1997 MAZDA 626 Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40MPH, THE OVER DRIVE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP. THE REPAIR PERSONNEL REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION AND THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. THE OVER DRIVE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE IS AWAITING TOW INTO THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIR.

(SEE COMPLAINT # 10149676) AFTER HAVING THE RIGHT FRONT CV JOINT REPLACE JUST THE DAY BEFORE, TRANSMISSION FAILED AGAIN @ 72,650 MI. FROM A COLD START, THE CAR WAS ALLOWED TO WARM UP BEFORE BEING PUT INTO DRIVE (APPROX 5 MIN.) THE CAR WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE IN 30 MPH STOP AND GO TRAFFIC WHEN, AFTER A COMPLETE STOP, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACTED LIKE IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. EVEN THOUGH THE GEAR SHIFT WAS STILL IN DRIVE. THE SAME THING WHEN PUT INTO REVERSE GEAR. I MANAGED TO GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. FIVE MINUTES LATER I RESTARTED THE ENGINE, PUT THE GEAR SHIFT IN DRIVE, AND VOILA! I'M MOVING AGAIN. ANOTHER 500 FEET FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD? THE SAME THING. STANDING THERE IDLING WITH THE GEAR SHIFT IN DRIVE, NO REVERSE, NOTHING. HAD IT TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP. ESTIMATE: $1500.00 TO FIX THIS CD4E TRANSMISSION AGAIN. I HAVE DECIDED TO NOT HAVE THIS TRANSMISSION FIXED THIS TIME AND WILL TRADE THE CAR IN, AT A SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER VALUE (BECAUSE THE DEALERS ALL KNOW THE TRACK RECORD OF THIS CD4E GEM), FOR A HONDA ACCORD. WHICH I CONSIDERED BUYING INSTEAD OF THE MAZDA 626 BACK IN LATE JUNE OF 2000. MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS, IN MY OPINION, SHOULD LIABLE FOR MONETARY REIMBURSEMENT TO THEIR CUSTOMERS FOR OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES, LOST TIME AND WAGES, AND AGGRAVATION ON THE BASIS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN FRAUDULENT. SIGNED, FORMER MAZDA CUSTOMER. *NM

FIRST INCIDENT: 9/2/04: HAD TO HAVE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY REBUILT AFTER IT FAILED ON @ 61,360 MILES. REPLACED MASTER O/H KIT, TORQUE CONVERTER, DIRECT HOUSING, SHIFT KIT, HUB, CHAIN, BAND, OIL FILTER, OIL. $ 2,062.70. *NM

CAR IS DRIVEN UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS HIGHWAY/ CITY. AFTER THE TRANSMISSION WARMS UP THE OD OFF LAMP BLINKS AND THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ERRATICALLY, WHEN STARTING FROM A LIGHT THE TRANSMISSION WILL SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR AT ABOUT 4000 RPM AND SEEMS TO GO DIRECTLY INTO 3RD. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION MUST BE REPLACED, NOW THE CAR IS JUST SITTING UNTIL WE CAN GET IT FIXED, THEY JUST TOO MUCH MONEY AT THIS TIME. *NM

I NOTICED MY CAR SHAKING AT IDLE AND WHEN I PUT IT IN PARK. I ALSO NOTICED A PUDDLE UNDER MY CAR SO I TOOK IT TO GET LOOKED AT RIGHT AWAY. ON THE WAY TO THE SERVICE STATION IT WOULD NOT SHIFT. ALL SYMPTOMS I HAVE HEARD ON THIS SITE, BUT NO DEALER EVER TOLD ME OF ANY PROBLEM. NOW THE CAR IS NOT WORTH THE PRICE OF A NEW TRANSMISSION AND I AM WITHOUT A VEHICLE. WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO KNOW THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH IT.*AK

I BOUGHT A MAZDA 626 BRAND NEW FROM THE DEALER. AFTER A YEAH I TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALER 3 TIMES BECAUSE I FELT SHIFTING PROBLEM WITH THE TRANNY. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING WITH THE CAR. AT 95K MILE MY TRANNY WENT AND I CALLED THE MAZDA, THEY TOLD ME IM LUCKY TO HAVE IT FOR THAT LONG. THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE ITS A PROBLEM THAT I CAUSED. THEY DIDN'T EVEN LOOK THE RECORD TO THE DEALER OR HAVE IT CHECKED. *NM

CAR RPM'S ARE HIGH ON START, CAR IDLES ROUGH, OVER DRIVE LIGHT BLINKS, CAR IS VERY DANGEROUS AND WHEN OD LIGHT BLINKS CAR CANNOT CHANGE GEARS CORRECTLY AND MAKES IT DANGEROUS ON TURNS. HAD CLOSE CALLS ALMOST BEING HIT, AS TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. I HAVE HAD TO CHANGE ALL SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES, HAD A REBUILT ENGINE OUT IN AS OLD ONE WAS DESTROYED DUE TO A SPRING IN THE TIMING BELT BREAKING. NEW 02 SENSORS, AND MAF. CURRENT ISSUES ARE WITH THE OD LIGHT BLINKING AND CAUSING THE CAR TO HESITATE AND STALL. TURNING CAR OFF AND ON SEEMS TO FIX IT FOR A WHILE, THEN PROBLEM HAPPENS AGAIN AFTER A FEW HOURS. SEEMS TO BE A COMPUTER PROBLEM OR SOMETHING, ALSO THERE IS A WHINING NOISE WHEN RPM'S ARE OVER 4000. THIS CAR IS A LEMON AND I HAVE READ HOW MAZDA REFUSES TO ADMIT THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS THEY HAVE. *JB

I BOUGHT A NEW 1997 MAZDA 626 IN OCTOBER OF 1996. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 60,000 MILES, SO I SPENT $1800 ON A NEW ONE. THAT TRANSMISSION FAILED AFTER ONLY ONE YEAR, SO I HAD THAT REPAIRED. NOW, 2 YEARS LATER, THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED AGAIN. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. IT WILL MAKE A LOUD NOISE FOLLOWED BY A COMPLETE SHUTDOWN. THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REBUILT THREE TIMES. SEVERAL MECHANICS ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE, BUT AGREED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OVERDRIVE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, AND WOULD NOT COVER THIS UNDER WARRANTY. NO FURTHER REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK

HAS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. WHEN DRIVEN AT HIGH SPEEDS (OVER 70 MPH) THE O/D LIGHT BEGINS TO BLINK AND THE ENGINE REVS AN EXTRA 400 RPMS WHILE MAINTAINING THE SAME SPEED. WHEN DRIVEN AT LOWER SPEEDS, TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARSHLY. TOOK IT TO A DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED AND THE DEALER SAYS THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS READY TO GIVE UP AND REPLACING IT WILL COST ME $3400. MAZDA NEEDS TO REMEDIED THIS ISSUE BEFORE THIS PROBLEM TURNS DEADLY. *JB