IllustrationTRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP. AFTER 10 MINUTES OF DRIVING CAR BECAME IMMOBILE AND HAD TO BE TOWED. 100K MILES. TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. REBUILD COST AT LOCAL SHOP: $2,550.*AK
1998 Mazda 626
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most 626 years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Mazda 626 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 44.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 626 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
30–25K
825–50K
5350–75K
7875–100K
66100–150K
16150K+
224 reports with mileage · 210 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 313 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 81 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
12 crash reports5 fire reports11 injury reports
What owners actually said
434 reportsTRANSMISSION SLIPPING, OD LIGHT BLINKING, TRANSMISSION FLUID BOILING OUT OF DIP STICK AREA, COVERING MOTOR WHICH THEN STARTED BURNING WITH LOTS OF SMOKE. TOOK IT TO TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP THEY CHANGED THE FILTER AND FLUID, NOW IT DOING THE SAME THING. I'M SCARED TO DRIVE IT! *AK
TIMING BELT TENSIONER FAILED RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE STALLING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. MANUFACTURER STATED THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PREVIOUS RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK *NM
STARTED OFF AS A SPEEDOMETER PROBLEM. SPEEDOMETER WOULD PEG FROM 0 TO WHATEVER SPEED I WAS TRAVELING WHEN TAKING MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR, THEN IT WOULD REVERSE IT AND ONLY PEG BACK AND FORTH WHEN MY FOOT WAS ON THAT ACCELERATOR. OVERDRIVE LIGHT BLINKS ON AND OFF AND OVERDRIVE FAILS. TRANSMISSION SHIFTS INTO GEARS QUICKLY,CHI…
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STARTED OFF AS A SPEEDOMETER PROBLEM. SPEEDOMETER WOULD PEG FROM 0 TO WHATEVER SPEED I WAS TRAVELING WHEN TAKING MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR, THEN IT WOULD REVERSE IT AND ONLY PEG BACK AND FORTH WHEN MY FOOT WAS ON THAT ACCELERATOR. OVERDRIVE LIGHT BLINKS ON AND OFF AND OVERDRIVE FAILS. TRANSMISSION SHIFTS INTO GEARS QUICKLY,CHIRPING TIRES. ALSO, WHEN SPEEDOMETER DROPS TO ZERO, IF YOU PUSH THE ACCELERATOR THE CAR SEEMS TO THINK IT NEEDS TO SHIFT INTO FIRST OR SECOND GEAR NO MATTER HOW FAST YOU ARE GOING. ALMOST CAUSED ME TO HAVE 3 ACCIDENTS IN ONE DAY JUST DRIVING HOME FROM WORK. *JB
1998 MAZDA 626 FAILURE OF THE TIMING CHAIN. *MR THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE TRAVELING ON AN EXTREMELY BUSY HIGHWAY. THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSION MECHANISM FAILED. RECALL# 00V134000. THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONSUMER RE…
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1998 MAZDA 626 FAILURE OF THE TIMING CHAIN. *MR THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE TRAVELING ON AN EXTREMELY BUSY HIGHWAY. THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSION MECHANISM FAILED. RECALL# 00V134000. THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPAIRS AND PARTS. *SC *JB
WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONSUMER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE TIMING BELT NEEDED REPLACEMENT. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB
I WAS DRIVING MY 1998 MAZDA 626 IN NORMAL TRAFFIC AND STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. AFTER THE LIGHT CHANGED, I ACCELERATED AS NORMAL AND THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT TO A HIGHER GEAR AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RACE. I PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT WHERE I FLAGGED DOWN MY HUSBAND AND TOLD HIM THERE WAS A PROBLEM. HE T…
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I WAS DRIVING MY 1998 MAZDA 626 IN NORMAL TRAFFIC AND STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. AFTER THE LIGHT CHANGED, I ACCELERATED AS NORMAL AND THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT TO A HIGHER GEAR AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RACE. I PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT WHERE I FLAGGED DOWN MY HUSBAND AND TOLD HIM THERE WAS A PROBLEM. HE THEN GOT IN AND EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT TO A HIGHER GEAR. HE DROVE THE CAR TO MAZDA KNOXVILLE IN THE FIRST GEAR. THE SERVICE MANAGER LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND TOLD US THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD GONE OUT AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. HE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT WE INSTALL A "TRANSMISSION COOLER" TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. HE SAID THAT MAZDA PUTS THESE TYPE OF COOLERS IN NEWER MODELS. I HAD NO WARNING, NOR HAD I HAD ANY PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION.*AK
1998 MAZDA 626. 89,000 MILES. TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP. CAR WOULD NOT RUN. AAMCO REPAIRS COST ME APPROXIMATELY $2,600. PREMATURE FAILURE IS COMMON. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, FOLLOW THIS LINK: HTTP://WWW.CARTRACKERS.COM/FORUMS/LIVE/YOURLEMON/189.HTML. *JB
WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ODOMETER FLASHED AND JUMPED. VEHICLE HAD TO BE PARKED. ENGINE WAS SLUGGISH AND STALLED. CONSUMER OBTAINED A RENTAL.*AK
ON APRIL 15TH, 2004 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK IN MY 1998 MAZDA 626 LX AND THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP THEN FAILED COMPLETELY. I HAD TO DRIVE OFF THE HIGHWAY IN FIRST GEAR. I THEN TOOK MY 626 TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP AND THEY INFORMED ME MAZDA TRANSMISSIONS HAD A FAULTY DRUM. HE INFORMED ME THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HAV…
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ON APRIL 15TH, 2004 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK IN MY 1998 MAZDA 626 LX AND THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP THEN FAILED COMPLETELY. I HAD TO DRIVE OFF THE HIGHWAY IN FIRST GEAR. I THEN TOOK MY 626 TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP AND THEY INFORMED ME MAZDA TRANSMISSIONS HAD A FAULTY DRUM. HE INFORMED ME THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I PICKED UP MY VEHICLE FROM THE TRANSMISSION SHOP ON APRIL 23RD, 2004 AND ON APRIL 24TH, 2004 I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING AND THE THE CAR BEGAN TO DECELERATE AND ALSO BEGAN SMOKING. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE TRANSMISSION SHOP AND THEY INFORMED ME THE TRANSMISSION HAD BLOWN ONCE AGAIN. THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION A SECOND TIME AND ON SUNDAY, MAY 2ND, 2004 I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH ONCE AGAIN. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF OF THE FREEWAY AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE SAME TRANSMISSION SHOP. I CALLED MAZDA AND THEY INFORMED ME THEY WERE AWARE OF THE FAULTY TRANSMISSION AND STATED I NEEDED TO INSTALL A TRANSMISSION COOLER TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING. THEY INFORMED ME A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN DONE ON THE FAULTY TRANSMISSION. THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION IS NOT AVAILABLE. DURING THIS TIME I NOT ONLY HAD TO PAY FOR A NEW TRANSIMSSION AND COOLER I ALSO HAD TO PAY FOR TOWING COSTS AND CAR RENTALS FOR ALMOST 3 WEEKS.*AK
Official recalls
415V674000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch
Oct 19, 2015
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 1989-1998 MPV, 1990-1995 323, 1990-1998 Protege, 1992-1993 MX-3, 1993-1995 929, 1993-1997 MX-6, and 1993-1998 626 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, grease applied to the contact points inside the ignition switch may become conductive and overheat.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the ignition switch overheats there would be an increased risk of a fire.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. The recall began on December 17, 2015. Owners may contact Mazda Customer Experience Center at 1-800-222-5500, option#6. Mazda's number for this recall is 8715J.
00V134000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
May 9, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. AN EXTERNAL SPRING IN THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER COULD BREAK.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE BROKEN SPRING MAY GET CAUGHT IN THE TIMING BELT, RESULTING POSSIBLE ENGINE STALLING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL CHECK THE TENSIONER INSTALLED AND REPLACE IT IF THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH THE AFFECTED TENSIONER.
98V243000 · Equipment:electrical:radio/tape Deck/cd Etc.
Oct 2, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: IF THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED IN A HOT, HUMID ENVIRONMENT WITH THE WINDOW OPEN AND AIR CONDITIONER RUNNING, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR CONDENSATION TO ENTER THE AUDIO UNIT AND CAUSE A SHORT CIRCUIT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE SHORT CIRCUIT OCCURS AT ONE SPECIFIC SET OF TERMINALS, THE SPEAKER CAN OVERHEAT AND IN SOME CASES, CATCH FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL AFFIX ALUMINUM TAPE OVER THE AUDIO UNIT TO PREVENT WATER FROM ENTERING.
97V228000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:fuel Injection System
Dec 17, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. DUE TO A PROGRAMMING ERROR, THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) INSTALLED CAN, UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS, TRIGGER A SHIFT IN AIR-FUEL RATIO TO AN OVERLEAN CONDITION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN AN ENGINE STALL, WHICH COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND/OR A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE PCM WITH THE CORRECT ENGINE CONTROL LOGIC.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1SQ98024 · Speedometer Inoperative
Opened Oct 29, 1998 · Closed Sep 10, 1999
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train
SEE RESUME FOR DETAILS.