1998 MAZDA 626 Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR AN OIL CHANGE AT 40,000 MILES. DURING THE OIL CHANGE THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS DISCOLORED AND RECOMMENDED FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WAS NOT COMPLETED AND THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN UNTIL THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 58,000 MILES. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PULLING FROM A PARKING SPACE THE VEHICLE STALLED AND IT WAS PUSHED BACK INTO THE PARKING SPACE. A LOCAL MECHANIC CAME TO THE SCENE, INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THE TRANSMISSION FAILED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE IS MAKING NOISES IN THE ENGINE. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 00V134000, REGARDING THE ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING: ENGINE. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

I HAD THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ON MY 1998 MAZDA 626 REBUILT AT NO. 1 AUTO REPAIR CENTER IN STAFFORD, VA, BACK IN NOVEMBER OF 2002 AT A COST OF 1650.00. ON JANUARY 1, 2006, WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM LORAIN, OH, TO KETTERING, OH, THIS REBUILT TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO OVERHEAT AND BLOW. THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT SUDDENLY AND SMOKE PROCEEDED TO BILLOW FROM MY HOOD WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 75 MPH. THE O/D OFF LIGHT HAD BEEN BLINKING A FEW WEEKS AGO, SO I TOOK THE CAR IN TO GRISMER AUTO REPAIR IN DAYTON, OH. THEY SAID THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS VERY DARK AND SLUDGY AND RECOMMENDED A FLUSH AND CHANGE. THE O/D OFF LIGHT WENT OFF AFTER THAT AND DIDN'T COME ON AGAIN UNTIL MOMENTS BEFORE THIS SECOND TRANSMISSION FAILURE. NOW IT LOOKS LIKE I WILL HAVE TO GET A SECOND REBUILT TRANSMISSION FOR THE SAME CAR WITHIN A SPAN OF APPROXIMATELY THREE YEARS. BY THE WAY, MY LAST PAYMENT IS NEXT MONTH ON A FIVE-YEAR LIEN. THAT'S TWO REBUILT TRANSMISSIONS I HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR BEFORE THE CAR WAS EVEN PAID OFF. WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME HOW THIS IS FAIR. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT HAD THE SPRING FOR THE TIMING BELT REPLACED. LATER, SHE FOUND NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 00V134000 CONCERNING TIMING BELT. WHEN CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURER SHE WAS TOLD TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED, AND SHE WAS REIMBURSED FOR RECALL REPAIR WORK COMPLETED PREVIOUSLY. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY WAS NOT WORKING, AND THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WORK HAD NOT ACTUALLY BEEN DONE. HE STATED A KIT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INSTALLED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE SHE WAS ALREADY REIMBURSED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR HER. *AK

THE TRANSMISSION OF MY 98 MAZDA 626 JUST STARTED TO SLIP AND THE MECHANIC SAID IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $2000 AT ONLY 107000 MILES. *NM

MY TRANSMISSION ON MY MAZDA 626, (4 CYL) IS FAILING AGAIN. HAD IT REBUILT 10 MONTHS AGO AND IT FAILING AGAIN. *JB

TRANSMISSION FAILURE: I HAVE A BABIED 1998 MAZDA 626LX. AT 107,000 MILES I NOTICED SOME VERY SLIGHT TRANSMISSION SHIFT PROBLEMS. I CONSULTED THE MANUAL. NOTHING. I CALLED THE DEALER, VAGUE ANSWERS, NO RECOMMENDATIONS. I DROVE IT AND NOTICED THE O/D LIGHT COMING ON AT ABOUT 60 MILES ( HEAT ? ). SO I STARTED SHORT DRIVING ONLY. FINALLY IT FAILED AND BLEW FLUID ALL OVER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. REPAIRS. SO FAR - $1590.00, BUT NO CONFIDENCE IT IS OVER. MY MECHANIC SAID THE TRANS COOLER WAS DESIGNED POORLY AND COULD NOT BE CLEANED TO WHERE IT WOULD WORK PROPERLY. WE PUT ON AN AUX COOLER. WE HOPE IT WORKS. PROBLEM IS THE CAR IS NOT WORTH IT. I AM ANGRY AT ^&% ^%$#^& MAZDA FOR THEIR INEPT SUPPORT AND STUPIDITY. I WILL NEVER USE THEM AGAIN. THEY HAVE LEECHED ME LONG ENOUGH ON THIS CAR. THEY COULD HAVE HELPED A LONG TIME AGO ABOUT THE HEAT BUILD-UP OF THE FLUID. THEY KNEW THIS WAS COMING. THEY ARE VULTURES WAITING FOR YOUR CAR TO DIE AND THEN THEY WILL HELP THEMSELVES TO YOUR $2500.00. I WILL DIE TELLING FOLKS TO STEER CLEAR OF MAZDA AND FORD. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND HAS NOT BEEN TO A MECHANIC AT THIS TIME. *AK UPDATED 2/7/2006 - THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TECHNICIAN WHO DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. *NM

(1)TRANSMISSION OCCASIONALLY SHIFTED WITH A HARD JOLT FROM 1ST TO 2ND AND FROM 2ND TO 3RD, THEN BEGAN TO EMIT A LOUD WHIZZING/SQUEAKING TYPE OF SOUND IN ALL GEARS(INCLUDING PARK AND NEUTRAL). THE SOUND WAS VERY SIMILAR TO THAT OF A LOOSE BELT, BUT WAS CLEARLY COMING FOR WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION. (2)WITHIN A WEEK OF MAKING THAT SOUND, THE TRANSMISSION, ALTHOUGH APPARENTLY SHIFTING IN THE CORRECT SEQUENCE, STARTED SLIPPING. OBVIOUSLY THIS RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE BEING EXTREMELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. (3)AT THIS POINT I HAVE: A - RECEIVED ESTIMATES RANGING FROM $1800-$2700 FOR A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION REBUILD WITH INSTALLATION, AS WELL AS ESTIMATES RANGING FROM $650-$1750+SHIPPING FOR A USED TRANSMISSION WITHOUT INSTALLATION. SO FAR, I HAVE REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AFTER DRAINING AND FLUSHING THE SYSTEM, AT WHICH POINT I DISCOVERED THAT UNLIKE VIRTUALLY ALL OTHER AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, THE FORD CD4E TRANSMISSION MUST BE REMOVED AND COMPLETELY DISASSEMBLED IN ORDER TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FILTER. OBVIOUSLY, AS THE FILTER BECOMES CLOGGED WITH DEBRIS, THE PRESSURE AND FLOW OF THE FLUID IS RESTRICTED, RESULTING IN LOSS OF PERFORMANCE, OVER-HEATING, AND EVENTUALLY A COMPLETE SYSTEM FAILURE. *JB

DT: THE CALLER SAID THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHILE DRIVING THE ENGINE REVVED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CALLER SAID IT WOULD HAPPEN MOSTLY IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. SHE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A MECHANIC SHOP. DEALER SAID SHE NEEDED TO GET A DIFFERENT YEAR TRANSMISSION, AND SHE WILL HAVE TO UPDATE THE COMPUTER. MANUFACTURER SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL ON HER VEHICLE AND OFFERED NO HELP FOR FREE. *AK