1998 MAZDA 626 Complaints

I HAVE REPLACED THE AUTO-TRANSMISSION ON MY 1998 MAZDA 626 TWICE, ONCE AT ABOUT 75,000 MILES AGAIN AT ABOUT 90,000 AND NOW IT IS GONE AGAIN AT 113,000. [email protected] *LA

WHILE TRAVELING AT 30 MPH TENSIONER BELT FELL OFF INSIDE THE ENGINE AND BROKE THE TIMING BELT. VEHICLE STALLED, AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP.

MY TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 80,000. THE O/D LIGHT STARTED BILNKING ON I-59. I PULLED OVER BECAUSE THE CAR WAS JERKING AND ACTING VERY STRANGE. WHEN I OPENED MY HOOD, I NOTICED SMOKE. I THEN CLOSED MY HOOD AND SLOWLY DROVE TO A CAR REPAIR SHOP. THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AND RETURNED IT TO ME. ONE WEEK LATER A NOISE THAT SOUNDS LIKE TWO GEARS GRINDING STARTED IN MY CAR AND THIS CAUSED MY CAR TO JERK INTO EACH GEAR. THIS JERKING WAS SEVERE ENOUGH THAT IT WOULD CAUSE MY HEAD TO BOUNCE BACK AND HIT THE HEAD REST. I THEN TOOK IT BACK TO THE SHOP AND THEY THOUGHT THAT IT WAS MY CV DRIVESHAFT. THEY REPLACED IT AND THE CLICKING CONTINUED. WHEN THEY PLACED IT ON THE RACK, THEY THEN REALIZED THAT THE CLICKING WAS COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. SINCE THEY DO NOT WORK ON TRANSMISSIONS, I HAD IT TOWED TO A RESPECTED TRANSMISSION SHOP. AFTER INSPECTION, THEY HAVE INFORMED ME THAT IT NEEDS ANOTHER TRANSMISSION. THE USED ONE WILL COST ME $1800 AND A BRAND NEW ONE WILL COST ME $2800. AFTER LOOKING ONLINE, I REALIZE THAT THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM IS AN ON GOING ONE WITH MAZDA 626'S. I THINK THAT IT IS ABSOLUTELY ABSURD THAT MAZDA DOESN'T NOT RECALL THIS PART SINCE IT IS VITAL TO THE CAR'S SAFETY. THE TRANSMISSION GOING OUT IN TRAFFIC COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *LA

TRANSMISSION OVERDRIVE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT HARD AND LOUD.*AK

I PURCHASED A CAR IN APRIL 2001 (A USED CAR) AND HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR IT. CAR STARTED GIVING ME PROBLEMS IN 2002 SO I DECIDED TO USE MY EXTENDED WARRANTY TO GET THE CAR FIXED ONCE IT BROKE DOWN ON ME ON THE HIGHWAY; I FOUND OUT THAT THE WARRANTY COMPANY NEVER HEARD OF ME AND THAT MY WARRANTY NEVER EXISTED. THE PLACE THAT I BROUGHT THE CAR FROM WENT OUT OF BUSINESS BECAUSE OF FRAUDULENT ACTIVITIES, BUT THEY DID HAVE ONE OTHER CAR PLACE THAT WAS STILL OPERATING, SO I CALLED THAT PLACE AND EXPLAIN THE PROBLEM TO THEM. THEY ASSURED ME THAT THEY WOULD TAKE CARE OF ME. THEY TRIED TWICE TOO FIX THE PROBLEM AND SUPPOSEDLY FIXED THE PROBLEM, THE CAR IS STILL THE SAME WAY IT WAS WHEN I BROUGHT IT TO THEM. THEY ARE GIVING ME THE RUN AROUND. MY EXTENDED WARRANTY IS SUPPOSE TO LAST 60 MONTHS OR 100,000 METERS WHICH EVER COMES FIRST. I USED MY CAR DAILY BECAUSE I HAVE SMALL CHILDREN AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE COMPANY STILL WONT HONOR THE FAKE WARRANTY THAT I HAVE THAT WAS GIVEN BY THEM. MY TRANSMISSION ON THE CAR IS WORSE THAN BEFORE. THE COMPANY IS DICK GIDRON FORD/CADILLAC. THEY WERE ALL OVER THE NEWS FOR FRAUD. PLEASE HELP. *LA

I HAVE TO HAD MY TRANSMISSION FIXED 3 TIMES NOW AND IT IS CURRENTLY LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID EVEN AFTER ALL THE WORK I HAVE DONE TO IT. I OWN A '98 MAZDA 626 - THERE IS CERTAINLY NO SENSE IN HAVING SO MUCH TROUBLE OUT OF THIS CAR! *LA

TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS FOR THE SECOND TIME WITHIN THE PAST 5 YEARS. IT WAS REPLACED ON 09/01 AT 47,544 MILES, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WHEN I TOOK MY CAR TO THE SHOP THEY SAID THAT, THE TRANSMISSION WAS GOING OUT; THE INVOICE STATES THAT THE FLUID WAS BURNT AND THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS SLIPPING. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED ON 9/23/03, COMING FROM OUT OF TOWN, THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AND STAYED ON FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES SO I STOPPED AT A GAS STATION AND TURNED THE CAR OFF, WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I RAISED THE HOOD OF MY CAR AND NOTICED SOME FLUID COMING OUT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE NEAR THE WINDSHIELD AND WHEN A GENTLEMEN CAME OVER TO HELP, HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION FLUID OVERFLOWING. WHEN I TOOK MY CAR TO A REPAIR SHOP I WAS TOLD THAT PRESSURE WAS BUILDING UP IN THE TRANSMISSION, THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS REPLACED AND I HAD TO PAY $2178.00. *LA

THE TRANSMISSION FAILED IN 03/02, I GOT IT REPLACE FOR ABOUT $2000.00. IN NOV OF 02 IT STARTED SLIPPING GEARS AND PERFORMING BADLY AFTER HIGHWAY DRIVING. I TOOK IT BACK TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG. THEN IN 08/03, IT FAILED COMPLETELY AGAIN, MY CAR WILL NOT MOVE NO MATTER IN WHAT GEAR. I TOOK IT IN TO FIND OUT THE DEPTH OF THE DAMAGE I WAS LOOKING AT AND WAS TOLD THAT MY TRANSMISSION IS BEYOND BEING REBUILT AND NEED TO HAVE IT TOTALLY REPLACE AT A COST OF $2500. THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF BY MAZDA AND/OR FORD. I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY EXPECT THEIR CUSTOMERS TO KEEP SHELLING OUT THIS TYPE OF MONEY FOR THE FAULTY PRODUCT THEY ARE CLEARLY AWARE OF. THIS PROBLEM HAS PUT ME IN DANGEROUS CIRCUMSTANCES FOR IT DECIDED TO QUIT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, IT WAS THE GRACE OF GOD THAT I MADE IT HOME. IT HASN'T MOVED SINCE.

MY CAR, A 1998 MAZDA 626 LX 4 CYLINDER AUTOMATIC, HAS A DEAD TRANSMISSION. THIS FAILURE IS DUE TO DEFECTIVE FORD TRANSMISSION. *JB

TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT APPROXIMATELY 73,000 MILES WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. O/D LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING ON HIGHWAY 3 HOURS INTO 7 HOUR HIGHWAY TRIP. VEHICLE WELL MAINTAINED. CONCERNED ABOUT HAVING TRANSMISSION REPAIRED--WILL THE ENGINE FAIL NEXT? WHAT ARE STATISTICS ON HOW THESE CARS FARE AFTER TRANSMISSION REPAIR? *JB