1997 Mazda 626

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. IT WILL MAKE A LOUD NOISE FOLLOWED BY A COMPLETE SHUTDOWN. THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REBUILT THREE TIMES. SEVERAL MECHANICS ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE, BUT AGREED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OVERDRIVE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, AND WOULD NOT COVER THIS UNDER WARRANTY. NO FURTHER REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK

HAS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. WHEN DRIVEN AT HIGH SPEEDS (OVER 70 MPH) THE O/D LIGHT BEGINS TO BLINK AND THE ENGINE REVS AN EXTRA 400 RPMS WHILE MAINTAINING THE SAME SPEED. WHEN DRIVEN AT LOWER SPEEDS, TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARSHLY. TOOK IT TO A DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED AND THE DEALER SAYS THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS READY TO GIVE UP AND REPLACING IT WILL COST ME $3400. MAZDA NEEDS TO REMEDIED THIS ISSUE BEFORE THIS PROBLEM TURNS DEADLY. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 55 MPH THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT BLINKED ON AND OFF. THEN, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT GO OVER 40 MPH, AND THE RPMS INCREASED TO 6,000. HAD TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER AND WAIT FOR THE RPMS TO GO DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY STATED THERE WAS TOO MUCH PRESSURE IN THE TRANSMISSION. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC , WHO REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION, BUT THE SAME PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER ONLY 57000 MILES BACK IN 2004. SINCE THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED I HAD TO SPEND $2200 OUT OF MY POCKET. I'VE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM FOR A WHILE NOW AND HAVE NOTICED THAT 1000'S OF THESE 1997 MAZDA 626 CARS HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS. WHY HASN'T THE NHTSA FORCED MAZDA TO ISSUE A RECALL OR AT LEAST HAVE THEM REIMBURSE CAR OWNERS? *NM

CAR CANNOT PASS SMOG TEST - #10 TEST BOX DOES NOT EXIST. AFTER SPENDING $1300, IT'S BEEN FOUND REPEATED THAT 1997 CAR CONTAINS 1998 PARTS. #10 TIMING/GROUND DOESN'T EXIST ON 1998 BUT NO PROCEDURE TO SMOG WITHOUT IT. ALL OTHER SYSTEMS PASSED. SMOG REFEREE BELIEVES CAR WAS MANUFACTURED THIS WAY BUT POSSIBLE DEALERSHIP ALTERED BUT THEY, OF COURSE, DENY THIS AND STATE THEY WERE ABLE TO SMOG CAR WHEN THEY SOLD TO US (SINCE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SMOG THE CAR, IT OBVIOUSLY WAS PASSED ILLEGALLY BY THEM). NOW WE ARE OUT $1300 REPAIRS, $12,000 FOR COST OF CAR, $75 FOR REGISTRATION THAT THE STATE WON'T GIVE US A STICKER FOR, AND NO USE OF A CAR THAT SITS ON THE STREET. ONLY WAY TO SMOG IS TO SPEND $2500 TO REPLACE ALL THE PARTS TO MAKE IT ALL 1997. CAR ISN'T EVEN WORTH THAT ON TOP OF WHAT WAS ALREADY SPENT. SOMEONE NEEDS TO COME FORWARD TO TAKE CARE OF THIS MESS. IT'S BAD ENOUGH THE CAR CONSTANTLY STALLS. (AND YES, THE MOTOR LIGHT IS ALWAYS FLASHING. IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING, JUST A BEZERK SENSOR-AFTER PAYING $120 4-TIMES TO HAVE IT TURNED OFF, WE JUST PUT MASKING TAPE OVER THE ANNOYING SPOT). *NM

DECEMBER 2004-JANUARY 2005- 1. CAR OVERHEATS CONSTANTLY 2. THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED THE CAR AND CAUSED COMPLICATIONS WITH THE WATER PUMP, COMPUTER 3. REPLACED ALL ITEMS; TRANSMISSION REBUILT COST TO FIX $3200.00 COULDN'T AFFORD TO JUST JUNK THE CAR, AS I HAD PURCHASED IT FOR $5200 THE SUMMER BEFORE. SO I HAD TO FIX IT. WITHIN A WEEK OF GETTING THE CAR BACK, IT BLEW A RADIATOR HOSE. *JB