1996 MAZDA 626 Complaints

'96 MAZDA 626 (BOUGHT NEW) . TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 83,000+/_ MI. INITIALLY TOOK CAR TO A DEALER FOR OIL LEAK (REPLACED OIL PRESSURE SWITCH). THEY BROUGHT CAR TO ME, IT STARTED & DIED REPEATEDLY. THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE JUMPED ALL AROUND THE DIAL AND ODOMETER WOULD SPIN, ADDING MILEAGE. SERVICE WRITER SAID THE SERVICE TECH. NOTICED THE PROBLEM WHEN WORKING ON IT/THEY COULD CHECK IT OUT FOR ADDITIONAL $75 FEE. I TOLD HER I HADN'T HAD THAT PROBLEM BEFORE. SHE SAID THEY DIDN'T REPAIR ANYTHING IN THE AREA OF TRANSMISSION OR SPEEDOMETER THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE DAMAGED TO CAUSE THIS. I SPOKE TO THE TECH. & HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE PROBLEM MIGHT BE. HE OPENED THE HOOD AND CHECKED SOMETHING AS I TALKED TO THE SERVICE WRITER AND STARTED THE CAR AND IT RAN OKAY. WHILE DRIVING HOME, SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE INTERMITTENTLY DID THE SAME THING, ADDING EXTRA MILEAGE, BUT DROVE OK. ON ANOTHER DAY, AFTER DRIVING APPROX. 15 - 25 MI. & RETURN HOME, CAR WON'T RUN AFTER STOP AND RESTART TRY. TURNED THE IGNITION/SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE JUMPED ALL AROUND THE DIAL/THE ODOMETER SPUN/ADDED MILEAGE/CAR NOT MOVING. IT STARTS AND DIES REPEATEDLY. AFTER SITTING A FEW HOURS, IT STARTS & DRIVES OK. DROVE TO ANOTHER DEALER; THEY SAY PROBLEM WON'T MANIFEST WHILE THEY HAD IT. REPORT: MOISTURE IN SENSOR CONTACTS/DRIED THEM & CAR OK. DROVE CAR HOME. THE NEXT TIME THAT I DROVE THE CAR; SAME THING HAPPENED. TOWED IT BACK TO THE DEALER. THEIR REPORT REPORT: TRANSMISSION SHOT/TORQUE CONVERTER FALLING APART & THAT CAUSED ALL THE PROBLEMS. $2,900 FOR MADZA RE-BUILT TRANS. WHILE RESEARCHING THIS, I FIND THAT MADZA 626 (& OTHER MODELS) IS NOTORIOUS FOR TRANSMISSION FAILURES. I FEEL MADZA IS AWARE OF INFERIOR AND APPARENTLY DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS IN THEIR CARS. IT SEEMS THAT THEIR REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSIONS DEVELOP SAME OR ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS AND HAVE TO BE REPLACED REPEATEDLY. MADZA SHOULD RECALL AND REPAIR/REPLACE THEM.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION THE WEEKEND OF DEC 14, 2002 I COULDN'T PUT THE CAR IN GEAR, SO I ADVISE TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE SHOP. I WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION HAD GONE BAD.

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING 60MPH THE TRANSMISSION FAILED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE ACCELERATION. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT WARNINF THE TRANSMISSION WILL LOCK UP AND IT WILL BE HARD TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND THE CONSUMER WILL BE FORCED TO PULL OVER. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

"O/D OFF" LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING, ENGINE REVVED AND WOULD NOT SHIFT FROM 1ST GEAR. DIAGNOSIS IS THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION IS NEEDED AT THE COST OF $2300.00.

CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE FELT LIKE IT HAD GONE INTO NEUTRAL ON TWO OCCASIONS, AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ALTOGETHER ON ONE OCCASION. CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. SCC *JB

TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING BADLY IN LOWER GEARS. SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND TO 3RD IS VERY BAD AND OFTEN THE RPMS ARE APPROX. 5000 BEFORE THE SHIFT OCCURS. (EVEN ON A DOWNHILL SLOPE) AS OF EARLY NOVEMBER, THE TRANSMISSION WILL PERIODICALLY NOT GO INTO REVERSE. I HAVE CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID ON THE RECOMMENDED SCHEDULE OF EVERY 5K MILES. DT

THE CONSUMER IS CONCERN BECAUSE THE VEHICLE FLIPPED AND THE INTERIOR AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY AT ALL. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS

WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 20MPH ON THE HIGHWAY HE MADE A RIGHT TURN SUDDENLY TO AVOID ANOTHER VEHICLE. AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE VEHICLE FLIPPED AND LANDED ON THE ROOF UP SIDE DOWN. PLEASE FILL ADDITONAL INFORMATION. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS

WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY THE CONSUMER APPLY HIS BRAKES TO AVOID ANOTHER MOTORIST. AND THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY PLEASE FURNISH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. MR