1994 Mazda 626

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SLOWLY GETTING WORSE FROM 08/2000 TO 07/02. WHEN THE CAR IS UNDER 40 MPH AND THE OVERDRIVE ENGAGED THE CAR WILL SLIP. WITH THE CAR UNDER 40 AND THE OVERDRIVE MANUALLY DISENGAGED, THE CAR WILL RUN, BUT CAN NOT BE QUICKLY ACCELERATED. I REVIEWED THE COMPLAINTS FOR MAZDA'S FROM 94-97 WITH 100 COMPLAINTS PER YEAR. HONDA ACCORD WAS 7.5 AND PONTIAC GRAND AM WAS 14. APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH MAZDA??*JB

THE 'HOLD' LIGHT STARTED BLINKING WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND THE TRANSMISSION STARTED CHANGING GEARS WITH DIFFICULTY. WHEN I CALLED A MAZDA DEALER, I WAS TOLD THE LIGHT PROBABLY INDICATED A NEED FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. AFTER TALKING TO A MECHANIC THERE, HE SAID IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE WITH THE LIGHT BLINKING BUT TO BRING IT IN TO BE CHECKED. I TOOK IT IN A FEW DAYS LATER, AND THE SERVICE ATTENDANT SAID 8 OF 9 TIMES THE FLASHING LIGHT USUALLY INDICATED A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED, COSTING ABOUT $2500-$3000 FOR REPAIR. I ASKED IF IT WAS OKAY TO DRIVE WITH THE LIGHT BLINKING AND WAS TOLD NO. HE SAID THE TRANS. COULD FAIL COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING IN THE NEXT 10 MIN. OR THE NEXT 100 MILES. I TOLD HIM HIS HEAD MECHANIC TOLD ME IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE W/ THE LIGHT BLINKING; HE SAID I WAS TOLD THAT INCORRECTLY. I ASKED HOW LONG THE NEW TRANSMISSION WOULD LAST. HE SAID IF SERVICED REGULARLY EVERY 30,000 MILES AS RECOMMENDED, IT WOULD LAST AS LONG AS I HAD THE CAR. I TOLD HIM I HAD THIS TRANSMISSION REPLACED ABOUT 3 YRS AGO AFTER A SIMILAR PROBLEM. HE TOLD ME THIS MODEL MAZDA WAS BAD ABOUT NEEDING NEW TRANSMISSIONS. I DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO THE ORIGINAL DEALER WHO HAD REPLACED MY TRANSMISSION. I CALLED & EXPLAINED THE BLINKING 'HOLD' LIGHT PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD I PROBABLY NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION, THAT THIS MODEL TYPICALLY NEEDED ONE W/ A BLINKING 'HOLD' LIGHT. I WENT ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND NUMEROUS '94MAZDA 626 TRANS.FAILURE REPORTS. THE NHTSA SITE REGISTERED OVER 70 COMPLAINTS ON '94 MAZDA 626 4-CYL. TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS -- OWNERS REPLACING THEM AS OFTEN AS TWICE IN JUST A FEW MONTHS, SOME REPLACING THEM 2,3, & 4 TIMES SINCE NEW. I WENT TO MY MECHANIC WHO RAN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WITH A FORD ADAPTOR AS REQUIRED BUT COULD NOT GET THE CODES NEEDED TO INTERPRET THE RESULTS (HE SAID I WOULD HAVE TO GO TO A MAZDA SHOP). THE LIGHT QUIT BLINKING AND SHIFTING IS SMOOTH NOW -- COULD THIS BE A RESET COMPUTER PROBLEM MAZDA HAS NOT ADDRESSED? IS MY TRANS. GOING TO FAIL AGAIN? IS IT SAFE?*AK

TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED 2 TIMES SINCE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE NEW IN 1994. HAVE FOUND THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET. IT IS TIME THAT NHTSA COMPILES DATA ON THIS ISSUE AND INVESTIGATES THE COMPLAINTS. TECHNICIANS KNOW OF THE MAZDA TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND HAVE STORIES TO TELL OF THE EXPENSES CONSUMERS HAVE ENCOUNTERED IN REPAIRING MAZDAS.*AK