1997 Mazda 626

1) NORMAL DAILY USE (20) MILES TO FROM WORK ON HIGHWAY ROADS 2) TRANSMISSION WON'T WORK 3) COMPLETE TRANSMISSION REMOVAL AND REBUILD REQUIRED. I CAN'T BELIEVE THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION AND COMPLAINTS ALL OVER THE INTERNET ON THIS MAZDA/FORD TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I ALSO CAN'T BELIEVE THIS GOVERNMENT OFFICE HAS STILL NOT ACTED ON IT. SURELY DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE OUR TAX DOLLARS WORKING FOR THE TAX PAYERS HERE. THERE IS A LONG HISTORY OF WORN OUT TRANSMISSIONS CAUSED BY FAULTY COOLING DESIGN ON THIS COMBINED USED MAZDA/FORD TRANSMISSIONS MODEL LA4A-EL. MINE IS INSTALLED IN A 1997 MAZDA 626 4 CYLINDER. WILL THIS AGENCY PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE ALL THESE COMPLAINTS. THIS IS COSTING HARD WORKING PEOPLE A LOT OF MONEY TO REPLACE THESE TRANSMISSIONS.*AK

WHILE DRIVING,WITHOUT WARNING THE OVER DRIVE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. THE VEHICLE START SHIFTING ERRATIC THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER. THE MECHANIC PLACED THE VEHICLE ON A DIAGNOSTIC. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACEMENT. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM *TR

WHEN DRIVING FOR APPROXIMATELY 2-4 HOURS THE OD OFF LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. I'VE RESEARCHED THIS INCIDENT AND APPARENTLY THE TRANSMISSION GETS TOO HOT FREQUENTLY RESULTING IN COSTLY REPAIR! I HAD TO DRIVE BACK HOME AFTER DECIDING NOT TO CONTINUE MY VACATION AND EVERY 2 HOURS STOPPED TO LET THE CAR COOL BECAUSE LIGHT ( OD OFF) STARTED TO FLASH. *AK

IMMEDIATELY AFTER USED CAR PURCHASE IN JUNE 2003 THE 1997 MAZDA 626 REQUIRED TRANSMISSION REBUILD. SIX MONTHS LATER AT MY EXPENSE OVER $3000 REQUIRED TO REBUILD TRANSMISSION. SINCE THEN HAS BEEN IN SHOP OVER SIX TIME WITH RECURRING OVERDRIVE LIGHT BLINKING, OVERHEATING AND POOR SHIFTING. TWO COOLERS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED. THE ENGINE THERMOSTAT REPLACEMENT, BATTERY REPLACEMENT, OIL CHANGE AND TUNEUP HAVE NOT PREVENTED A RECURRENCE. AFTER 100 TO 150 MILES OF HIWAY DRIVING THE O/D LIGHT BLINKS AND TRANSMISSION OVERHEATS.*AK

1194-2002 MAZDA 626 4-CYL. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS ARE DEFECTIVE AS NOTED IN SIMILAR COMPLAINTS (FORMAL AND INFORMAL; SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE LENGTHY DESCRIPTIONS IN 466 POSTS AT HTTP://WWW.CARTRACKERS.COM/FORUMS/LIVE/YOURLEMON/189.HTML, A FORUM DEDICATED SPECIFICALLY TO THIS DEFECT). I PERSONALLY OWN A 1997 MAZDA 626 DX WHICH HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING THE DESCRIBED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, INDICATED BY THE FLASHING "O/D OFF" LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE "TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH MECHANICAL FAILURE" TROUBLE CODE RETRIEVED BY ODBII DIAGNOSTICS PERFORMED ON 8/27/2004. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT MAZDA HAS BEEN MADE AWARE OF THIS DEFECT IN THEIR TRANSMISSIONS AS EARLY AS 2002, AND IN MAY 2002, TSB# 0500502 "A/T - OD OFF LAMP FLASHING/DTC P1783/SHIFT CONCERNS" WAS ISSUED.*AK

I PURCHASED A 1997 MAZDA 626 IN JAN OF 2004. TOOK IT ON ITS FIRST ROAD TRIP IN JUNE. WENT TO PASS ANOTHER DRIVER AND THE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING, CAR STARTED JERKING. I LIMPED BACK HOME WITHOUT HAVING TO DO A LOT OF MAJOR WORK. CONSQUENCES: TOWING, CANCELLED TRIP, REPAIR COSTS, TIME LOST. I'M WORKING ON SAVING THE MONEY TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT. I WENT TO RESEARCH THE ISSUE & FOUND LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS DEALING WITH MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSIONS. BUT NO RESPONSE FROM MAZDA.*AK