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1997 Mazda 626

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most 626 years

Owner complaints for the 1997 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

161 reports with mileage · 197 unknown

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 233 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 39 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

17 crash reports5 fire reports22 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

39 reports
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Mileage unknown · May 2, 2007
Engine And Engine Cooling

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MAZDA 626. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ON APRIL 16, 2007. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC ,WHO DETERMINED THAT THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER WAS CAUSING EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE BELT. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS RECALL # 98V206001 CONCERNING ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLIN…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MAZDA 626. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ON APRIL 16, 2007. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC ,WHO DETERMINED THAT THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER WAS CAUSING EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE BELT. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS RECALL # 98V206001 CONCERNING ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING ON, AND HE SHOULD CALL THE MAZDA MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THIS VEHICLEWAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE RECALL WAS NOT REMEDIED PREVIOUSLY. THE CONTACT ARRIVED AT A MAZDA DEALER FOR RECALL REPAIRS, WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THIS VEHICLERWAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. HE SHOWED THE DEALER A COPY OF THE RECALL NOTICE, AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BRANDED WITH NO WARRANTY. THE DEALER REFUSED TO PERFORM RECALL REPAIRS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 83,936, AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10189476

Mileage unknown · Jan 12, 2006
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingPower Train

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 REBU…

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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

NHTSA ODI #10147615

98,000 miles · Oct 11, 2005
Engine And Engine CoolingPower Train

DECEMBER 2004-JANUARY 2005- 1. CAR OVERHEATS CONSTANTLY 2. THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED THE CAR AND CAUSED COMPLICATIONS WITH THE WATER PUMP, COMPUTER 3. REPLACED ALL ITEMS; TRANSMISSION REBUILT COST TO FIX $3200.00 COULDN'T AFFORD TO JUST JUNK THE CAR, AS I HAD PURCHASED IT FOR $5200 THE SUMMER BEFORE. SO I HAD TO FIX I…

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DECEMBER 2004-JANUARY 2005- 1. CAR OVERHEATS CONSTANTLY 2. THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED THE CAR AND CAUSED COMPLICATIONS WITH THE WATER PUMP, COMPUTER 3. REPLACED ALL ITEMS; TRANSMISSION REBUILT COST TO FIX $3200.00 COULDN'T AFFORD TO JUST JUNK THE CAR, AS I HAD PURCHASED IT FOR $5200 THE SUMMER BEFORE. SO I HAD TO FIX IT. WITHIN A WEEK OF GETTING THE CAR BACK, IT BLEW A RADIATOR HOSE. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10139358

106,000 miles · Apr 13, 2005
Engine And Engine CoolingPower Train

REPEATED TRANSMISSION AND MOTOR MOUNT PROBLEMS /AXLES TOO. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10116846

80,000 miles · Jan 25, 2005
Engine And Engine Cooling

ENGINE IS STALLING. IT LOOKS LIKE THE SIMILAR FAILURE RECALL DESCRIPTION OF MAZDA 97, HTTP://WWW.AUTOMOTIVE.COM/1997/49/MAZDA/626/RECALLS/12919.HTML) REPORTED. AND DEALER(TELE. NO. 972 298 0333) REFUSED TO FIX. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10107878

Mileage unknown · Jan 15, 2004
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingEquipment

IN ADDITION TO SMELLING GAS - THE RADIO AND ANTENNA DOESN'T WORK. NOW THE SUNROOF WON'T CLOSE ALL THE WAY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON MORE OFTEN THAN NOT SINCE I HAD THE CAR. THE KEY SOMETIMES WON'T FIT INTO DOOR LOCK AND EVEN THOUGH THE CAR LOOKS BRAND NEW AND HAS BEEN WELL TAKEN CARE OFF - IT JUST SEEMS TO FALL APART. …

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IN ADDITION TO SMELLING GAS - THE RADIO AND ANTENNA DOESN'T WORK. NOW THE SUNROOF WON'T CLOSE ALL THE WAY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON MORE OFTEN THAN NOT SINCE I HAD THE CAR. THE KEY SOMETIMES WON'T FIT INTO DOOR LOCK AND EVEN THOUGH THE CAR LOOKS BRAND NEW AND HAS BEEN WELL TAKEN CARE OFF - IT JUST SEEMS TO FALL APART. THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT LOCK FELL APART BUT THE BIGGEST THING IS THE SUNROOF WON'T CLOSE ALL THE WAY. THIS IS MY 3RD MAZDA AND I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER ONE.

NHTSA ODI #10069215

66,000 miles · Dec 1, 2003
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingPower Train

1997 MAZDA 626 LX - TRANSMISSION, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, OXYGEN SENSOR, AND COMPUTER HAVE ALL BEEN REPAIRED IN A SPAN OF 11 MONTHS. THE CAR DOES NOT HAVE 80,000 MILES ON IT!*AK

NHTSA ODI #10049009

91,000 miles · Nov 16, 2003
Engine And Engine CoolingExterior LightingPower Train

TRANSMISSION FAILURE HAD TO BE REPLACED, OVERDRIVE LIGHT CONSTANTLY FLASHING, DEALERS STATED WAS OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACED BOTH SENSORS, PROBLEM NOT SOLVED, REPLACED TRANSMISSION REPLACED SEVERAL DAYS LATER WITH ANOTHER, FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS DEFECTIVE. *LA

NHTSA ODI #10047027

60,161 miles · Sep 3, 2003
Engine And Engine CoolingEquipment

CONSUMERS VEHICLE BEGAN SHAKING, MAKING NOISES AND THE DASH LIGHT CAME ON. CONSUMER HAD TENSIONER KIT, GASKET CONVERTER FAILURES. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL ENGINE RELATED PROBLEMS. THE DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP, CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND SENSORS. THE A/C ALSO FAILED. *NLM

NHTSA ODI #10038490

Mileage unknown · Jul 17, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING OIL WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10029591

Official recalls

3

15V674000 · 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.

98V249000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

Oct 8, 1998

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE SAS SENSOR UNIT. THESE VEHICLES CAN EXPERIENCE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS IN MINOR UNDERCARRIAGE IMPACTS.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: UNEXPECTED AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT CAN RESULT IN OCCUPANT INJURY.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE SAS UNIT TO REDUCE THE PROBABILITY OF UNNECESSARY DEPLOYMENTS IN LOW SPEED UNDERCARRIAGE IMPACTS.

98V206001 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine

Sep 8, 1998

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. AN EXTERNAL SPRING IN THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER CAN BREAK AND GET CAUGHT IN THE TIMING BELT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN POSSIBLE ENGINE STALLING.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TENSIONER AND REPLACE IT IF NECESSARY.

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

2

RQ02004 · Oversensitive Airbag Deployment

Opened Feb 8, 2002 · Closed Aug 19, 2002

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags

There is no summary currently available

SQ98024 · Speedometer Inoperative

Opened Oct 29, 1998 · Closed Sep 10, 1999

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train

SEE RESUME FOR DETAILS.