1998 Mazda 626

I JUST BOUGHT A 98 626 WITH A LITTLE OVER A 100K ON IT IN MAY BEFORE I BOUGHT IT I TOOK IT TO MAZDA TO HAVE ALL PARTS AND COMPONETS CHECKED OUT THEY SAID THE TRANSMISSION WAS HEALTHY AND THE ENGINE WAS GOOD AND ALL PARTS LOOKED GREAT. SO I BOUGHT THE CAR THE SAME DAY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE GAS I WAS USING THEN RESET MY CODE. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ALTERNATOR THE BELTS AND NOW THE TRANSMISSION. SINCE MAY I HAVE PUT OVER 1100 IN PARTS AND LABOR IN THIS CAR NOW THEY SAY I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION WHICH IS OVER 2200 ANY SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT TO DO. *JB

I PURCHASED A 1998 MAZDA 626 IN OCT. 2001 WITH 71 THOUSAND MILES. THIS TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 110. I HAD IT REPLACED WITH A USED ONE (BEFORE I KNEW OF ALL THE DEFECTS), IT LASTED 8000 MILES. IN SEPT 2004 A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST PUT IN A NEW TRANSMISSION FROM MAZDA. IT LASTED 18,000 MILES. I WAS TOLD IT HAD A THREE YEAR WARRANTY. MAZDA NOW DENIES THIS. THEY SAY ITS 6 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REBUILT. BEING DISABLED THIS HAS REALLY BEEN A DISAPPOINTMENT. THE INCONVENIENCE AND EXPENSE ARE TAKING ITS TOLL. IN 3 YEARS TIME MAZDA HAS COST ME OVER $5000 IN REPAIRS AND CLOSE TO $500 IN TOWING. THEY ARE AWARE THESE TRANSMISSIONS ARE FAULTY BUT REFUSE TO HELP PEOPLE. IT SEEMS MORALLY AND ETHICALLY WRONG.. ANY 'NEW' TRANSMISSION SHOULD LAST LONGER THAT THESE. I RECENTLY GAVE THIS CAR TO MY DAUGHTER, BUT I AM GOING TO CONTINUE THE FIGHT WITH MAZDA. THANK YOU! *JB

I JUST FINISHED PAYING FOR THE SECOND TRANSMISSION IN MY 1998 MAZDA 626. THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION WENT 93,000 MILES BEFORE COMPLETE FAILURE. THAT UNIT WAS REPLACED WITH A USED TRANSMISSION AND IT FAILED AT 105,000 MILES. I HAD THE SECOND FAILURE REBUILT AT A COST OF $2,100, THE FIRST USED TRANSMISSION COST $1,700 TO REPLACE. *JB

MY 1998 MAZDA 626 REPLACED TRANSMISSION AT 49000 MILES ON IT O/D LIGHT FLASHING ON TRANSMISSION DOWN SHIFTING ON ITS OWN. TRANSMISSION FLUID BLEW OUT, THE DIPSTICK WAS REPLACED, SPEEDOMETER GEAR SET ALSO FLUSHED RAD.& COOLER NOW NEW TRANSMISSION DOING SAME THING AT OVER $2600 DOLLARS OUT OF POCKET. HEARD LOTS OTHERS HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEMS WOULD LIKE TO REPORT. TO SEE IF THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP COULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIRS. *JB

MAZDA 626 4 CYLINDER, 4 DOOR, AUTOMATIC; 93K MI; TRANSMISSION FAILED DUE TO INTERNAL OVERHEATING (''O/D OFF'' LIGHT FLASHES). I NEVER USED THIS CAR TO TOW ANYTHING; DRIVING PATTERN IS VERY LIGHT. APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES DAILY TO WORK ON HIGHWAY AT 40-60 M/H SPEED (TRAFFIC). MY RESEARCH SHOWS THAT MAZDA WAS CLEARLY AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM - SB0500502/NHTSA 634465. SB DETAILS A VERY SIMPLE AND RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE FIX - EXTERNAL TRANS OIL COOLER. DEALER CLEARLY STATES THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. IF IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE MY FAMILY USES THIS CAR ROUTINELY WHY WOULD MAZDA BE SO NEGLIGENT AND NOT ADVICE OWNERS OF THIS POTENTIAL RISK AND THE ALTERNATIVE REPAIRS, WHICH WOULD SAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN PROPERTY DAMAGE? IT IS NOW IN THE THOUSANDS TO FIX THE CAR. *JB

I HAVE A 1998 MAZDA 626 LX 4 CYLINDER, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. I AM SURE YOU ARE AWARE OF THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH THESE VEHICLES FROM 92-02. DURING LONG DRIVES (OVER 30 MILES), I BEGAN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE O/D (OVERDRIVE) LIGHT FLASHING. ACCOMPANYING THIS PHENOMENON, WAS ERRATIC SHIFTING AT HIGH SPEEDS BETWEEN THIRD AND FOURTH GEARS. WHEN PULLING OVER AND STOPPING THE CAR, BLACK SMOKE CAN BE SEEN COMING FROM THE LEFT SIDE UNDER THE HOOD. THIS ONLY SEEMS TO OCCUR AT HIGH SPEEDS, ABOVE 50 MPH. THIS OCCURRED ON LONG DRIVES AS SOON AS I PURCHASED THE CAR. MULTIPLE MECHANICS WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE O/D LIGHT PROBLEM. I HAD THE O2 SENSORS REPLACED. I FOUND OUT LATER THROUGH INTERNET CHAT ROOMS FOR THE MAZDA 626(AKA: SUPPORT GROUP FOR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 626 OWNERS), THAT THIS PROBLEM IS THE FIRST SIGN THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS BURNING UP. THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY FAILED AT 105,000 MILES(LUCKY TO LAST THAT LONG). COST ME $2000 TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION WITH ONE FROM A JUNK YARD. NOW THE O/D LIGHT STILL FLASHES WHEN DRIVING OVER 30 MILES OVER 50 MPH. JUST WAITING FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO GO OUT AGAIN. MAZDA SHOULD PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS, AND THE THOUSANDS OF OTHER UNFORTUNATE MAZDA 626 OWNERS OUT THERE. *NM