IllustrationTRANSMISSION FAILURE ON 82,000 --1999 MAZDA 626 LX. HAVE MOST OF MAINTENANCE ON TIME -- HAVE RECORDS. TRANSMISSION OIL LEAK STARTED AT 2000 WHEN CAR WAS UNDER 5000 MILES, I WENT TO DARCARS MAZDA DEALER FOR AT LEAST 5 TIMES, NEVER GOT MY PROBLEM SOLVED. *LA
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
100–25K
1325–50K
6150–75K
6475–100K
49100–150K
12150K+
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.
11 crash reports3 fire reports4 injury reports
Power Train complaints
233 reportsMY SISTER AND I OWN A 1999 MAZDA 626 LX. I WAS DRIVING OUT OF TOWN WHEN MY TRANSMISSION FAILED. IN ORDER FOR THE CAR TO MOVE I HAD TO PUT IT IN OVERDRIVE. ONCE THE CAR WAS GOING AT 60 MPH IT WAS OKAY BUT GOING ANY FASTER AND THE OD LIGHT WOULD START FLASHING. I AM VERY UPSET BECAUSE A MAJORITY OF MY FRIENDS THAT OWN MAZDA'S HAD…
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MY SISTER AND I OWN A 1999 MAZDA 626 LX. I WAS DRIVING OUT OF TOWN WHEN MY TRANSMISSION FAILED. IN ORDER FOR THE CAR TO MOVE I HAD TO PUT IT IN OVERDRIVE. ONCE THE CAR WAS GOING AT 60 MPH IT WAS OKAY BUT GOING ANY FASTER AND THE OD LIGHT WOULD START FLASHING. I AM VERY UPSET BECAUSE A MAJORITY OF MY FRIENDS THAT OWN MAZDA'S HAD TRANSMISSION WORK DONE. SINCE MAZDA/FORD WOULD NOT TAKE RESPONSIBIBLITY FOR FAULTY WORK THE OWNERS OF THESE CRAPPY CARS ARE LEFT WITH HUGE BILLS. WE HAVE TO PAY 1450.00 FOR THIS. I AM DEFINITELY GOING TO FILE A LAWSIUT BECAUSE IF SO MANY CONSUMERS ARE COMPLAINING THEN THEY NEED TO TAKE ACTION ASAP.*AK
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND WITH NO PRIOR WARNING OVERDRIVE LIGHT STARTS FLASHING, AND VEHICLE JERKS BADLY, BARELY SHIFTING GEARS, AND WOULD NOT REVERSE. HAD THE CAR ASSESSED BY TWO CERTIFIED MECHANICS, BOTH STATING THAT TRANSMISSION FAILED, AND TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS NOT UNCOMMON FOR THIS CAR-- CALLED MAZDA CORP AND LOCAL DEALE…
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WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND WITH NO PRIOR WARNING OVERDRIVE LIGHT STARTS FLASHING, AND VEHICLE JERKS BADLY, BARELY SHIFTING GEARS, AND WOULD NOT REVERSE. HAD THE CAR ASSESSED BY TWO CERTIFIED MECHANICS, BOTH STATING THAT TRANSMISSION FAILED, AND TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS NOT UNCOMMON FOR THIS CAR-- CALLED MAZDA CORP AND LOCAL DEALER WHO BOTH OFFERED NO HELP, AS OF COURSE THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AT 70,600 MILES- THIS IS RIDICULOUS CAR WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW AND SHOULD NEED TRANSMISSION REPLACED THIS SOON!!!*AK
THE TIME LAPSE BETWEEN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION GEARS SHIFTING WAS INCREASING, AND VEHICLE WON'T SHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR. DEALER RECOMMENDD TO CONSUMER TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. *AK
AUTO: 1999 MAZDA 626 AT 92,000 PROBLEM: LOOKS LIKE OVERHEATING OF TRANSMISSION AND LEAKAGE OR OVERFLOWING OF TRANSMISSION ALL OVER THE ENGINE: - OD LIGHT IS BLINKING - ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AND OFF - GEAR SLIPPING *LA
TRANSMISSION WENT OUT OF 1999 MAZDA 626 AT 87,500 MILES. UNTIL NOW NO PROBLEMS EXISTED NOW DEALER WANTS $3,500 TO REBUILD TRANSMISSION. MY RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THE 1999 626 HAS MAJOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND MAZDA WILL NOT RECOGNIZE RECALL ON ALL CARS. *LA
TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 58,000 MILES. BROUGHT TO MAZDA IN JULY AND TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS OVERHEATING. *LA
WHENEVER THE TRANSMISSION HEATS UP ON MY MAZDA 626 IT THEN JERKS, AND MOVING THE GEARS. THIS HAS BEEN ESTIMATED FOR A COMPLETE REBUILD OF THE TRANSMISSION AT 55,000 MILES AND I WAS ESTIMATED AT $3000 FOR THE REBUILD. I HAVE NOTICED MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF COMPLAINTS FOR THIS CAR WITH THE EXACT SAME INCIDENT. IT STARTED AROUND THANK…
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WHENEVER THE TRANSMISSION HEATS UP ON MY MAZDA 626 IT THEN JERKS, AND MOVING THE GEARS. THIS HAS BEEN ESTIMATED FOR A COMPLETE REBUILD OF THE TRANSMISSION AT 55,000 MILES AND I WAS ESTIMATED AT $3000 FOR THE REBUILD. I HAVE NOTICED MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF COMPLAINTS FOR THIS CAR WITH THE EXACT SAME INCIDENT. IT STARTED AROUND THANKSGIVING 2002 AND CONTINUES ON TO THIS DAY. *LA
TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *LA
TRANMISSION ACTING UP. TRANSMISSION O/D LIGHT FLASHING AT 70MPH. TRANS FLUID APPERS TO BE DARK IN COLOR DUE TO OVERHEATING OF TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION HAS HARD TIME SHIFTING GEARS.
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.