2001 Mazda 626

I BOUGHT A 2001 MAZDA 626 IN 2002 WITH 23,000 MILES UP UNTIL NOW HAVEN'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AND MY OVERDRIVE LIGHT STARTED BLINKING, THE CAR MADE IT HOME I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND THEY SAID MY TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. THERE IS ONLY 117,000 MILES ON THE CAR, SO I GOT ONLINE AND SEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND COME TO FIND THAT THERE ARE PAGES UPON PAGES OF MAZDA 626 OWNERS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS WHO HAVE OR HAD THE SAME PROBLEM'S. THE SHOP THAT I TOOK MY CAR TO SAID MAZDA/FORD MADE A BAD TRANSMISSION FOR SEVERAL YEARS!!!. I WISH THE CAR MANUFACTURES WOULD MAKE UP FOR THERE MISTAKES AND NOT KEEP PASSING THEM ONTO THE CONSUMERS.. THANKS TIM KEBLIS *TR

2001 MAZDA 626 WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM A MAZDA DEALER, IT WAS A 1 OWNER TRADE-IN WITH ONLY 25,000 ORIGINAL MILES. THE VEHICLE WENT THROUGH A 100 POINT INSPECTION FROM THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT. I ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR 5 DAYS BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. WHEN I PLACED THE TRANSMISSION IN REVERSE OR DRIVE, IT JUST REMAINED STILL AS IF IT WAS STILL IN PARK OR NEUTRAL, IT WAS TOWED TO A MAZDA DEALER AND DIAGNOSED WITH A TORQUE CONVERTER FAILURE. THIS IS APPARENTLY A MAJOR ISSUE WITH MOST MAZDA 626'S, OLD AND NEW! *TR

I HAVE A 2001 MAZDA 626 LX WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE CAR HAS WORKED GREAT BUT AT 125,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THIS TRANSMISSION AND STILL NO RECALL? I TOOK THE CAR TO A REPUTABLE MECHANICS SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND NOT TO WASTE MY MONEY ON IT BECAUSE IT IS KNOWN FOR FAILURES. I TOOK IT TO A SHOP THAT SPECIALIZES IN TRANSMISSIONS AND WAS TOLD THE SAME STORY EXCEPT THEY FELT THEY COULD FIX THE SITUATION WITH AN AFTERMARKET VALVE KIT THAT SOLVES THE PROBLEM. WHY ARE MAZDA AND FORD (THE TRANSMISSION WAS BUILT BY FORD) ALLOWED TO IGNORE THIS PROBLEM? *TR

1-COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE, CAR WOULD SLIGHTLY MOVE UNDER GAS. GAVE NO WARNING. TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 65,000 MI. - REBUILT AT AN AAMCO TRANSMISSION - COST APPROX. $2,000.00. DEALER DID NOT HELP. COMPLAINED TO MAZDA NORTH AMERICA VIA LETTER, GAVE ME $200. IN GIFT CERT. FOR SERVICE. COMPLAINED TO CONSUMER REPORTS WHO GAVE CAR BEST BUY RATING - NO NEGATIVE RATING ON TRANSMISSION. 2-REBUILT TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP - HAD TRANS SHOP CHECK OUT, PROBLEM DUE TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE OF REBUILT TRANSMISSION. THIS HAPPENED JUST THIS LAST WEEK AT 88,000 MI. REBUILT AT STOP AND GO TRANSMISSION. COST TO ME APPROX $2,400.00 3- NOTICED MILDEW SMELL IN CAR - DISCOVERED TRUNK LEAK NOTICED AT 65,000MI. 2IN. OF WATER WOULD FORM IN SPARE TIRE WELL AFTER RAIN. CAR NEVER HIT PRIOR TO WHEN IT WAS FIXED. COST APPROX $400. *TR

THE O/D ON MY 2001 MAZDA 626 IS NOT DISENGAGING. I NOTICED IN MARCH WHEN I WAS AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND MY CARE STARTED OUT SUPER SLOW LIKE MY CAR WAS TAKING OFF IN 4TH GEAR. IT SHIFTED GEARS REAL FAST AND AFTER ABOUT 1 MINUTE, THE O/D OFF LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. THE ONLY WAY TO GET IT TO STOP WAS BY TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON. THE O/D DOES NOT DISENGAGE AT ALL NOW. I HAVE READ SO MANY REPORTS OF THE COSTS PEOPLE ARE PAYING WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE HAD TO MANUALLY TURN OFF THE O/D EVERYTIME I SLOW DOWN AND STOP TO AVOID THIS ISSUE AND I HAVE NOT HAD THE ISSUE SINCE I STARTED DOING THIS. I AM HOPING THAT TURNING THE O/D OFF MANUALLY EACH TIME I STOP WILL SAVE MY TRANSMISSION. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 MAZDA 626 AUTO TRANS WITH 80,000 MILES ON IT. FOR THE MOST PART MY COMMUTES WOULD BE AN AVERAGE 10 MILES EACH WAY DAILY. LAST SIX MONTHS THE COMMUTE WAS ABOUT 25 MILES EACH WAY WITH A COMBINATION OF HIGHWAY AND CITY DRIVING. ON THE DAYS LEADING UP TO THE INCIDENT, THE CAR SEEMED TO JERK INTO THE HIGHER GEARS - THAT WAS THE FIRST SIGN OF TROUBLE. ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT, IT STARTED UP FINE BUT WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD WHEN GEARS ARE ENGAGED IN "DRIVE" MODE. IT WOULD MOVE A LITTLE IN THE FIRST GEAR IF I PRESSED DOWN THE ACCELERATOR BUT NEVER SHIFTED INTO THE HIGHER GEAR. I DID NOT WANT TO BURN OUT MY ENGINE - SO I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC CHECKED IT OUT AND SAID THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO REBUILD MY TRANSMISSION OR REPLACE IT WITH A REMANUFACTURED PIECE. HE ALSO STATED THAT IT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO GET A GOOD WORKING TRANSMISSION FROM ANOTHER CAR AS THIS TRANSMISSION (LA4A-EL BY MAZDA OR ITS EQUIVALENT CD4E BY FORD) HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO HAVE PROBLEMS. SO NOW I AM LOOKING AT A HIGH REPAIR BILL AND SINCE THIS IS A ONE CAR FAMILY, AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF HAVING TO ARRANGE ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION. THIS IS THE THIRD MAZDA (929, MX6 AND NOW 626) IN THE FAMILY. NEVER HAD ISSUES WITH THE PREVIOUS CARS. *TR