1997 MAZDA 626 Complaints

THE CAR DOOR OF MY MAZDA 626 1997, HAS A SAFETY DEFECT. THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR DOES NOT STAY CLOSED AFTER IT HAS RAINED AND THEN THE NEXT MORNING WHEN IT REMAINS BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURE. THE DOOR LOCKED AND WAS CLOSED, BUT FLEW OPEN WHEN I WAS DRIVING TO WORK. I STOPPED MY VEHICLE OPENED AND CLOSED THE DOOR AND RELOCKED IT, IT REMAINED CLOSED UNTIL I WENT AROUND A CORNER AND THE DOOR OPENED ON ITS OWN. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN.*AL

TRANSMISSION REBUILT 1 YEAR AGO, AND HAS BEEN INTO THE SHOP TO BE FIXED 6 TIMES SINCE THAT. THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT FLASHES ON AND OFF, WHICH MEANS THERE IS STILL MORE TROUBLE WITH THE TRANSMISSION.*AK

AFTER RUNNING THE CAR FOR A SHORT PERIOD (DROVE A FEW MILES). UPON TURNING OFF THE IGNITION, A FIRE STARTED FROM BEHIND THE STEERING COLUMN INSIDE OF THE CAB. MY MOTHER (87 YEARS OLD) WAS DRIVING THIS CAR AND BARELY ESCAPED BEFORE THE ENTIRE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS. THIS CAR HAD 19000 ORIGINAL MILES AND I WAS THE ONLY OWNER. THE CAR NEVER HAD BEEN WORKED ON FOR ANY ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND WAS NEVER IN ANY ACCIDENT. *LA

WHEN AT A STOP WITH THE HEAT ON FRONT WINDSHIELD FOGGED UP, AND CONSUMER SMELLED SMOKE INSIDE THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED.*AK

1997 MAZDA 626. THE TRANSMISSION WAS COMPLETELY REBUILD AT 70,000 MILES. *NLM

1997 MAZDA 626 LX - TRANSMISSION, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, OXYGEN SENSOR, AND COMPUTER HAVE ALL BEEN REPAIRED IN A SPAN OF 11 MONTHS. THE CAR DOES NOT HAVE 80,000 MILES ON IT!*AK

I OWN A 1997 MAZDA 626 LX, WHICH I BOUGHT USED WITH 36,000 MILES. AT APPROXIMATELY 60,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION SEIZED UP, STRANDING MY WIFE AND I. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, WHERE THEY INFORMED US WE NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THEIR EXACT WORDS WERE: "WE HAVE GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS. THE BAD NEWS IS THAT YOUR WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE HAVE A NEW TRANSMISSION IN STOCK." WE THEN SHOPPED AROUND AND FOUND A LESS EXPENSIVE TRANSMISSION SHOP THAT GAVE US A ONE YEAR GUARANTEE, AND CAME RECOMMENDED BY A MECHANIC FRIEND OF OURS. ONE YEAR AND TWO WEEKS LATER, THE TRANSMISSION IS OVERHEATING ON LONG DRIVES, SPEWING TRANSMISSION FLUID OUT THE VENT CAP. MECHANICS TELL US WE NEED A NEW TORQUE CONVERTER, THEY THINK. IN ANY CASE, WE'LL PROBABLY NEED ANOTHER TRANSMISSION SOON. WE'RE DUMPING THE HEAP AND BUYING A TOYOTA CAMRY. I'M APPALLED TO SEE PAGE AFTER PAGE OF NEARLY IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE 1994 - 1998 626S. MAZDA DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. HOW DARE MAZDA/FORD DO THIS TO HARD WORKING FOLKS WHO JUST WANT TO DRIVE A DEPENDABLE VEHICLE? *LA

TRANSMISSION FAILURE HAD TO BE REPLACED, OVERDRIVE LIGHT CONSTANTLY FLASHING, DEALERS STATED WAS OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACED BOTH SENSORS, PROBLEM NOT SOLVED, REPLACED TRANSMISSION REPLACED SEVERAL DAYS LATER WITH ANOTHER, FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS DEFECTIVE. *LA

TRANSMISSION FAILURE FOR 1997 MAZDA 626 LX WITH 58,000 MILES COST OVER $2500 TO REPAIR. *LA

I HAVE A 1997 MAZDA 626 LX. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED RIGHT AT 70,000 MILES. IT COST ME $2,600 TO GET IT FIXED. IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY SO I HAD TO PAY FOR IT. I CHECKED AROUND AND HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS OTHERS WHO HAVE ALSO HAD TRANSMISSION FAILURES UNDER 70,000 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP SAID THEY GET A TON OF THESE CARS WITH TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I FEEL MAZDA SHOULD COMPENSATE US FOR THESE REPAIRS BECAUSE OF THEIR FAULTY TRANSMISSION. *LA