1998 Mazda 626

TRANSMISSION FAILED IN YEAR 5 OF OPERATION FOR 1998 MAZDA 626. I AM AWARE THAT I AM NOT ALONE WITH MY TRANSMISSION PROBLEM REGARDING 1994-1998 MAZDA 626S. THIS IS TOO SOON TO BE DISPOSING OF AN AUTOMOBILE BECAUSE OF A BIG TICKET ITEM. VERY DISAPPOINTED. WON'T EVER BUY MAZDA AGAIN. ALSO, FRONT, RIGHT AXLE JOINT WAS FAILING/LOOSE A YEAR AGO, 3 REPAIRS/AXLE REPLACEMENT AND $1000 LATER, THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN FIXED. ABSOLUTELY NO FAITH IN MAZDA, OR THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT LOCATED IN BURNSVILLE, MN.

WHILE DRIVING SOUTH ON I75, I HAD NOTICED THAT MY O/D LIGHT HAD STARTED TO FLASH. THE CAR SEEMED OKAY, BUT THE O/D CONTINUED TO FLASH. I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF PASSING A TRUCK WITH AN EIGHTEEN WHEELER RIGHT BEHIND ME AND ALL KINDS OF STUFF STARTED TO HAPPEN. THE SPEEDOMETER QUIT WORKING. THEN THE BATTERY AND OIL LIGHT CAME ON. ONCE THAT HAPPEN, THE ENGINE COMPLETELY DIED. AFTER CALLING STEPPS AND HAVING MY CAR TOWED TO MY MECHANIC, HE ADVISED ME THAT I HAD BURNED UP THE TRANSMISSION. SOMETHING BLEW INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION WHICH CAUSED A FUSE TO BLOW AND THIS CAUSE THE MOTOR TO TURN OFF. MY MECHANIC ADVISED ME TO LOOK INTO THIS BECAUSE HE RECALLS THIS HAPPENING TO ANOTHER CLIENT. HE HAS GIVEN ME A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT COSTS RAINGING FROM $1800 ON UP. I AM SHOCKED TO READ ALL OF THE POSTS FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. I HAVE 123,000 MILES ON MY CAR AND AM SURPRISED THIS DIFFERENT HAPPEN SOONER. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS.*AK

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. TRANSMISSION COMPLETED FAILED AT 70,000 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION IN THIS CAR IS THE INFAMOUS CD4E - USED ON THE FORD CONTOUR, PROBE, MERCURY MYSTIQUE, ETC... FROM WHAT I HEAR, THERE'S BEEN NOTHING BUT COMPLAINTS ON THESE FAILING PREMATURELY, COSTING DRIVER'S MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. THE DEALER WANTED $3,500 TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION WITH A NEW ONE. I INSTEAD WENT TO ANOTHER BUSINESS, AND HAD A USED CD4E PUT IN. (THE USED ONE HAD 17,000). NOW, AT 105,000, I'M STARTING TO HAVE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AGAIN. IT'S SLUGGISH AT TIMES AND O/D FLASHES NOW AND THEN. THE PROBLEM MAY NOT BE THE TRANSMISSION'S FAULT, BUT PERHAPS MAZDA'S IMPLEMENTATION OF IT. MANY PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED TO MAZDA TO ISSUE SOME SORT OF RECALL ON THIS TRANSMISSION, ONLY TO BE IGNORED. ADD ME TO THAT LIST. *AK

I'M AM AN UNFORTUNATE OWNER OF A 1998 MAZDA 626 LX. THERE'S NO NEED FOR ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT MY COMPLAINT BECAUSE IT'S EVERYBODY'S COMPLAINT, BUT I WILL TELL YOU ANYWAY. TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS!! AFTER REGULAR MAINTENANCE, MY TRANSMISSION FAILED AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE, WE ARE PAYING A JAPANESE PRICE FOR A FORD PIECE OF CRAP. IT'S A SHAME WHEN YOU GO TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP AND THE DEALER SAYS SOMETHING LIKE "OH, WE DO A LOT OF THOSE" OR "THAT'S A COMMON PROBLEM IN YOUR MODEL". WHEN I WAS AT THE SHOP GETTING MY TRANSMISSION REPLACED, THERE WERE 2 OTHER 626'S BEING SERVICED AT THE SAME TIME. HOW CAN YOU CREATE A CAR THATS FAIRLY DECENT IN OTHER ASPECTS, THEN THROW IN A FAULTY TRANSMISSION, A PIECE THAT IS SO VITAL TO THE AUTOMOBILE. MAZDA KNOWS THAT THEY HAVE MADE A MISTAKE AND IT WOULD BE A BAD DECISION TO LEAVE A BUYER STRANDED LIKE THIS. THIS WILL DEFINATELY LOWER THE AMOUNT OF REPEAT BUYERS FROM MAZDA. YOU CAN COMPARE THIS TO A FATHER HAVING A CHILD AND NOT BEING THERE FOR HIM AND NOT EVEN PAYING CHILD SUPPORT. IT'S GOING TO COME BACK TO HAUNT MAZDA IN SALES. NOW THEY'RE COMING OUT WITH THE MAZDA 6 HOPING TO JUST BRUSH ALL THE 626 PROBLEMS BEHIND THEM, BUT THEY ARE BRUSHING BACK PEOPLE WHO WORK HARD FOR THEIR MONEY. FATHERS AND MOTHERS WHO HAVE TO LEAVE THEIR CAR PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY BECAUSE THEY CAN'T PAY FOR THE REPAIRS WHILE THEY'RE STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON THE CAR. FAMILIES WHO HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION WHETHER TO PAY FOR REPAIRS OR PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE SO THEIR FAMILY CAN EAT. MAZDA DEFINATELY NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES. ADMIT THAT YOU MADE A MISTAKE, FIX IT AND MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE. THERE IS NOTHING PROFESSIONAL ABOUT MAKING A BAD PRODUCT AND LEAVING THE CUSTOMERS BEHIND. JAMES WILLIAMSON. *AK