1997 MAZDA 626 Complaints

I HAD A COUPON FOR $14.99-OIL CHANGE AND TIRE ROTATION FROM FIRESTONE.COM. I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO THE SHOP...DID NOT ROTATE TIRES AND SAID THEY HAD NO COUPON. I WAS CHARGED MORE THAN THE COUPON. I RELUCTANTLY PAID THE BILL. I THEN DROVE TO LAKEVILLE, MN...ON MY WAY TO VISIT FATHER IN BATESVILLE, AR. I NOTICED A STRANGE SMELL AND ALMOST THE SAME TIME MY CAR POPPED OUT OF GEAR. SO I PULLED OFF I-35 AND CHECKED THE OIL. THE CAP WAS NOT ON CORRECTLY, (1 1/2 TURNS THEN IT WAS TIGHTENED) I CALLED FIRESTONE IMMEDIATELY TO REPORT THE CAP AND SMELL. MY DIPSTICK READ FULL...I WAS NOT ABLE TO CHECK THE TRANNY FLUID SINCE IT IS BELOW (MANUAL TRANSMISSION), BUT WAS ASSURED BY FIRESTONE THEY CHECK THE LEVEL WITH AN OIL CHANGE. LONG STORY SHORT...I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MY OILPAN AND TRANSMISSION. NOW TODAY THERE IS NO FLUID IN MY RADIATOR...AND I HAVE DRAINED ALL OF MY RESOURCES AND HAVE BECOME DELINQUENT WILL MY REGULAR BUDGET. THERE WAS ONLY 1/2 QT OIL IN MY MOTOR AND 1/2 QT TRANNY FLUID IN MY TRANSMISSION. I HAVE ALL MY RECEIPTS FROM REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND HAVE SPOKEN TO MECHANICS. THEY HAVE REPEATED TO ME THAT I NEED TO FIND LEGAL COUNSEL OR GET HELP SINCE THE CAR WAS FINE BEFORE I WENT TO FIRESTONE. THEY HAVE IGNORED MY LAST 2 CALLS ( ON HOLD)THERE WAS ONLY 1/2 QT OIL IN MY MOTOR WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY FATHERS IN ARKANSAS. MY CAR HAS NEVER BURNED OIL OR THE LIKE. THERE WAS A HOLE IN MY OILPAN BETWEEN THE SIZE OF A GOLFBALL AND A TENNIS BALL...THE CAR DID NOT HIT ANYTHING TO CAUSE THIS. AT THE SAME TIME MY OIL WAS DRAINED THE DIPSTICK CONTINUED TO READ FULL, THE MECHANIC WAS CONCERNED. I COULD NO LONGER USE 5TH GEAR AND 3RD GAVE OUT AS WELL. FIRESTONE ASSURED ME ALL FLUIDS WERE CHECKED...BUT THE MECHANIC WAS NOT CONVINCED. MY FATHERS NEW DRIVEWAY WAS STAINED FROM THE OIL. I CANNOT REMEMBER WHICH DAY I HAD MY OIL CHANGED, FRIDAY OR SATURDAY JULY 18TH OR 19TH. I NEED TO FIND THE RECEIPT. *TR

WE HAVE OWNED A 4 CYLINDER 1997 MAZDA THAT HAS HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED TWICE. *TR

MY 1997 MAZDA 626 HAD A FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE OD LIGHT KEPT FLASHING AND THE CAR SHIFTED ERRATICALLY. THE COST TO REBUILD WAS $1800.00. I HAVE READ ABOUT THIS PROBLEM OCCURRING IN MANY OTHER OLDER MAZDA CARS AS WELL. THE PROBLEM FIRST OCCURRED IN THE SUMMER OF 2006. I WAS FORCED TO PUT THE CAR UP FOR SEVERAL MONTHS WHILE I SAVED THE MONEY FOR THE REPAIRS. IT WAS REPAIRED IN THE SUMMER OF 2007. THE CAR TRANSMISSION IS AGAIN ACTING ERRATICALLY. THERE ARE MANY POSTINGS ON THE WEB THAT INDICATE THAT THERE IS REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE TRANSMISSIONS IN THESE CARS ARE FAULTY. *TR

I PURCHASED A 1997 MAZDA 626 WITH 90,000 MILES ON IT IN JANUARY 2007. RECENTLY, AT 112K, THE O/D LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING AND THE CAR JERKED AND STRUGGLED TO SHIFT GEARS. I TOOK IT TO FOUR DIFFERENT AUTOMOTIVE MECHANIC SHOPS AND THEY ALL RAN AN ESTIMATE AND TOLD ME THE SAME THING - THAT THE FORD CD4E TRANSMISSION IN IT IS FAILING AND IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT QUITS COMPLETELY. THEY ALSO ALL INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS A TYPICAL PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE AND YEAR TRANSMISSION. IT IS VERY DEVASTATING TO ME BECAUSE I AM ON A VERY LIMITED INCOME AND IT HAD PROVEN TO BE SUCH A RELIABLE CAR ASIDE FROM THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, RUNNING GAS AT APROX. 30 MPG. AS I USED A POPULAR SEARCH ENGINE TO FIND "MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSIONS" HOPING TO PURCHASE A NEW ONE, INSTEAD I WAS GREETED WITH THOUSANDS OF PAGES UPON PAGES OF COMPLAINTS ON THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM I HAVE ENCOUNTERED WITH THE FORD CD4E TRANSMISSION. NEITHER FORD NOR MAZDA HAS DONE ANYTHING TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY; THIS SHOULD BE INEXCUSABLE! *TR

1997 MAZDA 626 LX L4 2.0L 120,625 HAD TO HAVE A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION REBUILD CD4E COST $2,539.00. *TR

FAILURE OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS AT AN EARLY MILEAGE RANGE. EITHER HAVE TO REPLACE OR HAVE TRANSMISSION REBUILT. *TR

TRANSMISSION IN 97 626 MAZDA 4CYL LOCKED UP WHEN TURNING CRUISE CONTROL OFF ON INTERSTATE CAUSING THE FRONT WHEELS TO LOCK UP AND SLIDING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP THE TRANS IS NO GOOD NOW . SHOULD THE MANUFACTURE BE RESPONSIBLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

FLASHING "O/D OFF" LIGHT, ROUGH SHIFTING, JERKING, SLUGGISH ACCELERATION NEARLY RESULTING IN T-BONE COLLISION. INCIDENTS TOO RECENT FOR REPAIR ACTIONS TO BE ATTEMPTED, BUT CONSISTENT WITH OTHER REPORTS REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR YEAR/MAKE/MODEL. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILED ON A MAZDA 626 '97 4CYL, HARDLY 9 YEARS AFTER MANUFACTURE. I HAD TO REPLACE THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION ON THE VEHICLE. *TR

97 MAZDA 626 2 LITER ENGINE, AUTO TRANSMISSION FAILURES. 1ST TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 80,000, 2ND ONE WENT AT 105,000, 3RD FAILURE AT 124,000. *TR