1998 MAZDA 626 Complaints

VEHICLE WOULD STALL OUT WHILE DRIVING. ENGINE WOULD OVERHEAT & START SMOKING. TOWED TO MAZDA DEALERSHIP & MECHANIC INDICATED NO OIL IN CRANKSHAFT & NO ANTI-FREEZE IN RADIATOR. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD. THIS WAS A LEASED VEHICLE.*AK

AFTER VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY DEALER UNDER RECALL 00V134000 VEHICLE BECAME INOPERABLE. DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

WHILE STOPPED THE ENGINE RACES UP TO ABOUT 3000 RPMS ON THE TACKOMETER, WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN DRIVE IT ACCELERATES AHEAD, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT, DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.

TANSMISSION REPLACED WITH LESS THAN 12,000 MILES ON THE CAR. CARS SOMETIMES LOOSES COMPLETE POWER WHILE DRIVING.*AK

CONSUMER CHECKED TIRE BEFORE A TRIP AND NOTICED ABNORMAL WEAR ON BOTH REAR TIRES NEAR THE SIDEWALL, THE TREAD WAS WORN ALL AROUND BOTH TIRES, UPON RETURNING HOME CONSUMER DISCOVERED THAT THERE WERE NO MORE TREADS ON THE TIRES (BRIDGESTONE PROTENZA P205/60R15 90H). NLM

ALL THE TREAD ON TWO REAR TIRES VANISHED AFTER VACATION TRAVEL AT SPEEDS UP TO 65 MPH. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO TREAD LEFT ON LEFT REAR AND RIGHT REAR TIRES. TIRES ON REAR NORMALLY AT 26 PSI WERE NOT OPERATED BELOW THAT PRESSURE.GARAGE MECHANIC FOUND TWO REAR WHEEL TIE RODS BENT IDENTICALLY . THERE WAS NO SIGN UPON INSPECTION THAT THE VEHICLE HAD RUN OVER ANYTHING. THERE WERE NO SCRATCHES OR MARKS UNDER THE CAR TO INDICATE IMPACT WITH ROAD HAZARD. I BELIEVE THE TIRE WEAR PLUS THE MFG RECOMMENDED TIRE PRESSURE OF 26 PSI REDUCED ROAD CLEARANCE TO THE POINT WHERE THE CAR WOULD BOTTOM OUT AFTER HITTING UNREPAIRED WIDE CRACKS IN THE CONCRETE ROADWAY WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH.I BELIEVE THE TIRE WEAR WAS DUE TO DEFECTIVE MATERIAL IN THE TIRES MADE BY BRIDGESTONE.I BELIEVE THE TIRE WEAR CAUSED THE TIE RODS TO COME IN CONTACT WITH THE ROAD SERVICE CAUSING IDENTICAL BENDS IN EACH TIE ROD, THE BENT TIE RODS THEN WOULD THROW THE WHEELS OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND ERASE THE TIRE TREADS.( DOT NUMBER: Y7CD CCF TIRE SIZE: P205/60R15 )

STEERING RACK GEAR BROKE IN TWO WITH NO WARNING, CAR WENT OUT OF CONTROL, CROSSED HIGHWAY, DOWN A SMALL EMBANKMENT AND INTO THE TREES (NARROWLY MISSING AN ONCOMING SMALL TRUCK). MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AND WAS SUFFERED AGGRAVATION TO EXISTING BACK AND LEG PROBLEMS. SHE SAID SHE HEARD A "CLUNK" AND THE CAR TOOK OFF ACROSS THE ROAD. AT FIRST SHE THOUGHT SHE HIT SOMETHING IN THE ROAD TO CAUSE THE CAR TO GO OUT OF CONTROL. I CHECKED THE CAR OUT AT THE TOWING COMPANIES LOT THAT NIGHT AND DETERMINED THAT THE LEFT FRONT CONTROL ARM WAS LOOSE UNDER THE RUBBER BOOT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE CAR. I ASKED THE DEALER NOW REPAIRING THE CAR TO SAVE ANY STEERING PARTS. THEY REPLACED THE RACK AND PINION AS A UNIT AND I NOW HAVE IT. I HAVE NOT DISASSEMBLED IT BUT IT IS OBVIOUSLY BROKE UNDER THE BOOT WHERE THE RACK EXITS THE RACK AND PINION HOUSING ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. COMMENT: CARS SHOULDN'T BREAK LIKE THIS WITH ONLY 61,000 MILES ON THEM. THIS CAR HAS RECEIVED REGULAR LUBRICATION MAINTENANCE AND WHEN I HAVE DRIVEN IT RECENTLY SHOWED NO SIGN OF IMPENDING STEERING PROBLEMS SUCH AS CLUNKS, TIGHT STEERING, ROAD WANDER, ETC. IT WAS JUST FINE UNTIL IT BROKE. *AK

I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THIS CAR AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW CAN A 2YEAR OLD CAR NEED A TRANSMISION. I ONLY HAD THIS CAR 1YEAR I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND IF THERE ANY THING YOU CAN DO TO HELP ME PLEASE CONTACT ME. I WAS TRYING TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON TRANSMISION FOR THIS YEAR. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. *AK

CHECK THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND GOES OFF REPEATEDLY DUE TO OIL SPILLING INTO AIR FLOW SENSOR AND DUE TO INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKING. YH

WHEN SLOWING DOWN AND BEGINNING TO RE-ACCELERATE THE TRANSMISSION JUMPS IN TO GEAR. THE INTERIOR HEADLINER OF THE CAR BURNED IN EXTREME HEAT. UPON TAKING THE CAR TO A LOCAL UPHOLSTERY SHOP I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WAS NOT UNCOMMON IN THE 1998 MODEL CAR THAT I HAVE. *AK