1997 Mazda 626

MY WIFE AND I OWN A 1997 MAZDA 626. IN 2006, SEEMINGLY OUT OF NOWHERE, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SHIFTING ROUGH. I CHECKED FLUID LEVELS BUT THEY WERE FINE. THEN WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE ONE MORNING, MY O/D KICKED OFF (WITH WARNING LIGHT) AND THE ENTIRE DRIVE HOME WAS EXTREMELY ROUGH. BROUGHT THE CAR TO A REPUTABLE LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP AND AS SOON AS I TOLD THEM WHAT KIND OF CAR I HAD, THEY KNEW RIGHT AWAY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. I ENDED UP PAYING $2000 TO HAVE A NEW TRANSMISSION INSTALLED DUE TO THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE IN THE ORIGINAL. SEEMS TO ME THAT IF ALL OF THE TRANSMISSION SHOPS AND (AS I FOUND OUT LATER) OWNER FORUMS KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEMS WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS, MAZDA/FORD PROBABLY KNOWS AS WELL. IT'S IRRESPONSIBLE TO KNOW THAT A $50 REPAIR COULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM BUT THEY DO NOTHING TO EVEN INFORM THEIR BUYERS OF THE PROBLEMS. $50 WOULD HAVE BEEN A LOT EASIER TO COME UP WITH THAN $2000. SUMMED UP: TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED DUE TO INSUFFICIENT COOLING CAUSING SEVERE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED. *TR

AT 62,000 MILES OVERDRIVE LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING, TRANSMISSION BEGAN SHIFTING LIKE A WORN OUT 3 SPEED, DIAGNOSED BY SEVERAL SHOPS. I WAS TOLD TRANSMISSION HAS A DESIGN FLAW, SELL CAR BEFORE MAJOR PROBLEMS OCCUR. REPAIRED TRANSMISSION, VALVE BODY AND SOLENOID PACK, TORQUE CONVERTER REPLACED. 1,500 DOLLARS TOTAL. AT 100,000 MILES SAME PROBLEM EXCEPT I HAVE NO FORWARD OR REWARD MOTION. CAR IS SITTING UNDER MY CARPORT, COST TO REPAIR 2,500 DOLLARS REQUIRES A TRANSMISSION. *JB

THE VEHICLE BEGAN SHIFTING VERY ROUGHLY, THEN THE OVERDRIVE STARTED BLINKING AND THE VEHICLE CEASED TO SHIFT, I WAS STUCK IN 3RD GEAR. THERE WAS A SMALL "BANG" IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, THEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. I PULLED OVER TO A FUEL STATION AND OPENED THE HOOD. THERE WAS TRANSMISSION FLUID ALL OVER THE INTERIOR OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, 1+ QUARTS. I COULD FIND NO OBVIOUS LEAKS, BUT PURCHASED SOME ADDITIONAL FLUID AND REFILLED WHAT WAS LOST. SINCE THEN WHENEVER IT IS WARM OUT OR THE CAR IS DRIVEN FOR OVER AN HOUR IN TEMPERATURES ABOVE ~50 F, IT SHIFTS VERY ROUGH AND THE OD LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AMONG 2.0L MAZDA 626'S WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THEY APPARENTLY OVERHEAT VERY EASILY. I HAVE BEEN TOLD I AM LUCKY THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAS NOT FAILED ON ME. I'VE TAKEN IT APART AND CLEANED IT OUT SEVERAL TIMES. I ALSO CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FREQUENTLY. THESE ABOVE AVERAGE MAINTENANCE ROUTINES ARE LIKELY WHAT HAS KEPT THE TRANSMISSION FROM FAILING ALTOGETHER. THE VEHICLE IS BARELY TOLERABLE TO DRIVE WHEN IT IS HAVING THESE PROBLEMS AS IT WILL SLAM INTO THE NEXT GEAR HARD ENOUGH TO JERK THE OCCUPANTS FORWARD OR BACKWARD. *NM