1998 Mazda 626

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH THERE WAS A LOUD RUMBLING NOISE WITH NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE GAS PEDAL SLOWLY DECLINED AND THE CAR STARTED TO STALL. THE NOISE WAS VERY LOUD . NO CHECK LIGHTS WERE ON PRIOR OR DURING THE INCIDENT. HAD ADVICE THAT IT WAS THE ENGINE. CONTACTED LOCAL DEALERSHIP, SAID CAR WAS NOT UNDER WARRENTY AND COULD RANGE FROM $1500-2000 TO FIX. THE CAR ONLY HAS 53000 MILES WITH ROUTINE CAR CARE. *AK

NOISE FROM ENGINE, WHINING NOISE, RPM DIAL JUMPS UP WHEN ACCELERATOR PUSH BUT NO POWER. CAR JERKS UPON COMING TO A FULL STOP. RPM DIAL GOES UP AND DOWN TO THE POINT THAT ENGINE WILL CUT OFF. NO DASH BOARD LIGHT EVER CAME ON TO GIVE WARNING. ON 8-01-01, HAD CAR TOWED TO MONTGOMERY MADZA IN CHARLOTTE, NC (VACATIONING) DEALER CALLS ON MONDAY TO STATE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED AND TO REPLACE WOULD COST $2700.00. DEALER CALLED BACK WITH A NEW QUOTE OF $1700.00. STATED THAT TERRITORY REP, TOM WATKINS WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT COULD AUTHORIZE A DIFFERENT BUT BECAUSE I WAS OVER 80,000 MILES, HE WAS STICKING TO HIS DECISION. I ASKED TO SPEAK WITH MR. WATKIN AND WAS TOLD HE WAS UNAVAILABLE AND WAS GIVEN MY PHONE NUMBER BUT HE NEVER RETURNED THE CALL. I CALLED MY DEALER LOCATED IN ATLANTA, GA, HENNESSY MAZDA AND SPOKE WITH STEVE ANDREWS IN THE REPAIR DEPT AND TOLD HIM OF THE SITUATION AND HIS ONLY RECOMMENDATION WAS THAT THEY ADD AN ADDITIONAL TRANSMISSION COOLER AND HE WAS NOT SURPRISED THAT THE TRANSMISSIONS ARE NOT GOOD. I GAVE AUTHORIZATION TO HAVE THE CAR REPAIRED AT 4:30PM ON 8-6-01. I ALSO STATED THAT I HAD SOME DEALER (HENNESSY MAZDA) COUPONS THAT WOULD HAVE HELPED WITH THE COST OF THE REPAIRS BUT MONTGOMERY MAZDA WOULD NOT HONOR THE COUPONS. DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND TO MY SURPRISE THAT THIS MODEL AND MAKE HAS SO MANY PROBLEMS. MY FAITH IN MAZDA HAS GONE OUT OF THE WINDOW.

VEHICLE IS VERY SLUGGISH WHEN ACCELERATING, E.G. FROM A FULL STOP TO 40 MPH, ESP. IN 2ND, 3RD, AND 4TH GEARS. OCCASIONALLY, THE CAR WILL "BUCK" OR SPUTTER, THEN SPONTANEOUSLY CATCH AND ACCELERATE RAPIDLY. ON TWO OCCASIONS, I HAVE NARROWLY AVOIDED COLLISIONS AS A RESULT OF THIS DEFECT. THE PROBLEM OCCURS AT LEAST 20 TIMES PER DAY DURING MY 35-MILE COMMUTE TO AND FROM WORK, YET, WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER THEY REPORTED THAT THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE FAILURE. THERE IS OCCASIONALLY AN AUDIBLE POPPING SOUND EMINATING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE JUST BEYOND THE FIREWALL WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS. I AM AFRAID THAT SOONER OR LATER MY LUCK WILL RUN OUT. I AM AWARE OF A RECALL COVERING THE PCM UNIT ON THE 98 626, BUT WAS TOLD BY MAZDA USA THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED BY THIS RECALL. PLEASE ADVISE.*AK