WHEN ENGAGING THE IGNITION SWITCH TO START THE VEHICLE, SMOKE COMES FROM THE STEERING COLUMN, I MUST IMMEDIATELY TURN OFF THE CONTACT POSITION. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS SECONDS AFTER THE IGNITION SWITCH IS ENGAGED.
1999 Mazda 626
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most 626 years
Owner complaints for the 1999 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
209 reports with mileage · 109 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 233 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 48 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Electrical System complaints
11 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MAZDA 626. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN OVER TO START THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE FAILURE WAS PROGRESSING TO THE POINT THAT THE VEHICLE MAY NOT START INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN W…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MAZDA 626. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN OVER TO START THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE FAILURE WAS PROGRESSING TO THE POINT THAT THE VEHICLE MAY NOT START INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.
WHEN ENGAGING IGNITION SWITCH TO START VEHICLE, SMOKE COMES UP FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. HAVE TO IMMEDIATELY TURN OFF SWITCH. THIS PROBLEM STARTED 2011. VEHICLE IS IN STORAGE AT THIS TIME.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MAZDA 626. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED CAUSING THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL WIRES TO CATCH ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE FIRE INITIATED DUE TO A IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MAZDA 626. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED CAUSING THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL WIRES TO CATCH ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE FIRE INITIATED DUE TO A IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V674000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 156,000.
DT: THE CONTACT COMPLAINED ABOUT VEHICLE PROBLEMS ON FEBRUARY 27, 2001, WHEN DRIVING AT 60 MPH THE VEHICLE SHOOK. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE DEALER REPLACED IT. THE CONTACT STATED ON MARC…
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DT: THE CONTACT COMPLAINED ABOUT VEHICLE PROBLEMS ON FEBRUARY 27, 2001, WHEN DRIVING AT 60 MPH THE VEHICLE SHOOK. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE DEALER REPLACED IT. THE CONTACT STATED ON MARCH 15, 2005 THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS RUNNING HOT, THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED BY A LOCAL MECHANIC. THERE WAS NO WARNING AND NO NOISE.*AK THE HEAD GASKET AND ALTERNATOR FAILED. UPDATED 11/16/05. *JB
AFTER STARTING THE CAR AND DRIVING, WHEN CAR IS TURNED OFF WILL NOT RESTART, FOR 15 MINUTES TO 2 HRS. *NM
I BOUGHT MY 1999 MAZDA 626LX USED IN JUNE OF 1999 WITH 39,000 MILES ON IT AND THROUGHOUT THE TWO YEARS THAT I HAD IT I'VE GOTTEN SERVICED MORE TIMES THAN I CAN EVEN COUNT. OVER THE PAST 8 MONTHS THE PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR HAVE BEEN GETTING WORSE. INITALLY THE CAR WAS SHUTTING OFF OCCASIONALLY WHENEVER I CAME TO A STOP. THAT ALON…
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I BOUGHT MY 1999 MAZDA 626LX USED IN JUNE OF 1999 WITH 39,000 MILES ON IT AND THROUGHOUT THE TWO YEARS THAT I HAD IT I'VE GOTTEN SERVICED MORE TIMES THAN I CAN EVEN COUNT. OVER THE PAST 8 MONTHS THE PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR HAVE BEEN GETTING WORSE. INITALLY THE CAR WAS SHUTTING OFF OCCASIONALLY WHENEVER I CAME TO A STOP. THAT ALONE SCARED ME AND I FEARED DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE BECAUSE OF THIS. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT MY SPARK PLUGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED SO I DID THAT BUT THE SAME DAY THAT I GOT IT FIXED THE SAME THING HAPPENED AND CAR STARTED DRIVING VERY ROUGH. ALTHOUGH THE CAR HAS NOT SHUT OFF ON ME LATELY IT HAS DONE SOME VERY WEIRD THINGS LIKE DRIVING WHILE THE CAR IS IN REVERSE. I PARKED THE CAR ONE DAY IN AN AWKWARD WAY SO I WANTED TO CORRECT MYSELF AND WHEN I TRIED TO REVERSE THE CAR KEPT ON DRIVING FORWARD (I'M LUCKY THERE WASN'T ANOTHER CAR IN FRONT OF ME) AND IT WAS HARD TO SHIFT INTO PARK WHEN I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO DO THAT I TURNED TO CAR OFF BUT THEN COULDN'T GET IT TO COME BACK ON SO I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE SHIFT INTERLOCK GEAR. SINCE I 'VE GOTTEN MY CAR BACK IT DRIVES WORSE THAN EVER BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS, I CAN ONLY DRIVE IN OVERDRIVE, THE CAR SHAKES WHEN IT SHIFTS GEARS AND AT CERTAIN SPEEDS IT THRUSTS FORWARD WITH SO MUCH FORCE THAT I IT FEELS LIKE I'VE JUST BEEN REAR-ENDED. FORTUNATELY, I HAVEN'T HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION BUT AFTER READING OTHER REVIEWS ABOUT THIS CAR I FEAR THAT THE TIME MAYBE COMING SOON ESPECIALLY SINCE I JUST REACHED 83,000+ MILES. WITH ALL THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS PROBLEM MAZDA SHOULD REALLY TAKE ACTION ON THIS ISSUE BECAUSE THESE CARS ARE UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND PERSONALLY I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER MAZDA AGAIN. *AK
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTING PROBLEM, IRREGULAR RPM'S WHEN IDLING, POPPING NOISE IN FRONT (SUSPENSION?) WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPS AT HIGH RATES OF SPEED I.E. HIGHWAYS, INTERIOR LIGHT FAULTY,
VEHICLE STALLED AT 60MPH WITHOUT WARNING. AFTER CONSUMER PULLED VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. DEALER STATED STALLING WAS CAUSED BY AN ENGINE ROD FAILURE AND WAS COMMON. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK
ON 10/13/2000 WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNED ON THE RADIO CAME ON FOR A SECOND THEN SHUT DOWN AND DID NOT COME ON AGAIN, THE DOOR LIGHT ON DASHBOARD STAYED ON & ALL DOORS WERE SHUT, THE SEAT BELT LIGHT STAYED ON WHILE THE SEAT BELT WAS BEING WORN, KEYLESS ENTRY DID NOT SOUND, POWER WINDOWS STOP WORKING, FINALLY ON THAT DAY WHILE COM…
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ON 10/13/2000 WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNED ON THE RADIO CAME ON FOR A SECOND THEN SHUT DOWN AND DID NOT COME ON AGAIN, THE DOOR LIGHT ON DASHBOARD STAYED ON & ALL DOORS WERE SHUT, THE SEAT BELT LIGHT STAYED ON WHILE THE SEAT BELT WAS BEING WORN, KEYLESS ENTRY DID NOT SOUND, POWER WINDOWS STOP WORKING, FINALLY ON THAT DAY WHILE COMING TO A STOP THE CAR SHUT DOWN. LATER ON 10/15/2000, WHEN THE FRONT DEFOGGER WAS TURNED ON AND THE CAR WAS JUST IDILING THE CAR BEGAN ACT AS IF WANTED TO TURN OFF AND SHAKE. ON 10/18/2000 MY CAR WENT INTO THE SHOP WHEN IT WAS RETURNED TO ME ON 10/20/2000 AND I WOULD STEP ON THE BRAKE MY RADIO WOULD START CUTTING OFF AGAIN. I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO THE SHOP ON 10/25/2000 FOR THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM AND I HAVEN'T SEEN MY CAR SINCE. SL. *AK
Official recalls
200V134000 · 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.
00V074000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:master Cylinder
Mar 7, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. CERTAIN RESERVOIR TANK CAPS ON THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER WERE PRODUCED WITH A WORN OUT DIE AND LACK VENTILATION HOLES. AS A RESULT, THE PRESSURE IN THE RESERVOIR TANK CAN DROP GRADUALLY AS THE BRAKE PAD OR SHOE WEARS AND AMBIENT TEMPERATURE DROPS. ALSO, THE PRESSURE COULD REACH A POINT THAT THE BRAKE CALIPER AND DRUM CYLINDER ARE PULLED BACK BY THE VACUUM IN THE RESERVOIR TANK WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED FOR A LONG TIME.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE REDUCED BRAKE EFFICIENCY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE RESERVOIR CAP AND REPLACE IT, IF NECESSARY.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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