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

1998 MAZDA 626 LX 2.0L 4CYLINDER ENGINE. RETURNING BACK TO THE GUEST HOUSE AFTER DROPPING A FRIEND OFF AT THE AIRPORT THAT EVENING, AFTER GETTING OFF THE INTERSTATE, I HEARD A CRACK (FOLLOWED BY A GRINDING NOISE) FROM THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE ENGINE. WITHIN MOMENTS AS I SLOWED THE CAR TO A SAFE SPOT, I HEARD A WHIPPING NOISE FROM THE SAME REGION. THAT LATER HAPPENED TO BE THE SERPENTINE AND ALTERNATOR BELTS BOTH BROKE JUST AFTER EXITING THE INTERSTATE, THE ENGINE AND BATTERY LIGHTS CAME ON AT ONCE.., AND THEN, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THAT, THE ENGINE STOPPED WORKING. I CALLED MY INSURANCE AND HAD MY CAR TOWED TO THE GUEST HOUSE. THE CAR WAS LOOKED AT AND THE DIAGNOSES WERE THE GEARS IN THE WATER PUMP WERE BROKEN WHICH FROZE THE ALTERNATOR BELT, THE ALTERNATOR BELT-NOW STIFFENED- SHREDDED AND MANGLED THE SERPENTINE BELT. THEN THE SERPENTINE BELT TORE ALONG THE GROOVED LINES. PLUS, THE ENGINE IS NOW LEAKING COOLANT. REPAIRS???? I AM WAITING FOR THE ESTIMATE TO COME IN. I HAVE BEEN WARNED THAT IT WOULD NOT BE CHEAP TO FIX. $500-$700 I ASKED? NOPE! HE SAID, AFTER LETTING OUT A CHUCKLE..., MUCH HIGHER HE REPLIED. AT LEAST $1000 OR MORE. *TR

1998 MAZDA 626 WITH SAME PROBLEM AS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL. CONSUMER STATES THAT HE BELIEVES THE RECALL DOES NOT INCLUDE ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES. HIS HAS THAT PROBLEM AND HIS IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *KB THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THERE WAS A FAULTY SPRING ON HIS TIMING BELT TENSIONER, WHICH WAS CONFIRMED BY THE REPAIR SHOP. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD ONLY VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JULY 1997 AND NOVEMBER 1997 WERE AFFECTED BY THE RECALL. THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN FEBRUARY 1998. THE WINDSHIELD WIPER DIDN'T WORK IN THE INTERMITTENT MODE. (RECALL 00V134000)*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 MAZDA 626. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TENSION SPRING ON THE TIMING BELT FAILED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE DEALER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V134000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE) AND WOULD NOT REIMBURSE HIM FOR THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT FILED A FORMAL COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS 87,000.