IllustrationAUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIOIN FAILURE, TWICE: ONCE AT 70000 MILES (WHICH I HAD REBUILT) THEN AGAIN AT 145000 MILES. *AK
1994 Mazda 626
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most 626 years
Owner complaints for the 1994 Mazda 626 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 44.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 626 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 64 of 282 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 177 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
18 crash reports6 fire reports14 injury reports
What owners actually said
282 reportsTRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. MY MAZDA 626 HAS HAD CONSISTENT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. TRANSMISSION SLIPS ON 3RD AND 4TH GEARS AND REVERSE GEAR DOES NOT ENGAGE AT ALL. *JB
THE HOLD LIGHT IS FLASHING AND IT DOESN'T CHANGE GEARS CORRECTLY. HAD THE TRASMISSION FLUID CHANGED AND UN-HOOKED THE BATTERY FOR 5 MINUTES AND IT FIXED THE PROBLEM FOR A DAY AND A HALF. A FRIEND IS A MECHANIC AND FIXED IT THE FIRST TIME, BUT NOW WE WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO PUT IN A NEW OR REBUILT TRANSMISSION. I BOUGHT IT USED …
Read full complaint
THE HOLD LIGHT IS FLASHING AND IT DOESN'T CHANGE GEARS CORRECTLY. HAD THE TRASMISSION FLUID CHANGED AND UN-HOOKED THE BATTERY FOR 5 MINUTES AND IT FIXED THE PROBLEM FOR A DAY AND A HALF. A FRIEND IS A MECHANIC AND FIXED IT THE FIRST TIME, BUT NOW WE WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO PUT IN A NEW OR REBUILT TRANSMISSION. I BOUGHT IT USED IN JAN 03 WITH 122,000 MILES ON IT.
THE PROBLEM, I HAVE IS ABOUT MY TRANSMISSION. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY FROM TAUNTON MA ABOUT 20 MILES AWAY FROM BROCKTON MA WHERE I LIVE. I WAS GOING ABOUT 60 MPH, THE SPEED LIMIT. OUT OF NOWHERE, MY TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING. WHERE I WAS DRIVING, THERE WERE THREE LANES. LUCKILY I WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE AND HAD JUST ENO…
Read full complaint
THE PROBLEM, I HAVE IS ABOUT MY TRANSMISSION. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY FROM TAUNTON MA ABOUT 20 MILES AWAY FROM BROCKTON MA WHERE I LIVE. I WAS GOING ABOUT 60 MPH, THE SPEED LIMIT. OUT OF NOWHERE, MY TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING. WHERE I WAS DRIVING, THERE WERE THREE LANES. LUCKILY I WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE AND HAD JUST ENOUGH SPEED TO GET TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE. I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY WITH NO PHONE I DID KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON MY CAR NEVER SHOWED SUCH SIGN OF THIS SORT I WAS WITH MY FRIEND WHO TOLD ME TO PUT THE CAR IN D2. THE CAR STARTED TO MOVE SLOWLY, THAN STARTED SLIPPING AFTER I LET MY FOOT OFF THE GAS, THAN PUSHED IT AGAIN, IT STARTED JERKING A LITTLE, THEN STARTED TO MOVE AGAIN. I BARELY MADE IT TO BROCKTON.
I OWN A 1994, 626 MAZDA ES. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT WHILE ON THE TOLLWAY. NO WARNING! A SERIOUS HAZARD TO MY LIFE AND OTHERS WHILE ON THE BUSY ROAD. THE TRANSMISSION LOST POWER AND ALMOST CAUSED A PILE-UP. CARS DODGING ME! LUCKY I'M NOT INJURED. 1ST IN 2000, THEN DEALER INSTALLED REBUILT MAZDA TRA…
Read full complaint
I OWN A 1994, 626 MAZDA ES. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT WHILE ON THE TOLLWAY. NO WARNING! A SERIOUS HAZARD TO MY LIFE AND OTHERS WHILE ON THE BUSY ROAD. THE TRANSMISSION LOST POWER AND ALMOST CAUSED A PILE-UP. CARS DODGING ME! LUCKY I'M NOT INJURED. 1ST IN 2000, THEN DEALER INSTALLED REBUILT MAZDA TRANSMISSIONS FAILED AGAIN. *NLM
HOLD LIGHT KEEPS FLASHING WHEN HOLD LIGHT IS FLASHING, THE TRANSMISSION JERKS (AUTOMATIC TRAN) AR HAS STOPPED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. HAVE HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED ONCE AND HAVE TAKEN IT BACK THREE TIMES AFTER IT WAS REPLACED HOLD LIGHT STILL FLASHES AND TRASMISSION STILL JERKS AFTER BEING SERVICED. *AK
1994 MAZDA 626ES 72000 MILES. ALWAYS HAD PROBLEMS WITH ENGINE/TRANSMISSION JERKING EVEN UNDER SLOW ACCELERATION. 3 DAYS AGO, CAR CONSTANTLY DOWNSHIFTS DURING MODERATE ACCELERATION UNTIL REACHING HWY SPEEDS. NOW CAR SHIFTS GEARS IRRATICALLY WHILE CRUISING AT 60MPH AND DURING SLOW\MODERATE ACCELERATION. *LA
I BOUGHT A 1994 AUTOMATIC MAZDA 626 IN JANUARY 2002 WITH 104,000 MILES WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION THAT HAD JUST BEEN REBUILT. AT 128,000 MILES, THE PROBLEM IS RECURRING AS NOW THE HOLD LIGHT HAS BEEN FLASHING AND IT HAS TROUBLE SHIFTING INTO GEAR. IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG ALL MAZDA'S BUILT AROUND 1994 AND LATE…
Read full complaint
I BOUGHT A 1994 AUTOMATIC MAZDA 626 IN JANUARY 2002 WITH 104,000 MILES WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION THAT HAD JUST BEEN REBUILT. AT 128,000 MILES, THE PROBLEM IS RECURRING AS NOW THE HOLD LIGHT HAS BEEN FLASHING AND IT HAS TROUBLE SHIFTING INTO GEAR. IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG ALL MAZDA'S BUILT AROUND 1994 AND LATER FROM WORD OF MOUTH AND INTERNET ARTICLES AND FORUMS. IT SEEMS THAT THEY USE FORD PARTS AND HAVE A NOTORIOUS REPUTATION FOR TRANSMISSION FAILURES. I WOULD LIKE TO SEEK INFORMATION ABOUT A POSSIBLE RECALL OF THESE VEHICLES. *LA
WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE TRANSMISSION LIGHT WOULD APPEAR ON THE DASH INTERMITTENTLY. THE DRIVER HAS MADE CONTACT WITH THE DEALERSHIP. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *PH
CD4E AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. CAR SHIFTS HARD FROM 1ST TO 2ND AND 2ND TO 3RD GEARS. SLIPS OUT OF OVERDRIVE WITHOUT WARNING. O/D LIGHT FLASHES CONTINUOUSLY. CAR IS BASICALLY UNDRIVEABLE AS IS. WAS TOLD I WOULD NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. FAILED AT 80,000 MILES. ALWAYS HAD ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE PERFORMED.*AK
Official recalls
215V674000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch
Oct 19, 2015
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 1989-1998 MPV, 1990-1995 323, 1990-1998 Protege, 1992-1993 MX-3, 1993-1995 929, 1993-1997 MX-6, and 1993-1998 626 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, grease applied to the contact points inside the ignition switch may become conductive and overheat.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the ignition switch overheats there would be an increased risk of a fire.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. The recall began on December 17, 2015. Owners may contact Mazda Customer Experience Center at 1-800-222-5500, option#6. Mazda's number for this recall is 8715J.
99V358000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights:switch
Dec 17, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE HEADLIGHT WIRE THAT RUNS THROUGH THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER CAN FAIL AT THE POINT WHERE IT IS SOLDERED TO THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE FAILURE OF THIS WIRE COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF HEADLIGHTS, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH LEVER.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2RQ99022 · Headlight Failure
Opened Dec 20, 1999 · Closed Aug 30, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting
OBTAINED RECALL 99V-358
SQ98024 · Speedometer Inoperative
Opened Oct 29, 1998 · Closed Sep 10, 1999
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train
SEE RESUME FOR DETAILS.