1991 Mazda 626

Routine

Owners filed 62 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the seat belts. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Seat Belts19
103
Power Train › Automatic Transmission9
000
Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage3
001
Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch3
000
Visibility › Power Window Devices and Controls2
000
Vehicle Speed Control2
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor2
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip2
000
Seat Belts › Front › Webbing2
001
Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly2
000

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Structure › Body › Door93V174000
Filed Oct 29, 1993244,000 vehiclesMazda (north America),inc

Defect. RESIN MOLDED FRONT HANDLES FAIL AT THE DOOR LATCH ACTUATING ROD ATTACHMENT, FREEING THE ROD TO FALL INSIDE THE DOOR FRAME. SUBSEQUENT LOWERING OF THE ASSOCIATED WINDOW MAY FORCE THE ACTUATING ROD DOWNWARD AND RELEASE THE DOOR LATCH.

Risk. INADVERTENT ACTUATION OF THE DOOR LATCH CAUSES THE DOORTO OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN OCCUPANT FALLING OUT OF THEVEHICLE.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DOOR HANDLE/LATCH ASSEMBLY.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Drum › Drum93E035000
Filed Oct 13, 1993300 vehiclesMidas International Corp.

Defect. THE GROOVE FOR THE REAR WHEEL BEARING RETAINER RING WAS INCORRECTLY MACHINED.

Risk. IF THE RETAINING RING DOES NOT SIT CORRECTLY IN THEGROOVE, THE AXLE LUG NUTS WILL BREAK, CAUSING THE BRAKE DRUM, WHEEL, AND TIREASSEMBLY TO SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE.

Remedy. MIDAS SHOPS WILL REPLACE THE BRAKE DRUMS WITH OTHER BRAKE DRUMS FROM ANOTHER SUPPLIER.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Aug 3, 2007112,000 milesCA

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 MAZDA 626. HE STATED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE TRANSMISSION. APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AGO, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND HE HAD IT REBUILT. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT HE WOULD NEED TO PURCHASE A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE 124,000.

Seats › Front Assembly › Power Adjust
Filed Sep 27, 2004110,000 milesMN

POWER ADJUSTED SEAT STUCK, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR CONSUMER TO ADJUST THE SEAT AS NEEDED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED,BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator PedalCrash1 injured
Filed May 12, 2004MI

WHEN PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE IT SURGED FORWARD. THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND HIT A BUILDING HEAD ON. CONSUMER STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STUCK TO THE FLOORBOARD. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Apr 15, 2004145,000 milesCA

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. *AK

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Feb 25, 2004117,000 milesCA

FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR DID NOT OPEN. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP, WHERE THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE DOOR LATCH. *AK

Steering
Filed Jan 15, 2004CA

I BOUGHT THIS CAR AT THIS DEALERSHIP ON 1-9-03,SINCE I HAVE HAD THIS CAR I HAVE ONLY DRIVEN IT A COUPLE OF TIMES TO DATE. THIS CAR HAS MAJOR FRONT END PROBLEMS,THE AXEL IS BROKEN, THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING,IT IS TERRIBLY OUT OF ALIGNMENT,THE CABLE SHIFTER IS OUT AND THE CAR STOPS ON ME WHILE IM DRIVING IN TRAFFIC. I HAVE TRIED TO TELL THE OWNER OF THE DEALERSHIP AND HE TELLS ME IT'S JUST MY IMAGINATION....HE GOT ANGRY AFTER I CALLED HIM SO MUCH TWO WEEKS AGO THAT HE TOLD ME TO BRING THE CAR IN SO HE CAN LOOK AT IT,I DID AND HE THEN SAID HE NEEDED TO SEND IT AWAY TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT BY OTHER MECHANICS.....HE KEPT MY CAR FOR 8 DAYS THAN BROUGHT IT BACK AND SAID NO ONE COULD FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT AND THAT IT HAD BEEN PUT ON A DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE,I SAID FINE AND COULD I SEE THE PAPERWORK TO THAT EFFECT .....HE REFUSED AND SAID HE DIDN'T HAVE TO BECAUSE IT WAS HIS PAPERWORK,I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND BECAUSE TO ME IF IT HAD REALLY BEEN CHECKED WHY SHOULDN'T I BE ABLE TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT THEY FOUND?. THIS DEALERSHIP HAS HAD THREE COMPLAINTS AGAINST IT IN THE PAST 36 MONTHS FROM THE BBB. YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HELP ME BUT PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS PLACE.....THEY'RE SELLING CARS THAT ARE UNSAFE AND GETTING AWAY WITH IT,I HAVE CALLED THE CITY OF ANTIOCH AND EXPLAINED MY POSITION TO THEM....SOME ONE HAS TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A BUSINESS LIKE THIS BEING IN EXISTENCE,AND SOMEONE WILL HAVE TO ANSWER IF DEATH OR INJURY OCCUR BECAUSE THIS MAN WAS ALLOWED TO SELL THESE UNSAFE CARS.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Nov 18, 2003195,222 milesMN

TRANSMISSION LOST REVERSE. *LA

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jul 24, 2003162,000 milesPA

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, THE CAR WAS GOING PRETTY SLOWLY. WHEN I PRESSED THE GAS MORE, IT DIDN'T SEEM TO HELP. IT SLOWED TO A CRAWL THEN STOPPED. THE TRANSMISSION JUST DECIDED TO STOP. THIS IS ON A MAZDA 626. THERE WERE NO OTHER INDICATIONS OF THE FAILURE AND NOW I HAVE TO GET A NEW TRANSMISSION!*AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jun 16, 2003MN

WHILE TRAVELING ON TE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING A FLASHING LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD, OVERDRIVE LIGHT ON/OFF, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO JERK.*AK

Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage
Filed Oct 2, 2002TN

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE FRONT SEAT BELTS WILL NOT RETRACT . DEALER NOTIFIED REPAIRED AND REPLACE AND 4 MONTHS LATER THEY BOTH BROKE AGAIN. NLM

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Mar 11, 2002OH

TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 112000 MILES. *AK

Visibility › Power Window Devices and Controls
Filed Sep 7, 2001GA

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. HAD TO ENTER VEHICLE THROUGH PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR. PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR WON'T OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jun 26, 2001GA

VEHICLE WAS GOING 70-75MPH IN 5TH GEAR AND SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFTED TO 1ST GEAR AND LOCKED UP. NO WARNING WAS INDICATED. SPEEDOMETER WASN'T WORKING AT THE TIME. CONSUMER HAS NOT YET CONTACTED DEALER. CONSUMER PLEASE ADD VIN# AND MILEAGE.*AK

Seat Belts
Filed Apr 5, 2001CA

PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT IS INOPERABLE DUE TO A MALFUNCTION WITHIN MOTOR. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

Seat Belts
Filed Apr 2, 2001CA

RIGHT SIDE FRONT SEAT BELT IS INOPERABLE DUE TO A MALFUNCTION MOTOR. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components
Filed Mar 12, 2001SC

WHEN DRIVING AT 45-50 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A GRAUDAL STOP BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOORBOARD, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. VEHICLE SKIDDED ONE HUNDRED FEET, CAUSING A REAREND COLLISION. CONSUMER ALSO, VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

Seat Belts
Filed Aug 24, 2000NC

AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT MOTOR HAS MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING SEAT BELTS TO BECOME INOPERABLE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed May 11, 2000TX

DRIVER'S REAR SIDE DOOR HAS JAMMED. OCCUPANTS HAVE TO EXIT ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE. *AK

Suspension › Front › Macpherson Strut
Filed Mar 16, 2000TX

WHILE MAKING A TURN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS FRONT END STARTED TO MAKE A LOUD NOISE, THE STRUTS CRACKED. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

Seat Belts
Filed Mar 7, 2000NM

AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS DO NOT ENGAGE. *AK

20 of 62 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1995
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20039010Routine
200287000Routine
2001188140Routine
2000217200Above average
1999318430Above average
1998434655Fatalities reported
1997358450Above average
1996359320Above average
1995488480Above average
1994282460Above average
1993122240Routine
199219100Routine
1991 — this page62200Routine
199044220Routine

Compare every 626 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Oct 29, 1993. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.