1999 Mazda 626

(1) JERKING MOTION OF VEHICLE WHEN DRIVING. MAZDA DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT WAS NORMAL FOR MAZDA TRANSMISSIONS. (2) TRANSMISSION FAILURE. (3) REBUILT TRANSMISSION $1600.00. 1 YEAR LATER, IT FAILED AGAIN, DUE TO OVER HEATING. NEEDS TO BE REBUILT AGAIN. I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WAS A TSB ON THE TRANSMISSION FOR THIS VEHICLE REQUIRING A COOLING UNIT TO AVOID OVERHEATING. NOW, I HAVE TO PAY FOR MORE REPAIRS TO THE TRANSMISSION, WITH NO END IN SIGHT. THIS IS NOT FAIR. HAD I KNOWN ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS, I WOULD NEVER HAVE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE (BRAND NEW) IN THE FIRST PLACE. THIS IS JUST NOT FAIR. *JB

I OWN A 99 MAZDA 626 4 CYLINDER I HAVE ONLY OWNED IT FOR A YEAR AND SINCE I BOUGHT IT THE TRANSMISSION HAS ACTED UP AND AFTER DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH I HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION IT ISN'T JUST MINE EVERYBODY'S IS MESSED UP FIRST IT STARTED WITH THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING MAKING THE O/D LIGHT BLINK ON AND OFF AND THEN SLIPPING REALLY HARD AND NOW IT IS OUT. *JB

PURCHASED MAZDA 626 (1999) NEW IN 12/98. AT 27870 MILES TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED. DEALER SAID I HAD TO PURCHASE A COOLING KIT FOR TRANS AT MY EXPENSE. I KNEW THEN I WOULD NEVER BUY ANOTHER MAZDA. WHAT CUSTOMER SERVICE! PROBLEM RECURRED AND I DISCOVERED IT WAS A KNOW PROBLEM TO MAZDA ABOUT TRANSMISSION FAILURES IN THE MAZDA 626. NOW AT 74000 MILES THEY TELL ME I NEED A NEW TRANS AT $3600, NO WAY. DON'T BUY MAZDA. *NM

I HAVE A 1999 MAZDA 626 LX 2.0 THAT I PURCHASE IN OCTOBER 2001. WHAT SEEMED TO BE A PRETTY RELIABLE CAR TURNED TO CRAP IN 2003 WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED SUDDENLY WITHOUT MUCH NOTICE. I HAD THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT AT AAMCO (THE BIGGEST RIP OFFS ON THE PLANET NEXT TO MAZDA) FOR $2650.00. THE CAR RAN FINE FOR 2 MORE YEARS WHEN ONCE AGAIN WITH OUT MUCH NOTICE THE CAR STARTS MAKING A GRINDING NOISE IN REVERSE, I TOOK IT BACK TO AAMCO WHERE THEY TOLD ME THAT I ONCE AGAIN NEEDED A REPLACEMENT AND THAT MY EXTENDED WARRANTY JUST RAN OUT "GO FIGURE". SO HERE I AM LEFT WITH THIS CAR THAT I OWE $1500.00 ON AND I NEED $2000.00 WORTH OF WORK. I COME TO FIND OUT THAT I AM ONE OF MANY WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. THANKS MAZDA, AFTER MUCH RESEARCH I BOUGHT A HONDA A MUCH MORE RELIABLE CAR. *JB

I WAS DRIVING AND THE CAR WAS LOSING SPEED EVEN THOUGH MY FOOT WAS ON THE GAS PEDAL. I TOOK MY FOOT OFF FOR A MOMENT AND THEN PUSHED ON THE GAS PEDAL AGAIN HOPING TO REGAIN SPEED. I DID NOT REGAIN ANY SPEED, AND IT CONTINUED TO DROP. I WAS ABLE TO GET A BREAK IN TRAFFIC WHERE I COULD TURN INTO A SMALL PARKING LOT TO REMOVE MYSELF FROM TRAFFIC. AS I BEGAN TO MAKE THE TURN I NOTICED THAT I HAD LOST ALL POWER STEERING AND HAD TO TURN THE CAR MANUALLY. WHEN I GOT INTO THE PARKING LOT, I HAD HELP ATTEMPTING TO JUMP THE VEHICLE TO SEE IF THAT WAS THE PROBLEM, BUT NOTHING WORKED. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC. AS THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE TIMING BELT HAD "JUMPED". THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE TENSIONER SPRING BREAKING. IN SEPTEMBER OF 2000, THIS PART (TENSIONER SPRING) WAS RECALLED FOR DOING EXACTLY WHAT IT DID ON MY CAR. THE RECALL NUMBER IS 00V134000. I SPOKE WITH THE MAZDA DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PART WAS RECALLED FOR MY CAR, BUT NOT FOR MY VIN. MY VIN IS:[XXX]. I WAS APPALLED THAT THE PART WAS RECALLED FOR MY CAR, FOR DOING EXACTLY WHAT THE BULLETIN SAID IT WOULD DO, BUT THAT MY VIN IS NOT COVERED. HOW CAN THIS BE SO? *NM UPDATED 07/16/2012*JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE GEARED DOWN SUDDENLY. THE CONTACT PULLED OFF OF THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION SHOP. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AT THE SHOP DETERMINED THE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REBUILT. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONTACT THIS WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN THESE VEHICLES. UPDATED 7/13/2006 - *NM