IllustrationWHILE TRAVELING AT 35 MPH CONSUMER HIT A POTHOLE, AND BOTH DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. CONSUMER FEELS AIRBAGS SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
1997 Mazda 626
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most 626 years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Mazda 626 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 44.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 626 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
90–25K
1025–50K
3450–75K
5275–100K
49100–150K
7150K+
161 reports with mileage · 197 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 233 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 39 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
17 crash reports5 fire reports22 injury reports
What owners actually said
358 reportsWHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED VEHICLE STARTS TO JERK. ENGINE LIGHT AND OD LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK TO DEALER, AND DEALER INDICATED VEHICLE NEEDED NEW TRANSMISSION. THIS WAS SECOND TRANSMISSION.*AK
WHILE TRAVELING 20-25 MPH AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION AIR BAGS DEPLOYED CAUSING INJURY TO CONSUMER. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING 20-25 MPH WITHOUT WARNING OR INVOLVEMENT OF A COLLISION, THE AIR AIR BAGS DEPLOYED CAUSING INJURY TO THE DRIVER.*AK. ALSO THE RIGHT TIRE AND WHEEL WERE DAMAGED AS THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP AT THE CURB.*YD
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…
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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
CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING THE FLUID TO BURN, ALSO VEHICE WAS SHIFTING HARD, THE TRANSIMISSION WAS REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME, HOWEVER VEHICLE IS STILL EXPERIENCING SAME PROBLEMS.*YD
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 I…
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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
DRIVERS SEAT BELT CATCHES ON SEATBACK RECLINING MECHANISM, CAUSING SEATBACK TO RELEASE UNEXPECTEDLY DURING OPERATION OF VEHICLE. THIS COMPLAINT WAS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED AS ODI REFERENCE 885954, AND PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT HAS BEEB UNABLE TO EFFECTIVELY REMEDY THE …
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DRIVERS SEAT BELT CATCHES ON SEATBACK RECLINING MECHANISM, CAUSING SEATBACK TO RELEASE UNEXPECTEDLY DURING OPERATION OF VEHICLE. THIS COMPLAINT WAS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED AS ODI REFERENCE 885954, AND PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT HAS BEEB UNABLE TO EFFECTIVELY REMEDY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / DOCUMENTATION.*AK
O/D OFF : FLASHING OCCASIONALLY. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE STARTED IDLING AND STOPPED TRAVELING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
Official recalls
315V674000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch
Oct 19, 2015
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 1989-1998 MPV, 1990-1995 323, 1990-1998 Protege, 1992-1993 MX-3, 1993-1995 929, 1993-1997 MX-6, and 1993-1998 626 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, grease applied to the contact points inside the ignition switch may become conductive and overheat.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the ignition switch overheats there would be an increased risk of a fire.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. The recall began on December 17, 2015. Owners may contact Mazda Customer Experience Center at 1-800-222-5500, option#6. Mazda's number for this recall is 8715J.
98V249000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE
Oct 8, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE SAS SENSOR UNIT. THESE VEHICLES CAN EXPERIENCE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS IN MINOR UNDERCARRIAGE IMPACTS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: UNEXPECTED AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT CAN RESULT IN OCCUPANT INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE SAS UNIT TO REDUCE THE PROBABILITY OF UNNECESSARY DEPLOYMENTS IN LOW SPEED UNDERCARRIAGE IMPACTS.
98V206001 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
Sep 8, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. AN EXTERNAL SPRING IN THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER CAN BREAK AND GET CAUGHT IN THE TIMING BELT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN POSSIBLE ENGINE STALLING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TENSIONER AND REPLACE IT IF NECESSARY.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2RQ02004 · Oversensitive Airbag Deployment
Opened Feb 8, 2002 · Closed Aug 19, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags
There is no summary currently available
SQ98024 · Speedometer Inoperative
Opened Oct 29, 1998 · Closed Sep 10, 1999
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train
SEE RESUME FOR DETAILS.