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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 · Feb 19, 2003
Engine And Engine CoolingFire

THE VEHICLE STALLED, AND THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE.*JB

NHTSA ODI #10008724

Mileage unknown · Apr 11, 2002
Engine And Engine CoolingPower Train

INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE JERKS/ SPUTTERS AND JUMPS OUT OF GEAR OR GETS STUCK BETWEEN GEARS. GEAR IS SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL FIRST BEFORE GOING INTO DRIVE. SERVICE TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT VEHICLE DIDN'T FALL WITHIN THE GUIDELINS OF RECALL 98-V-206-001/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 76810. VEHICLE HAS A PREEXISTING TIMING BELT PROBLEM. PL…

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INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE JERKS/ SPUTTERS AND JUMPS OUT OF GEAR OR GETS STUCK BETWEEN GEARS. GEAR IS SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL FIRST BEFORE GOING INTO DRIVE. SERVICE TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT VEHICLE DIDN'T FALL WITHIN THE GUIDELINS OF RECALL 98-V-206-001/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 76810. VEHICLE HAS A PREEXISTING TIMING BELT PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ODI #8007368

Mileage unknown · Apr 11, 2002
Engine And Engine Cooling

ENGINE TIMING CHAIN AND GEAR MALFUNCTIONED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #8007364

Mileage unknown · Feb 18, 2002
Engine And Engine CoolingPower Train

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING THE FLUID TO BURN, ALSO VEHICE WAS SHIFTING HARD, THE TRANSIMISSION WAS REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME, HOWEVER VEHICLE IS STILL EXPERIENCING SAME PROBLEMS.*YD

NHTSA ODI #785876

Mileage unknown · Dec 12, 2001
Engine And Engine Cooling

WHILE TRAVELING AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE STARTED IDLING AND STOPPED TRAVELING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ODI #8000608

Mileage unknown · Dec 11, 2001
Engine And Engine CoolingPower Train

THE VEHICLE STALLED AFTER A SCHEDULED OIL CHANGE. AFTER RETURNING TO THE SERVICE CENTER WHERE THE OIL CHANGE WAS PERFORMED, I WAS TOLD THAT I NEED TO HAVE MY VALVE COVER GASKETS CHANGED. I WANTED A SECOND OPINION AND SCHEDULED A CHECK WITH THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER. I HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH STALLING AFTER THE FIRST INITIAL…

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THE VEHICLE STALLED AFTER A SCHEDULED OIL CHANGE. AFTER RETURNING TO THE SERVICE CENTER WHERE THE OIL CHANGE WAS PERFORMED, I WAS TOLD THAT I NEED TO HAVE MY VALVE COVER GASKETS CHANGED. I WANTED A SECOND OPINION AND SCHEDULED A CHECK WITH THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER. I HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH STALLING AFTER THE FIRST INITIAL INCIDENT. AFTER THE DEALERSHIP MECHANICS LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE UNLESS THE ENGINE WAS REVED. I WAS INFORMED AT THIS POINT THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AND THAT I NEEDED MY VALVE COVER GASKETS AND SPARK PLUGS CHANGED. THE TOTAL COST WOULD AMOUNT TO OVER $3200. AFTER GETTING A SECOND OPINION ON THE STATE OF THE TRANSMISSION I HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED. I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP MECHANIC THAT THE 1997 MAZDA HAS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE NEW TRANSMISSION IS EXTREMELY LOUD, THE CAR DOES NOT DRIVE THE SMOOTHLY; I CAN FEEL THE GEARS CHANGE, AND THE ODOMETER IS RUNNING RAMPANT. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT MAZDA TRANSIMISSION ARE GENERALLY LOUD AND THAT THE CAR WILL REV AND CAUSE ONE TO FEEL A SHIFT IN GEAR IF THE COMPUTER CANNOT DISTINGUISH A SPEED SETTING. I FEEL THAT AFTER RESEACH AND SPEAKING WITH THE DEALERSHIPS MECHANICS THAT MAZDA WAS AWARE THAT THE MADZA 626 V6 1997 YEAR WAS DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD NOT CONTINUE TO MAKE REVENUE FOR A COSTLY "REPAIR" THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED BY THE MANUFACTURE. WHEN MY VEHICLE STALLED IT WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC (45MPH ZONE) AND IT IS A BLESSING THAT I DID NOT CAUSE A WRECK OR HIT ANYONE. THANK YOU T. SIMPSON*AK

NHTSA ODI #755525

Mileage unknown · Oct 30, 2001
Engine And Engine Cooling

ONGOING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE STALLING WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. VEHICLE BEEN IN DEALER SHOP ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL REOCCURRING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ODI #898487

Mileage unknown · Jun 12, 2001
Engine And Engine CoolingPower TrainUnknown Or Other

ABOUT A YEAR AGO MY ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO THE MAZDA DEALER AND THEY SAID THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS BAD. IT WAS REPLACE BECAUSE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. TWO MONTHS AGO MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I WAS AGAIN TOLD THAT MY CATALYTIC CONVER WAS BAD AND IT WAS AGAIN REPLACED. TODAY I WAS DRIVING ON T…

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ABOUT A YEAR AGO MY ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO THE MAZDA DEALER AND THEY SAID THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS BAD. IT WAS REPLACE BECAUSE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. TWO MONTHS AGO MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I WAS AGAIN TOLD THAT MY CATALYTIC CONVER WAS BAD AND IT WAS AGAIN REPLACED. TODAY I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 75 MILES PER HOUR WHEN MY O/D LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH ON AND OFF. FIVE MINUTES LATER MY CAR STARTED TO LOSE POWER. AFTER PULLING OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD MY CAR WOULD NOT CHANGE GEARS. IT WOULD NOT GO FORWARD OR IN REVERSE. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE MAZDA DEALER AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS BAD AND THAT IT WOULD TAKE $2500.00 TO BE REPLACED.*AK

NHTSA ODI #746754

Mileage unknown · Feb 5, 2001
Engine And Engine CoolingPower TrainUnknown Or Other

ENGINE WAS RUNNING BADLY, ENGINE AND OIL LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER FOUND ENGINE HAD "SLUDGED" UP, HAD TO REPLACE ENGINE. IN OCTOBER OF 1999, TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. *AK

NHTSA ODI #879829

Mileage unknown · Jan 31, 2001
Engine And Engine Cooling

VEHICLE TAKEN TO SERVICE TWICE UNDER WARRANTY. SENSOR CLEANED INSTEAD OF REPLACED. PER MAZDA, THIS IS NOT A PROPER "REPAIR". NOW MASS AIR FLOW & O2 SENSOR DAMAGED. VEHICLE STALLS WHEN SLOWING OR STOPPED.*AK

NHTSA ODI #740259

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.