2001 Mazda 626

DT: THE CONTACT STATES HE EXPERIENCED A DOWN SHIFTING OF THE TRANSMISSION WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. THE TRANSMISSION RAPIDLY DOWN SHIFTED TO A VERY LOW SPEED IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. THIS WAS THE FIRST INCIDENT OF THIS TYPE HOWEVER HE PREVIOUSLY DISCOVERED THERE WAS SOME LEAKAGE OF TRANSMISSION FLUID. HE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO HIS HOME. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE AT THIS TIME DUE TO THE EXPENSE. *JB

I HAVE A 2001 MAZDA 626 THAT HAD A TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT LESS THAN 60K MILES. MY PROBLEMS BEGAN WHEN I STARTED NOTICING A JERKING MOTION WHEN I ACCELERATED OUT OF A FULL STOP. THEN, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SOMETIMES DELAY ENGAGING IN REVERSE OR DRIVE. I HAD MULTIPLE MECHANICS LOOK AT THE CAR, ALL OF WHOM RECOMMENDED A REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION. I SPOKE WITH EVEN MORE MECHANICS ABOUT THE SITUATION, INCLUDING THREE AT MAZDA DEALERSHIPS, AND ALL FULLY AND OPENLY ACKNOWLEDGED WIDESPREAD PROBLEMS WITH MAZDA TRANSMISSIONS. ONE SERVICE MANAGER AT A MAZDA DEALERSHIP RECOMMENDED I GET RID OF THE CAR ALTOGETHER. ANOTHER INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST, REFUSED TO WORK ON MAZDAS AT ALL. TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, MAZDA IS ALSO CHARGING EXORBITANT PRICES FOR REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSIONS (PERHAPS BECAUSE THEY'RE IN SUCH DEMAND?): JUST UNDER $3000 FOR THE PART ITSELF, NOT TO MENTION LABOR. I PAID OVER $3700 FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO BE REPLACED AT A MAZDA DEALERSHIP. EVEN THEN, I HAD TO RETURN THE CAR TWICE TO THE MECHANIC BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION WASN'T ENGAGING PROPERLY WHEN I SHIFTED GEARS FROM PARK TO DRIVE, FOR EXAMPLE. FINALLY, THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR ON MY BRAND-NEW TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I STRONGLY URGE NHTSA TO TAKE ACTION TO BEGIN A RECALL OF MAZDA TRANSMISSIONS. ON THIS SITE, THE 2001 MAZDA 626 HAS 10 TIMES THE TRANSMISSION COMPLAINTS THAN 2001 HONDA AND NEARLY 12 TIMES MORE THAN THE 2001 CAMRY. *NM

I WAS ALONE IN THE CAR WITH MY 9 YR OLD AUTISTIC SON WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED ON MY 2001 MAZDA 626. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GET OFF THE ROAD WITH OUT BEING REAR ENDED HOWEVER WE WERE FORCED TO PULL OVER IN A VERY DANGEROUS PART OF AUSTIN. I AM BEING TOLD THAT MY TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED AND NEEDS TO BE REBUILT OR REPLACED. I AM LEARNING THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL MAZDA 626 MODELS 94-2002. APPARENTLY THE TRANSMISSION IS A FORD AND TOO SMALL TO SUPPORT THE 626 MODEL THEREFORE THE COOLING SYSTEM IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO COOL THE TRANSMISSION HENCE THE SYSTEM OVERHEATS. HOW MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE TO BE FILED FOR MAZDA TO BE FORCED TO RECALL THIS VEHICLE. MY RESEARCH IS DISCOVERING THAT TONS OF ACCIDENTS HAVE HAPPENED BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE TO HOLD MAZDA ACCOUNTABLE. *NM

STOPPED THE CAR AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE TO PUT GAS IN , STARTED THE CAR, PUT GEAR INTO DRIVE AND FELT A SLIGHT JUMP WHEN I ACCELERATED. I CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND THE CAR BEGAN TO STALL BUT THE RPMS CONTINUED TO RISE. I STOPPED THE CAR AND TURNED IT OFF, LET IT COOL DOWN AND TURNED IT BACK ON. EVERYTHING WAS FINE UNTIL I PUT IT INTO DRIVE, PUSHED ON THE GAS BUT THE CAR DIDN'T MOVE ONE INCH, JUST KEPT REVVING. TRANSMISSION GONE JUST LIKE THAT. PROBLEM JUST OCCURRED. ESTIMATE ABOUT 2000 DOLLARS FOR NEW TRANSMISSION AFTER ONLY 87000 MILES. *JB

I HAVE A 2001 MAZDA 626 4 CYLINDER I HAVE JUST FOUND OUT I HAVE TO HAVE MY TRANSMISSION DONE DUE TO THE CD4E WHICH WERE ON MODEL 1994-2002 ALSO FORDS NOW I AM FINDING OUT THAT MAZDA KNEW BOUT THIS AN STILL HAVE NOT RECALLED THIS IS A SHAME BECAUSE BEING A SINGLE MOM WITH A DISABLED CHILD WORKING UP TO 3 JOBS THINKING SHE WAS PURCHASING A RELIABLE CAR TO FIND OUT $3,055.43 WILL BE MY COST IS HARD TO SHALLOW KNOWING THAT MAZDA KNEW THIS ALL ALONG EVEN PUTTING OUT TSB, NOW I'M STUCK WITH A CAR PAYMENT AND I CAN'T DRIVE THE CAR. *JB

FIRST MY CAR STARTED JERKING, I WAS TOLD BY THE MAZDA DEALER THAT IT'S OKAY. THEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND MY O/D STARTED BLINKING... NEXT THING I KNEW MY CAR STOPPED. IT WILL GO INTO REVERSE BUT NOT DRIVE. I NOW NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. I HAVE SINCE FOUND THAT MAZDA SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME ABOUT A TRANSMISSION COOLANT SYSTEM THAT WAS NEEDED FOR MY CAR, BUT NOT INSTALLED WHEN THE CAR WAS PURCHASED. SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE THIS CONCERN.. I AM SO DISAPPOINTED. *JB

MY 2001 MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSION FAILED. ON JUNE 6, 2003 WE PLACED OUR 626 WITH JIM ELLIS MAZDA IN ATLANTA, GA BECAUSE THE OVERDRIVE WAS FLASHING. THE WARRANTY REPAIR ORDER STATES "TRANS OVER HEATED. NEEDS UPDATED COOLER. INSTALLED TRANS COOLER. SEE RO FOR DETAILS." TWO YEARS LATER OUR TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED, AND AFTER READING EXPERIENCES FROM MANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME FAILURE, THIS IS DUE TO A FAULTY TRANSMISSION THAT MAZDA HAS INSTALLED IN THEIR 626'S. I FEEL STRONGLY THAT MAZDA KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL, AND WILL CONTINUE TO DENY THIS PROBLEM UNTIL SOMETHING IS DONE TO FORCE THEIR HAND AND REQUIRE THEM TO FACE THE PROBLEM. *JB