1997 Mazda 626

MY 1997 626 MAZDA STARTED ACTING LIKE IT WAS HAVING TROUBLE SHIFTING GEARS (IT'S AN AUTOMATIC) AND SOON AFTERWARDS, THE TRANSMISSION GAVE OUT. I AM 51 YEARS OLD AND TREAT MY CARS WITH RESPECT, GETTING REGULAR CHECKUPS FROM MY MECHANIC AND DRIVING WITH CAUTION. I DO NOT ABUSE MY CAR AT ALL. THIS FAILURE CAME AS A SURPRISE TO ME. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. HE TOLD ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. CURRENTLY, WE ARE SEARCHING FOR A USED TRANSMISSION. *JB

THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 1997 MAZDA 626 HAS GONE OUT AND WOULD NOT APPEAR TO BE AS A RESULT OF ANY ABUSE ON MY PART. MY DAUGHTER HAD BEEN DRIVING THE CAR WHEN THE OVER DRIVE LIGHT STARTED BLINKING AND THE MOTOR WAS REVVING HIGHER THAN NORMAL. AFTER VISITING A MAZDA DEALERSHIP IN FT. BRAGG, NC THEY ESTIMATE THE COST TO BE APPROXIMATELY $3,600.00. AFTER CONSULTING A NATIONALLY KNOWN TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP, I HAVE FOUND THAT THESE TRANSMISSIONS WERE DEFECTIVE TO BEGIN WITH IN THAT THEY WERE COMPLETELY UNDERSIZED FOR THE MOTORS THEY WERE ATTACHED TO. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH COUNTLESS MAZDAS I NOW KNOW AND MAZDA HAS NOT AND WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. THIS WAS AN APPARENT DESIGN PROBLEM. TO HAVE ONE OF THEIR DEALERSHIPS TRYING CHARGE AN EXORBITANT PRICE FOR REPAIRING THE DEFECT IS SLAP IN THE FACE TO THE PUBLIC WHEN ANOTHER TRANSMISSION SHOP CAN REPAIR IT FOR APPROXIMATELY HALF OF THE MAZDAS PRICE. THE PROBLEM IS SO BAD, I UNDERSTAND, THAT NO ONE WILL INSTALL A USED TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THE USED ONES ARE JUST AS BAD. YOU HAVE TO REPAIR THE ONE YOU HAVE UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE EXTORTED INTO BUYING A NEW ONE FROM A DEALERSHIP THAT IS STILL UNDERSIZED FOR ITS PRIMARY USE. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT MAZDA IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND IS DOING ITS BEST TO HIDE IT. GIVEN THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS I'VE WITNESSED ON VARIOUS WEBSITES AND FORUMS ETC.. IT IS QUITE OBVIOUS THAT MAZDA NEEDS TO BE CALLED ON THE CARPET FOR SELLING KNOWN DEFECTIVE MACHINERY. ITS AMAZING HOW MOST OF THESE FAILURES OCCUR JUST OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY. I REALIZE THAT I MAY NOT BE ENTITLED TO ANY TYPE OF COMPENSATION FOR MY CAR'S PROBLEM GIVEN ITS MILEAGE, BUT I WOULD APPRECIATE IF SOMEONE COULD FORCE MAZDA TO RECONCILE ITS MARKETING OF DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS TO HELP SOMEONE ELSE FROM HAVING TO DEAL WITH THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS MENTALITY. *JB

I BOUGHT A USED 1997 626DX IN 2000. AND HAVE HAD PROBLEMS FROM THE TRANS ANY SENSE. ONE MONTH AFTER I BROUGHT THE CAR I NEEDED A NEW TRANS, THE DEALERSHIP REPLACE IT. AFTER THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE TRANS, I CONTINUED TO HAVE WHAT SEEM TO BE PROBLEMS, THE TRANS WOULD HESITATE OR SHIFT HARD. THE MECHANICS COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. AFTER ABOUT 2 OR 3 YEARS OF THESE I GAVE UP. THEN IN DEC. 2005 I BROKE DOWN DO TO A RUSTED LINE LEADING TO THE TRANS THAT COST ME $325.00. NOW I'M BROKE DOWN AGAIN AND IT WILL COST $2400.00 TO $2500.00 FOR AN OVERHAUL TRANS. THAT I DO NOT HAVE. PEOPLE TELL YOU TO KEEP UP ON THE MAINTENANCE OF YOUR VEHICLE AS I HAVE AND NOW I NEED A TRANS WITHOUT WARNING. I BELIEVE IS CRAZY. FOR A CAR TO NEED 3 TRANS IN LESS THEN 9 YRS. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40MPH, THE OVER DRIVE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP. THE REPAIR PERSONNEL REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION AND THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. THE OVER DRIVE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE IS AWAITING TOW INTO THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIR.

(SEE COMPLAINT # 10149676) AFTER HAVING THE RIGHT FRONT CV JOINT REPLACE JUST THE DAY BEFORE, TRANSMISSION FAILED AGAIN @ 72,650 MI. FROM A COLD START, THE CAR WAS ALLOWED TO WARM UP BEFORE BEING PUT INTO DRIVE (APPROX 5 MIN.) THE CAR WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE IN 30 MPH STOP AND GO TRAFFIC WHEN, AFTER A COMPLETE STOP, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACTED LIKE IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. EVEN THOUGH THE GEAR SHIFT WAS STILL IN DRIVE. THE SAME THING WHEN PUT INTO REVERSE GEAR. I MANAGED TO GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. FIVE MINUTES LATER I RESTARTED THE ENGINE, PUT THE GEAR SHIFT IN DRIVE, AND VOILA! I'M MOVING AGAIN. ANOTHER 500 FEET FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD? THE SAME THING. STANDING THERE IDLING WITH THE GEAR SHIFT IN DRIVE, NO REVERSE, NOTHING. HAD IT TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP. ESTIMATE: $1500.00 TO FIX THIS CD4E TRANSMISSION AGAIN. I HAVE DECIDED TO NOT HAVE THIS TRANSMISSION FIXED THIS TIME AND WILL TRADE THE CAR IN, AT A SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER VALUE (BECAUSE THE DEALERS ALL KNOW THE TRACK RECORD OF THIS CD4E GEM), FOR A HONDA ACCORD. WHICH I CONSIDERED BUYING INSTEAD OF THE MAZDA 626 BACK IN LATE JUNE OF 2000. MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS, IN MY OPINION, SHOULD LIABLE FOR MONETARY REIMBURSEMENT TO THEIR CUSTOMERS FOR OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES, LOST TIME AND WAGES, AND AGGRAVATION ON THE BASIS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN FRAUDULENT. SIGNED, FORMER MAZDA CUSTOMER. *NM

CAR IS DRIVEN UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS HIGHWAY/ CITY. AFTER THE TRANSMISSION WARMS UP THE OD OFF LAMP BLINKS AND THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ERRATICALLY, WHEN STARTING FROM A LIGHT THE TRANSMISSION WILL SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR AT ABOUT 4000 RPM AND SEEMS TO GO DIRECTLY INTO 3RD. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION MUST BE REPLACED, NOW THE CAR IS JUST SITTING UNTIL WE CAN GET IT FIXED, THEY JUST TOO MUCH MONEY AT THIS TIME. *NM