1997 Mazda 626

I HAD A COUPON FOR $14.99-OIL CHANGE AND TIRE ROTATION FROM FIRESTONE.COM. I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO THE SHOP...DID NOT ROTATE TIRES AND SAID THEY HAD NO COUPON. I WAS CHARGED MORE THAN THE COUPON. I RELUCTANTLY PAID THE BILL. I THEN DROVE TO LAKEVILLE, MN...ON MY WAY TO VISIT FATHER IN BATESVILLE, AR. I NOTICED A STRANGE SMELL AND ALMOST THE SAME TIME MY CAR POPPED OUT OF GEAR. SO I PULLED OFF I-35 AND CHECKED THE OIL. THE CAP WAS NOT ON CORRECTLY, (1 1/2 TURNS THEN IT WAS TIGHTENED) I CALLED FIRESTONE IMMEDIATELY TO REPORT THE CAP AND SMELL. MY DIPSTICK READ FULL...I WAS NOT ABLE TO CHECK THE TRANNY FLUID SINCE IT IS BELOW (MANUAL TRANSMISSION), BUT WAS ASSURED BY FIRESTONE THEY CHECK THE LEVEL WITH AN OIL CHANGE. LONG STORY SHORT...I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MY OILPAN AND TRANSMISSION. NOW TODAY THERE IS NO FLUID IN MY RADIATOR...AND I HAVE DRAINED ALL OF MY RESOURCES AND HAVE BECOME DELINQUENT WILL MY REGULAR BUDGET. THERE WAS ONLY 1/2 QT OIL IN MY MOTOR AND 1/2 QT TRANNY FLUID IN MY TRANSMISSION. I HAVE ALL MY RECEIPTS FROM REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND HAVE SPOKEN TO MECHANICS. THEY HAVE REPEATED TO ME THAT I NEED TO FIND LEGAL COUNSEL OR GET HELP SINCE THE CAR WAS FINE BEFORE I WENT TO FIRESTONE. THEY HAVE IGNORED MY LAST 2 CALLS ( ON HOLD)THERE WAS ONLY 1/2 QT OIL IN MY MOTOR WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY FATHERS IN ARKANSAS. MY CAR HAS NEVER BURNED OIL OR THE LIKE. THERE WAS A HOLE IN MY OILPAN BETWEEN THE SIZE OF A GOLFBALL AND A TENNIS BALL...THE CAR DID NOT HIT ANYTHING TO CAUSE THIS. AT THE SAME TIME MY OIL WAS DRAINED THE DIPSTICK CONTINUED TO READ FULL, THE MECHANIC WAS CONCERNED. I COULD NO LONGER USE 5TH GEAR AND 3RD GAVE OUT AS WELL. FIRESTONE ASSURED ME ALL FLUIDS WERE CHECKED...BUT THE MECHANIC WAS NOT CONVINCED. MY FATHERS NEW DRIVEWAY WAS STAINED FROM THE OIL. I CANNOT REMEMBER WHICH DAY I HAD MY OIL CHANGED, FRIDAY OR SATURDAY JULY 18TH OR 19TH. I NEED TO FIND THE RECEIPT. *TR

LEMON - THIS CAR HAS HAD PROBLEMS SINCE I BOUGHT IT. EVERYTHING FROM TRANSMISSION TO COMPUTER TO TIMING BELTS TO POWER STEERING PROBLEMS. AT ABOUT 70,000 MILES I HAD IT FIXED AGAIN UNDER WARRANTY AND SINCE THEN I'VE HAD TO PAY FOR ALL REPAIRS. LAST YEAR IT WAS THE RADIATOR I GUESS THINGS WEAR OUT BUT IT TOOK MAZDA 2 TRIES TO FIX IT. THIS YEAR I GOT A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FOR SOMETHING CALLED THE IDOL AIR CONTROL VALVE AND THE POWER STEERING SOMETHING OR OTHER. THIS SOUNDS FAMILIAR AND THE SYMPTOMS ARE SOMETHING I'VE EXPERIENCED BEFORE. AFTER REPLACING THE IDOL AIR CONTROL VALVE IT THE PROBLEM DIDN'T GO AWAY AND I WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST 3500 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. I MADE THE MISTAKE OF TRYING TO FIX IT. I TOOK IT TO AAMCO AND I FEEL REALLY BAD NOW BECAUSE AFTER 3 TRIES THEY STILL HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY STILL HAVE THE CAR AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHEN IT WILL BE FIXED NOT TO MENTION IT'S COST A LOT MORE THAN I EXPECTED TO FIX. *NM

I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH MY 1997 MAZDA 626. I HAVE REPORTED IT TO MAZDA CORP. AND NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN. MY TRANSMISSION FAILED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AUG. 2002, A GA MAZDA DEALER ADMITTED THAT MAZDA IS AWARE THAT THE THIS YEAR MAKE & MODEL HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. DUE TO THIS ADMISSION MY TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AND I SPLIT THE COST 50/50 WITH THE DEALER. NOW TWO PLUS YEARS LATER, I AM TOLD TODAY BY A CA MAZDA DEALER THAT MY TRANSMISSION IS GOING OUT AGAIN. THE CA MAZDA DELAER ALSO ADMITS THAT THIS YEAR MAKE & MODEL HAS A KNOWN TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, BUT WARRANTS THAT TECHNICALLY IT IS NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DEALER TO OFFER SUCH INFORMATION...BUT ONLY TO TRY TO FIX THE PROBLEM AT HAND. THEY STATED THEY WERE BEING NICE BY TELLING ME TO NOT PUT ANY MORE MONEY INTO THE CAR BECAUSE IT WILL PROBABLY ONLY BE A TEMPORARY FIX AND I MAY EXPERIENCE ANOTHER TRANSMISSION FAILURE LATER. THIS IS RIDICULOUS THAT A MAJOR US CAR MANUFACTURER CAN GET AWAY WITH SELLING A DEFECTIVE VEHICLE FOR THIS MANY YEARS. PY PERUSING THE INTERNET I HAVE FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS, AND DOCUMENTATION SHOWING THAT MAZDA 626'S RANGING FROM 1994-2000 HAVE KNOWN TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. YET MAZDA DEALERS & CAR LOTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE STILL ABLE TO SELL THESE CARS. IT IS NOT FAIR TO THE CONSUMER, AND IT IS NOT FAIR TO THOSE WHO VALUE AND DEPEND ON THE AUTO INDUSTRY TO DELIVER SAFE AND WELL ENGINEERED CARS. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER, HOW MANY MORE COMPLAINTS WILL IT TAKE!!*AK

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.