1996 MAZDA 626 Complaints

IN DECEMBER, 1998 OUR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT STARTED TO FLASH AFTER OUR 626 WAS DRIVEN AT 65+ MPH FOR 10-15 MINUTES. AFTER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SHIFTING ERRATICALLY AT LOW SPEEDS. THE PROBLEM WAS MIS-IDENTIFIED BY A SERVICE TECHNICIAN AS DIRTY TRANSMISSION FLUID AND SUBSEQUENTLY DIAGNOSED AS HAVING A FAULTY TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. WE ORIGINALLY PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AT POLAR MAZDA IN WHITE BEAR LAKE, MN WHERE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED.

UPON ACCELERATING FROM A DEAD STOP, CAR SOMETIMES CAUSES HARD SHIFT ON GEARS 1 AND 2.

SHOULD THE REAR END GO OUT THIS SOON PLEASE CONTACT ME WORRIED ABOUT DAUGTHER-IN-LAW DRIVING THIS CAR LIKE THIS

TRANSMISSION BEGAN WHINING AND THEN FAILED AT HIGH SPEED GOING UPHILL. UNABLE TO STAY IN FLOW OF TRAFFIC. VERY HAZARDOUS SITUATION THAT NEARLY LED TO AN ACCIDENT DUE TO SUDDEN DECELERATION. MAZDA IS UNWILLING TO ASSIST IN ANY WAY AT THIS POINT TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO OTHER OWNERS EVEN REPLACED TRANSMISSIONS ARE KNOWN TO FAIL AGAIN. I AM HESITANT TO REPAIR THE CAR BECAUSE I AM CONCERNED IT WILL PUT ME AND MY FAMILY IN A SIMILAR UNSAFE SITUATION AGAIN. I REALLY HOPE SOME PRESSURE CAN BE BROUGHT TO BEAR ON MAZDA TO FIX THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED.

TRANSMISSION FAILED AFTER OWNING THE CAR FOR LESS THAN ONE MONTH. IT WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, SO THE DEALER REPLACED ALL PARTS AND INSTALLED FREE OF CHARGE. THEY ASSURED ME AT THE DEALER THAT THIS WAS A FLUKE, AND THAT THEY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS BEING A PROBLEM IN MAZDA 626, 1996 4-CYLINDER AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MODELS. LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT LESS THAN ONE YEAR LATER, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD GO OUT AGAIN, THIS TIME AFTER WARRANTY, AND WOULD FACE MAZDA CORP. STATING THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THERE TRANSMISSIONS, AND THAT TECHNICALLY THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHIGN TO HELP ME, BUT THEY WOULD DO ME A FAVOR BY REPLACING THE PARTS, BUT I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LABOR $545.00. I'M NOT EVEN SURE IF THIS IS A FAIR PRICE FOR LABOR ON INSTALLING A TRANSMISSION.

SECOND TRANSMISSION IN UNDER ONE YEAR. MAZDA WILL NOT ADMIT TO THIS BEING A PROBLEM THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR. MEANING, THEY WILL NOT ADMIT THAT THIS TRANNY SHOULD HAVE LAST MORE THAN 19,000 MILES. DO NOT CONSIDER IT ANYTHING BUT COINCIDENCE THAT IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN UNDER A YEAR. THE FIRST TIME I WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THIS TIME I AM NOT, AND WAS TOLD I SHOULD FEEL LUCKY THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO HONOR THE PARTS, BUT I NEED TO PAY FOR LABOR $545.00 THEY SAY IS A FAIR PRICE. I DISAGREE. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON THIS MAKE AND MODEL AND HAVE NOTICED THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. IT APPEARS THAT THIS TRANNY SHOULD BE RECALLED AND MAZDA WILL NOT ADMIT IT. THEY ARE BEING VERY UN-ETHICAL IN MY OPINION.

FOUND OUT THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE 626 TRANS, SHOULD BE A RECALL, EVEN REPLACMENT ONES ARE DEFECTIVE

I WAS DRIVING ON I-10. I MADE A ROUTINE LANE CHANGE. AT THAT MOMENT I LOST COMPLETE CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE. MY STEERING FAILED. I WAS REAR-ENDED. I WAS SHOVED INTO ANOTHER CAR ON MY DRIVER SIDE. I CAME TO REST ON A CONCRETE BARRIER. THE MECHANIC AT THE COLLISION CENTER SAID THE RACK AND PINION FELL APART. A PRIVATE MECHANIC EXAMINED THE MAZDA AND ALSO CONCLUDED THAT THE SHAFT IN THE RACK AND PINION UNIT FAILED DUE TO A DEFECTIVE PART.

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE START JERKING OVER 50 MPH AND SPEED COULD DROP ON THE FREEWAY WHERE TRANSMISSION/OVERDRIVE LIGHT WILL START FLASHING.*AK

PASSENGER'S AIRBAG DEPLOYED UNEXPECTEDLY WHEN VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED. A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED ON THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, OWNER NOTIFICATION WAS NOT RECEIVED.*AK