1997 Mazda 626

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

RECEIVED SAFETY RECALL IN MAIL TO HAVE DEALER RE-PROGRAM AIRBAG SYSTEM DUE TO RISK OF PRE-MATURE DEPLOYMENT. UPON PRESENTING VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR RECALL SAFETY FIX, WAS ADVISED THAT AIRBAG SYSTEM WAS NO LONGER OPERATIVE AND MUST PAY $365 TO INSTALL NEW UNIT. CURRENTLY WITHOUT AIRBAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM DUE TO COMPLYING WITH MAZDA FACTORY SAFTEY RECALL ACTION.

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

I RECENTLY EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 1997 MAZDA 626 AFTER ONLY 61,406 MILES. LUCKILY I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AT THE TIME OF THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE OF THE CAR. HOWEVER, UPON REPLACING MY TRANSMISSION WITH A "REMANUFACTURED" ONE I HAVE AGAIN EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THERE ARE SOME SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINEERING OF THE TRANSMISSIONS THAT WENT INTO THIS MODEL YEAR CAR. I HAVE READ SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON CONSUMER COMPLAINT BOARDS ON THE INTERNET. WHAT HAS EXASPERATED THIS SITUATION EVEN MORE IS WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR REPAIRS THE DEALERSHIP (ACTUALLY TWO DIFFERENT ONES) RECOMMENDED THAT I PURCHASE A TRANSMISSION COOLING KIT FOR ABOUT $100.00 AS THEY STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION JUST COULDN'T TAKE THE HEAT OF THE DEEP SOUTH (I LIVE IN THE NEW ORLEANS AREA). THIS REALLY IRKED ME. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT THESE TWO DEALERSHIPS WERE TRYING TO GET ME TO PAY FOR THIS KIT WHEN IT IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINEERING OF THE TRANSMISSIONS OR ASSOCIATED ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. I CALLED MAZDA USA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR THIS KIT INSTALLATION AND THEY DID NOT THINK IT WAS AT ALL NEEDED. IN OTHER WORDS THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING EVEN IN THE SOUTH ACCORDING TO MAZDA MOTORS NORTH AMERICA. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY OTHER MAZDA OWNERS (ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE SOUTH) HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THEIR DEALERSHIPS THAT THEIR TRANSMISSION WOES CAN BE SOLVED BY PURCHASE AND INSTALLATION OF THIS COOLING KIT. I WOULD HOPE THAT NO ONE HAS BEEN PERSUADED INTO PURCHASING ONE OF THESE KITS WHEN ITS NOT THEIR PROBLEM TO PAY FOR- IT IS THE DEALERSHIP'S OR MAZDA MOTORS RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM!*AK

WHILE DRIVING 200 MILES ACROSS STATE ON SR 70 MY O/D OFF LIGHT BEGAN TO BLINK AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO THE MAZDA DEALER THAT WEEK AND WAS TOLD THAT I WAS HAVING TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND WAS TOLD THAT CODES P1744, P0741 & P1783 CAME UP DURING A DIAGNOSTICS TEST. I WAS TOLD THAT I SHOULD HAVE A TRANSMISSION SERVICE AND "WAIT AND SEE" SINCE MY GEARS WEREN'T SLIPPING AT THE TIME. LAST WEEK DURING THE SAME DRIVE ACROSS STATE MY O/D OFF LIGHT STARTED BLINKING AGAIN, AND THIS TIME WHILE TRYING TO PASS A CAR ON SR 70 (A 2 LANE HWY) THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AS I WAS IN THE ONCOMING LANE. FORTUNATELY IT KICKED BACK IN AND I DIDNT HAVE THE PROBLEM AGAIN. (HAVENT TRAVELED SINCE THEN) I TOOK IT BACK TO MAZDA AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD PAY FOR THE TRANSMISSION, (SINCE I HAD CALLED LAST MONTH TO COMPLAIN THAT THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WHY A CAR W/ 57K MILES SHOULD HAVE A FAILING TRANSMISSION, UNLESS OFCOURSE IT WAS DEFECTIVE. THEY OFFERED TO PAY FOR THE TRANS, BUT I AM STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LABOR AND WAS OFFERED NO WARRANTY. I HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH AND HAVE FOUND THAT THESE 626 TRANSMISSION CHRONICALLY HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND I HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT ONLINE. I CAN NOT BELIEVE IT HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. HAVE NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE COMPLAINED, WOULD IT COST MAZDA TOO MUCH MONEY OR DO THEY REALLY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM? WELL AS A SINGLE MOTHER WHO RELYS ON HER CAR AND STILL OWES $12K ON IT, IT IS A PROBLEM. A BIG PROBLEM AND I HOPE THAT CORRECTIVE MEASURES ARE TAKEN. *AK