1999 MAZDA 626 Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE MAKING A TURN AT 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE STOPPED AND WOULD NOT MOVE ANY FURTHER. THE VEHICLE WAS PUSHED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND THEN TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE SHOP DETERMINED THE SPRING FOR THE TIMING BELT FRACTURED AND A NEW TIMING KIT NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, #00V134000, FOR THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

TRANSMISSION FAILED FOUR TIMES IN TWO YEARS. THE FIRST TIME (AUGUST 2004) IT FAILED IT WAS 24 HOURS AFTER WE BOUGHT IT FROM A MAZDA USED DEALER, HOLIDAY MOTORS IN FOND DU LAC WI. THEY PULLED THE TRANSMISSION OUT AND REPLACED GASKETS. I ASKED THEN TO PUT ON THE COOLING KIT AND THEY DID NOT. A YEAR LATER (OCTOBER 2005) MY DAUGHTER WAS STRANDED NORTH OF CHICAGO IL WITH THIS CAR AND A PUDDLE OF TRANSMISSION FLUID UNDER IT (GASKETS AGAIN). THE THIRD TIME (MAY 2006) IT WAS SMOKING AND LEAKING FLUID (GASKETS). TWO MONTHS LATER (AUGUST 2006) IT WAS SMOKING AND LEAKING FLUID. THIS TIME IT LEFT MY DAUGHTER IN A VERY UN-SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD OF MILWAUKEE WI. A COOLING KIT PUT ON THIS CAR TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE LAST PROBLEM BUT IT WAS ALREADY TOO LATE. THIS TIME THE SHOP IS REPLACING THE TORQUE CONVERTER (?) THEY SAY IT OVER HEATED. REPAIR COST HAVE BEEN ABOUT $600-$300-$150 (COOLING KIT) $700-$300. *NM

TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, SHIFT GEAR LOCKED UP, O/D OFF BLINKING, CHECKED BY MAZDA DEALER, RECOMMEND REBUILD TRANSMISSION. *NM

RECALL 00V134000 ON 1999 MAZDA 626 TIMING BELT TENSIONER SPRING DID NOT COVER SAME PART FAILURE ON SAME CAR(BY VIN #). *JB

(1) JERKING MOTION OF VEHICLE WHEN DRIVING. MAZDA DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT WAS NORMAL FOR MAZDA TRANSMISSIONS. (2) TRANSMISSION FAILURE. (3) REBUILT TRANSMISSION $1600.00. 1 YEAR LATER, IT FAILED AGAIN, DUE TO OVER HEATING. NEEDS TO BE REBUILT AGAIN. I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WAS A TSB ON THE TRANSMISSION FOR THIS VEHICLE REQUIRING A COOLING UNIT TO AVOID OVERHEATING. NOW, I HAVE TO PAY FOR MORE REPAIRS TO THE TRANSMISSION, WITH NO END IN SIGHT. THIS IS NOT FAIR. HAD I KNOWN ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS, I WOULD NEVER HAVE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE (BRAND NEW) IN THE FIRST PLACE. THIS IS JUST NOT FAIR. *JB

I OWN A 99 MAZDA 626 4 CYLINDER I HAVE ONLY OWNED IT FOR A YEAR AND SINCE I BOUGHT IT THE TRANSMISSION HAS ACTED UP AND AFTER DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH I HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION IT ISN'T JUST MINE EVERYBODY'S IS MESSED UP FIRST IT STARTED WITH THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING MAKING THE O/D LIGHT BLINK ON AND OFF AND THEN SLIPPING REALLY HARD AND NOW IT IS OUT. *JB

PURCHASED MAZDA 626 (1999) NEW IN 12/98. AT 27870 MILES TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED. DEALER SAID I HAD TO PURCHASE A COOLING KIT FOR TRANS AT MY EXPENSE. I KNEW THEN I WOULD NEVER BUY ANOTHER MAZDA. WHAT CUSTOMER SERVICE! PROBLEM RECURRED AND I DISCOVERED IT WAS A KNOW PROBLEM TO MAZDA ABOUT TRANSMISSION FAILURES IN THE MAZDA 626. NOW AT 74000 MILES THEY TELL ME I NEED A NEW TRANS AT $3600, NO WAY. DON'T BUY MAZDA. *NM

O/D LIGHT FLASHES ON AND OFF AT HIGH SPEEDS. CAR STARTS SMOKING AND TRANSMISSION FLUID FLOWS OUT OF A TUBE FROM THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION LOSSES SPEED AND BEGINS SLIPPING. THEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. I CAN ONLY DRIVE MY CAR LOCALLY FOR FEAR OF BEING STRANDED, AS I HAVE BEEN SEVERAL TIMES. *JB

I HAVE A 1999 MAZDA 626 LX 2.0 THAT I PURCHASE IN OCTOBER 2001. WHAT SEEMED TO BE A PRETTY RELIABLE CAR TURNED TO CRAP IN 2003 WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED SUDDENLY WITHOUT MUCH NOTICE. I HAD THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT AT AAMCO (THE BIGGEST RIP OFFS ON THE PLANET NEXT TO MAZDA) FOR $2650.00. THE CAR RAN FINE FOR 2 MORE YEARS WHEN ONCE AGAIN WITH OUT MUCH NOTICE THE CAR STARTS MAKING A GRINDING NOISE IN REVERSE, I TOOK IT BACK TO AAMCO WHERE THEY TOLD ME THAT I ONCE AGAIN NEEDED A REPLACEMENT AND THAT MY EXTENDED WARRANTY JUST RAN OUT "GO FIGURE". SO HERE I AM LEFT WITH THIS CAR THAT I OWE $1500.00 ON AND I NEED $2000.00 WORTH OF WORK. I COME TO FIND OUT THAT I AM ONE OF MANY WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. THANKS MAZDA, AFTER MUCH RESEARCH I BOUGHT A HONDA A MUCH MORE RELIABLE CAR. *JB

I WAS DRIVING AND THE CAR WAS LOSING SPEED EVEN THOUGH MY FOOT WAS ON THE GAS PEDAL. I TOOK MY FOOT OFF FOR A MOMENT AND THEN PUSHED ON THE GAS PEDAL AGAIN HOPING TO REGAIN SPEED. I DID NOT REGAIN ANY SPEED, AND IT CONTINUED TO DROP. I WAS ABLE TO GET A BREAK IN TRAFFIC WHERE I COULD TURN INTO A SMALL PARKING LOT TO REMOVE MYSELF FROM TRAFFIC. AS I BEGAN TO MAKE THE TURN I NOTICED THAT I HAD LOST ALL POWER STEERING AND HAD TO TURN THE CAR MANUALLY. WHEN I GOT INTO THE PARKING LOT, I HAD HELP ATTEMPTING TO JUMP THE VEHICLE TO SEE IF THAT WAS THE PROBLEM, BUT NOTHING WORKED. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC. AS THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE TIMING BELT HAD "JUMPED". THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE TENSIONER SPRING BREAKING. IN SEPTEMBER OF 2000, THIS PART (TENSIONER SPRING) WAS RECALLED FOR DOING EXACTLY WHAT IT DID ON MY CAR. THE RECALL NUMBER IS 00V134000. I SPOKE WITH THE MAZDA DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PART WAS RECALLED FOR MY CAR, BUT NOT FOR MY VIN. MY VIN IS:[XXX]. I WAS APPALLED THAT THE PART WAS RECALLED FOR MY CAR, FOR DOING EXACTLY WHAT THE BULLETIN SAID IT WOULD DO, BUT THAT MY VIN IS NOT COVERED. HOW CAN THIS BE SO? *NM UPDATED 07/16/2012*JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)