1997 MAZDA 626 Complaints

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING THE FLUID TO BURN, ALSO VEHICE WAS SHIFTING HARD, THE TRANSIMISSION WAS REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME, HOWEVER VEHICLE IS STILL EXPERIENCING SAME PROBLEMS.*YD

O/D LIGHT STARTS BLINKING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. WHEN BLINKING THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARSHLY IN FIRST AND SECOND GEAR. THE PROBLEM CAN BE CORRECTED BY TURNING OF THE ENGINE. I TOOK IT TO A MAZDA DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS STICKING, AND A NEW TRANSMISSION IS NEEDED AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $2,800. THIS IS A REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION, THE ORIGINAL WAS REPLACED AT APPROX. 25,000. THERE APPEARS TO BE SOMETHING DEFECTIVE ABOUT THIS TRANSMISSION OR ELSE IT WOULD NOT BE FAILING SO OFTEN. *AK

DRIVERS SEAT BELT CATCHES ON SEATBACK RECLINING MECHANISM, CAUSING SEATBACK TO RELEASE UNEXPECTEDLY DURING OPERATION OF VEHICLE. THIS COMPLAINT WAS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED AS ODI REFERENCE 885954, AND PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT HAS BEEB UNABLE TO EFFECTIVELY REMEDY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / DOCUMENTATION.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE STARTED IDLING AND STOPPED TRAVELING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

THE VEHICLE STALLED AFTER A SCHEDULED OIL CHANGE. AFTER RETURNING TO THE SERVICE CENTER WHERE THE OIL CHANGE WAS PERFORMED, I WAS TOLD THAT I NEED TO HAVE MY VALVE COVER GASKETS CHANGED. I WANTED A SECOND OPINION AND SCHEDULED A CHECK WITH THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER. I HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH STALLING AFTER THE FIRST INITIAL INCIDENT. AFTER THE DEALERSHIP MECHANICS LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE UNLESS THE ENGINE WAS REVED. I WAS INFORMED AT THIS POINT THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AND THAT I NEEDED MY VALVE COVER GASKETS AND SPARK PLUGS CHANGED. THE TOTAL COST WOULD AMOUNT TO OVER $3200. AFTER GETTING A SECOND OPINION ON THE STATE OF THE TRANSMISSION I HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED. I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP MECHANIC THAT THE 1997 MAZDA HAS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE NEW TRANSMISSION IS EXTREMELY LOUD, THE CAR DOES NOT DRIVE THE SMOOTHLY; I CAN FEEL THE GEARS CHANGE, AND THE ODOMETER IS RUNNING RAMPANT. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT MAZDA TRANSIMISSION ARE GENERALLY LOUD AND THAT THE CAR WILL REV AND CAUSE ONE TO FEEL A SHIFT IN GEAR IF THE COMPUTER CANNOT DISTINGUISH A SPEED SETTING. I FEEL THAT AFTER RESEACH AND SPEAKING WITH THE DEALERSHIPS MECHANICS THAT MAZDA WAS AWARE THAT THE MADZA 626 V6 1997 YEAR WAS DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD NOT CONTINUE TO MAKE REVENUE FOR A COSTLY "REPAIR" THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED BY THE MANUFACTURE. WHEN MY VEHICLE STALLED IT WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC (45MPH ZONE) AND IT IS A BLESSING THAT I DID NOT CAUSE A WRECK OR HIT ANYONE. THANK YOU T. SIMPSON*AK

RECEIVED SAFETY RECALL IN MAIL TO HAVE DEALER RE-PROGRAM AIRBAG SYSTEM DUE TO RISK OF PRE-MATURE DEPLOYMENT. UPON PRESENTING VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR RECALL SAFETY FIX, WAS ADVISED THAT AIRBAG SYSTEM WAS NO LONGER OPERATIVE AND MUST PAY $365 TO INSTALL NEW UNIT. CURRENTLY WITHOUT AIRBAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM DUE TO COMPLYING WITH MAZDA FACTORY SAFTEY RECALL ACTION.

DEAR SIR/MADAM, AFTER I HAD MY TRANSMISSION PROBLEM I CONTACTED WITH TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP BUT THEY COULD NOT FIX THE TRANSMISSION. THE MAIN PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION IS OD LIGHT FLASHES AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILS TO WORK PROPERLY. I HAVE HEARD THAT THIS IS A GENERAL PROBLEM FOR MAZDA 626. EVEN ON THE INTERNET MANY MAZDA 626 OWNERS COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. I KNOW THE MILEAGE OF MY CAR IS HIGH BUT EVEN FOR THE LOW MILEAGES PEOPLE ENCOUNTER WITH THE SIMILAR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS FOR MAZDA 626. IF THIS IS A GENERAL PROBLEM WHY DOESN`T THE MAZDA COMPANY RECALL AND FIX THE PROBLEM? THIS PROBLEM COSTS TOO MUCH MONEY FOR THE CUSTOMERS AND MAYBE SOME DANGEROUS SITUATIONS ON HIGHWAYS OR BUSY TRAFFIC. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME CHANCE TO INFORM YOU ABOUT THIS. *AK

I RECENTLY EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 1997 MAZDA 626 AFTER ONLY 61,406 MILES. LUCKILY I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AT THE TIME OF THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE OF THE CAR. HOWEVER, UPON REPLACING MY TRANSMISSION WITH A "REMANUFACTURED" ONE I HAVE AGAIN EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THERE ARE SOME SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINEERING OF THE TRANSMISSIONS THAT WENT INTO THIS MODEL YEAR CAR. I HAVE READ SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON CONSUMER COMPLAINT BOARDS ON THE INTERNET. WHAT HAS EXASPERATED THIS SITUATION EVEN MORE IS WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR REPAIRS THE DEALERSHIP (ACTUALLY TWO DIFFERENT ONES) RECOMMENDED THAT I PURCHASE A TRANSMISSION COOLING KIT FOR ABOUT $100.00 AS THEY STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION JUST COULDN'T TAKE THE HEAT OF THE DEEP SOUTH (I LIVE IN THE NEW ORLEANS AREA). THIS REALLY IRKED ME. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT THESE TWO DEALERSHIPS WERE TRYING TO GET ME TO PAY FOR THIS KIT WHEN IT IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINEERING OF THE TRANSMISSIONS OR ASSOCIATED ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. I CALLED MAZDA USA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR THIS KIT INSTALLATION AND THEY DID NOT THINK IT WAS AT ALL NEEDED. IN OTHER WORDS THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING EVEN IN THE SOUTH ACCORDING TO MAZDA MOTORS NORTH AMERICA. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY OTHER MAZDA OWNERS (ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE SOUTH) HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THEIR DEALERSHIPS THAT THEIR TRANSMISSION WOES CAN BE SOLVED BY PURCHASE AND INSTALLATION OF THIS COOLING KIT. I WOULD HOPE THAT NO ONE HAS BEEN PERSUADED INTO PURCHASING ONE OF THESE KITS WHEN ITS NOT THEIR PROBLEM TO PAY FOR- IT IS THE DEALERSHIP'S OR MAZDA MOTORS RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM!*AK

ONGOING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE STALLING WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. VEHICLE BEEN IN DEALER SHOP ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL REOCCURRING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS 50 MPH + VEHICLE IS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND "FEELS AS IF IT IS FLOATING". DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND DETERMINED THAT WERE FRAME RELATED PROBLEMS THAT CAUSED THIS TO OCCUR. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS. *AK