1998 MAZDA 626 Complaints

TIMING BELT WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. BELT WORE OUT AND TENSIONER HAS POPPED OFF. CONTACTED DEALER ,AND DEALER NOTED THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF RECALL 00-V-134-000. *AK

TIMING BELT TENSIONER HAS BROKEN. A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED ON VEHICLE MAKE AND MODEL; HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

THE PROBLEM THAT I AM EXPERIENCING WITH MY CAR IS AN EXTERNAL SPRING IN THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER BROKE.THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT HAS LED TO A RECALL OF SOME 1998 &1999 MAZDA 626'S . I TOOK MY CAR TO A MECHANIC TODAY BECAUSE I WAS HEARIND A KNOCKING/RATTLING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD.UPON INSPECTION THE MECHANIC FOUND THE PROBLEM AND KNEW ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THAT THIS WAS NOT A COMMON OCCURRENCE AND THAT POSSIBLY THIS WOULD BE A RECALL PROBLEM,HE THEN CHECKED AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS INFACT A RECALL AND ADVISED ME THAT I SHOULD CONTACT MJAZDA WHICH I DID. I FOUND OUT THAT MY CAR IS NOT ONE OF THOSE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL,WHICH LEADS ME TO MY COMPLAINT.THIS IS SUCH A SERIOUS MECHANICAL PROBLEM,MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE COULD STOLL WHILE DRVING!! I HOPE THAT THIS COMPLAINT IS TAKEN SERIOUSLY,AND I HOPE THAT MAZDA WILL EXTEND THE RECALL TO INCLUDE ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES. *AK

PRIOR TO PULLING OFF VEHICLE JERKS INTO GEAR. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED SUDDENLY WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND SMOKES CAME OUT FROM THE FRONT OF THE VIECHIEL AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.*AK

WHILE DRIVING, AT SPEED SLIGHTLY ABOVE 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE ENGINE WAS RUNNING. WHEN VEHICLE WAS ATTEMPTED TO RESTART, ALL LIGHTS WOULD WORK PROPERLY , CAR WOULD NOT CRANK OR REIGNITE TO START ENGINE. TECHNICAL HELP ATTEMPTED TO JUMP START VEHICLE BUT WAS ASKED TO STOP ATTEMPT DUE TO SOUND BEING BROKEN TIMING BELT. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY IN SUMMIT AUTOMOTIVE FOR THE REPAIRS, WHICH MUST BE PAID FOR BY THE DEALERSHIP WHO DID NOT MENTION THIS RECALL TO A BUYER. WITH THE POWER DOOR LOCKS, THE LOCKS ENGAGES TO UNLOCK ITSELF WHETHER THE VEHICLE IS ON PARK OR DRIVE AND AT TIMES LOCKS ITSELF NOT ALLOWING DRIVER OR PASSENGER TO UNLOCK DOOR MANUALLY. WITH THE DOOR LOCKS, THE PASSENGERS AND DRIVERS CAN FATALLY DIE IF NEEDED TO EXIT THE VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP WITH REGARDS TO WHAT I NEED TO DO, AS A CONSUMER AND OWNER.*AK

CAR FAILS TO ENTER GEAR WHEN SHIFTED FROM PARK OR NEUTRAL INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE, THEN SUDDENLY LURCHES INTO GEAR. ONCE IN GEAR, THE CAR FAILS TO SHIFT INTO HIGHER GEARS (LIMITING SPEED). WHILE MOVING FORWARD IN GEAR, THE CAR WILL SHIFT OUT OF GEAR INTO NEUTRAL OR (LESS FREQUENTLY) INTO A LOWER GEAR WITHOUT WARNING (MAXIMUM TIME IN GEAR BEFORE SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL = 1-1.5 MINUTES, USUALLY 30-40 SECONDS). SOMETIMES SHIFTING THE VEHICLE TO NEUTRAL AND BACK TO DRIVE OR REVERSE, OR TURNING THE ENGINE OFF AND BACK ON, ENABLES THE DRIVER TO PUT THE CAR BACK INTO GEAR. IF THE CAR IS SLOWED TO A STOP WHILE IN FORWARD OR REVERSE GEAR, THE CAR WILL LEAVE GEAR AND STAY IN NEUTRAL.*AK

THE EXTERNAL SPRING FOR THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER BROKE. ALSO, ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL 00V134000 FOR TIMING BELT TENSIONER FAILURE DUE TO VIN. *AK *TT

INTERNET RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THE MAZDA 626 HAS A LONG HISTORY OF TRANMISSION FAILURES. WE TOOK THE CAR IN FOR ITS REGULAR MAINTENANCE AS NOTED IN THE CAR MANUAL. WE HAD PURCHASED THE EXTENDED 100,000 MILE WARRANTY. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 100,385. NEITHER MAZDA NOR THE WARRANTY COMPANY WOULD AGREE TO AN ADJUSTMENT NOR A COMPROMISE ON FIXING THE TRANSMISSION. *AK

THE FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION ON MY BELOVED CAR PUT ME IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IN EXTREMELY HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE POLICE HAD TO HELP AS DID THE HIGHWAY SAFETY VEHICLE PATROL CAR. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF MY CAR HAVING ANY SORT OF PROBLEM, THE CAR SIMPLY STOPPED AT THE INTERSECTION. I WAS PLACED IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION BECAUSE I COULD NOT MOVE IT FAR ENOUGH OFF THE HIGHWAY. SEMI TRUCKS BLASTED THEIR HORNS AT ME AS THEY SPED ON BY. I AM AN OLDER WOMAN TRAVELING ALONE AND DID NOT EVEN HAVE A PHONE FOR EMERGENCY USE. I HAD TO WRITE A NOTE AND STAND BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IMPLORING ANYONE TO SEND HELP. IT WAS A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE. I NOW HAVE TO PAY ALMOST $1800 TO GET THIS REPAIRED, AND I DO NOT HAVE TRANSPORTATION FOR A WEEK. I AM A SCHOOL TEACHER, ABOUT READY TO RETIRE, AND NOW I HAVE TO REARRANGE PLANS FOR THE FUTURE DUE TO THIS DISASTER. IT IS MY VERY STRONG OPINION THAT WE ARE LOOKING SOME UNFAIR MANUFACTURING PRACTICES HERE, AND THE MAZDA PEOPLE NEED TO EITHER RECALL THIS MESS, OR PAY FOR THEIR INEPTITUDE WHEN THEY ARE ENDANGERING THE PUBLIC.. THIS IS A TERRIBLE THING TO DO TO UNSUSPECTING CONSUMERS, AND I RESENT THAT THEY GIVE NO SATISFACTION WHEN CALLED.*AK