Mazda 626
Owners filed 2,987 complaints across 14 model years of the Mazda 626. The 1995 drew the most (488); the 2003 the fewest (9).
Model years14
Complaints2,987
Recalls35
Fires40
Deaths5
Every Mazda 626 model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 9 | 0 | 1 | — | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2002 | 87 | 0 | — | 6 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Routine | |
| 2001 | 188 | 1 | 4 | 10 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Routine | |
| 2000 | 217 | 2 | — | 6 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Above average | |
| 1999 | 318 | 4 | 3 | 11 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Above average | |
| 1998 | 434 | 6 | 5 | 12 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Fatalities reported | |
| 1997 | 358 | 4 | 5 | 17 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Above average | |
| 1996 | 359 | 3 | 2 | 35 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Above average | |
| 1995 | 488 | 4 | 8 | 43 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Above average | |
| 1994 | 282 | 4 | 6 | 18 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Above average | |
| 1993 | 122 | 2 | 4 | 11 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Routine | |
| 1992 | 19 | 1 | — | 3 | Seat Belts | Routine | |
| 1991 | 62 | 2 | — | 4 | Seat Belts | Routine | |
| 1990 | 44 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Seat Belts | Routine |
Which Mazda 626 years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 1995 is the weakest year on record, with 488 complaints concentrated in the power train › automatic transmission. It carries 4 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.