1998 Mazda 626

THIS IS THE SECOND MAZDA I HAVE HAD SINCE I EVER STARTED DRIVING. I AM 23 YEARS OLD AND HAVE HAD MY LICENSE FOR 4 YEARS. MY FIRST CAR WAS A 92 MAZDA MX-3, I LOVED THE CAR I THEN STARTED TO HAVE ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION, WHICH PISSED ME OFF BECAUSE I WAS VERY AWARE WITH THE MAINTENANCE DONE ON MY CAR. AS TIME PASSED ME AND THE MX-3 HAD TO PART WAYS. I THEN GOT A 98 MAZDA 626. I CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE MAZDA MOVEMENT ONLY BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU HAD TO KNOW HOW TO DRIVE A CAR IN ORDER TO OWN A MAZDA. I'M ABOUT TO HAVE TWO YEARS WITH THIS CAR, CONTINUING TO BE AWARE OF THE MAINTENANCE AND THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED. I AM KIND OF UPSET. A MONTH AGO THE CENSOR IN THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SWITCH GEAR HAD LOCKED, WHEN I GOT THE PART FIXED THE MECHANIC SAID EVERYTHING WAS FINE HE MADE IT A POINT TO CHECK THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, ONLY BECAUSE I AM PRETTY ADAMANT ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR FLUID ESPECIALLY KNOWING THE HISTORY. APRIL 1, 2008 THE CAR WAS STRUGGLING TO REVERSE, IT WOULD JUMP IF I WOULD ACCELERATE, OTHER THAN THAT IT WOULDN'T MOVE. I WAS HESITANT TO BELIEVE THAT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION. I CHECKED THE FLUID AND IT WAS SUPER LOW. I BOUGHT ABOUT 4 BOTTLES AND THE PROBLEM WAS STILL EXISTENT. I EVEN STARTED STRUGGLING TO DRIVE THE CAR. MY FATHER THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS THE CABLE THAT WAS LOOSE, BUT NO. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT THIS CAR HASN'T COMPLETE ITS SECOND YEAR WITH ME AND ITS OF NO USE. I BROUGHT IT TO THE MECHANIC AND HE HIMSELF CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS A TRANSMISSION FAILURE. ONCE AGAIN THE MAZDA AND I WILL SOON HAVE TO PART WAYS, WHICH IS SAD I ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT MAZDAS WERE GOOD VEHICLES. I AM NOW DISCOURAGED ABOUT PURCHASING A MAZDA IN THE FUTURE. I AM NOT SURE WHAT THIS SCENARIO WILL DO BUT HOPEFULLY THEY GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED. I UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT A BRAND NEW CAR BUT IF ITS WELL KEPT IT IS A BIT AGITATING. I DON'T SEE MYSELF BEING A LOYAL CUSTOMER TO MAZDA, WHEN MAZDA HAS YET TO BE LOYAL TO ME. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AT 65 MPH ON A FREEWAY WHEN O/D LIGHT STARTED BLINKING, THEN THE ENGINE ACCELERATED TO 7000 RPM AT THE SPEED. PULLED OVER AND STOPPED, AFTER THAT I COULD NOT MOVE THE CAR. APPARENTLY, THE TRANSMISSION IS BLOWN (AS WHAT EVERYONE SAYS). I RESEARCHED THIS EXTENSIVELY AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS A DEFECT THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF AND, AS SUCH, SHOULD HELP MITIGATE. LOOKS LIKE TONS OF 626S WERE DAMAGED LIKE THIS. I WILL ATTEMPT TO HAVE DEALER TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND HOPEFULLY THEY WILL FIX IT. BUT I BELIEVE ALL THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS FORUM ARE A VALID GROUND FOR A RECALL. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. I KNOW OF A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH 626'S THAT HAS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, AND THE BAD THING ABOUT IT IS MAZDA KNEW ABOUT IT. WE ARE HOPING TO GET MAZDA TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, IT'S PATHETIC. I WAS HOPING I WOULDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS OUT OF MINE, BUT I HAVE. WE NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THIS, I CAN'T AFFORD TO REPLACE THIS TRANSMISSION, AND MAZDA KNOWS ABOUT IT. WHY DON'T THEY DO A RECALL? IT COULD POSE AS A HAZARD. MY CAR ERRATICALLY CHANGES GEARS, AND RPMS, IT COULD JUST STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND CAUSE A SERIOUS WRECK. WHY WAIT UNTIL ACCIDENTS HAPPEN, WHY NOT GO AHEAD AND DO A RECALL???? *TR

THIS WILL BE THE SECOND TIME THAT I HAVE REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 626. THE FIRST TIME WAS AUGUST OF 2006. IT STARTED WITH THE O/D LIGHT FLASHING THE SMOKING AND FINALLY GOING OUT COMPLETELY. THE CAR LEFT ME STRANDED ON THE FREEWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF NO-WHERE. I HAD TO WAIT FOR A TOW TRUCK FOR 3 HOURS AND $200.00 TO GET IT TOWED TO A SHOP NEAR MY HOUSE. I WAS ABLE TO FIND A USED TRANSMISSION FROM A JUNK YARD AND HAD IT REPLACED FOR A TOTAL COST OF $1200.00. CHEAP COMPARED TO WHAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS PAID. THE SECOND TIME WAS JUST RECENT 12/7/07. THE TRANSMISSION STARTED JUMPING BETWEEN GEARS (2ND AND 3RD) THEN IT STAYED STUCK ON 2ND GEAR. FINALLY IT WENT OUT AND WOULD NOT ENGAGE ANY GEAR INCLUDING REVERSE. SO FAR I HAVE NOT FOUND ANOTHER (REASONABLY PRICED) TRANSMISSION. THE CHEAPEST I FOUND WITH A 30 DAY WARRANTY IS $1000.00. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE LABOR WHICH IS ABOUT $400.00. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 MAZDA 626. WHEN THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED INTO DRIVE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT DRIVE IN REVERSE OR DRIVE UNLESS THE GEAR WAS PLACED IN NEUTRAL. THE REPAIR SHOP STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 135,000.