1998 Mazda 626

THE TRANSMISSION IN MY MAZDA 626 FAILED IN 2003 AT 83,000 MILES, AND I HAD A REBUILT MAZDA TRANSMISSION USED TO REPLACE IT AT A COST OF $2,500. NOW, TWO YEARS LATER AT 103,000 MILES THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED AGAIN, AND THE REPAIR ESTIMATE IS AGAIN APPROXIMATELY $2,500. IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, THE CAR BECAME SUDDENLY UNDRIVABLE IN TRAFFFIC, CAUSING ME TO NEED ASSISTANCE FROM OTHER DRIVERS TO REMOVE THE CAR FROM THE BUSY ROADWAY. WITH THIS LATEST FAILURE, I DISCERNED THE PROBLEM BEFORE TOTAL FAILURE RESULTED IN THE CAR'S UNDRIVABILITY--THOUGH MY MECHANIC SAYS FAILURE IS IMMINENT. I BELIEVE IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT THE TRANSMISSION IN THIS CAR IS DEFECTIVE IN SOME WAY (INFORMATION FROM MY MECHANIC AND ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE WOULD SEEM TO BACK THIS UP) AND SHOULD BE RECALLED AND MY EXPENSES WITH THIS CAR REIMBURSED BY MAZDA.*AK

1) FROM EARLY ON, THE TRANSMISSION WAS ALWAYS JERKING AND SHIFTING LATE. WE TOOK IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP AND ALSO TO A MAZDA DEALER, WHO TOLD US THAT IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER DOING WEB RESEARCH, WE FOUND THAT THESE WERE FORD TRANSMISSIONS THAT WOULD ULTIMATELY FAIL DUE TO OVERHEATING AND THAT EVEN WITH A REPLACEMENT THE PROBLEM WOULD RECUR. 2) ON 2/22/05 THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY FAILED FOR GOOD (AT 130,000 MILES). IN SPITE OF MAZDA'S KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PROBLEM, AND THEIR LACK OF PUBLIC ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO ACCOMODATE US. THE ENGINE RUNS WELL AND THE BODY IS IN GREAT SHAPE, BUT THE VEHICLE IS NOW UNDRIVABLE. ) WE WILL PROBABLY JUNK THE CAR, SINCE IT IS WELL-KNOWN THAT EVEN IF REPLACED, THE TRANSMISSION WILL HAVE A HIGH PROBABILITY OF FAILURE.*AK

IMADE A COMPLAINT EARLIER BUT I FORGOT A FEW THINGS. MY O/D LIGHT SOMETIMES FLASHES AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON. I TOOK IT TO AUTOZONE TO GET THE LIGHT READ AND THE MAN GAVE ME A LIST OF PROBLEMS WRONG WITH THE CAR. I DON'T REMEMBER EVERY THING BUT ONE THING WAS JUST A SENSOR AND THE OTHER PROBLEM WAS SOMETHING WRONG INSIDE OF THE TRANSMISSION.*AK

IJUST BOUGHT MY 626 ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO AND IT IS HAVING MAJOR PROBLEMS THAT IT DID NOT HAVE WHEN I BOUGHT IT. THE TRANSMISSION IS FAILLING, IT JERKS, IT SMOKES, AND SOMETIMES IT WILL NOT EVEN GO. TO GET IT FIXED I WILL HAVE TO PAY ABOUT $3000 UNLESS THEY FIND MORE PROBLEMS IN THE CAR. I SEE MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS ME AND I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THEY DON'T FIX IT.*AK

MAZDA 626 HAS ALWAYS JERKED ON OCCASION WHEN SHIFTING. DRIVING WITHOUT ANY WARNING (NO WARNING LIGHTS OF ANY KIND CAME ON), MY CAR STARTED JERKING AND LURCHING (THIS IS WHILE GOING 45 MPH). WORRIED ABOUT MAKING IT TO MY DESTINATION, JUST BARELY MADE IT TO WHERE I WAS HEADED, HAD IT TOWED FROM THIS SPOT TO DEALER TO EVALUATE BECAUSE I FELT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AT THIS POINT. WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE CLUTCHES HAD BURNT OUT AND THE DEBRIS FROM THIS CAUSED OTHER PROBLEMS, NEEDED NEW TRANSMISSION $2,700 TO FIX. JUST PREVIOUSLY HAD THEM DO SOME TRANSMISSION WORK COSTING ME OVER $500 FOR THE SERVICE. *JB

TRANSMISSION HAD DIFFICULTY CHANGING INTO 2ND AND 3RD. TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED NOT FAR FROM MY HOME AND NEEDED A REBUILD FOR $1250 18 MONTHS AFTER INITIAL REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION IS AGAIN FAILING. THIS TIME WHEN TRANSMISSION IS WARM THE ENGINE SHIFTS DOWN AND UP FROM THE OVER DRIVE GEAR. WHEN TRANSMISSION IS COLD THE UNIT HAS NO PROBLEM BEING IN OVERDRIVE GEARS.*JB