1998 Mazda 626

(1)TRANSMISSION OCCASIONALLY SHIFTED WITH A HARD JOLT FROM 1ST TO 2ND AND FROM 2ND TO 3RD, THEN BEGAN TO EMIT A LOUD WHIZZING/SQUEAKING TYPE OF SOUND IN ALL GEARS(INCLUDING PARK AND NEUTRAL). THE SOUND WAS VERY SIMILAR TO THAT OF A LOOSE BELT, BUT WAS CLEARLY COMING FOR WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION. (2)WITHIN A WEEK OF MAKING THAT SOUND, THE TRANSMISSION, ALTHOUGH APPARENTLY SHIFTING IN THE CORRECT SEQUENCE, STARTED SLIPPING. OBVIOUSLY THIS RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE BEING EXTREMELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. (3)AT THIS POINT I HAVE: A - RECEIVED ESTIMATES RANGING FROM $1800-$2700 FOR A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION REBUILD WITH INSTALLATION, AS WELL AS ESTIMATES RANGING FROM $650-$1750+SHIPPING FOR A USED TRANSMISSION WITHOUT INSTALLATION. SO FAR, I HAVE REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AFTER DRAINING AND FLUSHING THE SYSTEM, AT WHICH POINT I DISCOVERED THAT UNLIKE VIRTUALLY ALL OTHER AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, THE FORD CD4E TRANSMISSION MUST BE REMOVED AND COMPLETELY DISASSEMBLED IN ORDER TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FILTER. OBVIOUSLY, AS THE FILTER BECOMES CLOGGED WITH DEBRIS, THE PRESSURE AND FLOW OF THE FLUID IS RESTRICTED, RESULTING IN LOSS OF PERFORMANCE, OVER-HEATING, AND EVENTUALLY A COMPLETE SYSTEM FAILURE. *JB

DT: THE CALLER SAID THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHILE DRIVING THE ENGINE REVVED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CALLER SAID IT WOULD HAPPEN MOSTLY IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. SHE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A MECHANIC SHOP. DEALER SAID SHE NEEDED TO GET A DIFFERENT YEAR TRANSMISSION, AND SHE WILL HAVE TO UPDATE THE COMPUTER. MANUFACTURER SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL ON HER VEHICLE AND OFFERED NO HELP FOR FREE. *AK

I OWN A MAZDA 626 1998, 4 CYLINDER. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION JUST FAILED ON ME AT 79000 MILES. I WAS JAMMED ON THE HIGHWAY UNTIL I GOT TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO SOLD ME THE CAR. THIS CAR WAS BOUGHT NEW AND WAS DRIVEN BY MY WIFE FROM 1998 TO 2004. IT WAS NEVER ABUSED. IT STARTED SLIPPING AT DRIVE POSITION WHEN I GOT OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY THE DAY BEFORE IT BROKE I HAD TO REMOVE O/D TO ENGAGE AND MOVE FORWARD. THEN, PUT O/D ON AT APPROXIMATELY 50 M/H TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAD ALSO A FIRST FAILURE ON JAN 04,2003 AT 46500 MILES. LOST TRANSMISSION PARTS DIRECTLY IN THE STREET ! IT WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY AND DEALER SAID THE TRANSMISSION WAS A-1 LIKE A NEW ONE. NOW WARRANTY IS OVER AND MY DEALER IS ASKING FOR $3726 TO FIX !! NO DEAL TO DO! NOT EVEN SPLIT COSTS HALF AND HALF. THIS TRANSMISSION HAD A DEFECT FOR SURE. SO GOT THE CAR TOWED ELSEWHERE FOR LOWER REPAIR COST ($1900 )*JB

I BOUGHT MAZDA 626 LX 1998 AND TWO MONTHS AFTER TRANSMISSION FAILED. CAR STARTED MAKING CLINGING NOISE,SLOW PERFORMANCE AND ABRUPT SHIFTS, SLOW START UPS. TOOK IT TO AAMOCO AND THEY DIAGNOSED FAILING TRANSMISSION AND CHARGED ME $2200,DIDN'T HAVE MONEY SO END UP GETTING LOAN TO PAY OF,PLUS INTEREST. JUST PAID OF LOAN AND MY REBUILT TRANSMISSION (ORIGINAL ONE BUT FIXED IT BY AAMOCO) IS FAILING AGAIN,ABRUPT SHIFTS,VERY SLOW STARTS AND I ACTUALLY GOT TICKET FROM POLICE. FOUND PLACE TO GET CAR REPAIRED SECOND TIME FOR $1500. SO FAR IN 3 1/2 YEARS TRANSMISSION FAILED 2 AND AROUND $4300 IN REPAIRS COSTS AND LOANS. LUCKILY I DID NOT DRIVE CAR ON HIGHWAY WHILE IT HAVE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS,OTHERWISE WOULD BE IN DANGER OF ACCIDENT. CAR TAKES SLOW SHIFT,AROUND 30-40 MPH MAKES MOVES LIKE IT WILL STALL,IT TAKES FROM 0-60 MINUTES NOT SECONDS...VERY DANGEROUS TO OPERATE ON HIGHWAY DURING FAILURE. *JB

1998 MADZA 626 TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHILE ENTERING INTERSTATE WITH VEHICLES TRAVELING AT 60+ MPH. BEFORE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE, I DID MY RESEARCH. I FOUND THAT TRANSMISSION FAILURE WAS A KNOW PROBLEM IN MAZDAS BUT THE CAR SALESMAN ASSURED ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM EXISTED ONLY IN THE MODEL PREVIOUS TO THE 1998 WHICH I WAS INTERESTED IN. SHE STATED THAT AFTER THE DESIGN OF THE EMBLEM WAS CHANGED, THIS PROBLEM AS WELL HAD BEEN CORRECTED. THIS WAS A LIE. I WAS ENTERING INTERSTATE ONGOING A RAMP WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR STOPPED PULLING AND ALL I COULD SEE WAS CAR RUSHING TOWARDS MY REAR END AND STEERING TO AVOID HITTING MY RAPIDLY SLOWING VEHICLE. I CALLED THE LOT WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE BUT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. *NM

I AM COMPLAINING ABOUT MY 1998 MAZDA 626. THIS CAR HAS BEEN TROUBLE EVER SINCE DAY ONE. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TIMING BELT, THE DRIVE AXLES TWICE, AND PUT IN 4 TRANSMISSIONS. I HAVE HAD THE CAR SINCE 2002 AND HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION EVERY YEAR. I COULD HARDY MAKE MY CAR PAYMENTS FOR HAVING TO SPEND EXTRA MONEY TO REPAIR MY CAR.