2500.00. i will die telling folks to steer clear of mazda and ford. *jb

My transmission on my mazda 626, (4 cyl) is failing again. had it rebuilt 10 months ago and it failing again. *jb

The transmission of my 98 mazda 626 just started to slip and the mechanic said it needs to be replaced at a cost of $2000 at only 107000 miles. *nm

Dt: the contact stated while driving the transmission started to slip and would not accelerate. the vehicle was parked and has not been to a mechanic at this time. *ak updated 2/7/2006 - the vehicle was taken to a technician who determined that the transmission needed to be rebuilt. *nm

Automatic transmission failure. *nm

Transmission failure/engine failure. *nm

(1)transmission occasionally shifted with a hard jolt from 1st to 2nd and from 2nd to 3rd, then began to emit a loud whizzing/squeaking type of sound in all gears(including park and neutral). the sound was very similar to that of a loose belt, but was clearly coming for within the transmission. (2)within a week of making that sound, the transmission, although apparently shifting in the correct sequence, started slipping. obviously this resulted in the vehicle being extremely unsafe to drive. (3)at this point i have: a - received estimates ranging from $1800-$2700 for a complete transmission rebuild with installation, as well as estimates ranging from $650-$1750+shipping for a used transmission without installation. so far, i have replaced the transmission fluid after draining and flushing the system, at which point i discovered that unlike virtually all other automatic transmissions, the ford cd4e transmission must be removed and completely disassembled in order to replace the transmission fluid filter. obviously, as the filter becomes clogged with debris, the pressure and flow of the fluid is restricted, resulting in loss of performance, over-heating, and eventually a complete system failure. *jb

Dt: on september 22, 2005, consumer's vehicle was cut off and it lost power, the vehicle was hard to steer it and lost the brakes. recall 00v134ooo was issued . it states the external spring in the timing belt tensioner could break and be caught in the timing belt, resulting in stalling; however, this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin. . the vehicle is at the dealer, and they are saying this is what happened to vehicle. there was no forewarning and no noise. it was running so rough that the vehicle shut off within a few seconds. *ak

The transmission started slipping 2 days after i bought the car. as i was driving home from the store the transmission stopped responding while i was driving. after this the car did move in any gear. i since then have had the transmission rebuilt. *jb

Automatic transmission going out. probably going to have to have it replaced real soon. it has been slipping ever since i got it. doesn't seem like there is much hope for the future. *jb

Dt: the caller said the transmission needed to be replaced. while driving the engine revved without warning. the caller said it would happen mostly in stop and go traffic. she had the vehicle towed to a mechanic shop. dealer said she needed to get a different year transmission, and she will have to update the computer. manufacturer said there was no recall on her vehicle and offered no help for free. *ak

I own a mazda 626 1998, 4 cylinder. the automatic transmission just failed on me at 79000 miles. i was jammed on the highway until i got towed to the dealer who sold me the car. this car was bought new and was driven by my wife from 1998 to 2004. it was never abused. it started slipping at drive position when i got out of my driveway the day before it broke i had to remove o/d to engage and move forward. then, put o/d on at approximately 50 m/h to drive on the highway. i had also a first failure on jan 04,2003 at 46500 miles. lost transmission parts directly in the street ! it was repaired under warranty and dealer said the transmission was a-1 like a new one. now warranty is over and my dealer is asking for $3726 to fix !! no deal to do! not even split costs half and half. this transmission had a defect for sure. so got the car towed elsewhere for lower repair cost ($1900 )*jb

I bought mazda 626 lx 1998 and two months after transmission failed. car started making clinging noise,slow performance and abrupt shifts, slow start ups. took it to aamoco and they diagnosed failing transmission and charged me $2200,didn't have money so end up getting loan to pay of,plus interest. just paid of loan and my rebuilt transmission (original one but fixed it by aamoco) is failing again,abrupt shifts,very slow starts and i actually got ticket from police. found place to get car repaired second time for $1500. so far in 3 1/2 years transmission failed 2 and around $4300 in repairs costs and loans. luckily i did not drive car on highway while it have transmission problems,otherwise would be in danger of accident. car takes slow shift,around 30-40 mph makes moves like it will stall,it takes from 0-60 minutes not seconds...very dangerous to operate on highway during failure. *jb

1998 madza 626 transmission failure while entering interstate with vehicles traveling at 60+ mph. before purchasing this vehicle, i did my research. i found that transmission failure was a know problem in mazdas but the car salesman assured me that the transmission problem existed only in the model previous to the 1998 which i was interested in. she stated that after the design of the emblem was changed, this problem as well had been corrected. this was a lie. i was entering interstate ongoing a ramp when all of a sudden my car stopped pulling and all i could see was car rushing towards my rear end and steering to avoid hitting my rapidly slowing vehicle. i called the lot where i purchased the vehicle but nothing could be done. *nm

I am complaining about my 1998 mazda 626. this car has been trouble ever since day one. i have had to replace the timing belt, the drive axles twice, and put in 4 transmissions. i have had the car since 2002 and had to replace the transmission every year. i could hardy make my car payments for having to spend extra money to repair my car.

Dt: the transmission performed poorly. been in the repair shop twice, the first time because it was leaking transmission fluid and jerking when accelerating past first gear. had around 40,000 miles. second time it had 54,000 miles for the exact same thing, and currently, the third time the vehicle was still leaking fluid and it will not go forward but will only going backwards. the first time was around 2001. *ak

I have a 1998 mazda 626 lx 4 cylinder automatic. the transmission failed and is giving jerky movements while driving especially after a extended driving. estimated cost is 3375 plus taxes. i read about similar problems on the web and did not know if anyone else complained to you.

Mazda 626 lx, 1998 - transmission problems at 69000 miles. *jb

Mazda 1998 626....overdrive light started coming on and off.trans fluid had boiled out over motor..only had 65,000 miles...car was fine had trans and cooling system serviced at 52,000 miles was told everything was fine needed to be done again at 100,00...it will cost me between 1,800 to 3,600 to get fixed.

1998 mazda 626 transmission defective.***no answer required***. *mr *tt two days after the vehicle was purchased the transmission began to malfunction. *nm

Dt: the contact owns a 1998 mazda 626. she states that transmission is bad. she did fix the transmission in march of 2005, and in june 2005 the problem recurred. *ak

Major transmission failure after 91000 miles on a 626 mazda 2.0l automatic. while driving on a highway transmission would just give out making engine just rev with no power. forcing me to drive off road to preventing an incident.

This 1998 626 has 84,000 miles and is on its 3rd transmission. this one is showing the all too familiar signs of going out. unbelievable how the companycan stay in business.

My complaint is with the transmission in the mazda 626 (cd4e).

When accelerating from a stop vehicle lurched forward. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

Dt: the vehicle shook prior to transmission failure. the transmission has been replaced numerous times. *nm

Mazda 626 1998, transmission leaked and check engine light came on. *bf *jb

O/d off light began flashing. every time the vehicle shifted there was a loud bang. i brought it into a transmission repair center where they told me the transmission needed to be replaced. fluid was leaking through the bushings and burning.*ak

The car cut off while i was driving. the repairman said the problem was due to oil slug build. i had all my oil changes done at the dealership. the brown said they will not pay for the repair, the extended warranty company will not pay for the repair of $5,000 for rebuilt or $7,000 for a new engine. my friend was told the person who had the car before did not have the oil changed regularly. i guess i am lucky i was not on the highway because the car cut off with no warning. (shouldn't the car dealship make sure everything is ok before selling the cars?

Well this is the second time i have had to replace my transmission due to poor design. this is a dangerous problem and very costly. mazda says there is nothing wrong with there transmissions goin out every year or two. well i am upset that neither the government nor mazda has done anything about it? just glad i will never have this problem again.*ak

Another mazda 626 transmission failure sob story. just spent $2100 for a new transmission. i have no confidence the problems are solved. shifts often feel rough, speedometer bounces. lousy gas mileage. "mechanics" have replaced speed sensor three times... no help. hope i can sell this position. *ak

Mazda 626 2.0l automatic transmission. failed at 97,000 and will require major rebuild at cost in excess of 2k. transmission shop indicates one of the leading causes due to poor materials and lack of transmission cooler.*ak

Upon putting vehicle in gear it will not move. consumer contacted the manufacturer. however, problem still exists. *ak

Transmissions shifting in jerky motions, needed to flush fluid out. many problems noted with mazda cd4e transmissions. *ak

My 1998 626 was purchased in 2000. in september 2003 my transmission completely failed on me and had to be replaced. ths car has been nothing but problems for me, i have had the timing belt to break on me causing my car to kill in traffic, my check engine light constanty comes on, my car stalls and jerks and yet no mechanic can find a reason for this.*ak

My son has a 1998 maza 626 and the transmission is burnt up, he only has a 100,000 miles on it. i read where mazda was having a lot of trouble with the transmission .*ak

Transmission failed. problem appears to be common to all 626's manufactured in the late 90's. *jb

Imade a complaint earlier but i forgot a few things. my o/d light sometimes flashes and my check engine light is always on. i took it to autozone to get the light read and the man gave me a list of problems wrong with the car. i don't remember every thing but one thing was just a sensor and the other problem was something wrong inside of the transmission.*ak

The transmission in my mazda 626 failed in 2003 at 83,000 miles, and i had a rebuilt mazda transmission used to replace it at a cost of $2,500. now, two years later at 103,000 miles the automatic transmission has failed again, and the repair estimate is again approximately $2,500. in the first instance, the car became suddenly undrivable in trafffic, causing me to need assistance from other drivers to remove the car from the busy roadway. with this latest failure, i discerned the problem before total failure resulted in the car's undrivability--though my mechanic says failure is imminent. i believe it goes without saying that the transmission in this car is defective in some way (information from my mechanic and anecdotal evidence would seem to back this up) and should be recalled and my expenses with this car reimbursed by mazda.*ak

Ijust bought my 626 about 6 months ago and it is having major problems that it did not have when i bought it. the transmission is failling, it jerks, it smokes, and sometimes it will not even go. to get it fixed i will have to pay about $3000 unless they find more problems in the car. i see many people have the same problem as me and i do not understand why they don't fix it.*ak

My transmission has failed, #cd4e, and as i understand there have been several complaints about it. i would like to know if a recall will be/has been issued.*ak if not can i purchase anywhere at discount??

1) from early on, the transmission was always jerking and shifting late. we took it to a transmission shop and also to a mazda dealer, who told us that it would need to be replaced. after doing web research, we found that these were ford transmissions that would ultimately fail due to overheating and that even with a replacement the problem would recur. 2) on 2/22/05 the transmission finally failed for good (at 130,000 miles). in spite of mazda's knowledge of this problem, and their lack of public acknowledgement, they have done nothing to accomodate us. the engine runs well and the body is in great shape, but the vehicle is now undrivable. ) we will probably junk the car, since it is well-known that even if replaced, the transmission will have a high probability of failure.*ak

Sluggish shifting, finally: failure to shift from 1st to 2nd gears. cd4e tranmission failure @ 65,000 miles. total rebuild of transmission including hard parts (gears). suspect failure due to insufficent pressure in oil pump (suspected design flaw), as suggested by several asc mechanic information websites.*ak

Transmission had difficulty changing into 2nd and 3rd. transmission completely failed not far from my home and needed a rebuild for $1250 18 months after initial repair the transmission is again failing. this time when transmission is warm the engine shifts down and up from the over drive gear. when transmission is cold the unit has no problem being in overdrive gears.*jb

Mazda 626 has always jerked on occasion when shifting. driving without any warning (no warning lights of any kind came on), my car started jerking and lurching (this is while going 45 mph). worried about making it to my destination, just barely made it to where i was headed, had it towed from this spot to dealer to evaluate because i felt the vehicle was not safe to drive at this point. was told by the dealer that the clutches had burnt out and the debris from this caused other problems, needed new transmission $2,700 to fix. just previously had them do some transmission work costing me over $500 for the service. *jb

On december 2004, my car did not start, aaa towed the car to belfi's auto and truck repair inc. 162 south main st. lodi, nj. 07644 (973-471-5210). after diagnosing the problem to be the timing belt suspension spring the mechanic informed me that there was a recall for this problem, upon contacting mazda corporation i was told that the recall did not include my vin#. i had the repair done by belfi's auto shop. the recall was for the 1998 mazda 626, why isn't my vehicle included in that recall being that it is the exact same model? *jb

Vehicle is experiencing problems with the transmission. the vehicle only has 69,000 miles on it. when putting the transmission in drive, the vehicle will not move. it can only move forward when the transmission is in first gear. vehicle is currently outside of the warranty. provide further details. *nm

Transmission is giving serious problem. 1998 mazda 626 lx, auto transmission, 80k miles. v4. *ak

(1) transmission fluid leak...o/d light flashing off and on, car smoking and overheating; (2) transmission overhaul...$2000 plus $115 tow bill; (3) still not corrected...but so far new sprage front planetary, torque converter, tec valves, retainer for sprage, thrust beaning. *ak

While driving on the highway, i stopped for fuel. i got in the car to leave and it would not move. had the car towed to aamco . transmission and torque converter were repaired. two weeks later, i had to return to aamco and the torque converter was again replaced. this is a well maintained car and not abused. there was no warning that something was wrong. aamco said the transmission had overheated causing the failure. there was no apparent slippage prior to the event. *jb

Nhtsa recall 00v134000 concerning the timing belt . this vehicle was not included in the recall although the consumer experienced a similar problem. the consumer notified the manufacturer. *ak the vehicle would start but not accelerate. *sc *jb

Recall 00v134000 concerning timing belt tensioner: consumer stated vehicle experienced the same problem as stated in the recall . this affected the engine. took vehicle to dealer for repairs, and was told that valves were bad. *ak....also, camshaft seals were repaired. *ak

My 1998 626 one day without warning the o/d button started blinking and the car began hesitating when driving. i got home, and parked the car. the next day i go to take the car to a car shop, and i missed my turn. i went to make a u-turn and then shifted gears into reverse, but my car wouldn't move. finally i go to the repair shop and was told that i needed a new transmission.*ak

I purchased a 1998 mazda 626 8/14/01 approximately 29700 miles. began experiencing a problem with overdrive approximately 9 months thereafter. no problem found. recently the transmisson has been slipping approximately 86000 miles. on 1/6/05 the vehicle will go into drive but will not accelerate at all. researched this info on the web, it seems several consumers have had the same problem. recall needed. (http://www.dustbury.com/626/trans.html) and (https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/complaint.cfm?tostep=2&cfid=1219590&cftoken=65108811). *ak

The gears would shift hard which made the vehicle jerk forward. occasionally, the gear would jump to neutral which rendered the vehicle from moving. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that a new transmission was needed. *jb

I have spent over $2000 trying to get my engine light to turn off. nothing works. now i am being fined for not passing inspection. what is going on? i have been having this problem for 2 years. after various repairs the light would finally go off. now it will not and has been on for over 6 months. i have had o2 sensor and cat sensor replaced, since that is supposedly what the code was. still nothing and noone seems to care.*ak

1998 mazda 626 - transmission started slipping and finally gave out. also was not the first transmission rebuilt received directly from mazda that has given out, but was not reported the first time due to the fact i thought it was a regular problem caused on my part. recently had to pay $3000+taxs to replace transmission and labor charges. there has to be something done about mazda and there vehicles because they are useless pretty much and should be recalled. " http://www.carlounge.com/cgi/cars/frameset.php?bulletin=y&url=http://www.carlounge.com/cgi/carsbbs/read.php/f/2/i/31057/t/31057 " ......this url provided is just one of the many forums and cartracking websites that have numerous complaints of mazda owners having problems with their cars, especially the transmission. not one , this is a fact and can be proven, not one owner of a mazda 626 has 'not' had extremely serious problems with their car, specifically in the transmission. please..... do something about this because spending $3000+ dollars on repairs regularly is obviously ridiculous, even if the money were available. *jb

I bought a used 1998 mazda 626 on oct 8, 2004 and nov 15, 2004 the transmission died in it and the dealer won't do a thing, mazda is denying that there is a problem and still there is no recall forced onto the manufacture. i'm not spending $1500 or more, i'm going to try to rebuild the tranny myself and bill mazda @ $85/hr plus parts. we need a class action suit filed. any lawyers' out there, please help us. i don't wan't to repair the tranny 3 times or more.*ak

Transmission failure at 82,000 miles (on an already rebuilt transmission). *jb

Vehicle is not working due to a broken spring in the tensioner for the timing belt. refer to recall# 00v134000. *sc *jb

A spring became caught in the timing belt which caused it to break. *nm while researching the consumer discovered that there was a safety recall issued for the consumer's vehicle. based on the vin the consumer vehicle should have been included but the consumer never received any notification. *nm

While driving check engine light appeared on the dashboard and remained on. consumer drove vehicle to the dealer, who placed it on a diagnostic machine. mechanic determined that the computer needed to be reset. consumer informed the mechanic that this problem occurred more than once and had not been resolved. *ak

I know i'm not the first to say this, but the transmission in my 98 mazda 626lx (4 cylinder) is a piece of crap! after a mere 84,500 miles, its shot. nice work mazda, i'm never buying your ford in disguise product again. if there were a degree in running off consumers, mazda would have a doctorate!................now im out $1500........thanks for nothing and again, i'm never buying another mazda product for as long as i live. *ak

The automatic transmission is jerking and the check engine light is on and fluid is leaking on our 1998 mazda 626 at 75,000 miles. (a common complaint.)*ak

My 1998 mazda 626 is unreliable. it has been in and out of a dealers service department to get them to find out why it cuts off in the middle of operation or why it will only crank sporadically. they check, say they have identified the problem, charge us for a repair (because it is out of warranty. it rarely works more than a day after it has been repaired and then it is on the blink again. the reported problem from day one has not changed, it will not work properly due to failure to crank. we want it fixed and we expect trained technicians to know what to look for to fix it. we have now paid out over $1000 with parts and labor and still we have a car that will not work. north park mazda, jackson, ms has all of the recent service records which back up what i have stated. *jb

Complaint received via e-mail."our car's automatic transmission is leaking ,the check engine light came on and the car is shifting and jerking; frankly dangerous. looks like this transmission is a piece of crap. why aren't you going after mazda and ford for this fiasco? we are looking at about a $2000 repair on a car with 75,000 miles, and comically, our repair technician has an exact duplicate mazda in his shop right now with the same problem. .. go figure! the consumer do for protection and compensation?" *jb

I would like to make a complaint about my 1998 mazda 626. the automatic transmission is a peace of crap. the car is a 98 model with 132,000 miles and has had the transmission rebuilt or replaced 2 times. this is not normal.*ak

While driving at 25 mph check engine indicator light illuminated, and engine stalled. vehicle was towed to independent shop, and mechanic determined that time belt broke. *ak

Transmission takes about 10 sec to shift from park to drive and from park to reverse. wont accelerate but rpms go up and wont shift.i had the car checked by sevral mechanics and they all say i need a new transmission.*ak

I purchased my 626 in june 1998. at 58,700 miles (nov 2001), the 1st transmission went up (flashing o/d, wouldn't shift, etc). i had a rebuilt transmission installed at a local transmission shop because it was no longer covered under the warranty. it cost $1,500. at 92,000 miles (nov 2003), the 2nd transmission also went up. i had the third transmission installed at the same shop at a cost of $1,800. the vehicle currently has a little over 100,000 miles on it and it is currently in the shop getting it's 4th transmission. this time, we were headed out of town with the car fully packed for vacation when it decided to dump all of the transmission fluid, started smoking, flashed o/d lights, etc. four transmissions in 100,000 miles is a glaring failure on the part of mazda and/or ford (who built the transmission). i will never buy another mazda and i will advise everyone i know that mazda vehicles can't be trusted. i don't understand why there was no recall on this horrendous piece of junk. *ak

The first transmission failure was in july 2003. it was repaired by aamco transmissions. the transmission failed again in october 2003. repaired again by aamco. it failed again in april 2004. repaired again by aamco. now the transmission has failed again in september 2004. this is 4 times within 1 year and 2 months. this is utterly ridiculous. it is obvious something is wrong with the mazda 626 automatic transmission being that there are many complaints about this same problem. mazda needs to step up and take responsibility for a major defect in the 626. no wonder they stopped producing the 626 in order to avoid the problem at hand.*ak

Transmission slipping, od light blinking, transmission fluid boiling out of dip stick area, covering motor which then started burning with lots of smoke. took it to transmission repair shop they changed the filter and fluid, now it doing the same thing. i'm scared to drive it! *ak

Upon taking the vehicle to the dealership, the consumer was informed that the belt tensioner needed replacement. the consumer was aware of a recall, nhtsa campaign 00v134000; belt tensioner; spring assembly. the consumer was told that her vehicle was outside the remedy scope. *jb *nm

While driving, the vehicle stalled. the consumer tried to restart the vehicle but was unsuccessful. the consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the consumer that the timing belt needed replacement. please fill in additional information. *jb

Transmission failure - 82000 miles - - needed complete rebuilding which upon further checking will not solve the issu. *ake

1998 mazda 626 failure of the timing chain. *mr this incident occurred while traveling on an extremely busy highway. the engine stopped running. it was determined that the timing chain tension mechanism failed. recall# 00v134000. the consumers vehicle identification number was not included in the recall. the consumer requested reimbursement for the repairs and parts. *sc *jb

My husband noticed that the bolt holding the driver's side seat belt buckle was loose, so he attempted to tighten it. the bolt would not tighten, so my husband took the seat out to get to the bolt and the bolt just came right out of the housing unit without needing to unscrew it. the bolt was completely stripped and we cannot use the driver's side buckle now. i called mazda headquarters and they said to take it to a dealership to diagnose the problem and it should be a free fix. i took it to the dealership and they said i was passed the 5 year, 60,000 mile safety warrantee and it wouldn't be free. to me, the seat belt should work no matter what, not be part of a warrantee of safety. i'm concerned because this may happen to others and in the event of a crash, the buckle may come out of the housing unit and render the seat belt useless. *ak

Transmission began to slip. after 10 minutes of driving car became immobile and had to be towed. 100k miles. total transmission failure. rebuild cost at local shop: $2,550.*ak

Started off as a speedometer problem. speedometer would peg from 0 to whatever speed i was traveling when taking my foot off the accelerator, then it would reverse it and only peg back and forth when my foot was on that accelerator. overdrive light blinks on and off and overdrive fails. transmission shifts into gears quickly,chirping tires. also, when speedometer drops to zero, if you push the accelerator the car seems to think it needs to shift into first or second gear no matter how fast you are going. almost caused me to have 3 accidents in one day just driving home from work. *jb

Timing belt tensioner failed resulting in the vehicle stalling in the middle of the road. manufacturer stated that vehicle was not included in the previous recall due to vin. *ak *nm

I was driving my 1998 mazda 626 in normal traffic and stopped at a traffic light. after the light changed, i accelerated as normal and the automatic transmission would not shift to a higher gear and the engine began to race. i pulled into the parking lot where i flagged down my husband and told him there was a problem. he then got in and experienced the same problem, the transmission would not shift to a higher gear. he drove the car to mazda knoxville in the first gear. the service manager looked under the hood and told us that the transmission had gone out and would have to be replaced. he also suggested that we install a "transmission cooler" to prevent this from happening again. he said that mazda puts these type of coolers in newer models. i had no warning, nor had i had any previous problems with the transmission.*ak

I purchased my mazda 626 in 1999. this a 1998 model. so far i have put a brand new transmission in the car (3 months after i purchased the car) and i was just told i need a brand new transmission!!!! the car can not go in reverse, and can't drive right!*ak

On april 15th, 2004 i was driving to work in my 1998 mazda 626 lx and the automatic transmission began to slip then failed completely. i had to drive off the highway in first gear. i then took my 626 to a local transmission shop and they informed me mazda transmissions had a faulty drum. he informed me the transmission would have to be replaced. i picked up my vehicle from the transmission shop on april 23rd, 2004 and on april 24th, 2004 i was driving on the freeway and the overdrive light began flashing and the the car began to decelerate and also began smoking. i had the vehicle towed to the transmission shop and they informed me the transmission had blown once again. they replaced the transmission a second time and on sunday, may 2nd, 2004 i was driving on the freeway and the overdrive light began to flash once again. i immediately pulled off of the freeway and had the vehicle towed to the same transmission shop. i called mazda and they informed me they were aware of the faulty transmission and stated i needed to install a transmission cooler to keep this from happening. they informed me a recall has not been done on the faulty transmission. the original transmission is not available. during this time i not only had to pay for a new transimssion and cooler i also had to pay for towing costs and car rentals for almost 3 weeks.*ak

I purchased my 1998 mazda 626lx in december 2000 with 65,000 miles on it. in july 2002 the transmission went out completely while driving up a hill at 65 mph with the cruise control on and the air conditioning turned on. the car suddenly shifted into second gear and proceeded to strip all the gears in the transmission (as i was told by the transmission repair shop) rendering my car useless for three months while i saved the money to have it repaired. i put a remanufactured one in from phoenix hard parts (never got my rebate, so don't go to them for help!). it cost me $1300 for the transmission and $1200 in labor to have it installed. now this transmission overheats (flashing o/d light) after only an hour on the interstate! please someone look into this issue. it may not be child seats, but this is costing lots of people thousands of dollars!*ak

1998 mazda 626. 89,000 miles. transmission began to slip. car would not run. aamco repairs cost me approximately $2,600. premature failure is common. for additional information, follow this link: http://www.cartrackers.com/forums/live/yourlemon/189.html. *jb

Problems with vehicle's engine and transmission.*mr the consumer believed recall#00v134000 was related to the problem he experienced with his vehicle. the consumer requested reimbursement for the engine and transmission repairs. *jb

While driving 40 mph, the transmission failed without warning. as a result the vehicle stalled out in traffic. the cause has yet to be determined. please provide additional information. *nm the vehicles transmission failed twice. it was determined that the transmission was properly repaired by lee myles mechanic but failed due to car manufacture. *tc

I purchased a 1998 mazda 626 lx sedan in november 1998. at some point in the year 2002 the vehicle began to hesitate when shifting from first to second gear and then the overdrive off light began to flash. ocean mazda in miami, florida told me there was an incorrect gear ratio between first and second gear. when i told them to fix the problem they stated that they did not repair transmissions, they only replaced them. i was told the cost of that with parts and labor would be $4,000.00 which i did not have at that time. i continued to drive my mazda until the transmission went out on me on march 28, 2003 while i was traveling from tallahassee, florida back to miami. i had to leave the car in orlando, florida at a friend's house for two months and then could not afford to have it repaired until march 4, 2004. at the time of my transmission failure the car had approximately 65,000 miles on it. it cost me $2,400.00 to have a rebuilt transmission installed at a local shop and now i am on pins and needles hoping that it won't fail again for at least another 3 - 5 years. the gentleman who installed the rebuilt transmission stated that the transmission simply got to hot and burned up the components inside. reading other complaints i am not that optimistic that it won't fail again and i'm just hoping it will last long enough for me to save and get another car (not a mazda though).*ak

(1) events leading to failure: the transmission in my mazda 626 failed while riding down the street with no warnings. the car was only 4 years old and only had approximately 65000 miles on it at the time. this car has been well taken care of and the transmission should have lasted longer than 65k000miles. 2) failure and its consequences: pparently several parts in the transmission were bad. in the end, i ended up paying over 2500 to have the transmission rebuilt with a year warranty. (3) after the problem was fixed, i've had nothing but trouble with my transmission leaking/smoking. the mazda dealership is fully aware of this problem and i have invested over 4000 total in the car as of today. in my honest opinion, mazda should not be in business if something like this happens after the car is four years old.*ak

Transmission failure on 1998 mazda 626 4cyl 2.0l. *ak

Transmission failure. *ak

Transmission prematurely failed at 110k miles on my 1998 mazda 626. the transmission costs over $3k new or $1.5k rebuilt, both of which are higher than the vehicle is worth. *jb

Transmission seized abrubtly during a highway drive at 45 mi./ hr. locked up no reverse on my 1998 mazda 626. near accident, none resulted fortunately. this will be the second transmission in less than a year. will be taking in shop for replacement 5/24/2004.*ak

Transmission failed at 79,000 miles, which should not have happened. the transmission failure was not a result of misuse or an accident, and in fact, transmission maintenance was performed per the manual within the last 6 months. after speaking with a former mazda mechanic and searching online, i've found out there have been multiple transmission failures with this car due to a design defect which has since been corrected by mazda in the newer models, however mazda has not seen fit to issue a recall on the defective model years.

I purchased my 626lx used in the year 2001. when test driving it, i felt a light kick to the car. the salesman told me it was a special feature of the transmission. that it acts as a v6 but only a 4 cylinder so it will save me on gas. in taking the dealers word, i purchased the vehicle believing it was in fine condition. after a week of having it, it was kicking harder. i took it to a mazda dealer to have it examined, when all i was told is, it checked out ok. they said it was a characteristic of the vehicle. now, after all the run around of taking it to all the auto shops i know for different opinions. according to one of the professional transmission shops, i hear the worse diagnose of what i was afraid of initially. that the transmission needs replacing. i took it back to the same mazda dealer to have them rediagnose it since they were the ones that had said it was fine just eight months previous. then they told me, the transmission indicates an internal problem. that it should be replaced. so another $100 bucks later for a 10 minute diagnose, i find my car was defective from the first day i got it! in taking my vehicle back to the dealer i got it from, all i got was, let?s get you into something else, but of course we?ll have to deduct any cost it will take to fix it to resell it. so i went higher; i took it to mazda corporation..( i was tired of dealing with this for almost two years already) i explained my problem with them and they told me to write a letter. i was frustrated in having to wait and wait so i called back a week later telling them my story again but to a different person. i researched all types of facts from every source to use against mazda about the exact model of the 626 i have. when reading every document i had in my hand confronting their defects in the vehicle, the rep. told me she?ll take it to her manager and call me back. a day later, she did. she also told me that they?ll pay for the transmission as long as i pay for the labor ($600).

External spring in the timing belt tensioner broke and caused the timing belt to break. 1998 mazda 626 cars were recalled for this problem, but only the cars manufactured from aug 1997 to august 1998. this did not cover my car. the recall should be extended past august 1998.

While traveling 35 mph serpentine belt broke and became lodged in the engine, causing engine to stall. *ak

Since i purchased my car used from corporate motors in sacramento, calif. i always thought the transmission was slipping at 18k, this was my first one so i just figured that's how automatics drove, wrong? air conditioning went out around 30k. i've spent well over $2500 repairing the vehicle transmission wise, and now the pump is going out. i have been told the pump just can't be replaced, i will have to get another transmission, either rebuilt or a new one. i am letting it get to the point that it will drive in a dealership and never come home with me again.

My daughter has a 1998 mazda 626. she hit a tree head on at about 40 miles per hour and the air bag did not come out. we have had the car repaired and she is driving it now. it really concerns me that this is a dangerous car if she has a wreck that is worst that the one she already has.

Since approximately june, 2002, the immobilizer has been turning off the engine immediately after i start the car, even though the alarm is deactivated. i usually have to wait 24 hours or so for the alarm to reset itself. this occurs every 2 months or so, but when it happens, it continues to occur for several days. it has happened even when the car wasn't locked. june, 2002, replaced battery; dec. 2002, installed new fuel pump; jan. 2003, installed fuel pump again; april, 2003, bought new key and clicker; sept. 2003, dealer wants to replace immobilizer @ nearly $800. all of these repairs are at dealer's request, and are interspersed with many tows and alarm resets.

My 1998 mazda 626 4cl 2.0 engine has approx. 71k miles on it. the transmission starting having problems in august 2003, at which point we had the transmission fluid flushed,& the spark plugs changed. the mechanic told us to drive it a little while and let the conditioners take effect, but the car shows no difference in driving. the o/d light flashes now on occasion, and the rpm goes up to 4 or 5 before it shifts to a higher gear. we are not driving it now..its been sitting in our driveway for a week & a half. i called the mazda dealership and before seeing the car they said it needed a new transmission. i have a extended warranty thats good thru 90k, but they may or may not honor it, i can't afford to take the chance if the warranty company dosent reimburse me. this is our only car, and i still have 2 years of payments left. after reading 56 pages of comments on-line with people experiencing the same problem, i have no faith that a new tranny would even solve the problem...it looks as though even with a rebuilt one they go out right after the rebuilt warranty. i have not seen a carfax on my car, but i would not be surprised if this wasn't the first transmission. we can not afford to buy a new car without selling this one, but how can i sell a car that dosen't run, especially when i still owe money on it.

Transmission failed in mar 03. rebuilt. failed less than 10,000 miles, brought back to service, failed again after another 10,000 miles on apr 5, 04.*ak

While driving 30 mph consumer's vehicle was involved in a rear end collision which caused a chain reaction. upon impact, air bags did not deploy. driver and two other passengers sustained minor injuries and were transported to the hospital. vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection. *ak

I have had my mazda in the shop 5 times in the past year and a half all transmission related! it has cost me so much money, inconvienced me and just given me major migrains! i have had the transmission rebuilt twice, the differential barring replaced, a seal which was pouring out fluid and caused me to be stranded on interstate replaced. this car is a joke! mazda you should be ashamed to have your name on this car! i just got it out of the shop tuesday and i'm on my way to trade it!! i still owe on this car and i am not a happy and satisfied customer. why there is not a recall on this car is unbelievable! i have been so emotionally stressed out because i never know where or when my car is going to break down next. this mazda is history!!!

When accelerating from a stop vehicle hesitated then jerked forward before accelerating. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

1998 mazda 626 - total transmission failure at 91000 miles. with proper fluid levels and fluid change at 50k miles, the transmissions still experienced a major meltdown! numerous parts destroyed inside the transmission when the differential gear fell apart. i'm very upset with the $2,800 bill to repair something that should have never failed. while calling numerous transmission repair shops, i quickly found this is a very common problem for the cd4e transmission. i was also very disappointed at mazda's response to a problem that's been ongoing for years! basically..."sorry, not our fault". hopefully this complaint can be used to help make mazda more responsible for a product they know to be bad.*ak

While driving 20 mph vehicle stalled. consumer managed to pull over, an dhad vehicle towed. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

I brought my mazda 626 lx on 6/1/01 with about 33,000 miles, since then i had to replace my timing belt at 44,000 due to the tension pin.meanwhile, i have made numberous amounts of repairs to this car. at about around 70,000 miles my transmission started having problems. sounded like it was making a popping noise and the car began jerking when under 30 mph. now the o/d light flashes on and off and my car starts smoking.*ak

Transmission went out on car. well maintained. serviced regularly. mazda dealer is charging $2,700 to repair. *jb

Hi.my name is nazmi pirraci.i bought my mazda 626,1998 from nissan dealer rated number 1 in santa barbara california.when i bought the car the odometer registered 82500 miles.i payed 9800 to buy the car.after driving only 10000 miles the car broke down.when i took the car to the mechanic he told me that the transmission broke down and that was going to cost me 2300 to replace it.when he found out that my car had only 10000 miles after i had bought from the dealer he asked me to take the car to the dealer and see if thay can help me with the cost .so i took the car to the dealer and explained what had happened.thay told me that i didnt had warranty and that they could do nothing to help me.so i ended up paying 2300 dollars for my car .i feel that i have been cheated and i this model mazda 626 should definitely be recolled becouse lots of people that i know have the same problems with their mazda (transmission break down).*ak

I have an extended warrenty on my car. i own a mazda 626 (1998). when my car's transmission failed, mazda replaced my transmission ( i had around 74,000 miles) which was still w/in my extended warrenty period. now at 90,000 the new transmission failed again and i have to pay for it!*ak

While pulling out of a parking lot engine revved, but vehicle would accelerate faster than 20 mph. then vehicle stopped accelerating. dealership indicated that converter cooler was fried and failed to cool the transmission.*ak

1998 mazda 626 has been in the auto shop about 8 times in the last 6 months for transmission problems. these incidents have begun since nov 2002 and ongoing to this day, mar 08 2004. since i can not afford to buy a new automobile, i feel deeply angry that mazda has not recalled, my car and thousands of others. my mechanic see's many mazda's 626's 1998's in his shop. i really hope anyone help me with this. i hope the dealership that sold me the vehicle can relay this information to mazda corporation. both the dealership and the manufacturer should try to stand by what they sell. marcos sanz. *ak

I own a 1998 mazda 626 and the transmission just went out on it. i have done a little research and found out that this is a common problem among these vehicles and i feel that mazda should start taking some responsibility. i have to pay $2,004.50 to get it rebuilt and i have only owned it for 2 years. my vehicle was 100 feet from the train tracks when it decided to stop working. it could have been a very bad situation as the train came by a couple minutes after my transmission failed. *ak

Transmission needs replacing at the ridiculously low mileage of 68,000 miles. after checking various web sites, i discovered that the problem is endemic for mazda 626 cars with automatic transmissions.*ak

My cd4e transmission failed. it has been denoted by mechanics and by consumers that these cd4e transmissions are defective. i'd just like to make a complaint against ford/mazda for supplying this transmission to my 1998 mazda 626.*ak

Transmission failed in my 1998 mazda 626. *jb

When vehicle was put into gear engine shut off. took vehicle to dealer, and dealer determined that control module needed replacement. *ak

While driving at 35 mph vehicle stalled timing belt t tensioner malfunctioned, causing the timing belt to break. there's a timing recall 00v134000 was issued, however, this vehicle was not included due to vin. *ak

My son was given a 1998 mazda 626 with 70,000 miles by his grandmother. we knew the history on this car, it had been well maintained and we thought it would be a good safe first car for him. before my son even got his licence we started having problems, the car appeared to be slipping in and out of gear, the rpm's would jump and the vehicle would lurch forward. we put the car in the shop and were told it would need a new transmission. we are thankful the problem appeared before my son was out on the road alone. i have read numerous complaints about mazda transmissions and some of the things that have happened could have been fatal in the hands of an inexperienced driver. mazda has been made aware of the problem but seems to be ignoring it. do we have to wait until there are fatalities before something is done?*ak

Transmission failed at 67,687 miles. *ak the vehicle stalled in the middle of an intersection. *jb

Replaced transmission on 1998 mazda 626 at 72,500 miles. along with multiple repairs in the last 2 years, including abnormal burnout of tires, 3 windshield replacements and alignment issues. *cb

The vehicle's transmission failed without warning. the part was replaced however the problem still exist. please provide any additional information. *nlm

While driving vehicle lost power. vehicle was towed to a repair shop. mechanic stated that the timing belt needed to be replaced. *ak timing belt and tensioner didn't correct the problem. a used engine was installed. even though there was a recall for this make, model,year and manufacturing date, the consumer's vin wasn't in the recall scope. *ph

I own a 1998 mazda 626 with approximately 76,000 miles. the transmission has failed and mazda said it will cost $4,000 to replace. *la

The manufacturer recall amendment; manufacture recall #92007, nhtsa recall 00v134000, "spring on timing belt tensioner breaks off and gets caught in the timing belt". while the consumer was sitting at a stop light, the vehicle stalled and would not restart. a mechanic examined the vehicle and found that the spring had broken off in the timing belt. *ph *sc *jb

I own a 1998 mazda 626 that i purchased in 1999. i have had a rebuilt transmission put in this car in 2000 because the transmission went out. at the present time, the motor has seized. it just quit one day as my daughter was on her way to work. it is at the mazda dealership in broadening, ohio and they won't or can't tell me why this has happened. i am now trying to find out about recalls and get other info that may help me get my car fixed. *ak

Transmission overdrive light appeared on the dashboard while driving on the highway. this caused the transmission to shift hard and loud.*ak

While traveling at 30 mph tensioner belt fell off inside the engine and broke the timing belt. vehicle stalled, and had to be towed to an independent repair shop.

The transmission is totally shot and i will have to replace it at a cost of about $2500 while i hear that if mazda had just informed the owners earlier they could have added about $100 cooling kit and saved all the cost and hassle. *la

While driving 30 mph transmission exploded underneath the vehicle.*ak

Without warning the vehicle will stall at any speed. the consumer contacted the dealer on two separate occasions, but the problem still persists. *ak consumer feels that mazda should pay for the repairs because of the recall. *cb *jb

I have a 1998 mazda 626 and my transmission went out about 6 months ago. as i was researching, calling around and asking people about where i could find a transmission at a reasonable price, i came to realize that this has been a problem with several other people who owns or has owned a 626. *la

Re: technical service bulletin# nhtsa 00v134000/recall 00v134000: timing belt tensioner spring defect. i have a 1998 mazda 626 vin#[xxx]. on 10-27-03 i had to take my car in for service because the timing belt tensioner spring broke causing damage to the timing belt. the technician informed me that there was a recall on this. i call mazda and gave them all the information and they said that there was nothing they could do. i think that mazda should have to pay for this! it was a recall. *la *scc *jb information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

I have replaced the auto-transmission on my 1998 mazda 626 twice, once at about 75,000 miles again at about 90,000 and now it is gone again at 113,000. [email protected] *la

The transmission failed in 03/02, i got it replace for about $2000.00. in nov of 02 it started slipping gears and performing badly after highway driving. i took it back to have it looked at and was told nothing was wrong. then in 08/03, it failed completely again, my car will not move no matter in what gear. i took it in to find out the depth of the damage i was looking at and was told that my transmission is beyond being rebuilt and need to have it totally replace at a cost of $2500. this problem needs to be taken care of by mazda and/or ford. i can't believe they expect their customers to keep shelling out this type of money for the faulty product they are clearly aware of. this problem has put me in dangerous circumstances for it decided to quit in the middle of the highway during rush hour traffic, it was the grace of god that i made it home. it hasn't moved since.

My transmission failed at 80,000. the o/d light started bilnking on i-59. i pulled over because the car was jerking and acting very strange. when i opened my hood, i noticed smoke. i then closed my hood and slowly drove to a car repair shop. they said they couldn't find anything wrong with the car and returned it to me. one week later a noise that sounds like two gears grinding started in my car and this caused my car to jerk into each gear. this jerking was severe enough that it would cause my head to bounce back and hit the head rest. i then took it back to the shop and they thought that it was my cv driveshaft. they replaced it and the clicking continued. when they placed it on the rack, they then realized that the clicking was coming from the transmission. since they do not work on transmissions, i had it towed to a respected transmission shop. after inspection, they have informed me that it needs another transmission. the used one will cost me $1800 and a brand new one will cost me $2800. after looking online, i realize that this transmission problem is an on going one with mazda 626's. i think that it is absolutely absurd that mazda doesn't not recall this part since it is vital to the car's safety. the transmission going out in traffic could cause a serious accident. *la

I purchased a car in april 2001 (a used car) and have an extended warranty for it. car started giving me problems in 2002 so i decided to use my extended warranty to get the car fixed once it broke down on me on the highway; i found out that the warranty company never heard of me and that my warranty never existed. the place that i brought the car from went out of business because of fraudulent activities, but they did have one other car place that was still operating, so i called that place and explain the problem to them. they assured me that they would take care of me. they tried twice too fix the problem and supposedly fixed the problem, the car is still the same way it was when i brought it to them. they are giving me the run around. my extended warranty is suppose to last 60 months or 100,000 meters which ever comes first. i used my car daily because i have small children and it seems like the company still wont honor the fake warranty that i have that was given by them. my transmission on the car is worse than before. the company is dick gidron ford/cadillac. they were all over the news for fraud. please help. *la

I have to had my transmission fixed 3 times now and it is currently leaking transmission fluid even after all the work i have done to it. i own a '98 mazda 626 - there is certainly no sense in having so much trouble out of this car! *la

Transmission problems for the second time within the past 5 years. it was replaced on 09/01 at 47,544 miles, my check engine light came on and when i took my car to the shop they said that, the transmission was going out; the invoice states that the fluid was burnt and the torque converter was slipping. the second incident occurred on 9/23/03, coming from out of town, the overdrive light started flashing and stayed on for about 45 minutes so i stopped at a gas station and turned the car off, when i restarted the car i noticed smoke coming from under the hood. i raised the hood of my car and noticed some fluid coming out on the driver's side near the windshield and when a gentlemen came over to help, he told me that it was the transmission fluid overflowing. when i took my car to a repair shop i was told that pressure was building up in the transmission, the torque converter was replaced and i had to pay $2178.00. *la

While driving 70 mph, the vehicle stalled.*ak the consumer thought hit the cruise control because the vehicle decelerated and lost steering. the second incident, the vehicle failed to exceed 40 mph and finally stalled. the first incident, the consumer had the vehicle towed and the mechanic found a tensioner broken. when the incident happened the second time, the consumer was told there was recall, however his vehicle identification number was not included. the consumer requested reimbursement for both tensioner spring failures. *jb *nm

Transmission failure at approximately 73,000 miles without prior warning. o/d light began flashing on highway 3 hours into 7 hour highway trip. vehicle well maintained. concerned about having transmission repaired--will the engine fail next? what are statistics on how these cars fare after transmission repair? *jb

Oil is leaking into the transmission and is leaking out of the top of oil dip stick reservoir.*ak

While driving on two occasions at no particular speed the servo unit of the transmission fell out onto the road. in the last two months transmission has been replaced twice, and vehicle is at dealer for repairs again.*ak

My car, a 1998 mazda 626 lx 4 cylinder automatic, has a dead transmission. this failure is due to defective ford transmission. *jb

While driving the transmission indicator light flashed which resulted in the vehicle stalling. *ak

Mazda 626 started having transmission problems at 71k. no warning, maintenance up to date, bought from dealer with 42k and only drove 2 years. i still have 2 years of payments!! i can not afford to buy another car with out selling this one, but how can you sell a car with a transmission defect? *jb

Transmission failed in year 5 of operation for 1998 mazda 626. i am aware that i am not alone with my transmission problem regarding 1994-1998 mazda 626s. this is too soon to be disposing of an automobile because of a big ticket item. very disappointed. won't ever buy mazda again. also, front, right axle joint was failing/loose a year ago, 3 repairs/axle replacement and $1000 later, the problem has not been fixed. absolutely no faith in mazda, or the service department located in burnsville, mn.

While driving south on i75, i had noticed that my o/d light had started to flash. the car seemed okay, but the o/d continued to flash. i was in the process of passing a truck with an eighteen wheeler right behind me and all kinds of stuff started to happen. the speedometer quit working. then the battery and oil light came on. once that happen, the engine completely died. after calling stepps and having my car towed to my mechanic, he advised me that i had burned up the transmission. something blew inside the transmission which caused a fuse to blow and this cause the motor to turn off. my mechanic advised me to look into this because he recalls this happening to another client. he has given me a couple of different costs rainging from $1800 on up. i am shocked to read all of the posts from different people who have had the same issue. i have 123,000 miles on my car and am surprised this different happen sooner. something needs to be done about this.*ak

I'm am an unfortunate owner of a 1998 mazda 626 lx. there's no need for me to tell you about my complaint because it's everybody's complaint, but i will tell you anyway. transmission problems!! after regular maintenance, my transmission failed at such low mileage. this is unacceptable, we are paying a japanese price for a ford piece of crap. it's a shame when you go to a transmission shop and the dealer says something like "oh, we do a lot of those" or "that's a common problem in your model". when i was at the shop getting my transmission replaced, there were 2 other 626's being serviced at the same time. how can you create a car thats fairly decent in other aspects, then throw in a faulty transmission, a piece that is so vital to the automobile. mazda knows that they have made a mistake and it would be a bad decision to leave a buyer stranded like this. this will definately lower the amount of repeat buyers from mazda. you can compare this to a father having a child and not being there for him and not even paying child support. it's going to come back to haunt mazda in sales. now they're coming out with the mazda 6 hoping to just brush all the 626 problems behind them, but they are brushing back people who work hard for their money. fathers and mothers who have to leave their car parked in the driveway because they can't pay for the repairs while they're still making payments on the car. families who have to make a decision whether to pay for repairs or put food on the table so their family can eat. mazda definately needs to take care of their responsibilities. admit that you made a mistake, fix it and make things better for your financial future. there is nothing professional about making a bad product and leaving the customers behind. james williamson. *ak

Transmission failure. transmission completed failed at 70,000 miles. the transmission in this car is the infamous cd4e - used on the ford contour, probe, mercury mystique, etc... from what i hear, there's been nothing but complaints on these failing prematurely, costing driver's many thousands of dollars. the dealer wanted $3,500 to replace the transmission with a new one. i instead went to another business, and had a used cd4e put in. (the used one had 17,000). now, at 105,000, i'm starting to have transmission problems again. it's sluggish at times and o/d flashes now and then. the problem may not be the transmission's fault, but perhaps mazda's implementation of it. many people have complained to mazda to issue some sort of recall on this transmission, only to be ignored. add me to that list. *ak

I'm am an unfortunate owner of a 1998 mazda 626 lx. there's no need for me to tell you about my complaint because it's everybody's complaint, but i will tell you anyway. transmission problems!! after regular maintenance, my transmission failed at such low mileage. this is unacceptable, we are paying a japanese price for a ford piece of crap. it's a shame when you go to a transmission shop and the dealer says something like "oh, we do a lot of those" or "that's a common problem in your model". when i was at the shop getting my transmission replaced, there were 2 other 626's being serviced at the same time. how can you create a car thats fairly decent in other aspects, then throw in a faulty transmission, a piece that is so vital to the automobile. mazda knows that they have made a mistake and it would be a bad decision to leave a buyer stranded like this. this will definately lower the amount of repeat buyers from mazda. you can compare this to a father having a child and not being there for him and not even paying child support. it's going to come back to haunt mazda in sales. now they're coming out with the mazda 6 hoping to just brush all the 626 problems behind them, but they are brushing back people who work hard for their money. fathers and mothers who have to leave their car parked in the driveway because they can't pay for the repairs while they're still making payments on the car. families who have to make a decision whether to pay for repairs or put food on the table so their family can eat. mazda definately needs to take care of their responsibilities. admit that you made a mistake, fix it and make things better for your financial future. there is nothing professional about making a bad product and leaving the customers behind. james williamson. *ak

I'm am an unfortunate owner of a 1998 mazda 626 lx. there's no need for me to tell you about my complaint because it's everybody's complaint, but i will tell you anyway. transmission problems!! after regular maintenance, my transmission failed at such low mileage. this is unacceptable, we are paying a japanese price for a ford piece of crap. it's a shame when you go to a transmission shop and the dealer says something like "oh, we do a lot of those" or "that's a common problem in your model". when i was at the shop getting my transmission replaced, there were 2 other 626's being serviced at the same time. how can you create a car thats fairly decent in other aspects, then throw in a faulty transmission, a piece that is so vital to the automobile. mazda knows that they have made a mistake and it would be a bad decision to leave a buyer stranded like this. this will definately lower the amount of repeat buyers from mazda. you can compare this to a father having a child and not being there for him and not even paying child support. it's going to come back to haunt mazda in sales. now they're coming out with the mazda 6 hoping to just brush all the 626 problems behind them, but they are brushing back people who work hard for their money. fathers and mothers who have to leave their car parked in the driveway because they can't pay for the repairs while they're still making payments on the car. families who have to make a decision whether to pay for repairs or put food on the table so their family can eat. mazda definately needs to take care of their responsibilities. admit that you made a mistake, fix it and make things better for your financial future. there is nothing professional about making a bad product and leaving the customers behind. james williamson. *ak

While traveling about 35mph on the highway and without prior warning.another vehicle made a sudden stop causing the consumer to hit her from behind. upon impact, driver's side air bag didn't deploy. *ak

I have a 98 626 mazda lx with 54k miles. my transmission is going out on me. i took the car to a mazda specialist. they told me it may cost a round $2800. this is not the first case of transmission failure on mazda. i heard and read that there are thousands of transmission problems with mazda. something must be done about this problem and mazda should pay for the transmission and labor. i am still paying for may car. *jb

1998 mazda 626 transmission failure experienced on a freeway. the car lost power and i had to pull over immediately. it repeatedly slipped out of gear.*ak

The consumer reported to the dealer the vehicle jerked and kicked and the transmission fluid was very dirty, the symptoms remained, and the consumer was led to believe it was normal. the consumer was stopped at a red light when the transmission failed. *ak *ts *jb

Transmission problems. this is the fifth time that transmission has gone bad. manufacturer was contacted ,and stated that there was nothing they could do.*ak

The transmission in my mazda 626 has failed and needed to be completed replaced at 72,000 miles. *nlm

When vehicle idles it begins to have a stalling sensation. dealer stated a recall has been issued; but, this vehicle was not included due to vin. *ak

Transmission problems occurring with 1998 mazda 626. the car has 65k miles on it. the transmission has been shifting hard into second gear for quite some time (at least the last 25k miles). had the transmission serviced (fluid/filter) at 38k and 50k miles. now the over drive light is blinking and the car is shifting even harder than before. the problems i am having match what has been described on the web site http://www.cartrackers.com/forums/live/yourlemon/189.html#258 mazda needs to be responsible for their faulty product and recall this car.*ak

The vehicle stalled while driving and would not restart. the vehicle had to be towed to the dealer. a recall was issued for the timing belt and the symptoms of that failure were similar to the problem the consumers vehicle experienced. the consumer had to pay for repairs. . *ak *cb *nlm

Transmission failure. i have been reading all types of posts from websites saying the same thing about the poor transmissions in the mazda 626. how could you disregard the quality of a part thats so vital to a newly manufactured car? most people who are writing posts about the mazda 626 transmission problem say that they will never buy mazda again, and i feel the same way. every post that i've seen has been about the faulty transmission. people having their transmissions die at 37k, 55k, 48k. what's going on? can we atleast get 150k. i'm still making payments on this car. if i have to get serious service like this, i would expect for it to be something way down the line after the car is paid for.*ak

Transmission has gone out on my 1999 mazda 626. *ak

Transmission was slipping. the consumer noticed the problem about two weeks ago. research showed it appeared to be many complaints about the transmission slipping on mazda 626's. *ak *cb *jb

My transmission failed at about 75,000. it was not under warranty, so i spent $2200.00 getting a rebuilt transmission, which also failed. the shop i took it to then replaced it again, and now this one is failing too. this will be the 8th time i've taken car back for the same problem. *tt

The vehicle experienced the same problem as the recall on the timing belt trencher. the dealer would not repair the vehicle because the vin was not included in the recall. *nlm the consumer requested a refund for the repair. *scc

When accelerating vehicle jerks and sputters due to transmission. *ak

After paying for my 1998 mazda for 9 months which i purchased from 5-star mazda i had to get the transmission replaced. a great unexpected expense. *jb

Owner of 1998 mazda 626-car just turned 67k miles. with cruise control set on 75 on the interstate the o/d off light came on and started blinking. turned car off for a few seconds and the light went away. next day the transmission started slipping. the mazda dealership says the o/d off light blinking means the transmission is over heating. (how in the blue hell am i supposed to know the overdrive off light blinking means a transmission problem?) dealers first response was to rebuild transmission, i pushed back and told him to try something else, they did a transmission flush for $130 and he says that seemed to stop the problem for now. given all the other complaints for the same issue will be selling the vehicle: i cannot believe there is not a recall on this. it seems that everyone in the automotive industry knows this is a defective part that goes out. *nlm

Transmission failure. when stopping, transmission down-shifts so hard that all passengers feel as if they will be thrown through the windshield, like being rear-ended. also, the transmission is very slow to shift. when it finally does, it "kicks" like having been hit by another car. transmission takes itself out of cruise control and out of o/d. mazda dealer service manager has driven the vehicle and has experienced these problems first hand, but because the car is not generating a "code", mazda's official position is that there is no problem. this is extremely upsetting and unacceptable, since i complained of this problem (and others) sept. 2002. the car would not accelerate at all but would sputter, then jolt forward into traffic. i made three separate trips to the dealership and the first two times was again told "there is no problem, since we can't find a code" - even though the engine light was on! finally, on the third trip, they were able to diagnose the problem - spark wires and plugs. recently, when they weren't able to find the current problem, they suggested that it was an engine mount problem, so i paid nearly $700.00 (and had a rental car for nearly three weeks waiting for parts) to have that fixed. when i got the car back, the transmission problem was actually worse! further, the car seems to have some sort of electrical problem, as occasionally, all the dash lights will come on when i depress the brake pedal, and the left or right turn signal will remain on, static - not blinking. i have reported all the above on more than one occasion to the dealership and to mazda corporation. this vehicle has only 63,000 miles and is just now paid off. i complained about this problem while the car was still under warranty and was told there is no problem. now, the car is out of warranty, and since mazda says there is no problem, i will have to pay all costs involved in transmission replacement. i intend to retain legal counsel. *nlm

Approximately every 55,000 miles the transmission had to be replaced. *nlm

The vehicle shifted gears on its own while driving. *jb

The automatic transmission failed while driving at 25 mph without warning. *jb

While driving up i-75n , i noticed the o/d off light had started flashing and the engine sounded strange. after a few miles of this, i came upon a rest area and pulled off there. as soon as i stopped the car, the engine started smoking, and making a gurgling, sizzling noise. i had to call aaa to tow me back home, which was 3 hours away. after going back to tampa, had my car dropped off at aamco transmissions. i was advised that the transmission had to be replaced because it was completely burned up inside. so i had them replace the transmission. i spent alot of money between the transmission replacement, towing, and alternative transportation while my car was being repaired. *nlm

Transmission repair on a 1998 mazda 626. cost me $2936.32 *jb

The vehicle experienced the same defect with the engine stalling as stated in recall 97 v 228 000. the consumer vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin. *nlm

I bought this car 1 year ago, it has 83,000 miles on it, the transmission needs to be replaced at the cost of $2,400. according to the shop repairing it, this is a very common occurrence with this year of car. all investigations into recalling this transmission have been closed. ouch!! *jb

Transmission failure and replacement on automatic transmission at 70,000 miles. *nlm

The transmission went out suddenly at approximately 62,800 miles. when i limped it into the dealership immediately after this occurred i was told it needed to be tested to see if the problem was internal to the transmission or not. unfortunately, per their test, it was and now they want $3200 to replace it with a new one. my understanding from doing research (unfortunately well after i bought this car) is that this is a problem common to mazda , especially the 626's i would like to know if this problem is as prevalent as it appears to be why there has not been a recall as the problem appears to be related to the mazda transmission design.*jb

Transmission. what was told to me by dealer, was that a piece came apart from the transmission, clogged up the transmission filter, while hitting moving parts and ruining parts of transmission. *nlm

My 1998 mazda 626 lx transmission is bad. something that is not expected from this make and model and car this recent. even after repairs, the transmission still fails shortly after, losing hydraulic pressure, rings and clutch are worn and must be replaced. the entire transmission must be replaced. *jb

The transmission locked up, which caused the rear tires to lock, which made it difficult for the consumer to control the vehicle.*jb

1998 mazda 626 with 71,909 miles. transmission failure. will cost me $2100.00 to fix. still paying a loan on this vehicle. *nlm

I own a 98 mazda 626 4 cyl automatic i recently had to have the transmission rebuilt at a cost of $2,715.00 this car only has 53000 miles most of which are highway.

The automatic transmission went out in october 2001. i replaced the transmission. the transmission went out again in december 2002. i have not replaced the transmission because i feel that the car is just a lemon.

The check engine light illuminated on the dashboard. which caused the engine to lock up.*jb

Transmission failure and replacement at 72,000 miles.*jb

My transmission goes out when i reach the speed of 60, iit has been taken to the shop four times within 3 months.

I just found out that i will need to replace my transmission chain to the tune of $800.00 and am horrified to find out that nhtsa has not forced a recall of transmission problems on the mazda 626. after reviewing your website complaints, i can't understand what nhtsa is thinking, i'm guessing that no one has been killed yet, therefore the delay in calling a recall. from what i've read, i can look forward to doing this again in the very near future. only have 75,000 miles, original owner and thought i was driving one of the safest vehicles on the road. silly me

The transmission on this vehicle just quit. it has always had problems from day one. the dealers would say it was normal for it to clank, shift erratically, and sometimes engine revved between shifts. now it has quit working completely. how long will it take for the people at nhtsa to start saving people. after all it is your moto. mazda/ford should be forced to reimburse the $2000 repair costs each time.

While driving my 98 mazda 626, i noticed slippage of gears (in the transmission). i would step on my accelerator, and nothing would happen. i spoke with mazda, and was told that since my mileage is approximately 100,000, this is not under warranty. i replaced the transmission, at another ase-certified facility, for $3018.00. the mechanic advised me that this problem was "typical" with the 98 mazda's. apparently, mazda had a joint-venture with ford. the transmission used for the 98 mazda 626 was the same transmission used on the ford probe. (funny, you don't see any of those around now). i was given a 12-month, 12,000 mile warranty. it is one year later, and again the transmission is inoperable. due to the numerous other complaints of mazda transmissions, i asked the mazda dealer if the transmission is under recall. the mazda dealership stated that the transmission is not under recall. i find it appauling that a business can not stand in good faith with its product, especially, if numerous discrepancies are noted for the record. how many other mazda owners are having this problem, but are not filing complaints? i believe many. if you own a mazda and have a problem, especially with the transmission, please file a complaint. i am in the insurance industry, and have my property and casualty license. when i consult friends, neighbors and relatives about automobiles, i urge them, no i beg them, not to ever purchase a mazda, because they do not stand by their name.

The transmission blew away at 90k miles inspite of religious take care of car ( mazda 626 ). *jb

Fifth and third synchronizers wore out, causing gear selector to slip suddenly into neutral. *nlm. *ak

The transmission on my mazda 626 1998 es (v6) is extremely defective. i'm now on my third transmission and have spent close to 1/2 the value of the car itself. both transmission faulted to the point where i could not go in reverse. in addition, my gears stick to the point where it makes the car jerk.

Consumer stated that the third and fifth gear slipped back and lost control of vehicle. dealer notified. ts consumer felt this was not an isolated problem and is urging an investigation. *tt

Consumer stated the transmission failed.*jb

The vehicle hesitated to accelerate, and was told that the problem was the transmission. scc

Early transmissinon failure

While driving at 35 mph vehicle started hesitating to accelerate. consumer had vehicle towed to dealership, who indicated that the automatic transmission had failed. please provide more details. ts

While driving 25 mph consumer heard a noise coming from the front of the vehicle. then vehicle would not accelerate. please provide additional information. ts

Vehicle will stall with no warning. checked vehicle, and had the idle speed control replaced. vehicle then started idling at 2000 rpms, fluctuating. diagnostic indicated need to replace power-train control module (pcm). vehicle was not part of recall nhtsa campaign 97v228000 due to vin. please describe details. *ak

When pulling out of parking lot transmission failed, with gears not responding to acceleration. rpms were very high from attempting to get vehicle in motion. please describe details. *ak

Consumer states that while driving and no warning the transmission will slip gears then the engine light will come on and this is a distraction to the consumer. mr

While driving at any speed and with no warning, the vehicle will shut off, causing consumer to pull over. it will become hard to get the vehicle restarted. dealer notified. *ak the consumer states at normal highway speeds, there was transmission trouble (slipping into gears) overdrive light turned on and off. the result was the transmission burned and had to be replaced. the cause was linked to the computer. *scc

Consumer states that front passenger seat belt did not lock when vehical was rear ended causing injuries.

While driving at any speed on flat surface and no warning transmission will stall, making it hard for consumer to control vehicle. dealer notified.*ak

Consumer states that the transmission fluid started to spill out from the hose that you add the fluid through. contacted dealer and the dealer is not willing to do anytthing. nlm

While traveling on highway consumer heard a loud clinking noise coming from underneath hood area, vehicle shut down, and would not restart. dealership is aware of problem. *ak consumer stated the vehicle did start back up, but would not foward or backward, consumer stated the transmission was replaced about a year ago.*jb

Consumer states that the vehicle has problems with the gears on the transmission. dealer was contacted. ts

At 30mph and with no warning vehicle shut off. this could have caused an accident. cause unknown. dealer notified.*ak

When vehicle is in overdrive it will not move. vehicle has had 3 transmissions put in. please provide any further information.*ak

While traveling on the highway the tensioner belt fell off from inside of the vehicle. the vehicle shut down and the vehicle had to be towed to the dealership.*jb

Ongoing problem with engine stalling at any speed vehicle been to dealer on one occasion ,and the problem stilloccurring. feel free to provide any further information.*ak

Vehicle stalled at 5 mph. dealer replaced a broken timing belt tensioner.*ak

Consumer stated the vehicle stalled at 40-50 mph, the vehicle was towed to dealer. dealer determined that timing belt tensioner had broken and had to be replaced.*ak consumer searched recalls in nhtsa database and found a safety recall bulletin on the very same problem. *yd

While driving at 45-50 mph engine started to rev up, and then without any notice, transmission just went out, and vehicle became inoperable. contacted dealer, and dealer was checking vehicle.*ak *mr

Prior to pulling off vehicle jerks into gear. dealer and manufacturer have been notified. please provide additional information. *ak

While traveling on highway vehicle hesitated without prior warning, and wouldn't move. dealership was aware of problem.*ak

Firestone affinity tire failed, p185/70r14, dot number vdrva1b, claim 11-3689-056. *slc

Timing belt was not working properly. belt wore out and tensioner has popped off. contacted dealer ,and dealer noted that vehicle was not part of recall 00-v-134-000. *ak

Firestone affinity tire failed, p185/70r14, dot number vdrva1b, claim 11-3689-056. *slc

Timing belt tensioner has broken. a recall has been issued on vehicle make and model; however, this vehicle was not included due to vin. please provide further details.*ak

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mazda 626. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v674000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the contact stated that the check engine warning light and other warning lights were illuminated. the vehicle also made a warning sound and emitted a burning odor from the front end. the approximate failure mileage was 200,000. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue.

I have a 1998 mazda 626, automatic transmission with overdrive. july 2003 the overdrive light began to flash and the transmission started to slip while i was on the freeway and almost was hit. the car would not move. i could barely pull over to the side to obtain towing service. i paid aamco in renton, wa $4000 to repair the car. well, guess what... it happened again. on july 3rd 2004, i was driving out of town for the 4th of july, and made it only 30 miles out of town and the overdrive light was flashing again and began to pour transmission fluid on the engine. there was so much smoke i could barely pull the car off i-5 in order to seek a safe place to pull over. i had to have my car towed back to seattle, and again it needs a new transmission. the ford cd4 transmission is in the car, and it is a piece of garbage. where is the recall and all the money i dumped into this car going? i still owe on the car and cannot trade it in with it's current shape. the first time this happened was 85,000 miles and it now has 100,000 miles. out of warranty but out of pocket. thanks mazda. *la

While consumer was driving odometer flashed and jumped. vehicle had to be parked. engine was sluggish and stalled. consumer obtained a rental.*ak

The external spring for the timing belt tensioner broke. also, engine was not running. this vehicle was not covered under recall 00v134000 for timing belt tensioner failure due to vin. *ak *tt

While the vehicle is idling engine will race at a very high rpms. dealership has examined vehicle, and determined that "timing case" was causing this problem. vehicle was not included in recall 00v134000. please provide any additional information / attachments.*ak

Consumer was traveling on highway and engine check light came on dashboard. mechanic told consumer that oxygen sensor malfunctioned. dealership was aware of problem.*ak

Automatic transmission had to be rebuilt at approximately 60,000 miles because gears would not engage. a private mechanic informed consumer that this was a common problem in mazda 626. *ak

Engine check light had been coming on intermittently. took vehicle to dealer, who found no problem. then, while driving about 60 mph transmission would not engage, vehicle dropped to 30 mph quickly while engine revved. transmission needed to be replaced. *ak

Transmission locked up while driving at 45 mph , vehicle came to a dead stop with engine running. front wheels locked up, and would not move due to torque converter failure. *ak engine would stall during right turns, dealer reset computer, then engine light illuminated, dealer stated the torque converter clutch was slipping, transmission locked up on the way to a dealership for replacement of torque converter clutch, a new transmission was installed and 20 miles later the od off light illuminated, vehicle started smoking and losing power, this time dealer stated the cooling system in the radiator was not large enough to cool the transmission, an external cooling system was installed, now transmission needs replaced again, consumer requests that vehicle be replaced or repurchased by the dealer. *slc

While traveling at 10 mph vehicle is coasting with overdrive indication flash, and without any indication vehicle jumped into gear. please provide further information. *ak

Front impact crash at 30 mph, and neither airbag deployed, damage $ 2200. *ak

Transmission will go from first gear to overdrive and jump forcibly into gear. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak

Transmission does not go into reverse. dealer has been notified.*ak

Vehicle would stall out while driving. engine would overheat & start smoking. towed to mazda dealership & mechanic indicated no oil in crankshaft & no anti-freeze in radiator. there were no lights on dashboard. this was a leased vehicle.*ak

After vehicle was repaired by dealer under recall 00v134000 vehicle became inoperable. dealer was not able to correct the problem. manufacturer has been notified.*ak

While traveling consumer noticed overdrive indicator light flashing. then, engine would idle without any indication. please provide further information. *ak

When consumer drives and attempts to accelerate, vehicle loses speed and bucks. *ak

Automatic transmission malfuctioned, causing vehicle to stall or hesitate, which may resultin a crash. please provide further information. *ak

When using the head restraint, if consumer's head is not centered for a period of time, the material gives way . dealer has been contacted. *ak

While driving at 65 mph driver's side and passenger's side air bags deployed for no reason. consumer had to pull over to the side of the road due to air bag deployment. *ak

Consumer purchased vehicle two weeks ago, and noticed that when shifting from drive to reverse there was a loud thumping noise. *ak

Whenever brakes are applied vehicle fails to stop right away. the stopping distance is longer. took vehicle to dealer. was informed needed to have the brake pads & rotors replaced. *ak

When driving at 60 mph the left rear wheel vibrates and there is noise coming from under the front of the vehicle. also, front passenger's/ driver's seats vibrate. *ak

Consumer was in an accident with another car on 17 dec 98, and air bags did not deploy. also, passenger's seat belt inertia device did not lock. failure of passenger's seat belt allowed passenger to be thrown forward, striking legs in dash and head hitting windshield. consumer sustained alot of bruising and swelling, but did not suffer serious injury. also, driver had some bruising and cuts. both are undergoing physical therapy. *ak *ak

Front axle pulls out of the transmission and the steering wheel wobbles. could lose control if driving at high speeds on highways, also, when making a turn, cannot drive. there is no indication that problem will occur when making a turn. the dealer cannot duplicate the problem. however, they will replace the axle, but they do not have a new axle in stock. *ak

The transmission system malfunctioned, causing engine stalling/surging and accleration which resulted in an accident. cause unknown. dealer cannot determine problem. please provide details. *ak

While driving the transmission went. the vehicle is at dealership for repair. *ak

I've been having a lot of maintenance problems with this car. dt

Transmission (drum) failed after normal use at 100k miles. regular maintenance was strictly kept on the fluid a $2000 repair bill. noticeably, there were 3 other mazda's (626 and protege's) there with similar problems. the mechanic stated that mazda does not even issue the same drum anymore. they have moved to a different design to replace these commonly malfunctioning parts. in my eyes, this amounts to an admission from mazda that their product is faulty. dt

I had to have the transmission replaced at 34,600 miles of normal city driving. the warranty was for 3 years/36,000 miles. (i was about 6.5 months past warranty timewise) the mechanics who replaced it said that the front pump was scored, and that metal bits from it came out from the torque converter and lodged in the pressure valve, which was stuck. also, the chain was stretched. dt

Radiator was clogged and was causing the overdrive light to come on. *slc

Transmission was replaced. *slc

Car would just rev and not catch gears.*ak

Automatic transmission had completely failed at 15,000 miles. was replaced by mazda. failed again at 53,800 miles/3 years.*ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

No summary. dt

Stalls and will not accelerate from complete stop, car also stalls without warning in intersections while making turns. "check engine" light flashes but does not remain on, then car suddenly jolts forward. also shifts hard and jolts during driving. mazda service dept. can't find anything wrong, since there is no computer code to indicate what is causing this problem. all required maintanence has been performed, gas tank is full. car has been serviced regularly as required by manufacturer. help! mr

Transmission was replaced at 37,000 or 38,000 miles. was still under warranty. replaced spark plugs twice before 50,000 miles.1st at dealership(80.00) 2nd by my husband 3,000 miles after the 1st time. 2 mths. later same problem not plugs but replaced spark plug wires. replaced front rotors(should not be replaced that early) before original brake pads were worn down completely. put in shop dec. 01-computer said bad o2 sensor replaced both sensors(90.00) still same problem. called mazda, filed a complaint with mazda. they did nothing. they said not enough files had been issued to warrant a recall. i think that is a lie. all over the internet you find complaints of this particular car mazda 626 transmission problems. these cars are notorious for that. it is a shame that mazda makes a product as this and does not stand behind what it produces. they are just lazy and do not care to help the public. you would think they would care about their reputation. they have a very bad reputation with the mazda 626 transmissions and they don't even seem to care. this vehicle needs to be recalled and everyone that still has paperwork needs to be reimbursed by mazda for all the money people have paid to get their cars fixed. thank goodness we got rid of ours a few months ago. i tell eveyone i know that is looking into buying a car not to get a mazda.

This is in followup to my previous vehicle owner's questionnaire nhtsa odi number 763482. i took my mazda 626 back to the dealer from whom i purchased the vehicle. i explained my research to the service manager who admitted that he had seen this problem before and that some vehicles experience this problem again after a rebuilt transmission has been installed to correct the initial problem. the service manager stated he contacted the regional mazda organization and described our case and our low mileage of just over 32,000. mazda offered to pay for the rebuilt transmission if i would be responsible for the labor. having read other owner's complaints that it cost them between $2,200 and $2,900 to get their car on the road, i accepted the offer. i am still hopeful that the nhtsa will investigate the mazda transmission problem. if recalled, i am hopeful of getting my money refunded, which i believe is reasonable given the pervasiveness of this vehicle defect. thank you for your consideration. jjb*ak

The factory installed transmission failed in may 2002 at 85000 miles. the replacement (used) with 46000 miles failed 45 days later. upon contact with service repairers i was informed that the vehicle has a high transmission failure rate. mr

I had started to notice rough shifting at around 90,000 miles. i travel with my work and am gone every week mon-fri and put about 1000 miles a week on my car. some weeks more than that, all highway miles. i thought the rough shifting was due to the transmission fluid and filter and had the transmission fluid changed. you cannot get to the filter in the cd4 without taking the whole thing apart. i went another 10,000 miles and now the transmission will allow me to travel about 10 miles then quits. after sitting for a few minutes, i can travel another 5-10 minutes then it quits again. i have contacted mazda's customer service department and a lady i spoke with was no help at all. she told me to go to a dealer and the closest is 125 miles away. i asked if they had a tech department i could talk to and she said none existed. i have been told that this ford transmission is nothing but trouble. i cannot complain about the first 100000 miles on this little car. the only repairs were brakes and a battery plus the normal maintenance. i cannot see why my transmission is acting so wierd though. i had one go out years ago and it never would shift again. this runs, then quits, then runs, then quits again. oh well, i wanted to vent and i have. if there is a recall out there on this i would love to know about it. thanks for listening. fred martino.*ak

I had a complete transmission rebuild/replace fro $2800 on a 4 year old mazda that i bought new. mazda only covers 3 years. poor design.*ak

My 1998 mazda 626 did not qualify for recall #92007, engine timing belt tensioner, due to "vehicle identification number provided does not qualify for the recall 92007. due to the circumstances, we are closing the file (file #764436)." the spring on the timing belt tensioner broke causing the car to keep stalling. this is exactly the problem stated on recall #92007. i do not understand why mazda has refused to compensate repairs for this car.*ak

The following complaint is very common in the mazada 626 someone needs to help the consumer. no safety defect listed. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

This 5 year young car has been garage kept and used as a third vehicle for weekend driving. over the last few hundred miles, the tranmission began jolting into first gear when stopped at traffic lights, etc. on june 19th, i decided to take the vehicle to my mechanic to check for what might be an emerging transmission problem. the vehicle would barely back out of the driveway. it seemed to jump out of gear, and seemed to shift gears randomly and without warning. i had to stop several times on my two mile journey to place the transmission in neutral and ease it back into drive. these extreme symptons have manifested themselves intermittently since june 19th, prompting the internet searches that lead us to nhtsa's website. i will be taking the vehicle to mazda in the near future and will report my experience back to you. is there anything that you can tell me in dealing with mazda so that this can be fixed with minimal expense and aggravation? many of the mazda transmission reports to nhtsa relate stories of computer failure but in most cases the transmission is replaced. what has nhtsa learned of this matter relative to the mechanical versus computer problem? how do i keep from being taken? frankly, it is clear from the complaints lodged on your site and on other sites detailing mazda transmission problems, that mazda/ford has a serious problem with this transmission that they are passing on to the public at large. i think that transmission failure at only 32150 miles is not reasonable service and i have never had such a failure with any other vehicle. looking at the nhtsa website, apparently, you have no investigations of mazda to report. the nhtsa mazda 626 transmission complaints are dated starting 1997. the problem seems longstanding enough to warrent investigation. what has been the experience with other mazdas and comparable competitors? i am writing to you in advance in hope you can offer some advice in resolving this. regards, joe bachalis.

Transmission failure at relatively low mileage, dealer suggests reman. transmission at a cost of $2700. transmission repair shop reports internal failure of some sort, complete removal and disassembly required to determine exact nature of the problem - $700 labor, plus parts. there seem to be quite a few complaints of this nature with this year and model. please investigate. how many complaints must be filed before a recall is warranted?*ak

Mazda corp states that my vin is not 'on the list' but dealer stated that it is unusual for spring to fail. my vehicle falls in the year, make, model, and engine size in recall, but manufacturer denies repair on recall basis even if tensioner spring was defective since it is not on the list of vin's considered eligible. i am original owner, age 50, conservative driver. i would like an exception case to be filed. i have had all recommended maintenance on this vehicle. the dealer that diagnosed and charged me for the repair is tom naso mazda, 11185 alpharetta highway, roswell, ga 30076 770-993-6999.*ak

My transmission went out at 45,000! the mechanic at tustin transmission (calif) told me that he sees this problem all the time on this transmission. in doing research online, i have found many others have had the same problem too! this is not right!!!!! i am frustrated and angry that this defective part has not been recalled. please help!!!!!!*ak

My transmission has gone out with 70,000 miles. i am forced to purchase a new transmission. i know of many other mazda 626's with the same low mileage transmission problems.*ak

Transmission failed @ 80476 miles - no forewarning. *ak

The webbing has started to separate on the passenger rear seat belt and is about half way across (the width) of the seat belt. the dealer states the belt has been cut. the belt has not been cut. i have contacted mazda and can talk to no one other than the person at the other end of the 800 number. that person (have talked to two diff. people on two diff. occasions) tells me the dealer is the eyes and ears of mazda and that they have the final say. help!!*ak

While driving approximately 70 mph there was a loud rumbling noise with no prior warnings. the gas pedal slowly declined and the car started to stall. the noise was very loud . no check lights were on prior or during the incident. had advice that it was the engine. contacted local dealership, said car was not under warrenty and could range from $1500-2000 to fix. the car only has 53000 miles with routine car care. *ak

Automatic transmission failed at 65000 miles. mazda dealer tech said there are lots of problems with 98 model transmission. when transmission is hot, it completely failed. work a bit better when it cool down. it needs to be replaced.*ak

Transmission failed at just over 62000 miles after regularly scheduled maintenance.*ak

On stated date, i was rearended on highway. air bags did not deploy, however back part of drivers seat broke. it was found completely horizontal at end of impact. mazda said it was built to do that for safety reasons! tow truck operator, auto body employees have never heard or seen such a "safety feature." due to this defect in seat mechanism,i sustained back injuries that continue to this day. i have kept the broken seat track. i would like to have it checked out. if mazda designed the seat back to break on impact as a safety factor, it has failed me quite drastically!!

The problem that i am experiencing with my car is an external spring in the timing belt tensioner broke.this is a problem that has led to a recall of some 1998 &1999 mazda 626's . i took my car to a mechanic today because i was hearind a knocking/rattling noise under the hood.upon inspection the mechanic found the problem and knew almost immediately that this was not a common occurrence and that possibly this would be a recall problem,he then checked and found out that there was infact a recall and advised me that i should contact mjazda which i did. i found out that my car is not one of those included in the recall,which leads me to my complaint.this is such a serious mechanical problem,my mechanic told me that the engine could stoll while drving!! i hope that this complaint is taken seriously,and i hope that mazda will extend the recall to include all affected vehicles. *ak

Transmission failed suddenly while i was driving on the freeway and smokes came out from the front of the viechiel at the time of the incident.*ak

While driving, at speed slightly above 25 mph, the vehicle stalled while engine was running. when vehicle was attempted to restart, all lights would work properly , car would not crank or reignite to start engine. technical help attempted to jump start vehicle but was asked to stop attempt due to sound being broken timing belt. vehicle is currently in summit automotive for the repairs, which must be paid for by the dealership who did not mention this recall to a buyer. with the power door locks, the locks engages to unlock itself whether the vehicle is on park or drive and at times locks itself not allowing driver or passenger to unlock door manually. with the door locks, the passengers and drivers can fatally die if needed to exit the vehicle in case of an emergency. please contact me asap with regards to what i need to do, as a consumer and owner.*ak

Car fails to enter gear when shifted from park or neutral into drive or reverse, then suddenly lurches into gear. once in gear, the car fails to shift into higher gears (limiting speed). while moving forward in gear, the car will shift out of gear into neutral or (less frequently) into a lower gear without warning (maximum time in gear before shifting into neutral = 1-1.5 minutes, usually 30-40 seconds). sometimes shifting the vehicle to neutral and back to drive or reverse, or turning the engine off and back on, enables the driver to put the car back into gear. if the car is slowed to a stop while in forward or reverse gear, the car will leave gear and stay in neutral.*ak

Internet research shows that the mazda 626 has a long history of tranmission failures. we took the car in for its regular maintenance as noted in the car manual. we had purchased the extended 100,000 mile warranty. the transmission failed at 100,385. neither mazda nor the warranty company would agree to an adjustment nor a compromise on fixing the transmission. *ak

Transmisson needed to be replaced after failure. *ak

Transmissiomn would not engage when vehicle was put into drive or reverse.later vehicle would jerk violently when when transmission would shift gears.transmission has shifted hard since i first purchased vehicle with only 10,000 miles on it.reported trans shifting hard when first purchased and dealer claimed that was nature of mazda trans and there was nothing to be concerned about.*ak

The failure of the transmission on my beloved car put me in a very dangerous situation in extremely heavy traffic. the police had to help as did the highway safety vehicle patrol car. there was no indication of my car having any sort of problem, the car simply stopped at the intersection. i was placed in a dangerous situation because i could not move it far enough off the highway. semi trucks blasted their horns at me as they sped on by. i am an older woman traveling alone and did not even have a phone for emergency use. i had to write a note and stand by the side of the road imploring anyone to send help. it was a terrible experience. i now have to pay almost $1800 to get this repaired, and i do not have transportation for a week. i am a school teacher, about ready to retire, and now i have to rearrange plans for the future due to this disaster. it is my very strong opinion that we are looking some unfair manufacturing practices here, and the mazda people need to either recall this mess, or pay for their ineptitude when they are endangering the public.. this is a terrible thing to do to unsuspecting consumers, and i resent that they give no satisfaction when called.*ak

Noise from engine, whining noise, rpm dial jumps up when accelerator push but no power. car jerks upon coming to a full stop. rpm dial goes up and down to the point that engine will cut off. no dash board light ever came on to give warning. on 8-01-01, had car towed to montgomery madza in charlotte, nc (vacationing) dealer calls on monday to state transmission had failed and to replace would cost $2700.00. dealer called back with a new quote of $1700.00. stated that territory rep, tom watkins was the only one that could authorize a different but because i was over 80,000 miles, he was sticking to his decision. i asked to speak with mr. watkin and was told he was unavailable and was given my phone number but he never returned the call. i called my dealer located in atlanta, ga, hennessy mazda and spoke with steve andrews in the repair dept and told him of the situation and his only recommendation was that they add an additional transmission cooler and he was not surprised that the transmissions are not good. i gave authorization to have the car repaired at 4:30pm on 8-6-01. i also stated that i had some dealer (hennessy mazda) coupons that would have helped with the cost of the repairs but montgomery mazda would not honor the coupons. did some research online and to my surprise that this model and make has so many problems. my faith in mazda has gone out of the window.

This has been a major problem on the mazda 626. dealers are making huge profits by not fixing the part but the whole transmission for a cost of 2600 to 3500 based on my research. there are many postings on the internet with this problem. all cars effected that i have researched have less than 100,000 miles. one source said that the transmission may be failing because of a faulty computer chip. why do not the dealers just replace the computer chip on a recall if this is a problem? probably because they are making so much money replacing the transmissions.*ak

I saw the item in the middle of the freeway traveling 55 mph during rush hour traffic. it was small and due to traffic, i ran over the item and the next thing i remember was an airbag in my face. i looked around to see if someone hit me or if i hit someone. due to the force of the passenger airbag, it cracked my windsheild. no damage was reported underneath my vehicle so why did my airbags deploy? this defect could have caused major damage if i hadn't reacted calmly when it happended.*ak

Transmission went out after owning vehicle for only 1 yr. after contacting a mechanic, i was told that transmission needed three new updated parts or transmission would continue to go out even if i purchased a new one. why is there not a recall on this vehicle? i looked at the consumer complaints on your site. i see i'm not the only one with the same problem. what has to happen before a recall is done?*ak

Transmission just died at high speed, well serviced, only 78000 miles and 3year old car. *ak

Vehicle is very sluggish when accelerating, e.g. from a full stop to 40 mph, esp. in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gears. occasionally, the car will "buck" or sputter, then spontaneously catch and accelerate rapidly. on two occasions, i have narrowly avoided collisions as a result of this defect. the problem occurs at least 20 times per day during my 35-mile commute to and from work, yet, when i brought the car to the dealer they reported that they could not replicate the failure. there is occasionally an audible popping sound eminating from the engine compartment on the driver's side just beyond the firewall when the problem occurs. i am afraid that sooner or later my luck will run out. i am aware of a recall covering the pcm unit on the 98 626, but was told by mazda usa that my vehicle was not covered by this recall. please advise.*ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

The catalytic converter has been on back-order to millenium mazda dealer number 23836since 5-14-01. i have contacted mazda customer assitance by letter and phone and there has been no response. i have been without a car for nearly 2 months. no one seems willing to offer any assistance and since the catalytic converter is a saftey and emission item i cannot drive the vehilce without a new one. any assitance or guidence would be greatly appreciated. *ak

Car suffered "internal failure of transmission" at 43,000 on 2/00. this was replaced at mazda dealer in roswell ga.. it was replaced with a new part. "internal failure of transmission" occured on 6/11/01 at 105,000 miles. service dept. wayne evans said, "we got a memo from mazda corp., it says we should encourage customers that come in for any service to have an external transmission cooler installed. the part is 120.00 plus labor." i told dealer that it may suggest that mazda knows it has a transmission problem. first quote was over 2,000. i asked for the part replaced at no charge to me. the service dealer called back and said that bob white, the regional manager will give part free if i agree to a 60,000 mile maintenence service at 679.00 plus tax. and if i agreed to add the external transmission coller for 120.00 plus labor and tax. they said they would only give free part if i agreed to this. i have the car serviced regularly & maintain records. they said, it wasn't serviced at a mazda dealer & i would need to agree to the 679.00 60,000 mile service and external transmission cooler if they were to give me the part. the rationale was that they wanted to be sure i took care of car if they gave a free part. my concern is their business practices for one. my bigger concern is the risk i incurred when transmission failed twice on the same car. and the corp memo on the external cooler makes me uneasy.*ak

Rear end collision while stopped at light. uncertain of striking vehicle speed. mazda rear crumpled sufficient to distort rear door frames. both front seat mechanisms released and occupants were layed out flat. only two occupants in car, approximately 225 lbs. each. minor neck injuries (muscle pull?) resulted.

Transmission failure. *ak

I have had repeated electrical and fuel/transmission related problems with this vehicle. dealership responds with this is normal. other mechanics question frequent visits however agree that the services are needed.*ak

Transmission jerks usually in the first and second gears of transmission when accelerating from a rolling stop or slow down.*ak

I took my car into millineum mazda, chapel hill blvd., durham, n.c. because the transmission was jerking from the parked position. they decided to replace the piston assembly and i purchased an $80.00 transmission flush. however, neither of these were corrective actions. the service manager, charles gray, decided to replace the transmission on july 18, 2000. well, this time, the transmission began shifting hard when it moved to reverse. on october 23, 2000, the 1st replacement transmission was replaced. i can't really say that the shifting in reverse was totally smooth in this transmission. it has progressively worsened and it is quite aggravating. i am getting the line "mazda will stand behind their product and do everything they can to rectify the problem" from the customer service department. but on the other hand, "we don't know what the problem is. we just have to take it down to see" are the lines i am getting from mazda technicians. this is appalling to me because i must continue to make payments on a car that i can't seem to get repaired.*ak

Transmission has to be replaced. research that this vehicle had many reports of being problem prone pointed to this website for investigating these reports. the cost of repairing is over $2500 and other mazdas were at that dealership the same day for the same problem.*ak

Loss of power during acceleration fron stop or at slow speed, engine light comes on durring failure.*ak

No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak

After three trips to aforementioned dealer with the same complaint, dealer repeatedly says that they can find nothing wrong with the transmission. help! *ak

After driving about 50 miles at 70-75mph, the transmission would sometimes downshift for no apparent reason. sometimes the o/d light came on, and upon pulling off to stop, the car would not engage 1st gear until the car cooled down (the o/d light reset to off whenever the car was shut off and restarted. towards the end of an 900 mile trip to port charlotte, fl, the transmission started slipping on top of the other problems and would not maintain a constant speed (the rpm's varied severely during this time). had to eventually pull off, call a tow truck and have the transmission rebuilt. after about 3 and 1/2 weeks i got the car back and upon driving it home the o/d light came on twice during the 93 mile trip home and the same problem occured with the car not wanting to start in first gear again. i talked to the aadco transmission repair facility in tifton, ga again and they imformed me that the problem was probably electrical!!!!, i.e. the computer. after disconnecting the battery to reset the computer, it seemed to drive better, but still jerky or slipping at times. i haven't driven it at highway speeds yet, i'll be going about 190 miles this weekend, i hope. 1. what should i do next? 2. is the computer the most likely failed component and is it expensive to repair? 3. is mazda recalling any of these vehicles due to these type of problems? 4. are there any other actions that i may take to recover any past or future expenses?*ak

Car ran hot , woulldn't fixx, broke both camshafts in the heads. *ak

I have not received a single recall notice & i see that there are 3. please help me to get these problems resolved. i prefer to use a different dealership than cooley- they are aweful!

Tansmission replaced with less than 12,000 miles on the car. cars sometimes looses complete power while driving.*ak

No summary

Drivers seat too low-5'5" driver sits less than 12" from airbag. *ak

All the tread on two rear tires vanished after vacation travel at speeds up to 65 mph. there was absolutely no tread left on left rear and right rear tires. tires on rear normally at 26 psi were not operated below that pressure.garage mechanic found two rear wheel tie rods bent identically . there was no sign upon inspection that the vehicle had run over anything. there were no scratches or marks under the car to indicate impact with road hazard. i believe the tire wear plus the mfg recommended tire pressure of 26 psi reduced road clearance to the point where the car would bottom out after hitting unrepaired wide cracks in the concrete roadway while traveling at 65 mph.i believe the tire wear was due to defective material in the tires made by bridgestone.i believe the tire wear caused the tie rods to come in contact with the road service causing identical bends in each tie rod, the bent tie rods then would throw the wheels out of alignment and erase the tire treads.( dot number: y7cd ccf tire size: p205/60r15 )

Steering rack gear broke in two with no warning, car went out of control, crossed highway, down a small embankment and into the trees (narrowly missing an oncoming small truck). my wife was driving and was suffered aggravation to existing back and leg problems. she said she heard a "clunk" and the car took off across the road. at first she thought she hit something in the road to cause the car to go out of control. i checked the car out at the towing companies lot that night and determined that the left front control arm was loose under the rubber boot on the drivers side of the car. i asked the dealer now repairing the car to save any steering parts. they replaced the rack and pinion as a unit and i now have it. i have not disassembled it but it is obviously broke under the boot where the rack exits the rack and pinion housing on the driver's side. comment: cars shouldn't break like this with only 61,000 miles on them. this car has received regular lubrication maintenance and when i have driven it recently showed no sign of impending steering problems such as clunks, tight steering, road wander, etc. it was just fine until it broke. *ak

I am the second owner of this car and i don't understand how can a 2year old car need a transmision. i only had this car 1year i just don't understand if there any thing you can do to help me please contact me. i was trying to see if there was a recall on transmision for this year. thanks for your help. *ak

When slowing down and beginning to re-accelerate the transmission jumps in to gear. the interior headliner of the car burned in extreme heat. upon taking the car to a local upholstery shop i was informed that this was not uncommon in the 1998 model car that i have. *ak

After starting engine and stepping on brake to shift gear, the shift gear remains locked. does not move. must play (sometimes hard) to get from park to reverse and then move. dealer cannot duplicate. *ak

Driver's seat is so low that it must be adjusted within 12 inches of airbag for visibility. *ak

Car jerks in and out of gear very rough shifting. proceeded with lemon law

My problem is with the rear center shoulder seat belt strap of the 1998 mazda 626. what i consider as a life threatening problem to my three year old daughter. we were in route to our home, she was restrained correctly in a child car seat in the seat directly behind myself (driver) she was being very quite so i looked in the rearview mirror to see if she had fallen asleep. i noticed her skin color was darker than normal and she was foaming at the mouth, i quickly pulled over to the curb because i thought she was choaking on something. she had taken the shoulder strap from the rear center seat and wrapped it around her neck several times. i reached in over the child seat and tried to release the tension, but it would not loosen up. i reached into the dark to release the red button that holds the lap belt that snaps into the locking device, but the center belt does not have a red button. at this point i panicked, my daughter couldnt breath and i could do nothing to release the rear center seat belt. i managed to work my finger in between the strap and her throat so she could get some air. now i was trapped and could do nothing that would risk her life. i screamed and someone came to my rescue with a pair of scissors. i cut through the solder strap and unwrapped it from around her neck. the top half of the shoulder strap retracted into the top slot in the rear of the seat. the next morning i closer examined the belt mechanism and found that there was a small release latch no bigger than the size of a bb that would have released the belt. i feel this non-standard release button almost cost me my daughters life. i'm so upset with this design flaw that i don't want to hear some service manager tell me it was my fault for not being able to figure out every dumb thing my three year old could do ahead of time. at this point i have not brought this problem up to my mazda dealer, nor have i decided to even ask them to replace the shoulder strap that i had to cut through.

No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak

The car that i purchased was on demonstration and there was likely a defect on the car before i purchased it. i contacted the dealer on numerous occasions, but they failed to repair the problem. therefore, this was my last resort.

626 taken to mazda to have transmission checked for rough shifting and clunking noise. mazda said the transmission was defective and needed to be replaced. once replaced, new transmission acted in the same manner. mazda then decided to replace all 4 motor mounts. that did not correct the problem either. the service department then told me that rough shifting and clunking sounds are normal for the 98'626. i found that explaination very hard to believe to say the least, so i am meeting with the regional sales rep for mazda in an effort to have the problem rectified.

Vehicle frame.

Headlight failed. *yc

Clutch stalled due to leak in hoses to and from slave cylinder. yh

While driving the vehicles transmission suddenly failed resulting in smoke coming out of the front of the vehicle, the consumer is requesting reimbursement for the repairs and rental car expense. nlm

Consumer states the transmission had to be replaced at 70,000, and believes there should be an investigation regarding the transmission.*jb

All four tires had dry rot problems, the consumer informed firestone but firestone did not solve the problem, tire size p205/60r15. *yh

Bridgestone potenza 92 tires experienced dry rot at only 9110 miles and consumer was told that tires needed replaced. *slc

Tire (no make/model provided) experienced a blowout, the consumer lost control and crashed into the concrete wall, the driver injured her wrist and arm. (ohio traffic crash report) *slc

Rear end tie rods on both wheels misaligned. nlm

Consumer checked tire before a trip and noticed abnormal wear on both rear tires near the sidewall, the tread was worn all around both tires, upon returning home consumer discovered that there were no more treads on the tires (bridgestone protenza p205/60r15 90h). nlm

While stopped the engine races up to about 3000 rpms on the tackometer, when the vehicle is in drive it accelerates ahead, resulting in an accident, dealer has been unable to duplicate the problem.

Check the engine light comes on and goes off repeatedly due to oil spilling into air flow sensor and due to intake manifold gasket leaking. yh

While driving through a green light consumer was involved in an accident which resulted in servere injury. however, both airbags experienced no deployment which could have prevented injury. *yc

Recall component (radio- #77810) failure resulting in fire/smoke damage, notice not received until after incident and dealership will not honor recall work. mjs

False deployment of air bag caused injury to consumer upon collision, upon inspection concluded possible undercarriage damage. nlm

Consumer experienced engine failures prior to recall notice.

Though this is a canadian vehicle, it was manufactured in the us. i am hoping that it will help others to force the manufacturer to deal with this problem. the la4a-el transmission is a flawed design.*ak

After only one year of owning this car and a day after having a full maintenance job done it's strange to find out that your transmission is damaged and the total costs is $2470.00. *ak

Both driver and passenger side air bags deployed without any apparent cause, violent condition of deployment caused injuries to consumers face and chest area. yh