1997 MAZDA 626 Complaints

TWO MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING A 97 MAZDA 626 I HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANS BECAUSE IT WAS SEVERELY SLIPPING,UPON INSPECTION OF THE TRANSMISSION IT WAS FOUND TO BE BAD. NOW AFTER ANOTHER MONTH AFTER REPLACING IT WITH A REMANUFACTURED UNIT IT FRIED AGAIN,AND HAD TO BE TOWED HOME. *NM

ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON, OCTOBER 8, 2006, I WAS DRIVING LOCALLY TO VISIT A FRIEND IN A NEW HOME. I HAD JUST TURNED OFF A BUSY THOROUGHFARE ONTO A SIDE ROAD WHEN A HUGE EXPLOSION WENT OFF IN MY FACE. I WAS TRAUMATIZED AND BLINDED AT FIRST- ALL I KNEW WAS THAT I COULDN'T SEE, AND HAD BEEN HIT IN THE FACE WITH A TREMENDOUS FORCE--I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT I HAD BEEN IN A COLLISION, BUT COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHERE ANOTHER CAR COULD HAVE COME FROM--I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR, UNDO MY SEAT BELT AND GET OUT OF THE SMOKEY INTERIOR--A WOMAN DRIVING BEHIND ME PULLED UP AND HELPED ME TO THE CURB, SAYING "GET AWAY FROM THE CAR!" SINCE IT LOOKED AS IF IT WAS GOING TO EXPLODE! SHE CALLED THE RESCUE SQUAD, AND THEY INSPECTED MY INJURIES, WHICH WERE MAINLY FACIAL BRUISING AND SCRAPES--ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO BE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL, AND I REFUSED, SIGNING A PAPER THAT SAID THAT I REFUSED--MY FRIEND CAME DOWN THE STREET AFTER I CALLED HER, AND BROUGHT ME A BAG OF ICE TO PUT ON MY FACE. I WAS GREATLY SHAKEN, AND STAYED AT HER HOME FOR THE AFTERNOON, AND THEN DROVE SLOWLY THE SHORT DISTANCE HOME WITH THE BAG TAPED UP -- I WAS TOLD TO NOT LET ANYONE SIT IN THE PASSENGERS SEAT SINCE THAT AIR BAG MIGHT DEPLOY ALSO AT ANY TIME! MY INSURANCE COMPANY SAID IT WOULD NOT COVER THE EXPENSES OF REPAIRING THE AIRBAG. *JB

DRIVING AND CAR BEGAN TO JERK OVER TIME. EVENTUALLY, CAR HAS LEAD TO PROBLEMS GOING IN REVERSE (MUST GAS TO 4000 RPM'S TO BACK UP). *JB

REPEATED FAILURE OF CD4E AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND TORQUE CONVERTER. DATES - 11/02/2004 AND 08/29/2006. BOTH TIMES TRANSMISSION WAS RECONDITIONED BY LOCAL REPAIR SHOPS (MIDDLETOWN TRANSMISSION AMD MECCA TRANSMISSION, INC). *JB

TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY WOULD NOT CHANGE INTO HIGH GEAR AND HAD NO REVERSE. THE NEXT DAY IT WAS WORSE. I TOOK IT TO AAMCO AND THEY DID A COMPLETE REBUILD OF TRANSMISSION AND TORQUE CONVERTER TO THE TUNE OF $2,000. *NM

MY 1997 626 MAZDA STARTED ACTING LIKE IT WAS HAVING TROUBLE SHIFTING GEARS (IT'S AN AUTOMATIC) AND SOON AFTERWARDS, THE TRANSMISSION GAVE OUT. I AM 51 YEARS OLD AND TREAT MY CARS WITH RESPECT, GETTING REGULAR CHECKUPS FROM MY MECHANIC AND DRIVING WITH CAUTION. I DO NOT ABUSE MY CAR AT ALL. THIS FAILURE CAME AS A SURPRISE TO ME. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. HE TOLD ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. CURRENTLY, WE ARE SEARCHING FOR A USED TRANSMISSION. *JB

TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON THIS AUTOMOBILE AT 90,000, AND AGAIN AT 140,000 MILES. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 1O MPH AND CROSSING OVER A METAL SEWER COVER (THREE TO FOR 4 INCHES HIGHER ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE ROAD), THE FRONT DRIVER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS CONSIDERED A COMPLETE LOSS SINCE THE PRICE TO REPAIR THE AIRBAG OUTWEIGHED THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 98V249000, REGARDING AIR BAGS: FRONTAL: SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.

THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 1997 MAZDA 626 HAS GONE OUT AND WOULD NOT APPEAR TO BE AS A RESULT OF ANY ABUSE ON MY PART. MY DAUGHTER HAD BEEN DRIVING THE CAR WHEN THE OVER DRIVE LIGHT STARTED BLINKING AND THE MOTOR WAS REVVING HIGHER THAN NORMAL. AFTER VISITING A MAZDA DEALERSHIP IN FT. BRAGG, NC THEY ESTIMATE THE COST TO BE APPROXIMATELY $3,600.00. AFTER CONSULTING A NATIONALLY KNOWN TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP, I HAVE FOUND THAT THESE TRANSMISSIONS WERE DEFECTIVE TO BEGIN WITH IN THAT THEY WERE COMPLETELY UNDERSIZED FOR THE MOTORS THEY WERE ATTACHED TO. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH COUNTLESS MAZDAS I NOW KNOW AND MAZDA HAS NOT AND WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. THIS WAS AN APPARENT DESIGN PROBLEM. TO HAVE ONE OF THEIR DEALERSHIPS TRYING CHARGE AN EXORBITANT PRICE FOR REPAIRING THE DEFECT IS SLAP IN THE FACE TO THE PUBLIC WHEN ANOTHER TRANSMISSION SHOP CAN REPAIR IT FOR APPROXIMATELY HALF OF THE MAZDAS PRICE. THE PROBLEM IS SO BAD, I UNDERSTAND, THAT NO ONE WILL INSTALL A USED TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THE USED ONES ARE JUST AS BAD. YOU HAVE TO REPAIR THE ONE YOU HAVE UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE EXTORTED INTO BUYING A NEW ONE FROM A DEALERSHIP THAT IS STILL UNDERSIZED FOR ITS PRIMARY USE. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT MAZDA IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND IS DOING ITS BEST TO HIDE IT. GIVEN THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS I'VE WITNESSED ON VARIOUS WEBSITES AND FORUMS ETC.. IT IS QUITE OBVIOUS THAT MAZDA NEEDS TO BE CALLED ON THE CARPET FOR SELLING KNOWN DEFECTIVE MACHINERY. ITS AMAZING HOW MOST OF THESE FAILURES OCCUR JUST OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY. I REALIZE THAT I MAY NOT BE ENTITLED TO ANY TYPE OF COMPENSATION FOR MY CAR'S PROBLEM GIVEN ITS MILEAGE, BUT I WOULD APPRECIATE IF SOMEONE COULD FORCE MAZDA TO RECONCILE ITS MARKETING OF DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS TO HELP SOMEONE ELSE FROM HAVING TO DEAL WITH THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS MENTALITY. *JB

I BOUGHT A USED 1997 626DX IN 2000. AND HAVE HAD PROBLEMS FROM THE TRANS ANY SENSE. ONE MONTH AFTER I BROUGHT THE CAR I NEEDED A NEW TRANS, THE DEALERSHIP REPLACE IT. AFTER THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE TRANS, I CONTINUED TO HAVE WHAT SEEM TO BE PROBLEMS, THE TRANS WOULD HESITATE OR SHIFT HARD. THE MECHANICS COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. AFTER ABOUT 2 OR 3 YEARS OF THESE I GAVE UP. THEN IN DEC. 2005 I BROKE DOWN DO TO A RUSTED LINE LEADING TO THE TRANS THAT COST ME $325.00. NOW I'M BROKE DOWN AGAIN AND IT WILL COST $2400.00 TO $2500.00 FOR AN OVERHAUL TRANS. THAT I DO NOT HAVE. PEOPLE TELL YOU TO KEEP UP ON THE MAINTENANCE OF YOUR VEHICLE AS I HAVE AND NOW I NEED A TRANS WITHOUT WARNING. I BELIEVE IS CRAZY. FOR A CAR TO NEED 3 TRANS IN LESS THEN 9 YRS. *NM