1997 Mazda 626

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

I FEEL THE NEED TO DO MY CIVIC DUTY BY REPORTING THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE A LOT OF 626 OWNERS ARE HAVING DRIVE-TRAIN-TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND EVENTUALLY ENOUGH OF US WILL GET THEM TO RECALL AND PAY FOR THE PROBLEM. FLASHING O/D OFF LIGHT STARTED FLASHING PERIODICAL ABOUT 12 MONTHS AGO. TOOK VEHICLE IN CONCERNING OTHER PROBLEMS TO INGRAM PARK MAZDA, 6990 NW LOOP 410 SAN ANTONIO, TX (210) 406-0122, AND THE AFTERNOON I PICKED UP THE CAR THE O/D OFF LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED JEFF VARHOFF, SERVICE CONSULTANT, AND HE TOLD ME THAT THE CLUTCH ON THOSE CARS ARE REALLY THIN AND THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS PROBABLY FIXING TO 'GO OUT'. HE SUGGESTED THAT I EITHER REPAIR IT NOW, LET IT GO ALL THE WAY OUT AND THEN GET IT FIXED OR GET RID OF THE CAR. IT WOULD BE AROUND $2500 TO FIX HE TOLD ME. ON THE EVENING OF FEB. 26, 2002 THE TRANSMISSION DID FINALLY GO OUT AND THE CAR WILL CRANK BUT THE ENGINE SPINS. I HAVE FOUND A LOT ON THE INTERNET CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM BUT MOST OF THE PROBLEMS HAPPENED EARLIER IN THE CARS LIFE-SPAN.*AK

O/D LIGHT STARTS BLINKING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. WHEN BLINKING THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARSHLY IN FIRST AND SECOND GEAR. THE PROBLEM CAN BE CORRECTED BY TURNING OF THE ENGINE. I TOOK IT TO A MAZDA DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS STICKING, AND A NEW TRANSMISSION IS NEEDED AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $2,800. THIS IS A REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION, THE ORIGINAL WAS REPLACED AT APPROX. 25,000. THERE APPEARS TO BE SOMETHING DEFECTIVE ABOUT THIS TRANSMISSION OR ELSE IT WOULD NOT BE FAILING SO OFTEN. *AK

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

DEAR SIR/MADAM, AFTER I HAD MY TRANSMISSION PROBLEM I CONTACTED WITH TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP BUT THEY COULD NOT FIX THE TRANSMISSION. THE MAIN PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION IS OD LIGHT FLASHES AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILS TO WORK PROPERLY. I HAVE HEARD THAT THIS IS A GENERAL PROBLEM FOR MAZDA 626. EVEN ON THE INTERNET MANY MAZDA 626 OWNERS COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. I KNOW THE MILEAGE OF MY CAR IS HIGH BUT EVEN FOR THE LOW MILEAGES PEOPLE ENCOUNTER WITH THE SIMILAR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS FOR MAZDA 626. IF THIS IS A GENERAL PROBLEM WHY DOESN`T THE MAZDA COMPANY RECALL AND FIX THE PROBLEM? THIS PROBLEM COSTS TOO MUCH MONEY FOR THE CUSTOMERS AND MAYBE SOME DANGEROUS SITUATIONS ON HIGHWAYS OR BUSY TRAFFIC. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME CHANCE TO INFORM YOU ABOUT THIS. *AK