IllustrationTRANSMISSION FAILED. PARTS HAD BEEN REPAIRED THREE TIMES; HOWEVER, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK
1994 Mazda 626
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most 626 years
Owner complaints for the 1994 Mazda 626 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 44.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 626 years →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
Limited mileage data: 64 of 282 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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 177 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
18 crash reports6 fire reports14 injury reports
Power Train complaints
177 reportsCONSUMER STATES TRANSMISSION INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHES ON AND OFF. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
I HAVE A 1994 MAZDA 626 ES WITH 80,000 MILES. THE CAR HAS BEEN PREFECTLY CARED FOR AND I HAVE HAD SCHEDULED MAINTAINENCE DONE ON THE CAR.FOR ABOUTLELY NO REASON THE TRANSMISSION HAS DIED. I HAVE READ AND HEARD OVER A HUNDRED COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME REASON. I HAVE CONTACTED DEALERSHIPS AND MAZDA HEADQUATERS STILL WITH NO RESPONSE…
Read full complaint
I HAVE A 1994 MAZDA 626 ES WITH 80,000 MILES. THE CAR HAS BEEN PREFECTLY CARED FOR AND I HAVE HAD SCHEDULED MAINTAINENCE DONE ON THE CAR.FOR ABOUTLELY NO REASON THE TRANSMISSION HAS DIED. I HAVE READ AND HEARD OVER A HUNDRED COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME REASON. I HAVE CONTACTED DEALERSHIPS AND MAZDA HEADQUATERS STILL WITH NO RESPONSE. THE TRASMISSION SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED FROM DAY ONE. I AND OTHERS HAVE HAD TO PAY OVER 2,000 DOLLARS IN REBUILT AND NEW TRANSMISSIONS. WHICH IS PLAIN OUT WRONG AND THE TRANSMISSIONS WILL DOWNSHIFT OUT OF NOWHERE. WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS AND IT DOWNSHIFTS FROM 70 TO 50 MPH, THEN IT BECOMES A HUGE PROBLEM THAT PUTS MYSELF AND OTHER DRIVERS AT RISK. THANK YOU . *AK
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON 1994 MAZDA 626 4CYL. *NLM
MY 1994' MAZDA 626 HAS ONLY 68,000 MILES AND IS IN NEED OF A NEW TRANSMISSION. IT WILL SURGE WHILE DRIVING AT A CONSTANT SPEED AND SLIP OUT OF GEAR. ON THE HIGHWAY IT WON'T GO OVER 65 MPH BECAUSE IT WILL SLIP OUT OF GEAR AND SLOW DOWN. THIS IS A PROBLEM MANY 626 OWNERS HAVE HAD.*AK
INDICATOR LIGHT "HOLD" ILLUMINATED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT LIGHT INDICATED A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. *AK
TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH 1994 MADZA 626. THE HOLD LIGHTS CAME ON. I JUST HAD TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED IN TODAY BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION STOPPED WORKING ALL TOGETHER. *TT
THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED. *JB
THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE IN THE TIME I HAVE OWNED IT. WE BOUGHT THE CAR WITH 34,000 MILES ON IT. THE VEHICLE NOW HAS 56000 MILES! TWO TRANSMISSIONS IN THAT AMOUNT OF TIME IS VERY BAD BUSINESS PRACTICE. I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST A RECALL OF ALL MAZDA 626'S FROM '94 TO '02*JB
WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PUT INTO GEAR, THE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY JERKED.*JB
Official recalls
215V674000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch
Oct 19, 2015
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 1989-1998 MPV, 1990-1995 323, 1990-1998 Protege, 1992-1993 MX-3, 1993-1995 929, 1993-1997 MX-6, and 1993-1998 626 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, grease applied to the contact points inside the ignition switch may become conductive and overheat.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the ignition switch overheats there would be an increased risk of a fire.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. The recall began on December 17, 2015. Owners may contact Mazda Customer Experience Center at 1-800-222-5500, option#6. Mazda's number for this recall is 8715J.
99V358000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights:switch
Dec 17, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE HEADLIGHT WIRE THAT RUNS THROUGH THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER CAN FAIL AT THE POINT WHERE IT IS SOLDERED TO THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE FAILURE OF THIS WIRE COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF HEADLIGHTS, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH LEVER.
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
2RQ99022 · Headlight Failure
Opened Dec 20, 1999 · Closed Aug 30, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting
OBTAINED RECALL 99V-358
SQ98024 · Speedometer Inoperative
Opened Oct 29, 1998 · Closed Sep 10, 1999
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train
SEE RESUME FOR DETAILS.