1998 Mazda 626

TL- CALLER OWNS A 1998 MAZDA. CURRENT MILEAGE 140000. CALLER DOES NOT KNOW FAILURE MILEAGE. WHILE DRIVING DOWN STREET AT 3MPH THE CAR SHUT OFF. WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AFTERWARDS. CAR WOULD NOT START BACK UP. HE PUSHED CAR BACK TO HIS HOME. MECHANIC CAME OVER NEXT DAY AND NOTICED SPRING TENSIONER WAS BROKEN ;THIS WAS REPLACED IN 2000 UNDER RECALL 00V134000 . WEATHER WAS WARM APPROXIMATLEY 82 DEGREES. KTF

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE CAR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WHEN IT STALLED AND LOST ALL POWER. IT WOULD NOT START AND IT WAS TOWED TO A SHOP WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE TIMING BELT HAD BROKEN AND CAUSED MUCH DAMAGE. WE HAD TO HAVE THE FOLLOWING REPLACED: CYLINDER HEAD GASKET, TIMING BELT, TIMING BELT TENSIONER, IDLER, SPARK PLUGS, THERMOSTAT, 2 DRIVE BELTS, AND THE WATER PUMP. IT COST US ALMOST $1,700 TO GET IT REPAIRED. I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR SINCE IT WAS NEW AND HAVE LIVED AT THE SAME ADDRESS AND WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF ANY RECALL BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. I HAVE HEARD THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS BUT THEIR CARS WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL... ONLY ONES WITH CERTAIN VIN NUMBERS. I BELIEVE IT IS A PROBLEM WITH ALL 1998 626 MODELS. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT HAD THE SPRING FOR THE TIMING BELT REPLACED. LATER, SHE FOUND NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 00V134000 CONCERNING TIMING BELT. WHEN CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURER SHE WAS TOLD TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED, AND SHE WAS REIMBURSED FOR RECALL REPAIR WORK COMPLETED PREVIOUSLY. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY WAS NOT WORKING, AND THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WORK HAD NOT ACTUALLY BEEN DONE. HE STATED A KIT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INSTALLED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE SHE WAS ALREADY REIMBURSED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR HER. *AK

DT: ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2005, CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS CUT OFF AND IT LOST POWER, THE VEHICLE WAS HARD TO STEER IT AND LOST THE BRAKES. RECALL 00V134OOO WAS ISSUED . IT STATES THE EXTERNAL SPRING IN THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER COULD BREAK AND BE CAUGHT IN THE TIMING BELT, RESULTING IN STALLING; HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. . THE VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALER, AND THEY ARE SAYING THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO FOREWARNING AND NO NOISE. IT WAS RUNNING SO ROUGH THAT THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHIN A FEW SECONDS. *AK

I AM COMPLAINING ABOUT MY 1998 MAZDA 626. THIS CAR HAS BEEN TROUBLE EVER SINCE DAY ONE. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TIMING BELT, THE DRIVE AXLES TWICE, AND PUT IN 4 TRANSMISSIONS. I HAVE HAD THE CAR SINCE 2002 AND HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION EVERY YEAR. I COULD HARDY MAKE MY CAR PAYMENTS FOR HAVING TO SPEND EXTRA MONEY TO REPAIR MY CAR.

THE CAR CUT OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE REPAIRMAN SAID THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO OIL SLUG BUILD. I HAD ALL MY OIL CHANGES DONE AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE BROWN SAID THEY WILL NOT PAY FOR THE REPAIR, THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COMPANY WILL NOT PAY FOR THE REPAIR OF $5,000 FOR REBUILT OR $7,000 FOR A NEW ENGINE. MY FRIEND WAS TOLD THE PERSON WHO HAD THE CAR BEFORE DID NOT HAVE THE OIL CHANGED REGULARLY. I GUESS I AM LUCKY I WAS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE THE CAR CUT OFF WITH NO WARNING. (SHOULDN'T THE CAR DEALSHIP MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS OK BEFORE SELLING THE CARS?