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2002 Mazda 626

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2002 Mazda 626 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 44.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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

60 reports with mileage · 27 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 70 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

6 crash reports0 fire reports4 injury reports

What owners actually said

87 reports
75,000 miles · Jun 11, 2009
Power Train

TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 75,000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10273539

94,000 miles · Apr 18, 2009
Power TrainStructure

94,000 MILES ON MY 2002 MAZDA 626 AND THE TRANSMISSION IS SHOT AND STRUTS WERE WORTHLESS. WAS STRANDED ON THE ROAD WHEN THE CAR WOULD GO IN REVERSE BUT WAS DIFFICULT TO OPERATE IN DRIVE AND AT SLOWER SPEEDS AND STOP SIGNS/LIGHTS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10265977

53,000 miles · Mar 27, 2009
Power Train

I HAVE MAZDA 626 YEAR 2002. IT HAD AROUND 53,000 MILES ON IT. VERY LOW MILEAGE AND WELL MAINTAINED. ONE DAY, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THERE WAS SUDDEN JERKING MOTION AND OD LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH, AFTER WHICH THE CAR SLOWED DOWN AND WAS MOVING AT A VERY SLOW SPEED. (ON THE HIGHWAY). AS AND WHEN I STOPPED/SLOWED, THE CAR H…

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I HAVE MAZDA 626 YEAR 2002. IT HAD AROUND 53,000 MILES ON IT. VERY LOW MILEAGE AND WELL MAINTAINED. ONE DAY, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THERE WAS SUDDEN JERKING MOTION AND OD LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH, AFTER WHICH THE CAR SLOWED DOWN AND WAS MOVING AT A VERY SLOW SPEED. (ON THE HIGHWAY). AS AND WHEN I STOPPED/SLOWED, THE CAR HAD DIFFICULTY TO GAIN SPEED. SOME HOW, I GOT IT HOME AFTER WHICH , IT WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD. NEUTRAL AND REVERSE GEARS WORKED FINE. TOOK IT MAZDA DEALER IN TROY, AND THEY SAID A BAD TRANSMISSION. FIRST THEY SAID THAT THEY WILL GET A NEW TRANSMISSION AND THEY WERE CHARGING EXORBITANTLY. LATER THEY SAID THAT IT WOULD BE REBUILT FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY. I TOOK MY CART TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP AND GOT IT REPAIRED. I HAVE READ ONLINE THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS NUMEROUS PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH TRANSMISSION WITH MAZDA 626. I CALLED UP MAZDA COMPANY AND COMPLAINED ABOUT IT. BUT MY WORDS FELL ON DEAF EARS SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE, MAZDA KNOWS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND HAS NOT ADDRESSED IT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10263295

160,000 miles · Mar 6, 2009
Power Train

2002 MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSION BURNOUT. PURCHASED USED MAZDA WITH 138000 MILES, PREVIOUS OWNER SAID HE'D REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION ONCE BEFORE. AT AROUND 160 K MILES MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, I HAD A SHOP REPLACE WITH REBUILT TRANS, BUT MORE PROBLEMS RESULTED. 2000 DOLLARS LATER, PLUS RENTAL CAR FEES AND THE "NEW" TRANSMISSION I…

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2002 MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSION BURNOUT. PURCHASED USED MAZDA WITH 138000 MILES, PREVIOUS OWNER SAID HE'D REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION ONCE BEFORE. AT AROUND 160 K MILES MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, I HAD A SHOP REPLACE WITH REBUILT TRANS, BUT MORE PROBLEMS RESULTED. 2000 DOLLARS LATER, PLUS RENTAL CAR FEES AND THE "NEW" TRANSMISSION IS ON THE BLINK STILL, HAS BEEN BACK IN THE SHOP THREE TIMES. SYMPTOMS ARE WELL DOCUMENTED IN THE INTERNET, BUCKING, NO POWER, HIGH RPM'S, FLASHING O/D LIGHT, SPEWING OIL. IF THIS CAR IS EVER DRIVABLE AGAIN I WILL SELL AND NEVER BUY MAZDA AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10260975

78,000 miles · Jan 24, 2009
Power Train

MAZDA 626 WAS BUILT WITH A BAD TRANSMISSION THAT HAS HAD PROBLEMS SINCE 50,000 MILES. THE CAR STARTED FORCEFULLY SHIFTING, AND NOW WILL HAVE PROBLEMS ACCELERATING. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT SINCE 50000 MILES WITH CONDITIONS GETTING WORSE. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE YET TO FIX THE PROBLEM ACCEPT MY MECHANIC SAYS I NEE…

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MAZDA 626 WAS BUILT WITH A BAD TRANSMISSION THAT HAS HAD PROBLEMS SINCE 50,000 MILES. THE CAR STARTED FORCEFULLY SHIFTING, AND NOW WILL HAVE PROBLEMS ACCELERATING. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT SINCE 50000 MILES WITH CONDITIONS GETTING WORSE. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE YET TO FIX THE PROBLEM ACCEPT MY MECHANIC SAYS I NEED TO EITHER REBUILD THIS TRANSMISSION OR PUT IN A NEW TRANSMISSION. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10256186

86,000 miles · Jan 13, 2009
Engine And Engine Cooling

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MAZDA 626. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE UNDERWENT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AND OIL CHANGES PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. FIRESTONE STATED THAT OIL WAS LEAKING IN THE ENGINE AND UNDER THE MOTOR. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ICE COLD MOTORS AND THEY CHAN…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MAZDA 626. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE UNDERWENT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AND OIL CHANGES PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. FIRESTONE STATED THAT OIL WAS LEAKING IN THE ENGINE AND UNDER THE MOTOR. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ICE COLD MOTORS AND THEY CHANGED THE VALVE COVER GASKET. ICE COLD MOTORS DISCOVERED AN ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE, BUT DID NOT PROVIDE ANY FURTHER EXPLANATION. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 86,000.

NHTSA ODI #10254913

12,300 miles · Jul 6, 2008
Power Train

I HAVE A 2002 MAZDA 626 AND ON JULY 5,08 MY CAR TRANS STOPPED WORKING WHILE I WAS GOING UPHILL. I HAD TO SWERVE THE CAR TO KEEP IT FROM ROLLING BACKWARD INTO ANOTHER CAR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10233299

77,800 miles · Jun 30, 2008
Power Train

NO EVENTS LEAD UP TO MY FAILURE. WE OWN AND HAVE A WELL MAINTAINED MAZDA 626 AND IT STOPPED DRIVING THE OTHER DAY. NO WARNING OR PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THIS - JUST STOPPED RUNNING. WHILE WE WERE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT STARTED TO NOT ACCELERATE OR SHIFT ERRATICALLY AND ROUGHLY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10232702

96,328 miles · Jun 23, 2008
Power Train

THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2002 MAZDA 626 HAS BEGAN MAKING NOISES NOW. IT IS CLICKING AND JERKING THE CAR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10232019

Mileage unknown · Mar 21, 2008
Power Train

I AM TRULY DISAPPOINTED IN THE SERVICE AND QUALITY RECEIVED BY MAZDA. WHEN I BOUGHT MY 2002 MAZDA 626 IN 2005 I TOOK MY CAR IN APPROXIMATELY 1 WEEK LATER TO LET THEM KNOW THAT MY ENGINE SHAKES. MECHANIC SAYS THAT'S THE WAY IT IS SUPPOSED TO ME (ALTHOUGH NO OTHER CAR THAT I'VE BEEN IN DID THAT). AS TIME WENT ON & THINGS GOT WO…

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I AM TRULY DISAPPOINTED IN THE SERVICE AND QUALITY RECEIVED BY MAZDA. WHEN I BOUGHT MY 2002 MAZDA 626 IN 2005 I TOOK MY CAR IN APPROXIMATELY 1 WEEK LATER TO LET THEM KNOW THAT MY ENGINE SHAKES. MECHANIC SAYS THAT'S THE WAY IT IS SUPPOSED TO ME (ALTHOUGH NO OTHER CAR THAT I'VE BEEN IN DID THAT). AS TIME WENT ON & THINGS GOT WORSE WE DISCOVERED THAT OUR ENGINE MOUNTS WERE BROKEN. WE SEEM TO HAVE TO CHANGE OUR BRAKE PADS EVERY 3 MONTHS. WE TOOK OUR CAR IN TODAY BECAUSE OUR CAR WAS "JUMPING", FIND OUT OUR TRANSMISSION IS SHOT. IM A SINGLE MOM AND DO NOT HAVE A 6 FIGURE JOB , BUT HAS HAD TO DISH OUT $ ALL THE TIME FOR THE REPAIRS ON THIS CAR. IT IS MERELY A WORK VEHICLE AND I DON'T TRAVEL MUCH OTHER THAN THAT. I'VE BEEN PUT BEHIND ON BILLS AND NOW IS TOLD TO REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION IT WILL BE $2000. IT IS FRUSTRATING. ITS NO WONDER WHY SO MANY PEOPLE LOVE TOYOTAS AND HONDAS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10221978

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.