IllustrationENGINE KEPT STALLING FINALLY STOPPED. HAD TO REPLACE DISTRIBUTOR. *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
What owners actually said
282 reportsSOMEONE NEEDS TO GET MAZDA TO REPLACE THESE TRANSMISSIONS. THEY ARE DEFECTIVE AND ARE UN-SAFE. YOU COULD GET YOURSELF KILLED WHEN IT JERKS YOU BACK AND ALMOST CHOKES ON IT. THIS COMPANY APPARENTLY DOESN'T STAND BEHIND IT'S PRODUCTS AT ALL. I WILL NEVER PURCHASE A CAR FROM ANY COMPANY RELATED WITH MAZDA EVER AGAIN UNTIL THEY CORR…
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SOMEONE NEEDS TO GET MAZDA TO REPLACE THESE TRANSMISSIONS. THEY ARE DEFECTIVE AND ARE UN-SAFE. YOU COULD GET YOURSELF KILLED WHEN IT JERKS YOU BACK AND ALMOST CHOKES ON IT. THIS COMPANY APPARENTLY DOESN'T STAND BEHIND IT'S PRODUCTS AT ALL. I WILL NEVER PURCHASE A CAR FROM ANY COMPANY RELATED WITH MAZDA EVER AGAIN UNTIL THEY CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. *AK
SINCE OWNERSHIP OF VEHICLE, HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING ROUGH IDLE OR VIBRATION WHILE IN NEUTRAL AND WARM ENGINE, MANY ATTEMPTS WERE MADE AT ADJUSTING THE IDLE SPEED TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM, BUT PROBLEM KEPT REOCCURING UNTIL IT WAS FINALLY DISCOVERED THAT THE ONBOARD COMPUTER WAS RESETTING THE IDLE TO ORIGINAL SETTING, ROUGH IDLING …
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SINCE OWNERSHIP OF VEHICLE, HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING ROUGH IDLE OR VIBRATION WHILE IN NEUTRAL AND WARM ENGINE, MANY ATTEMPTS WERE MADE AT ADJUSTING THE IDLE SPEED TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM, BUT PROBLEM KEPT REOCCURING UNTIL IT WAS FINALLY DISCOVERED THAT THE ONBOARD COMPUTER WAS RESETTING THE IDLE TO ORIGINAL SETTING, ROUGH IDLING BECAME MORE DISTURBING AND WAS RECOMMENDED BY DEALER TO ADD CLEANING AGENT TO FUEL -ENGINE PERFORMANCE SEEMED TO IMPROVE BUT NO CHANGE TO ROUGH IDLING,THE NEXT RECOMMENDATION WAS TO REPLACE TIMING BELT AND MOTOR MOUNTS, STILL ROUGH IDLING CONTINUED, SWAY BAR LINKS WERE ALSO REPLACED TO ELIMINATE A RATTLE IN THE FRONT END OF VEHICLE. *JB
PLASTIC PIECE THAT HOLDS SEAT BELT ON PASENGER'S SIDE BROKE. THERE WAS NO FORCE LOCKING SEAT BELT. MANUFATURER BASICALLY SAID NO COVERAGE , AND WARRANTY EXPIRED. *AK *SLC
TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARD AND OUT OF GEAR. TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED.*AK
THE SPARK PLUG WIRES AND DISTRIBUTOR CAP HAVE FAILED 2 TIMES SINCE I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THIS IS A REOCCURING PROBLEM IN A NUMBER OF 94 MAZDA 626. CAN ANYTHING BE DONE? THE REPAIR COST FOR THE LAST TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY $1000 AT ROSENTHAL MAZDA. I WAS QUOTED A PRICE OF APPROX. $350 FOR THE DISTRIBUTOR C…
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THE SPARK PLUG WIRES AND DISTRIBUTOR CAP HAVE FAILED 2 TIMES SINCE I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THIS IS A REOCCURING PROBLEM IN A NUMBER OF 94 MAZDA 626. CAN ANYTHING BE DONE? THE REPAIR COST FOR THE LAST TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY $1000 AT ROSENTHAL MAZDA. I WAS QUOTED A PRICE OF APPROX. $350 FOR THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP.
ENGINE MOUNTS BROKE. DEALER HAS REPLACED MOUNTS. *AK ALL MOTOR MOUNTS BROKE IN TWO PIECES, CONSUMER PAID FOR ALL REPAIRS. *SLC
VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT INTERMITTENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING USUALLY IN COLD WEATHER . CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. *AK
EXTREMELLY HARSH SHIFTING, VEHICLE DOES NOT MOVE FROM STOP OR MOVES BACKWARDS. VEHICLE EXTREMELLY HARD TO CONTROL. TORQUE CLUTCH CONVERTER CODE DETECTED - TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *AK
AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES, INDICATING A MALFUNCTION WITHIN SYSTEM. CAUSE UNKNOWN. ALSO, POWER WINDOWS MALFUNCTIONED. AFTER LETTING WINDOWS DOWN, THEY WILL NOT RETURN TO UPRIIGHT POSITION. *AK THE CONSUMER CAN NOT LOCK OR UNLOCK THE DOOR FROM INSIDE. THE AIR BAG LIGHT STILL ILUMINATES. *YH
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.