Power Train. Review the 337 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Air Bags. Review the 67 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

43 crash reports8 fire reports33 injury reports

What owners actually said

488 reports

50,000 miles · Jun 7, 2003

Power Train

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MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSION BROKE AFTER JUST 50000 MILES: WE WERE DRIVING FROM NY TO PITTSBURGH ON OUR WAY HOME AND THE O/D LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. AFTER PULLING THE CAR TO THE NEXT EXIT BURNING SMELL STARTED COMING IN SO WE TOOK THE CAR TO PEP BOYS WHO CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID BUT IT STILL DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM OF CAR UNABLE TO MOVE/SLIP GEARS WHEN OCCASIONALLY IT MOVED. TOOK THE CAR TO AAMCO WHO REPLACED THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION AND THE TOTAL COST CAME TO SOMEWHERE LIKE $4000. ON DOING FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET FOUND OUT THAT MAZDA WAS PUTTING FORD TRANSMISSIONS IN SOME OF THERE VEHICLES AND FORD HAD ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSIONS FOR THERE OWN VEHICLES AT ONE POINT. HERE IS THE LINK FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAD ISSUES WITH THERE TRANSMISSION FOR MAZDA CARS. I WAS JUST WONDERING WITH SO MANY PEOPLE HAVING ISSUES AND MANY MORE WHO HAVEN'T EVEN REGISTERED OR FILED COMPLAINT, HOW COME AUTHORITIES HAVE NOT YET RECALLED THIS CAR OR ORDERED MAZDA TO FIX THIS ISSUE AT THERE OWN COST. I HAVE TRIED TO TALK TO MAZDA DIRECTLY AND IT HAS JUST BEEN WASTE OF TIME FOR ME. HOPEFULLY THERE WOULD BE SOME ACTION TAKEN SOON FOR THIS TRANSMISSION ISSUE. *JB HTTP://WWW.CARTRACKERS.COM/FORUMS/LIVE/YOURLEMON/189.HTML

NHTSA ODI #10021221

Mileage unknown · Jun 5, 2003

Power Train

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10021100

78,000 miles · Jun 2, 2003

Power Train

THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 1995 MAZDA 626 FAILED AT 78,000 MILES AND IT COST ME $2400 TO REPLACE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10020875

127,440 miles · May 31, 2003

Power Train

GEAR DOWNSHIFTED FROM 60 MPH TO 5 MPH WHILE DRIVING. THE O/D LIGHT STARTED BLINKING WITH HUGE VIBRATION. A SIMILAR INCIDENT HAPPENED ON 2002 FEB. *TT

NHTSA ODI #10020814

158,023 miles · May 31, 2003

Power Train

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LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, I PURCHASED A 1995 MAZDA 626 LX FROM A FRIEND. MY FRIEND HAD INFORMED ME THAT THE CAR HAD A NEW TRANSMISSION, ETC.. SO I DECIDED TO PURCHASE THE CAR SINCE IT DID NOT SEEM THAT MUCH ELSE COULD GO WRONG WITH IT BESIDES MAINTENANCE. SHORTLY AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR, THE O/D OFF LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH. NOTHING SEEMED TO BE WRONG WITH THE CAR, THOUGH SO I CONTINUED TO DRIVE IT. MY FRIEND SAID THAT HE HAD TAKEN IT BACK TO THE PLACE THAT HAD REPAIRED THE TRANSMISSION AND THEY COULD FIND NO REASON WHY THAT LIGHT OCCASSIONALY CAME ON. THE LAST TIME THE LIGHT CAME ON, THE CAR BEGAN TO SHIFT REPEATEDLY FROM 3RD TO 4TH GEAR AND WOULD REMAIN IN NEITHER GEAR. IT HAS NOW BEEN A MONTH AND I AM STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE CAR. EVERYONE I HAVE CONSULTED HAS EITHER REFUSED TO WORK ON THAT CAR OR HAVE RUN ME AROUND TO THE POINT THAT I NOW HAVE A LONG LIST OF POSSIBLE PROBLEMS BUT NO CLEAR ANSWERS. I BEGAN TO RESEARCH ON MY OWN RECENTLY OVER THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION OF THIS YEAR AND MAKE OF CAR. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT I ISSUE A COMPLAINT AND SO HERE I AM. THE TRANSMISSION IS LESS THAN TWO YEARS OLD AND YET, SOMETHING HAS GONE WRONG AGAIN. OF COURSE, THERE IS NO LONGER A WARRANTY ON IT AND I FIND IT RATHER ODD THAT SO MANY MECHANICS, EVEN THE DEALTERSHIP ITSELF, DOES NOT WANT TO HELP OUT WITH THE REPAIRS TO THIS TRANSMISSION.

NHTSA ODI #10020790

Mileage unknown · May 28, 2003

Engine And Engine Cooling

WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED AND WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF THEN VEHICLE STARTED TO SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD. *TT

NHTSA ODI #10021725

89,000 miles · May 22, 2003

Power Train

TRANSMISSION ON 1995 MAZDA 626 ACTING VERY STRANGE. OVERDRIVE LIGHT WAS FLASHING AND CAR SHIFTED VERY RAPIDLY AND HARD JARRING THE WHOLE CAR. I REPLACED TRANSMISSION TWICE HAVING THE SAME RESULT AFTER SHORT PERIODS OF TIME. *NLM

NHTSA ODI #10019131

77,000 miles · May 13, 2003

Power Train

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1995 MAZDA 626 LX AROUND 35 DAYS AFTER I BOUGHT THIS CAR I KNEW I WAS IN TROUBLE, AFTER TWO HOURS OF DRIVING MY BROTHER AND I WERE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH A SMOKING CAR. WE ENDED UP HAVING TO PUT IN TWO CONTAINERS OF TRANSMISSION FLUID EVERY 30 MINUTES. THE CARS BEHIND US HAD TRANSMISSION FLUID ALL OVER THEIR WINDSHIELDS. I HAD THIS CAR FOR AROUND A YEAR AND A HALF AND HAVE ALREADY HAD THE TRANSMISSION FIXED ONCE, AND NOW IT'S DUE FOR ANOTHER FIX. I THINK THIS IS HORRIBLE WITH THE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE AND TRANSMISSION. THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THIS.*JB

NHTSA ODI #10018650

70,000 miles · May 9, 2003

Power Train

I OWNED A 1995 MAZDA 626 THAT HAD REPEATED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. STARTED AT 70,000 MILES. MAZDA HAS BEEN INFORMED BUT HAS DONE NOTHING. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10018471

62,700 miles · Apr 27, 2003

EquipmentPower Train

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I OWN A 1995 MAZDA 626. I RECENTLY BOUGHT IT USED OFF OF ONE PRIVATE OWNER AT AROUND 57K MILES. AT AROUND 62,700K MILES THE O/D LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AND APPARENT PROBLEMS COULD BE SEEN IN THE SHIFTING. I TOOK THE CAR TO MAZDA AND THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. I THEN WENT TO AAMCO AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD REBUILD IT FOR A MORE REASONABLE PRICE THAN MAZDA HAD OFFERED. IT HAS BEEN 8 MONTHS SINCE I GOT THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT AND LAST NIGHT THE CAR STARTED SMOKING FROM THE TRANSMISSION AND TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LEAKING EVERYWHERE. THE CAR TODAY WONT EVEN STAY INTO ONE GEAR IT CONSTANTLY SHIFTS INTO NEUTRAL. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT THE TRANSMISSION PART ON MAZDAS FROM NOT ONLY 1995 BUT FROM 1994 TO 1997 SHOULD ALL BE RECALLED. I HAVE BEEN ON A SITE (HTTP://WWW.CARTRACKERS.COM/FORUMS/LIVE/YOUR LEMON/189.HTML) WHERE THERE ARE SO MANY CASES OF THE SIMILAR TYPE. FOR EXAMPLE, CALBEARONE WRITES: "PURCHASED A USED 97 MAZDA 626 LX 4-CYL AUTO TRANS WITH 37K ON IT. I JUST HIT 59K ON IT THIS MONTH. GUESS WHAT. TRANSMISSION FAILED. GOT IT REPLACED AT A COST OF $2300. THESE AREN'T ISOLATED INCIDENTS. I HAVE YET TO READ ABOUT A 626 OWNER THAT'S HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TRANSMISSION." THERE ARE AT LEAST 150 COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM ON THAT SITE ALONE! MAZDA CONTINUES TO IGNORE THE CONTINUAL PRESS BY THE CONSUMER FOR A RECALL BY MAKING A RIDICULOUS STATEMENT THAT THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH COMPLAINTS! SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS I, MYSELF FEAR THAT I AM ABOUT TO BE ON MY 3RD TRANSMISSION. PLEASE INVESTIGATE INTO A RECALL ON THIS PART. THE PART FOR THE TRANSMISSION IS CD4E. THANK YOU. TIM R. *NLM

NHTSA ODI #10016587

Official recalls

15V674000 · 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.

98V249000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

Oct 8, 1998

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE SAS SENSOR UNIT. THESE VEHICLES CAN EXPERIENCE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS IN MINOR UNDERCARRIAGE IMPACTS.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: UNEXPECTED AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT CAN RESULT IN OCCUPANT INJURY.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE SAS UNIT TO REDUCE THE PROBABILITY OF UNNECESSARY DEPLOYMENTS IN LOW SPEED UNDERCARRIAGE IMPACTS.

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

RQ99022 · 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.

EA97012 · Oversensitive Air Bag Deployment

Opened May 23, 1997 · Closed Oct 9, 1998

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags

IN MAY OF 1997, ODI UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS WITH 51 COMPLAINTS.ODI IS NOW AWARE OF 88 COMPLAINTS OF ALLEGED INAPPROPRIATE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENTS.TYPICAL COMPLAINTS ALLEGE THAT THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AFTER THE VEHICLE HIT A POT HOLE AT BETWEEN 20 AND 45 MPH, OR THAT THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING AT BETWEEN 20 OR 60 MPH FOR NO APPARENT REASON.APPROXIMATELY 25 DRIVERS ALLEGED THAT THEY DID NOT HIT ANYTHING IN THE ROADWAY.MAZDA WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL OFALL 1995 AND 1996 MODELS OF THE MAZDA 626 AND MX-6, AS WELL AS A SMALL NUMBER OF 1997 MAZDA 626 MODELS, EQUIPPED WITH THE SAME SAS UNIT.THE SAS UNIT CONTROLS THE AIRBAG SYSTEMIT CONTAINS A BUILT-IN CRASH SENSOR TO DETECT VEHICLE DECELERATION DURING A COLLISION.AFFECTED MODELS WERE ASSEMBLED FROM JUNE 1, 1994 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 10, 1996 AND HAVE A VIN WITHIN THE FOLLOWING RANGES: MAZDA 626:1YVGE22**S5300001 THROUGH 1YVGE22**V5599030 MAZDA MX-6: 1YVGE31**S5300001 THROUGH 1YVGE31**T5589965ALL OWNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEIR VEHICLE MAY EXPERIENCE AN UNNECESSARY AIRBAG DEPOYMENT IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS.THEY WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO BRING THEIR VEHICLE TO A MAZDA DEALER TO REPROGRAM THE SAS UNIT TO REDUCE THE FREQUENCY OF UNNECESSARY DEPLOYMENTS.

PE97006 · Inappropriate Air Bag Deployment

Opened Jan 30, 1997 · Closed May 23, 1997

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags

IN JANUARY OF 1997, ODI OPENED A PE BASED ON 9 ODI COMPLAINTS.ODI IS NOW AWARE OF 51 COMPLAINTS OF ALLEGED INAPPROPRIATE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS.TYPICAL COMPLAINTS INCLUDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS AFTER THE VEHICLE HIT A POT HOLE WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 20 AND 45 MPH AND AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 20 AND 60 MPH FOR NO APPARENT REASON.APPROXIMATELY 21 DRIVERS ALLEGED THAT THEY DID NOT HIT ANYTHING PRIOR TO THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT.IN FOUR OF THESE INCIDENTS THE DRIVER CLAIMS TO HAVE LOST CONTROL AND HIT A CURB AFTER THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.IN ADDITION THERE ARE FOUR INCIDENTS WHERE THE DRIVER ALLEGES THAT THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AFTER A TIRE BLOWOUT WHILE DRIVING.LESS COMMON INCIDENTS INCLUDE ALLEGATIONS OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYING AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE AND REMOVING THE KEY, CROSSING RAILROAD TRACKS, WHILE BEING TOWED, WHILE BRAKING, AFTER HITTING A CURB, AND AFTER HITTING A MANHOLE COVER.ODI IS UPGRADING THIS INVESTIGATION TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE REPORTS GATHERED TO DATE, THE SENSORS USED IN THE VEHICLES, AND TO ASSESS THE IMPACT THAT THE ALLEGED DEFECT HAS ON HIGHWAY SAFETY.