2001 MAZDA 626 Complaints

VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND SPILLED COOLANT. IT HAD BEEN TO THE REPAIR SHOP 5 TIMES FOR OVERHEATING. *AK

A YEAR AGO THE SHIFTER CABLE ON MY 2001 MAZDA 626 BROKE (CAR UNDER WARRANTY AT THE TIME). I TELEPHONED THE LOCAL DEALER AND THE CABLE WAS ON BACKORDER INDICATING MANY OTHERS WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM A LOCAL MECHANIC PUT A BUSHING WHERE THE CABLE WAS ATTACHED TO THE SHIFTER ARM AT TRANSMISSION TO REPLACE THE FAILED PART. THAT WORKED FINE UNTIL YESTERDAY (8-6-04). I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE TO EXIT A PARKING LOT AND COULD NOT SHIFT INTO DRIVE. AT PRESENT, A CABLE TIE IS ON THE CABLE TO HOLD IT IN PLACE. I TELEPHONED THE DEALER AGAIN THIS MORNING, HE SAID MAZDA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THE DEALER HAS ALSO TALKED TO MAZDA BUT HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL. THE CABLE IS NOW AVAILABLE NOW THAT OUR WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE FIRST FAILURE, WE HAD OUR GRANDSON IN HIS SAFETY SEAT, OUR CAR CRANKED, BACKED INTO THE STREET, STOPPED AND WOULD NOT SHIFT. CARS TURNING INTO THE INTERSECTION COULD NOT SEE US BECAUSE OF BUILDINGS. WE PUSHED THE CAR OUT OF THE STREET. IT APPEARS THE BUSHING THAT CONNECTS CABLE ONTO SHIFTER IS MADE OUT OF NYLON/PLASTIC AND FORCED ONTO PIN. THIS APPARENTLY FAILS DUE TO HEAT OR BEING SPLIT WHEN MOUNTED. *AK

ERATIC SHIFTING IN MAZDA 626 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.AXLE SEAL BROKE. DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THE PART. FACTORY TRANSMISSION REPLACED AFTER 30,000 MILES. THE AXLE SEAL WAS REPLACED AFTER 33,000 MILES. *AK

2001 MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSION OVERDRIVE NOT WORKING, BROKE AT 60 MPH ON INTERSTATE WITH ONLY 40,000 MILES ON VEHICLE AND HAD TO PULL OVER IN A HURRY POSSIBLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *JB

O/D LIGHT FLASHING TRANNY NEW THEN FIXED FOUR TIMES THEREAFTER. STILL HAVING SHIFTING PROBLEMS. 2001 MADZA 626LX. STARTED AT ABOUT 50,000 MILES.ABOUT $1000.00 OUT OF POCKET EXPENCES SURE TO INCUR MORE.*AK

2001 MAZDA 626 AUTOMATIC 4 CYLINDER TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO FAIL. OVERDRIVE LIGHT WOULD FLASH, AUTO WOULD NOT MOVE, LIKE TRANS WAS LEFT IN NEUTRAL. MAZDA DEALER SAID TRANSMISSION WAS BAD, $2100 TO REPLACE. IN PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED OFF WARRANTY, WILL TAKE 1-2 WEEKS. *NM

RETAINING CLIP FROM TRANSMISSION GEARSHIFT LEVER (ON TRANSAXLE ASSEMBLY) WS FOUND MISSING AND SHIFT CABLE BECAME DISCONNECTED FROM LEVER CAUSING VEHICLE TO BE STUCK IN DRIVE (THE GEAR VEHICLE WAS IN WHEN COMPONENT FAILED). THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS SHIFTER INDICATOR SHOWED VEHICLE IN DRIVE. *LA

PURCHASED AUTO IN JULY 2001. I DRIVE A GREAT DEAL AND TOOK MY CAR RELIGIOUSLY IN FOR SERVICE TO THE DEALER. UPON GETTING AN OIL CHANGE AT ABOUT 30K MILES I HAD TO GET MY ENGINE REPLACED DUE TO A DEFECTIVE OIL FILTER. TRANSMISSION (CLUTCH PAK) BURNED OUT AT 100K MILES. NO HELP FROM MAZDA. THEY ACTUALLY HAD MY CAR FOR OVER A MONTH AND WANTED ME TO PAY ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC FEE FOR HOOKING THE CAR UP TO THE MACHINE. NO ESTIMATE WAS GIVEN. MAZDA ASSOCIATES CONSTANTLY WERE UNAVAILABLE AND HUNG UP ON ME MANY TIMES.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BURNT OUT! CAR WAS TOWED TO WORKSHOP AND REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE PUT IN COST $3100. WAS LITTLE OVER 3 YEARS FROM PURCHASE DATE, THEREFORE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE PROBLEMS DID NOT STOP THERE, IN ABOUT 50 DAYS, "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON... TOOK IT TO THE SAME PLACE WHO WORKED ON THE TRANSMISSION. TECHNICIAN REPORTED NEW PROBLEM UNRELATED TO AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, NEW SERVICE COST $500. THE CAR COST ME BIG $$$ IN MAINTAINANCE.... DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE END OF THE PROBLEMS... MAZDA 626 OWNERS WATCH OUT!

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH A TELEPHONE POLE. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT LOCK UP, AND DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, BUT DEALER DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK