I WAS ON MY WAY TO LAS VEGAS FROM CALIFORNIA AND MY O/D LIGHT STARTED TO BLINK ON AND OFF. MY SPEEDOMETER WENT TO 0 AND I STARTED TO LOSE POWER. MY ENGINE WAS SMOKING SO I PULLED OVER AND WAS STRANDED IN THE DESERT FOR AROUND 45 MIN. COME TO FIND OUT MY TRANSMISSION OVER HEATED AND WENT OUT ON ME. *TR
2000 Mazda 626
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most 626 years
Owner complaints for the 2000 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
147 reports with mileage · 70 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 160 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
217 reportsI WAS DRIVING FROM CALIFORNIA TO LAS VEGAS AND MY O/D LIGHT STARTED TO BLINK ON AND OFF BUT THERE WERE NO OTHER SIGNS. ALL OF A SUDDEN MY SPEEDOMETER WENT TO 0 AND I WAS LOSING POWER AND THE ENGINE WAS SMOKING. I HAD TO PULL OVER AND STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. COME TO FIND OUT THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED AND WENT OUT ON M…
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I WAS DRIVING FROM CALIFORNIA TO LAS VEGAS AND MY O/D LIGHT STARTED TO BLINK ON AND OFF BUT THERE WERE NO OTHER SIGNS. ALL OF A SUDDEN MY SPEEDOMETER WENT TO 0 AND I WAS LOSING POWER AND THE ENGINE WAS SMOKING. I HAD TO PULL OVER AND STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. COME TO FIND OUT THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED AND WENT OUT ON ME. *TR
2000 MAZDA 626 EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION FAILURE AROUND 70,000 MILES. WHILE DRIVING ON VACATION I NOTICED SOME OIL ON THE TRUNK AFTER ARRIVING AT OUR DESTINATION. BEFORE DEPARTING I HAD THE CAR CHECKED AT A LUBE AND TUNE CENTER. WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LEAKING AND THE LIKELY CAUSE WAS A LOOSE DRAIN PLUG. PLUG…
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2000 MAZDA 626 EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION FAILURE AROUND 70,000 MILES. WHILE DRIVING ON VACATION I NOTICED SOME OIL ON THE TRUNK AFTER ARRIVING AT OUR DESTINATION. BEFORE DEPARTING I HAD THE CAR CHECKED AT A LUBE AND TUNE CENTER. WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LEAKING AND THE LIKELY CAUSE WAS A LOOSE DRAIN PLUG. PLUG WAS TIGHTENED AND FLUID WAS TOPPED OFF. ON THE TRIP HOME SMOKE WAS VISIBLE FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. OTHER DRIVERS BROUGHT THIS TO MY ATTENTION. AFTER PULLING OVER AND DISCUSSING THE MATTER WITH MY MECHANIC ON THE PHONE, I ELECTED TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP IN THE CLOSEST LARGE CITY. I WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. APPARENTLY THE SEAL BETWEEN THE TWO HALVES OF THE TRANSMISSION RUPTURED. A SMALL LEAK SUDDENLY GREW TO A LARGE LEAK ON THE TRIP AND RUINED THE TRANSMISSION. THE TECHNICIAN SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN SEEING 'MORE AND MORE' OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS. THE TOW WAS $500 AND THE REBUILD WAS $2500. TIME OFF WORK AND A RENTAL CAR FOR TWO WEEKS ALSO WERE NEEDED. *TR
WE RECENTLY BOUGHT THIS 2000 MAZDA 626 USED FOR OUR TWIN BOYS, AS THEIR FIRST CAR. WE HAD IT CHECKED OUT BY OUR LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE FOUND A FEW NORMAL THINGS WRONG WITH IT AND I WAS OKAY WITH THOSE THINGS. THE PROBLEM I AM HAVING NOW IS THIS; THE O.D. WARNING LIGHT NOW COMES ON AND FLASHES. IT HAD NEVER OCCURRED BEFORE. T…
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WE RECENTLY BOUGHT THIS 2000 MAZDA 626 USED FOR OUR TWIN BOYS, AS THEIR FIRST CAR. WE HAD IT CHECKED OUT BY OUR LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE FOUND A FEW NORMAL THINGS WRONG WITH IT AND I WAS OKAY WITH THOSE THINGS. THE PROBLEM I AM HAVING NOW IS THIS; THE O.D. WARNING LIGHT NOW COMES ON AND FLASHES. IT HAD NEVER OCCURRED BEFORE. THIS BEGAN WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY FOR THE FIRST TIME (WE NEVER HAD A REASON TO GO ONTO THE HIGHWAY) ON THIS DAY WE DID AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR BEGINS TO DE ACCELERATE AND THE TACH NEEDLE START BOUNCING AROUND AND THE CAR DOES NOT WANT TO ACCELERATE. THE O.D. LIGHT CAME ON AND NOW COMES ON VERY OFTEN AT ALL TIMES AND ROADS. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL MAZDA DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. THEY FOUND TWO CODES WRONG WITH IT ( P1746 AND P1783 ). THEY RESET THE COMPUTER AND TOLD ME THAT IF THE PROBLEM PERSIST, THAT I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT IT IS NOT A REPAIR THAT IS COVERED BY ANY WARRANTY BECAUSE THE WARRANTY HAS ALREADY EXPIRED. I HAVE GONE ON THE INTERNET AND HAVE FOUND THAT THIS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND ANY VEHICLES WITH THIS TRANSMISSION. IT IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION. I HAVE NOT REPAIRED IT YET, BECAUSE I CAN NOT AFFORD TO REPAIR IT. IF THIS PROBLEM OCCURS SO OFTEN WHY DOESN'T MAZDA DECLARE IT A RECALL AND FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR
I HAVE A 2000 MAZDA 626 AND IT KEEPS SLIPPING INTO AND OUT OF DRIVE, REVVING THE RPMS. A MECHANIC DROVE IT, ANALYZED IT AND SAYS IT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. *TR
REAR END COLLISION CAUSED THE FRAME TO SNAP, PUNCTURE THROUGH THE BACK SEAT, AND PINNED MY 6YR OLD SON'S HEAD TO THE BACK OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. IT CRUSHED HIS HEAD, CAUSING SEVERE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, AND HE'S STILL IN COMA. THIS CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MAZDA 626. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE NOTICED A GAS SMELL ON THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHILE. IN ADDITION, SHE ONLY NOTICED THE FUMES AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR AN EXTENDED AMOUNT OF TIME. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE NUMEROUS TIMES HOWEVER THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILU…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MAZDA 626. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE NOTICED A GAS SMELL ON THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHILE. IN ADDITION, SHE ONLY NOTICED THE FUMES AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR AN EXTENDED AMOUNT OF TIME. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE NUMEROUS TIMES HOWEVER THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. AS OF FEBRUARY 22, 2008, THE DEALER HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 22,000.
2000 MAZDA 626 ATX CD4E FAILURE @ 88K MILES- THEN REBUILT - ANOTHER FAILURE @ 121K MILES. *TR
MY CAR STARTED TO SHAKE AND HAVE A BURNING SMELL AND WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN THEY SAID THAT WIRES WERE MISPLACED BY ANOTHER MAZDA DEALERSHIP I TOOK IT TO ABOUT 8 MONTHS BEFORE. I THEN CALLED BACK ABOUT A MOTH LATER AND TOLD THEM THAT MY CAR JERKS WHEN IT SHIFTS GEARS. AT THAT TIME THEY SAID THAT I JUST HAVE SLIPPAGE AND MAY JUS…
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MY CAR STARTED TO SHAKE AND HAVE A BURNING SMELL AND WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN THEY SAID THAT WIRES WERE MISPLACED BY ANOTHER MAZDA DEALERSHIP I TOOK IT TO ABOUT 8 MONTHS BEFORE. I THEN CALLED BACK ABOUT A MOTH LATER AND TOLD THEM THAT MY CAR JERKS WHEN IT SHIFTS GEARS. AT THAT TIME THEY SAID THAT I JUST HAVE SLIPPAGE AND MAY JUST NEED TO ADD SOME TRANSMISSION FLUID . I DID THAT AND IT SEEMED TO HELP UNTIL LAST WEEK WHEN I WAS DRIVING AND STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT AND WHEN IT WAS TIME TO GO MY CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. THE RPM METER WENT INTO THE RED BUT MY MPH REMAINED AT 0. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP THEN THEY TOLD ME MY TRANSMISSION WAS GONE AND THAT IT WOULD BE 3700 TO REPAIR. MORE THAN WHAT THE CAR IS ACTUALLY WORTH IN GOOD CONDITION. *TR
ON 11/22/07 MY WIFE NOTICED THAT THE O/D OFF LIGHT WAS FLASHING ON HER 2000 MAZDA 626 AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT ENGAGING IN FIRST GEAR COMPLETELY. ON 12/7/07 WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 894 THE CAR COMPLETELY LOST ALL FORWARD MOVEMENT FROM THE TRANSMISSION. SHE WAS LUCKY ENOUGH THAT TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT AND SHE WAS A…
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ON 11/22/07 MY WIFE NOTICED THAT THE O/D OFF LIGHT WAS FLASHING ON HER 2000 MAZDA 626 AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT ENGAGING IN FIRST GEAR COMPLETELY. ON 12/7/07 WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 894 THE CAR COMPLETELY LOST ALL FORWARD MOVEMENT FROM THE TRANSMISSION. SHE WAS LUCKY ENOUGH THAT TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT AND SHE WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. *TR
Official recalls
100V074000 · 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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