Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1994 record →
THE "HOLD" LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER BEGAN TO BLINK THIS MORNING. NOW THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS VERY ROUGHLY - LIKE A PERFORMANCE TRANSMISSION... BASICALLY CRASH, BANG, SCREECH. I'VE CHECKED SEVERAL WEBSITES, AND HAVE SEEN REPORTS THAT THIS PARTICULAR TRANSMISSION HAS SEEN THIS PROBLEM COMMONLY. SO FAR MAZDA HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL, I THINK IT'S ABOUT TIME THEY CONSIDER IT. THIS IS STILL A LOW MILEAGE CAR!!!!*AK
I TOO AM EXPERIENCING THESE NOTORIOUS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH MY 94 MAZDA 626 WITH ALL THE COMMON SYMPTOMS LIKE OD LIGHT FLASHING, ROUGH AND JERKY GEAR SHIFTS, LOSING POWER ALL OF A SUDDEN, FIXING IN LOW GEARS ETC. ITS SO AGONIZING THAT DESPITE SO MANY PEOPLE HAVING TO GO FOR COMPLETE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENTS, MANY EVEN MULTIPLE TIMES ON THE SAME VEHICLE, NO ONE IS ABLE TO MAKE MAZDA TO FIX THIS FOR GOOD ON ALL THE 94 MAZDA 626S. ITS SUCH A PITY THAT EVEN MAZDA DEALERS ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ITS NO LONGER A QUESTION OF IF, BUT WHEN THESE POORLY DESIGNED TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FAIL. I HOPE NHTSA CAN INTERVENE AND INVESTIGATE THESE ALL TOO COMMON AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS FAILURES NOW, RATHER THAN WAITING UNTIL FATALITIES ARE REPORTED. HAVING READ SO MANY SAD HISTORIES WITH THIS MODEL, THERE IS NO POINT SPENDING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN HAVING THIS TROUBLING TRANSMISSION REPLACED FOR MY CAR, ITS OBVIOUS THE PROBLEM IS BOUND TO OCCUR AGAIN. I CAN'T AFFORD ANOTHER CAR IN THIS ECONOMY. I CAN'T TRADE-IN MY CAR EITHER (I HATE TO VICTIMIZE ANOTHER INNOCENT BUYER WITH THIS LEMON). SO, I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO TAKE RISK CONTINUING TO DRIVE THIS, UNLESS MAZDA CAN EITHER PICK UP THE TAB FOR THE REPLACEMENTS, OR ATLEAST OFFER TO FIX IT FOR A FAIR PRICE WITH A REASONABLE GUARANTEE PERIOD.*AK
WHILE DRIVING, OVER DRIVE LIGHT COMES ON, AND TRANSMISSION AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTS DOWN. *AK *JB
TRANSMISSION WILL HAVE TO BE COMPLETELY REBUILT OR REPLACED DESPITE REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND NO WARNING SIGNS.*AK
THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SLOWLY GETTING WORSE FROM 08/2000 TO 07/02. WHEN THE CAR IS UNDER 40 MPH AND THE OVERDRIVE ENGAGED THE CAR WILL SLIP. WITH THE CAR UNDER 40 AND THE OVERDRIVE MANUALLY DISENGAGED, THE CAR WILL RUN, BUT CAN NOT BE QUICKLY ACCELERATED. I REVIEWED THE COMPLAINTS FOR MAZDA'S FROM 94-97 WITH 100 COMPLAINTS PER YEAR. HONDA ACCORD WAS 7.5 AND PONTIAC GRAND AM WAS 14. APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH MAZDA??*JB
THE 'HOLD' LIGHT STARTED BLINKING WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND THE TRANSMISSION STARTED CHANGING GEARS WITH DIFFICULTY. WHEN I CALLED A MAZDA DEALER, I WAS TOLD THE LIGHT PROBABLY INDICATED A NEED FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. AFTER TALKING TO A MECHANIC THERE, HE SAID IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE WITH THE LIGHT BLINKING BUT TO BRING IT IN TO BE CHECKED. I TOOK IT IN A FEW DAYS LATER, AND THE SERVICE ATTENDANT SAID 8 OF 9 TIMES THE FLASHING LIGHT USUALLY INDICATED A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED, COSTING ABOUT $2500-$3000 FOR REPAIR. I ASKED IF IT WAS OKAY TO DRIVE WITH THE LIGHT BLINKING AND WAS TOLD NO. HE SAID THE TRANS. COULD FAIL COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING IN THE NEXT 10 MIN. OR THE NEXT 100 MILES. I TOLD HIM HIS HEAD MECHANIC TOLD ME IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE W/ THE LIGHT BLINKING; HE SAID I WAS TOLD THAT INCORRECTLY. I ASKED HOW LONG THE NEW TRANSMISSION WOULD LAST. HE SAID IF SERVICED REGULARLY EVERY 30,000 MILES AS RECOMMENDED, IT WOULD LAST AS LONG AS I HAD THE CAR. I TOLD HIM I HAD THIS TRANSMISSION REPLACED ABOUT 3 YRS AGO AFTER A SIMILAR PROBLEM. HE TOLD ME THIS MODEL MAZDA WAS BAD ABOUT NEEDING NEW TRANSMISSIONS. I DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO THE ORIGINAL DEALER WHO HAD REPLACED MY TRANSMISSION. I CALLED & EXPLAINED THE BLINKING 'HOLD' LIGHT PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD I PROBABLY NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION, THAT THIS MODEL TYPICALLY NEEDED ONE W/ A BLINKING 'HOLD' LIGHT. I WENT ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND NUMEROUS '94MAZDA 626 TRANS.FAILURE REPORTS. THE NHTSA SITE REGISTERED OVER 70 COMPLAINTS ON '94 MAZD
SIDE MOLDING COMING OFF, ANTENNA WILL NOT GO UP NOR DOWN, HOLD LIGHT KEEP FLASHING, SUN ROOF WILL NOT SLIDE BACK, AIR BAG FLASHES SOMETIME,CUP HOLDER WILL NOT KEEP CONTAINERS FROM TILTING OVER,OIL DIP STICK HANDLE BROKE OFF,CRUISE CONTROL DO NOT WORK,CRACKED MANIFOLD
THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TWICE. *YH THE FIRST TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED DECEMBER 2000. THE SECOND ONE WAS REPLACED JUNE 2002. *NM
HOLD LITE ON DASH LIT MULTILPLE TIMES SINCE CAR WAS NEW. BOUGHT CAR FROM MY MOTHER'S ESTATE IN JULY 2001. PAPERWORK SHOWED SERVICED FOR HOLD LITE DAY AFTER PURCHASED (NEW). REPLACED TRANSMISSION LAST SUMMER AFTER 2ND OPINION OF TRANS NEEDED REPLACING AND HOLD LILTE CONTINUOUSLY ON.*AK
TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP, AND HAD TROUBLE GOING INTO GEAR. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK
VEHICLE IS HESITENT WHEN GOING INTO GEAR, AND STALLS WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. VEHICLE IS STARTING TO ROLL BACK BEFORE ACCELERATING. VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY DEALER AS HAVING A TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONING SWITCH. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK
THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS PUNCTURED AS A RESULT OF A BROKEN COIL SPRING. THE CAR WAS NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT OR DRIVEN UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE THAT WOULD CAUSE SUCH A FAILURE. I FEEL THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND THAT MAZDA SHOULD RECALL THE VEHICLE FOR INSPECTION AND REIMBURSE THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD TO REPLACE THEIR SPRINGS, STRUTS, AND DAMAGED TIRES AS A RESULT OF THE SPRING FRACTURE.
ON 05/07/02 I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND MY TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. I WAS STUCK IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. I THINK THE CONSUMERS SHOULD KNOW THAT THEY USED FOR TRANSMISSION IN THE 626 MAZDA. I WOULD NEVER BUY A FORD, SO WHY WOULD I HAVE BROUGHT A CAR WITH A FOR TRANSMISSION IN IT.*AK
TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED 2 TIMES SINCE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE NEW IN 1994. HAVE FOUND THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET. IT IS TIME THAT NHTSA COMPILES DATA ON THIS ISSUE AND INVESTIGATES THE COMPLAINTS. TECHNICIANS KNOW OF THE MAZDA TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND HAVE STORIES TO TELL OF THE EXPENSES CONSUMERS HAVE ENCOUNTERED IN REPAIRING MAZDAS.*AK
WHILE DRIVING 40-55 MPH VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE. TOOK TO DEALER. DISTRIBUTOR WAS REPLACED. *AK THE DISTRIBUTOR BURNED OUT FOR THE SECOND TIME AND WAS REPLACED. *YH
VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLS. *AK
FORWARD/DIRECT DRUM BROKE INTO 2 PARTS. *AK
THE TRANSMISSION ON THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REBUILT 6 TIMES. DUE TO THE COMPUTER SHUTTING DOWN WHILE CHANGING GEARS. THE SHIFTING BECOMES HARDER WHILE DRIVING. NLM
CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION FOUR TIMES . HOLD LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE, AND SHIFTING IN GEARS WILL BE EXTREMELY ROUGH. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN INFORMED. *AK
WHEN SHIFTING VEHICLE IT JERKS REALLY HARD. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND DEALER STATED THAT VEHICLE NEEDED ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM AND TRANSMISSION REPLACED. *AK.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED UNDER 80,000 MILES. IT WAS SUBJECT TO SAFETY RECALL BUT DEALER IN ATLANTA, GA, (RICK CASE MAZDA IN GWINNETT COUNTY) SAID THAT PROBLEM WAS DIFFERENT FROM RECALL AND CHARGED $2,954.03 FOR FIXING IT. IF THE DEALER WAS HONEST, AND I BELIEVE IT IS, THEN MAZDA HAS A PROBLEM WITH THIS TRANSMISSION.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 104774 MI,AND AFTER THAT I`VE HAD TO BRING IT BACK TO THE REPAIR SHOP 4 TIMES FOR RECURRING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION,AS OF TODAY THE HOLD LIGHT IS FLASHING AND IT WONT SHIFT PAST 3RD GEAR.*AK
TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH. DEALER NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
EXHAUST FAILURE...FIRE UNDER CAR, CAR STOPPED RUNNING, CATALYTIC CONVERTERS MELTED, ENTIRE SYSTEM REPLACED, COVERED BY CALIFORNIA WARRANTY. TRANSMISSION FAILURE, NO REVERSE, NO NEUTRAL GEARS. ONLY HAVE 1ST AND 3 RD GEARS. TRANSMISSION OIL READ OKAY TILL THIS HAPPENED, NOW IT IS GONE AND DEALER SAYS THE FLUID IS FRIED. LOOKING AT $3000. FOR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION REPLACED. *AK
COMPLETE TRASMISSION FAILURE; SEVERAL MECHANICS AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS HAVE TOLD ME THAT THIS IS AN ENGINEERING/MECHANICAL DEFECT KNOWN TO MAZDA AND FORD. I WOULD LIKE SOME RECOURSE AGAINST MAZDA FOR THIS.*AK
THICK FILM ON IGNITION COMPONENT CAUSED DISTRIBUTOR TO FAIL. VEHICLE T STALLED. CONTACTED DEALER, HAD NOT REMEDIED PROBLEM.*AK
TRANSMISSION JERKS, COST TO FIX IS OVER $2000.00, MAZDA DOESNT CARE.*AK
TRANSMISSION WAS BEHAVING BADLY---SERIOUS SHIFT SHOCK---DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT ROAD TESTED, WROTE "COULD NOT DUPLICATE CUSTOMER COMPLAINT." 2 WEEKS LATER TRANSMISSION FAILED TOTALLY ON X-WAY---ENGINE ACCELERATED AND I NEARLY LOST CONTROL, IN DENSE TRAFFIC. LOUD NOISE AND SMOKE, I WAS LEFT STRANDED ON HIGHWAY.*AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL STALL AND CUT OFF, AND WILL NOT RESTART, AFTER ENGAGING CLUTCH AND ATTEMPTING TO CROSS INTERSECTION WHILE STILL IN FIRST GEAR, ENGINE CUTS OFF AGAIN, CONSUMER STATES THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 20 TO 30 TIMES.*JB
VEHICLE HAS THE SAME DEFECT AS RECALL 99I005000/SPEEDOMETER FAILURE, SPEEDOMETER GEAR FAILED, CAUSING TRANSMISSION TO STAY IN THIRD GEAR. ALSO A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
CONSUMER HAS SOME PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION, FIRST HOLD LIGHT STAYS ON, SECOND TRANSMISSION OVERHEATS, AND THIRD CONSUMER HAS TROUBLE SHIFTING FROM FIRST GEAR TO SECOND GEAR. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER AND THE DEALER CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM.*AK
I'VE HAD TO REPLACE BOTH SETS OF OXYGEN SENSORS THREE SEPARATE TIMES. THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON THEN THE FUEL MIXTURE IS THROWN OFF CAUSING THE CAR TO BURN VERY RICH. EACH TIME THE OXYGEN SENSOR WAS TO BLAME. ESTIMATED LIFE OF EACH REPLACEMENT WAS LESS THAN 10000 MILES. *AK
TRANSMISSION REBUILT 8/17/00, STILL HAVING PROBLEMS. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO MAZDA AND THE DEALER STATED THAT CONSUMER NEEDS ANOTHER NEW TRANSMISSION. CONSUMER FEELS ITS NOT THE TRANSMISSION THATS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE GEARS ARE NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY. CONSUMER FEELS THE FAILURE IS SOMETHING EXTERNAL THAT CONTROLS, OR SENDS SIGNALS TO THE TRANSMISSION. *SLC
THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE OF FORD, THE WORST CAR CAR MAKER OF THE WORLD. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
MY CAR/TRANSMISSION IS AN ACCIDENT JUST WAITING TO HAPPEN. YOU NEVER KNOW IF YOU ARE GOING TO PULL OUT SAFELY IN TRAFFIC BECAUSE OF TRANSMISSION FAILURE. I HAD IT REPLACED LAST YEAR AT A COST OF $2,200 AND IT STILL DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. HAD THE SPEEDOMETER GEAR SET REPLACED BY RECALL AND IT STILL DOESN'T WORK. HAD A NEW NUETRAL SAFETY SWITCH REPLACED TODAY ALONG WITH THE "NEW" TRANSMISSION NOT HAVING ENOUGH FLUID WHICH CONSITUTED A FLUSHING OF THE SYSTEM AND MORE FLUID BEING PUT IN. UPON LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP TODAY, MY "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON. CALL DEARLERSHIP, NOW THEY TELL ME I NEED TO BRING IN MONDAY TO HAVE THE "02" SENSOR REPLACED. MY COSTS ARE CLIMBING OVER $3,000 NOW. ALL I WANT IS A SAFE CAR TO DRIVE FOR ME AND MY CHILDREN. I'M A SINGLE MOM RAISING TWO CHILDREN AND THIS IS DRAINING ME, PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY AND FINANCIALLY. I'VE HAD MY CAR IN THE SHOP AT LEAST 15 TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR AND ONE-HALF FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THE CAR IS BECOMING A NIGHTMARE YOU DON'T KNOW IF YOUR SPEED IS GOING TO INCREASE OR IF ITS GOING TO START JERKING AND HAVE TRANSMISISON FAILURE. DEALERSHIP ADMITS THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR TRANSMISSION AND MAZDA IS AWARE OF IT, BUT SO FAR NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO MAKE MAZDA RESPONSIBLE. THE CAR IS A TICKING TIME BOMB, I JUST HOPE NO ONE GETS HURT, OR EVEN WORSE, KILLED, BECAUSE OF THE TRANSMISISON DEFECT.
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT NO PRIOR WARNING, VEHICLE CUT OFF. CONSUMER NOTED PROBLEM OCCURRED MORE OFTEN UPON ACCELERATION. CONSUMER HAS YET TO CONTACT THE DEALER. *AK *SLC
DEALER REFUSED TO COVER OFF WARRANTY REPAIRS. I KNOW THIS IS A COMMON MAZDA PROBLEM AND THINK THEY SHOULD OWN UP TO THEIR MISTAKES. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
ENGINE KEPT STALLING FINALLY STOPPED. HAD TO REPLACE DISTRIBUTOR. *AK
SOMEONE NEEDS TO GET MAZDA TO REPLACE THESE TRANSMISSIONS. THEY ARE DEFECTIVE AND ARE UN-SAFE. YOU COULD GET YOURSELF KILLED WHEN IT JERKS YOU BACK AND ALMOST CHOKES ON IT. THIS COMPANY APPARENTLY DOESN'T STAND BEHIND IT'S PRODUCTS AT ALL. I WILL NEVER PURCHASE A CAR FROM ANY COMPANY RELATED WITH MAZDA EVER AGAIN UNTIL THEY CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. *AK
SINCE OWNERSHIP OF VEHICLE, HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING ROUGH IDLE OR VIBRATION WHILE IN NEUTRAL AND WARM ENGINE, MANY ATTEMPTS WERE MADE AT ADJUSTING THE IDLE SPEED TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM, BUT PROBLEM KEPT REOCCURING UNTIL IT WAS FINALLY DISCOVERED THAT THE ONBOARD COMPUTER WAS RESETTING THE IDLE TO ORIGINAL SETTING, ROUGH IDLING BECAME MORE DISTURBING AND WAS RECOMMENDED BY DEALER TO ADD CLEANING AGENT TO FUEL -ENGINE PERFORMANCE SEEMED TO IMPROVE BUT NO CHANGE TO ROUGH IDLING,THE NEXT RECOMMENDATION WAS TO REPLACE TIMING BELT AND MOTOR MOUNTS, STILL ROUGH IDLING CONTINUED, SWAY BAR LINKS WERE ALSO REPLACED TO ELIMINATE A RATTLE IN THE FRONT END OF VEHICLE. *JB
PLASTIC PIECE THAT HOLDS SEAT BELT ON PASENGER'S SIDE BROKE. THERE WAS NO FORCE LOCKING SEAT BELT. MANUFATURER BASICALLY SAID NO COVERAGE , AND WARRANTY EXPIRED. *AK *SLC
TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARD AND OUT OF GEAR. TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED.*AK
THE SPARK PLUG WIRES AND DISTRIBUTOR CAP HAVE FAILED 2 TIMES SINCE I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THIS IS A REOCCURING PROBLEM IN A NUMBER OF 94 MAZDA 626. CAN ANYTHING BE DONE? THE REPAIR COST FOR THE LAST TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY $1000 AT ROSENTHAL MAZDA. I WAS QUOTED A PRICE OF APPROX. $350 FOR THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP.
ENGINE MOUNTS BROKE. DEALER HAS REPLACED MOUNTS. *AK ALL MOTOR MOUNTS BROKE IN TWO PIECES, CONSUMER PAID FOR ALL REPAIRS. *SLC
VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT INTERMITTENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING USUALLY IN COLD WEATHER . CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. *AK
EXTREMELLY HARSH SHIFTING, VEHICLE DOES NOT MOVE FROM STOP OR MOVES BACKWARDS. VEHICLE EXTREMELLY HARD TO CONTROL. TORQUE CLUTCH CONVERTER CODE DETECTED - TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *AK
AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES, INDICATING A MALFUNCTION WITHIN SYSTEM. CAUSE UNKNOWN. ALSO, POWER WINDOWS MALFUNCTIONED. AFTER LETTING WINDOWS DOWN, THEY WILL NOT RETURN TO UPRIIGHT POSITION. *AK THE CONSUMER CAN NOT LOCK OR UNLOCK THE DOOR FROM INSIDE. THE AIR BAG LIGHT STILL ILUMINATES. *YH
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1994 Mazda 626 → · Every 626 year → · How the figures are calculated →