1999 Mazda 626

THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 1999 MAZDA 626 BURNED UP AT 51, 590 MILES. TWO DELAER MECHANICS SAID THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO DRIVING AT SPEEDS OVER 70MPH FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. ONE OF THEM SAID HE HAS SEEN A LOT OF THIS IN THE 626S FOR A FEW YEARS . OF COURSE, MAZDA NO LONGER MAKES THE 626. I WAS DRIVING BETWEEN 75 AND 80MPH FOR APPROXIMATELY 2.5 HOURS. IT TURNS OUT MAZDA DID NOT INSTALL TRANSMISSION COOLERS ON THE 626 FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THE COOLER, ACCORDING TO MAZDA, IS AN AFTER FACTORY PART. UNFORTUNATELY, THE CONSUMER IS NOT TOLD THAT THEIR CAR DOES NOT HAVE THIS AND THAT IF THEY DRIVE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME THEY MAY FACE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN REPAIRS. THE COOLER, WHICH MAZDA DOES NOT MAKE, COSTS AROUND $100.00 DEPENDING ON LABOR, ETC. MY CAR HAD JUST GONE OUT OF WARRANTY, AND I HAD THE TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE CHECKED WHILE UNDER WARRANTY TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS SAFE AND WELL-WORKING. I HAD TAKEN IT IT FOR THE CHECK JUST MONTHS BEFORE, AND THE MECHANIC SAID EVERYTHING WAS FINE. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH MAZDA USA (1-800-222-5500) AND THEY CALIM LITTLE RESPONSIBILITY, BUT DID OFFER TO PAY FOR PARTS (THANK YOU). THE BEST BET FOR ANYONE WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS, ISSUES IS TO CALL MAZDA, PLACE YOUR COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA, CARREVIEW.COM, SAFETYALERTS.COM, MSNAUTOS, AND WHOEVER ELSE YOU CONSIDER PERTINENT. MY INTENT IS TO INFORM DRIVERS; I WISH I HAD BEEN. IT WOULD HAVE SAVED ME A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY, AND I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE MADE IT TO THE GOOD FRIEND'S WEDDING I MISSED THAT DAY.

THE CAR SHIFTED REALLY HARD WHEN I PUT THE GEAR ON REVERSE. IT SHIFTED SO HARD THAT THE ENGINE ALMOST STALLED. THE CAR ALSO JERKS AND HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. I TOOK THE CAR IN TO A MECHANIC AND THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION FOR $2,500. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED. IT IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING AND THE MECHANICS, AFTER 2 WEEKS, STILL CAN NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THIS CAR ONLY HAD 45,000 MILES. I WISH I HAD CHECKED THIS WEBSITE BEFORE I BOUGHT THE CAR AND SAW ALL THE TRANSMISSION COMPLAINTS. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER MAZDA. *NLM

I HAD ORIGINALLY TAKEN MY 626 IN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSHED BEFORE THE CAR REACHED 30,000. A SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AT JAY MARKS MAZDA IN HOUSTON, TEXAS ADVISED ME THAT MAZDA DID S NOT CALL FOR A SERVICING OF THE TRANSMISSION. SOMEWHERE AROUND 52,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO DOWN SHIFTING PRETTY ROUGHLY. I HAD THE FLUID CHANGED, WHICH DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. I PHONED THE HOUSTON AREA CORPORATE OFFICE AND NEVER RECEIVED A RETURN CALL. AT 63,300 MILES WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE AND CHANGING LANES, THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. THERE WAS FLUID SPEWING OUT FROM THE OVERFLOW HOSE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THIS CAUSED AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF SMOKE, WHICH I FEARED WAS ABOUT TO CATCH A FIRE. I WAS TOLD THAT MAZDA IS USING ALUMINUM HOUSING FOR THE PISTONS, WHICH IS NOT HOLDING UP. I FEEL THAT THE CHEAPER COST IS PUTTING INDIVIDUALS'' LIVES AT STAKE.

I WAS TOLD TO FILE A COMPLAINT, BECAUSE I THINK THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS IN THE LATE MODEL MAZDA 626'S. I JUST SPENT $1700 FOR A REBUILT TRANSMISSION ON MY 1999 626 ES WITH 62000 MILES. THE DAMAGE OF THE TRANSMISSION WAS VERY SIGNIFICANT. MY MECHANIC WHOM I HAVE KNOWN FOR 7 YEARS SAID THIS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS, HE SAID JUST IN FEBRUARY ALONE HE DID 4. HE SAID THESE TRANSMISSIONS ARE JUNK, AND VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR BECAUSE OF THEIR DESIGN. THIS DESIGN DOES NOT HAVE A PAN ON THE BOTTOM SO YOU CAN CHECK THE VITALS, IT IS ON THE SIDE. HE SAID THIS DESIGN OF AUTOMATIC WAS PUT INTO THE 626, MX-6 , AND THE FORD PROBE. IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME ANYTIME. JOHN. *JB