2001 Mazda 626

I HAVE A 2001 MAZDA 626 ES, AND AS OF YESTERDAY, MY TRANSMISSION GEAR CABLE BROKE. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP HERE IN ATLANTA, AND ONE OF THE REPS INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAVE BEEN RECEIVING QUITE A FEW CARS SUCH AS MINE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. A FRIEND OF MINE (BRENDA JACKSON) HAS THE EXACT SAME CAR AS MINE, AND HER VEHICLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM 3 WEEKS AGO. ALL OF THE CARS SEEM TO HAVE MORE THAN 50,000 MILES ON THEM, AND THIS PROBLEM IS NOT EVEN COVERED BY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY.

MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHILE PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE ( SEMI-TRACTOR) PASSING GEAR FAILED TO ENGAGE WHEN PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE TRANSMISSION NEVER LEFT DRIVE BUT FELT LIKE IT WAS IN NEUTRAL,CAUSING ME TO APPLY BRAKES AND PULL TO SIDE OF ROAD,FOUND OUT BY THE MACHANIC WHO CHECKED OUT THE TRANSMISSION THAT IT HAD BURNT OUT AT 67,000 MILES! AND THAT MAZDA HAD A TSB OUT ON THESE TRANSMISSIONS AND DID'NT BOTHER TO TELL THE OWNERS OF THESE CARS NOR WILL THEY HRLP IN ANY REPAIRS!*AK

A YEAR AGO THE SHIFTER CABLE ON MY 2001 MAZDA 626 BROKE (CAR UNDER WARRANTY AT THE TIME). I TELEPHONED THE LOCAL DEALER AND THE CABLE WAS ON BACKORDER INDICATING MANY OTHERS WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM A LOCAL MECHANIC PUT A BUSHING WHERE THE CABLE WAS ATTACHED TO THE SHIFTER ARM AT TRANSMISSION TO REPLACE THE FAILED PART. THAT WORKED FINE UNTIL YESTERDAY (8-6-04). I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE TO EXIT A PARKING LOT AND COULD NOT SHIFT INTO DRIVE. AT PRESENT, A CABLE TIE IS ON THE CABLE TO HOLD IT IN PLACE. I TELEPHONED THE DEALER AGAIN THIS MORNING, HE SAID MAZDA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THE DEALER HAS ALSO TALKED TO MAZDA BUT HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL. THE CABLE IS NOW AVAILABLE NOW THAT OUR WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE FIRST FAILURE, WE HAD OUR GRANDSON IN HIS SAFETY SEAT, OUR CAR CRANKED, BACKED INTO THE STREET, STOPPED AND WOULD NOT SHIFT. CARS TURNING INTO THE INTERSECTION COULD NOT SEE US BECAUSE OF BUILDINGS. WE PUSHED THE CAR OUT OF THE STREET. IT APPEARS THE BUSHING THAT CONNECTS CABLE ONTO SHIFTER IS MADE OUT OF NYLON/PLASTIC AND FORCED ONTO PIN. THIS APPARENTLY FAILS DUE TO HEAT OR BEING SPLIT WHEN MOUNTED. *AK

PURCHASED AUTO IN JULY 2001. I DRIVE A GREAT DEAL AND TOOK MY CAR RELIGIOUSLY IN FOR SERVICE TO THE DEALER. UPON GETTING AN OIL CHANGE AT ABOUT 30K MILES I HAD TO GET MY ENGINE REPLACED DUE TO A DEFECTIVE OIL FILTER. TRANSMISSION (CLUTCH PAK) BURNED OUT AT 100K MILES. NO HELP FROM MAZDA. THEY ACTUALLY HAD MY CAR FOR OVER A MONTH AND WANTED ME TO PAY ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC FEE FOR HOOKING THE CAR UP TO THE MACHINE. NO ESTIMATE WAS GIVEN. MAZDA ASSOCIATES CONSTANTLY WERE UNAVAILABLE AND HUNG UP ON ME MANY TIMES.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BURNT OUT! CAR WAS TOWED TO WORKSHOP AND REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE PUT IN COST $3100. WAS LITTLE OVER 3 YEARS FROM PURCHASE DATE, THEREFORE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE PROBLEMS DID NOT STOP THERE, IN ABOUT 50 DAYS, "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON... TOOK IT TO THE SAME PLACE WHO WORKED ON THE TRANSMISSION. TECHNICIAN REPORTED NEW PROBLEM UNRELATED TO AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, NEW SERVICE COST $500. THE CAR COST ME BIG $$$ IN MAINTAINANCE.... DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE END OF THE PROBLEMS... MAZDA 626 OWNERS WATCH OUT!