1997 Mazda 626 complaints

WHILE DRIVING 200 MILES ACROSS STATE ON SR 70 MY O/D OFF LIGHT BEGAN TO BLINK AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO THE MAZDA DEALER THAT WEEK AND WAS TOLD THAT I WAS HAVING TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND WAS TOLD THAT CODES P1744, P0741 & P1783 CAME UP DURING A DIAGNOSTICS TEST. I WAS TOLD THAT I SHOULD HAVE A TRANSMISSION SERVICE AND "WAIT AND SEE" SINCE MY GEARS WEREN'T SLIPPING AT THE TIME. LAST WEEK DURING THE SAME DRIVE ACROSS STATE MY O/D OFF LIGHT STARTED BLINKING AGAIN, AND THIS TIME WHILE TRYING TO PASS A CAR ON SR 70 (A 2 LANE HWY) THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AS I WAS IN THE ONCOMING LANE. FORTUNATELY IT KICKED BACK IN AND I DIDNT HAVE THE PROBLEM AGAIN. (HAVENT TRAVELED SINCE THEN) I TOOK IT BACK TO MAZDA AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD PAY FOR THE TRANSMISSION, (SINCE I HAD CALLED LAST MONTH TO COMPLAIN THAT THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WHY A CAR W/ 57K MILES SHOULD HAVE A FAILING TRANSMISSION, UNLESS OFCOURSE IT WAS DEFECTIVE. THEY OFFERED TO PAY FOR THE TRANS, BUT I AM STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LABOR AND WAS OFFERED NO WARRANTY. I HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH AND HAVE FOUND THAT THESE 626 TRANSMISSION CHRONICALLY HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND I HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT ONLINE. I CAN NOT BELIEVE IT HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. HAVE NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE COMPLAINED, WOULD IT COST MAZDA TOO MUCH MONEY OR DO THEY REALLY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM? WELL AS A SINGLE MOTHER WHO RELYS ON HER CAR AND STILL OWES $12K ON IT, IT IS A PROBLEM. A BIG PROBLEM AND I HOP

SUDDEN ACCLERATION, BRAKES FAILED. *AK

I STARTED HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AT 45000 MILES TRANSMISSION WAS SUPPOSEDLY REPLACED AT 48OOO MILES. NOW ABOUT TWO YEARS LATER I'M HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AGAIN, BUT MY WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED.( O/D + ENGINE LIGHTS COME ON, TRANS STALLS WHILE ACCERLERATING, TRANS SLIPPING, BANGING SOUND WHEN PUT IN REVERSE)

I CAN GET STATEMENTS FROM TWO DIFFERENT TRANSMISSION SHOPS SAYING THAT MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSIONS ARE WORKED ON MORE THAN ANY OTHER AUTOMOBILE.*AK

THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 1997 MAZDA 626 FAILED AT JUST OVER 65,000. I TOOK THE CAR TO AN AUTHORIZED MAZDA DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. THE MAZDA MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO COMPLETELY REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. TO SAVE ON THE FINAL COST, I TOOK THE CAR TO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST, WHO REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION. I AM WRITING TODAY BECAUSE I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT MINE NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM. IF FACT, THE RESEARCH THAT I HAVE DONE (CONSUMER REPORTS, INTERENET, ETC.) INDICATES THAT THERE ARE SEVERE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION ON 1993-1998 MAZDA 626'S (SOME TRANSMISSIONS HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT ONLY 30,000 MILES). AND WHILE CERTAINLY NOT CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE, I WAS TOLD BY THE TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST WHO WORKED ON MY CAR THEY "WORK ON MAZDA 626'S ALL THE TIME". IN FACT THERE WERE TWO OTHER MAZDA 626'S AT THE SHOP ON THE SAME DAY. ONE WAS A 1997 AND THE OTHER A 1996. MY SINCERE HOPE IS THAT THIS PROBLEM CAN BE RESOLVED.*AK

ANOTHER MAZDA W/ TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. HAVING TO HAVE REBUILT FOR $2K. OWNER'S MANUAL REFERENCES NOTHING ABOUT BEING REQUIRED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT 60,000 MILES USE. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT MYSELF AND PREGNANT WIFE WEREN'T ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN IT WENT OUT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING PASSENGER'S AIR BAG INTERMITTENTLY DEPLOYED. *AK

ABOUT A YEAR AGO MY ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO THE MAZDA DEALER AND THEY SAID THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS BAD. IT WAS REPLACE BECAUSE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. TWO MONTHS AGO MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I WAS AGAIN TOLD THAT MY CATALYTIC CONVER WAS BAD AND IT WAS AGAIN REPLACED. TODAY I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 75 MILES PER HOUR WHEN MY O/D LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH ON AND OFF. FIVE MINUTES LATER MY CAR STARTED TO LOSE POWER. AFTER PULLING OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD MY CAR WOULD NOT CHANGE GEARS. IT WOULD NOT GO FORWARD OR IN REVERSE. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE MAZDA DEALER AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS BAD AND THAT IT WOULD TAKE $2500.00 TO BE REPLACED.*AK

AFTER AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTCHEMICAL FROM THE AIR BAG CAUSES CONSUMER UPPER RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS, SUCH AS SHORTNESS OF BREATH, DIZZINESS AND RAPID HEART BEAT. SEEKING HELP FROM NHTSA TO LOCATE TYPE OF CHEMICAL USED IN THAT AIR BAG. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER . *AK

I HAVE CONTACTED MAZDA DIRECTLY. THEY REFUSE TO ADMIT THAT THEY HAVE A DEFECT IN THE CD4E TRANSMISSIONS ON THESE CARS EVEN THOUGH ALL REPAIR SHOPS CONTACTED WARN NOT ONLY OF 70+% FAILURE RATE, BUT WARN NOT TO BUY MAZDA REBUILT BECAUSE THEY ARE STILL NOT REPAIRING THE DEFECTS IN THE TRANNY. SAME FAILURE RATE CAN BE FOUND IN THE POST 1995 AND UP FORD CONTOUR WHICH SHARES THE SAME TRANSMISSION. MFR REFUSES TO BE OF ANY HELP. PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW I CAN PROCEED.*AK

SEAT BELT ON DRIVER'S SIDE GETS STUCK ON RECLINING LEVER AND RECLINES SEATBACK. MAZDA AND DEALER WERE CONTACTED.THEY WERE NOT SURE WHAT TO DO. MAZDA HAS RECORDED THE COMPLAINT.*AK

OD ON/OFF LIGHT STARTED TO FLASH ON HIGHWAY, THEN SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER FELL TO 0, SMOKE WENT FROM THE HOOD, AND ALL TRANSMISSION OIL LEAKED AWAY.

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

TRANSMISSION BLEWOUT WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, SUDDENLY GEARS STARTED SLIPPING ON FREEWAY. *AK

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HAD STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, AND TRYING TO MAKE A TURN VEHICLE WAS HESITATING TO GO, THEN CONTINUED TO DRIVE. OVERDRIVE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THEY TOOK VEHICLE OVER TO DEALERSHIP. *AK

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED TWICE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE: FIRST AT 28596 MILES THEN AT 56449 MILES. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, TRANSMISSION FROZE UP, A TOOTH OFF ONE OF THE GEARS BROKE AND WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM, MAZDA SENT REPLACEMENT PARTS 3 TIMES, FIRST 2 WERE DEFECTIVE. *SLC

AT 41,000 MILES TRANSMISSION HAS MALFUNCTIONED, AND WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

VEHICLE ODOMETER NEARLY DOUBLES ACUTUAL MILES DRIVEN/ CLIBRATED BY AAA SEVERAL TIMES TO COMFIRM. *AK

ENGINE WAS RUNNING BADLY, ENGINE AND OIL LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER FOUND ENGINE HAD "SLUDGED" UP, HAD TO REPLACE ENGINE. IN OCTOBER OF 1999, TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. *AK

TRANSMISSION MISSES FROM 1ST TO SECOND GEAR. KNOW OF SEVERAL MAZDA OWNERS, ALL HAVE HAD TRANSMISSIONS REPLACED AT LEAST ONCE. / HAD ONE SENSOR REPLACED, FOLLOWING WEEK LIGHT BACK ON AND SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPLIED I NEED TO REPLACE TWO MORE. *AK

VEHICLE TAKEN TO SERVICE TWICE UNDER WARRANTY. SENSOR CLEANED INSTEAD OF REPLACED. PER MAZDA, THIS IS NOT A PROPER "REPAIR". NOW MASS AIR FLOW & O2 SENSOR DAMAGED. VEHICLE STALLS WHEN SLOWING OR STOPPED.*AK

SHOULDER BELT BECOMES WEDGED BETWEEN FLOORBOARD AND SEATBACK LATCH WHEN RELEASED. THIS CAUSES BELT TO PULL LATCH UP WHEN PULLING IT AND RELEASING BACK, CAUSING IT TO FALL BACK. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK *SLC

BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WHEN CONSUMER WENT OVER A BUMP IN ROAD AT ABOUT 15 MPH, WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHEN AIRBAGS DEPLOYED.*AK

TRANSMISSION WOULD JUMP WHILE TRYING TO SHIFT FROM PARK TO DRIVE OR FROM DRIVE TO PARK. SOMETIMES WOULD FAIL TO SHIFT. HAPPENED AT LEAST 4-5 TIMES BEFORE TAKEN TO DEALER. MECHANIC INDICATED A DEFECT IN TRANSMISSION WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM AND IT COULD BE REPAIRED.*AK

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION. IMPACT WAS ON LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT OF VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, RESULTING IN MINOR INJURIES.*AK THE VEHICL'S SENSOR SYSTEM FAILED. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN ACCIDENT BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER AND DEALER REFUSED TO TAKE IT BACK. *YH

CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAS STALLED NUMEROUS TIMES, 2 TIMES DUE TO SPILLAGE FROM A CUP THAT'S IN THE CUP HOLDER, DEALER INSTALLED A COVER TO PROTECT PCM, VEHICLE HAS ALSO STALLED 3 OTHER TIMES WITH NO EXPLANATION, POSSIBLY AN ELECTICAL PROBLEM, HOWEVER CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ALSO ILLUMINATED, STALLING COULD ALSO BE RELATED TO ENGINE PROBLEM. *SLC

RECALL 98V206001 DONE IN JUNE 1999, PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE EVER SINCE, TIMING CHAIN REPLACED A SECOND TIME IN OCTOBER 2000. CURRENTLY VEHICLE IS SHAKING, CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REPLACED, DEALER THOUGHT THAT WAS THE PROBLEM, ENGINE LIGHT STILL ON, TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED A THIRD TIME. *AK

THE TIMING CHAIN HAS BROKE TWICE. IN JUN 1999 AND AGAIN IN OCT 2000. BOTH TIMES WE WERE AWAY FROM HOME AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MAZDA AT OUR EXPENSE. TO CARS ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUES TO COME ON AND MAZDA SAYS ITS THE EXHAUST/CATALICTIC CONVERTER. WE FIXED THE CONVERTER AND THE ENGINE LIGHT IS STILL ON AND THE CAR SHAKES. MAZDA REFUSES TO FIX THE ENGINE. OUR INSURANCE COMPANY EVEN SAID THEY WOULD REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH A NEW ONE BUT MAZDA REFUSED THAT ALSO. MAZDA WILL NOT FIX THIS CAR AND UNITL THEY DO WE DON'T DRIVE IT FOR LONG DISTANCES. WE CAN NOT EVEN SELL IT UNTIL THIS PROBLEM IS FIXED.

TRANSMISSION FAILED. *SLC

I HAVE HAD THE CAR LESS THAN 3 MONTHS AND ALREADY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON CONSTANTLY. ALSO, EVERYTIME I TRY TO CHANGE GEARS THE TRANSMISSION STALLS AND IT SEEMS AS IF I AM IN NEUTRAL. IT HAS A HARD TIME AFTER I CHANGE GEARS IN EITHER GOING FOWARD AND REVERSE. IT STALLS THAN JUMPS AND MOVES. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL CARS WITH MORE MILEAGE THAN THIS AND I NEVER HAD SUCH PROBLEMS. I SHOULD NOT BE PAYING AS MUCH AS I AM FOR A CAR THAT IS FAULTY. I WOULD SUGGEST TO MAZDA TO RECALL ALL THESE CARS VERY SOON.

ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CAR OVERHEATED. CAR BROKEDOWN ON THE WAY TO THE DEALER'S SERVICE SHOP. HAD TO PUSH CAR THREE BLOCKS THE REST OF THE WAY. WAS TOLD THAT THE RADIATOR LEAKED INTO ENGINE. ENGINE IS DAMAGED MUST BE REPLACED. HAVE TO BUY NEW ENGINE AND NEW RADIATOR. NO OTHER WARNINGS BEFORE THAT.

O/D OFF LIGHT BEGAN BLINKING AFTER 30 MIN OF DRIVING, DEALERSHIP REPLACED CPU, NEXT WEEK SAME PROBLEM--WHEN BLINKING BEGINS THE CAR JERKS FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR AND RESETS AFTER CAR TURNED OFF--AFTER SEVERAL TIMES IT BEGINS DRIVING ROUGHER AND ROUGHER IN 1ST AND 2ND GEAR.( DOT NUMBER: )

VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO OVERDRIVE AND BUCKED AT HIGH SPEEDS. THEN, TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS. PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO DEALERSHIP. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED.*AK

TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. OVERDRIVE LIGHT CAME OUT, AND GEARS STARTED COMING OUT.*AK

THROTTLE PEDAL STICKS AND VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE FORWARD AFTER PEDAL IS DEPRESSED SEVERAL TIMES. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS, IT WOULD JERK AND KNOCK WHILE DRIVING.*AK

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER 2 DAYS AFTER BUYING IT BRAND NEW DUE TO FAULTY FIRESTONE TIRES P195/65R14, DEALER STATED TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE, TIRES WERE NOISY. *SLC

BRIDGESTONE RADIAL TIRES P195/65R14 EXPERIENCED THE BEGINNING OF TREAD SEPARATION, THERE WAS A SMALL HOLE IN MIDDLE OF TIRE AND WHEN TIRE WAS REMOVED, TIRE CAVED IN THE MIDDLE AND ALL AROUND THE TIRE. *SLC

THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT IN SEPT. OF 2000. THE CAR HAS BEEN SERVISED BY UNIVERSITY MAZDA FRONT BRAKES WEARING ENGINE LIGHT , BATTERY AND SHIFT CONSOLE PROBLEMS. THE CAR IS A LEMON.*AK( DOT NUMBER: )

CONSUMER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF RECALL ON TIRES WHICH WERE PRACTICALLY BALD AT 14,400 MILES. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WOULD SKID OFF THE ROAD WHEN TURNING INTO DRIVEWAY AND WHILE DRIVING IN THE SNOW (FIRESTONE/BRIDGESTONE ALL SEASON RADIAL, TIRES SIZE P19565SR14). NLM

FROM START UP VEHICAL RUNS VERY ROUGH IDLE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON OFTEN. BEEN TO DEALER THREE TIMES ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEMS. THEY ALWAYS SAY IT IS NORMAL FOR THIS VEHICLE ?

TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH FAILED CAUSING A JERK FEELING WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS. NLM

THE ELECTRICAL MODULE FAILED (COMPUTER) CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SHUT DOWN, WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE COVER UNDER WARRENTY BECAUSE SOMETHING HAD SPILLED INTO IT. CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS HAPPENED BY DESIGN SINCE THE MODULE IS LOCATED IMMEDIATLY FORWARD AND BELOW THE CUP HOLDER MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR THINGS TO SPILL INTO THIS LOCATION. NLM

VEHICLE WAS IN REPAIR SHOP. COMPUTER CHIP AND SENSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, OVERDRIVE LIGHT KEPT BLINKING, AND TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED AND HAS TO BE REBUILT. *AK *ML

RIGHT AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. ALSO, WINDSHIELD WAS BROKEN WHEN AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

THIS CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FIVE TIMES FOR THE SAME SYMPTOMS, THE CAR RUNS VERY ROUGH, STALLS, NO ACCELERATION ETC. IN NOVEMBER, 1998 (25,657 MILES), JIM ELLIS MAZDA IN ATLANTA DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS BEING A DEFECTIVE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE. THIS PART WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. AT 63,000 MILES, THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE GOES BAD AGAIN. HOWEVER, THIS TIME, THE DEALER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AS WELL AS THE "MAZDA" REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT THE REASON THE PART WAS BAD WAS DUE TO ME SPILLING A DRINK ON IT AND THUS BREAKING IT. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE PART HAS AN 80,000 MILE WARRANTY, WHICH BECOMES AND VOID IF THE PART IS DAMAGED THROUGH OWNER NEGLIGENCE. TO MY ASTONISHMENT, THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE IS LOCATED DIRECTLY UNDER THE DRINK HOLDER NEAR THE GEAR SHIFT. THE UNPROTECTED LOCATION OF THIS CRITICAL PART UNDER A DRINK HOLDER IS EXCEEDING HAZARDOUS TO HUMAN LIFE BECAUSE WHEN THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE BREAKS DOWN, THE CAR DOES NOT RUN. LOCATING THIS CRITICAL ELECTONIC PART UNDER A DRINK HOLDER IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND IN MY OPINION REQUIRES AN INVESTIGATION BY THE NHTSA. IMAGINE IF SOME OF MY GRANDCHILDEN SPILLED A DRINK ON THE INTERSTATE? IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE MAZDA REPRESENTIVES ACKNOWLEDGED TO ME THAT THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW, BUT, IN MY CASE, SINCE I SPILLED A DRINK ON THE CONTROL MODULE, IT INVALIDATED THE WARRANTY. HOWEVER, THEY WERE GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO RELEASE MY CAR TO ME BY ME PAYING 1/2 OF THE REP

BRAKES HAVE WORN UNEVENLY AND WHEN BRAKING AT HIGH SPEEDS VEHICLE PULLS TO SIDE. PADS WEAR UNEVENLY AND STICKS AT TIMES. VEHICLE ONCE SPUN 540DEG WHEN BRAKING ON HWY. THIRD SET OF PADS INSTALLED ON VEHICLE SINCE PURCHASED. MOSTLY HWY DRIVING.

WHILE DRIVING WATER PUMP BUSTED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL OUT AND DIE WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK