1996 Mazda 626

I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE 1996 MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSION TO FAIL ON ME, BUT I AM NOT THE ONLY, MANY PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT IT AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. THIS IS NOT FAIR THAT MAZDA KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, BUT FAILS TO DO A RECALL. PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO BUY CARS WITHOUT THEIR TRASNMISSION DYING ON THEM AT ONLY 50,000. PLEASE DO WHATEVER YOU CAN. MAZDA IS STEALING FROM THE PUBLIC. *AK

THE TRANSMISSION HAS NOT ACTUALLY FAILED TO A POINT WHERE IT IS NOT DRIVEABLE, BUT I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE SEVERAL PARTS OF THE ENGINE TO GET IT NARROWED DOWN AND NOW THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT CONSTANTLY FLASHES AND AFTER SOME RESEARCH(THE OWNERS MANUAL HAS NONE) I HAVE COME TO DISCOVER THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS FAILING AND MORE THAN LIKELY ON ITS LAST LEG AND FROM WHAT I HAVE GATHERED IT COSTS APPROXIMATELY $3000.00 TO HAVE IT REPAIRED I AM NOT PLEASED, BUT I HAVE BEEN ADVISED TO FILE A COMPLAINT SO THAT HOPEFULLY ONE DAY MAZDA WILL HAVE TO DO A PRODUCT RECALL FOR USING INFERIOR COMPONENTS. CALL ME A SUCKER, BUT WE WILL NEVER OWN ANY "FORD" PRODUCT AGAIN. DO THE TERMS "FOUND ON ROAD DEAD" AND "FIXED OR REPAIRED DAILY COME TO MIND"? SO FAR I HAVE PUT ABOUT $600 INTO THE CAR JUST TO REPLACE SENSORS SO THAT THE MOTOR IS RUNNING CORRECTLY ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS ALMOST SHOT TOO.*AK *TR

THE O/D LIGHT STARTS BLINKING AFTER A SHORT TIME. THE TRANSMISSION THEN CEASES USING THE CONVERTER LOCKUP ON THE TRANS AS EVIDENCED BY THE RPMS GOING UP. WHEN YOU STOP AND KILL THE ENGINE IT WILL "RESET". THE TRANSMISSION WILL ALSO SHUDDER AT TIMES LIKE IT SI IN TWO GEARS AT ONCE. THE TRANSMISSION ALSO IS ERRATIC IN SHIFTING--IT SHIFTS SLOW AND WEAK AND THEN HARD AND QUICK--LIKE THE LINE PRESSURE IS VARYING.*AK

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON - DEALER SAYS THAT IF CAR IS RUNNING OKAY THAT NO SERVICE NEEDED?????? FINALLY GET IT CHECKED OUT AND TURNS OUT THAT CAT CONVERTER IS GOING BAD. BARELY GET THAT REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY LIMIT. SAME DAY, DRIVING HOME FROM DEALER, ENGINE LIGHT COMES BACK ON. BRING IT BACK TO DEALER, THEY SAY AIR FLOW METER IS ALSO BAD AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, BUT NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. AT LEAST ENGINE LIGHT STAYS OFF NOW. THEN, AT ONLY 78K, O/D LIGHT STARTS BLINKING ALONG WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. SHOP SAYS THAT IT'S TRANSMISSION (TORQUE CONVERTER). WHY ARE SO MANY OF THESE UNITS FAILING SO EARLY? ONLY 78K ON CAR, MORE THAN HALF OF THEM ARE FROM PURE HWY TRIPS OF 45 MILES?????? WHY ISN'T MAZDA DOING ANYTHING FOR CONSUMERS ABOUT THIS?*AK

1996 MAZDA 626 LX WAS PURCHASED USED IN 8/99 AS CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLE WITH 32K MILES. VEHICLE WAS IN ACCELENT CONDITION, AND CAME WITH A 3 MONTH, 3K WARRANTY. VEHICLE METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED BY (ME) CURRENT OWNER WITH ALL SUGGESTED SERVICE DONE AT MAZDA DEALERSHIP. I HAVE PUT ONLY 20K MILES ON IT IN 3 YEARS, MOSTLY INTERCITY DRIVING. ON 6/06/02 WITH ONLY 53K MILES ON IT, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED- ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING. CAR TOWED TO AAA CERTIFIED REPAIR SHOP. DIAGNOSIS: (OBVIOUSLY) FAILED TRANSMISSION. REPAIRS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY; MADZA USA C. S. INDIFFERENT, UNSYMPATHETIC, SCRIPTED RESPONSE. AT COST OF $2,900 TRANSMISSION REPLACED (6/7/02). DRIVING CAR BACK FROM REPAIR SHOP (6/16/02), TRANSMISSION FAILED AGAIN, COMPLETE WITH FLASHING O/D LIGHT. NOW NEED TO REPLACE THE 'REPLACEMENT' (2ND) TRANSMISSION. ALL RESEARCH ON WEB INDICATES THIS TRANSMISSION (FORD CD4E ) IS CHRONICALLY FAILING. REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSIONS FLASHING O/D LIGHT, AND FAILURE TO SHIFT IS COMMON, CHRONIC REPORTED PROBLEM. HIGH VOLUME OF FAILURE AT RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE. NUMEROUS CASES OF 2ND AND 3RD REBUILD FAILING AS WELL. TRANSMISSIONS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE. TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT BE FAILING AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE. MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. MANUFACTURER RECALL SHOULD BE AGGRESSIVELY PURSUED.*AK