1995 Mazda 626

I HAVE A '95 MAZDA 626 2.0L AUTOTRANS, IT DRIVES FINE IN TOWN AND FOR SHORT PERIODS BUT SINCE I LIVE IN A RURAL AREA MOST SHOPPING IS DONE AND HOUR FROM HOME. ON SUCH TRIPS, MY CAR WILL BEGIN TO SHIFT HARD AND THE O/D OFF LIGHT WILL START FLASHING. I'VE TALKED TO THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID ITS A TYPICAL MAZDA PROBLEM AND TO UNHOOK THE NEG BATTERY CABLE, WAIT 3 MINUTES THEN RECONNECT AND THE LIGHT WILL BE OFF. THIS WORKS BUT I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO RESET THE COMPUTER EVERY TIME I DRIVE MY CAR FOR AN HOUR. I'VE ALSO DONE LOTS OF INTERNET RESEARCH AND IT APPEARS THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM CAUSED BY THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING AND EVENTUALLY BURNING UP. I'VE FOUND MAZDA TSB #0500502 PUBLISHED MAY 21, 2002 THAT SHOWS MAZDA IS AWARE OF THE SAID PROBLEM AND ALSO KNOWS HOW TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE, SO WHY IS IT THE CONSUMERS RESPONSIBILITY TO INSTALL THE ATF COOLER KIT WHEN MADZA ADMITS THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS THIS PART TO RUN EFFECTIVELY FOR LONG TERM VEHICLE USE?? MAZDA SHOULD BE PICKING UP THE TAB BY EITHER REPLACING THE TRANNY WITH ONE THAT WORKS PROPERLY OR INSTALL THE COOLER KIT THEMSELVES!!

MY 1995 MAZDA 626 HAS GONE THOUGH TWO TRANSMISSIONS DESPITE BEEING WELL CARED FOR. THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY 130,000 MILES ON IT. MY GIRLFREINDS 1996 MAZDA 626 HAS GONE THOUGH TWO AS WELL AND HAS 101,000 MILES. MY BROTHERS MAZDA 626 HAD SIMULAR ISSUES BEFORE SELLING IT TO SOME OTHER NON SUSPECTING CONSUMER. CONSUMER REPORTS HAS SHOWN THEM TO BE TROUBLED IN THIS AREA, TO SAY THE LEAST. MAZDA HAS MADE NO EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. FOR SOME MAZDA OWNERS AN UNEXPECTED $2,000-$2,500 BILL COULD BE A LIFE ALTERING EXPENSE. WHEN WILL WE SEE A GOVERNMENT FORCED RECALL? MAZDA SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. I WILL NEVER PURCHASE A MAZDA VEHICLE AGAIN. THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING A FORUM FOR SUCH COMPLAINTS.*AK

THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 1995 MAZDA 626 DIED AFTER APPROX 75K MILES. THERE ARE NO REPLACEMENTS ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY. I WILL HAVE TO HAVE THE CURRENT TRANSMISSION REBUILT FOR APPROX $3K OR SELL THE VEHICLE FOR PARTS. THAT IS RIDICULOUS FOR SUCH A LOW-MILEAGE VEHICLE TO BE IN SUCH A SITUATION. RESEARCHING THE ISSUE ONLINE I SEE THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE 1995 MAZDA 626. I SEE MENTION OF THE TRANSMISSION POSSIBLY REQUIRING A TRANSMISSION COOLER, SUGGESTING THAT THE FAILURE OCCURS BECAUSE THE FLUID OVERHEATS. NOT SURE IF THAT IS THE CASE, BUT CLEARLY SOMETHING IN THE DESIGN HAS RESULTED IN AN UNREASONABLY SHORT LIFESPAN FOR THE TRANNY. IT IS NOT REASONABLE FOR THE CONSUMER TO TAKE THIS ON THE CHIN. MAZDA NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND BEAR AT LEAST SOME OF THE PAIN THEIR FLAWED DESIGN HAS CAUSED. PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS AS NEEDED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. *NM

I AM NOW ON MY THIRD TRANSMISSION SINCE I BOUGHT MY 1996 MAZDA 626 DX, 4 CYL. THE FIRST TRANSMISSION WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THE SECOND FAILURE WAS IN NOV 2005. I TOOK VEHICLE TO NON-DEALER SOURCE. THE TRANSMISSION STARTED ACTING UP AGAIN LAST WEEK. AFTER ABOUT 40 MILES SHIFTING GETS HARD AFTER A STOP. VEHICLE WILL DOWN SHIFT WHEN YOU TAKE FOOT OFF THE GAS. RIGHT NOW THE REPAIR SHOP IS TRYING TO TROUBLE SHOOT WITHOUT FINDING THE PROBLEM. *NM

I OWN A 1995 MAZDA 626 - AND EVERY NOW AND THEN THE "OD OFF" LIGHT WILL FLASH CONTINUOUSLY FOR MONTHS....I HAVE CHANGED THE BELTS, WATER PUMPS, FAN BELTS, TRANSMISSION FLUID GASKETS AND EVEN THE BATTERY THREE TIMES. RECENTLY THE DEALER ADVISED ME TO CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION SINCE IT WAS LEAKING TO THE POINT OF NO REPAIR. WE CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION AND AFTER TWO DAYS OF DRIVING THE CAR JERKS WHEN TAKING OFF, THE OD OFF LIGHT IS FLASHING AGAIN, AND THE IT APPEARS TO BE OVERHEATING - BUT THE DEALER SAYS THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THE RADIATOR. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOREVER WITH THE MAZDA - HOW MANY TIMES CAN ONE CHANGE PARTS ABOUT EVERY SIX MONTHS?...MAZDA SHOULD HAVE RECALLED THIS MODEL YEARS AGO - THERE IS A FAULT IN ITS TRANSMISSION OR COMPUTER SYSTEM. *NM