Power Train. Review the 313 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 81 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

12 crash reports5 fire reports11 injury reports

Power Train complaints

313 reports

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59,000 miles · Jun 7, 2004

Power Train

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10074914

110,000 miles · Jun 3, 2004

Power Train

TRANSMISSION PREMATURELY FAILED AT 110K MILES ON MY 1998 MAZDA 626. THE TRANSMISSION COSTS OVER $3K NEW OR $1.5K REBUILT, BOTH OF WHICH ARE HIGHER THAN THE VEHICLE IS WORTH. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10074731

87,666 miles · May 23, 2004

Power Train

TRANSMISSION SEIZED ABRUBTLY DURING A HIGHWAY DRIVE AT 45 MI./ HR. LOCKED UP NO REVERSE ON MY 1998 MAZDA 626. NEAR ACCIDENT, NONE RESULTED FORTUNATELY. THIS WILL BE THE SECOND TRANSMISSION IN LESS THAN A YEAR. WILL BE TAKING IN SHOP FOR REPLACEMENT 5/24/2004.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10073024

Mileage unknown · Apr 29, 2004

Power Train

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I HAVE HAD MY MAZDA IN THE SHOP 5 TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF ALL TRANSMISSION RELATED! IT HAS COST ME SO MUCH MONEY, INCONVIENCED ME AND JUST GIVEN ME MAJOR MIGRAINS! I HAVE HAD THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT TWICE, THE DIFFERENTIAL BARRING REPLACED, A SEAL WHICH WAS POURING OUT FLUID AND CAUSED ME TO BE STRANDED ON INTERSTATE REPLACED. THIS CAR IS A JOKE! MAZDA YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED TO HAVE YOUR NAME ON THIS CAR! I JUST GOT IT OUT OF THE SHOP TUESDAY AND I'M ON MY WAY TO TRADE IT!! I STILL OWE ON THIS CAR AND I AM NOT A HAPPY AND SATISFIED CUSTOMER. WHY THERE IS NOT A RECALL ON THIS CAR IS UNBELIEVABLE! I HAVE BEEN SO EMOTIONALLY STRESSED OUT BECAUSE I NEVER KNOW WHERE OR WHEN MY CAR IS GOING TO BREAK DOWN NEXT. THIS MAZDA IS HISTORY!!!

NHTSA ODI #10068051

90,666 miles · Apr 21, 2004

Power Train

TRANSMISSION FAILED IN MAR 03. REBUILT. FAILED LESS THAN 10,000 MILES, BROUGHT BACK TO SERVICE, FAILED AGAIN AFTER ANOTHER 10,000 MILES ON APR 5, 04.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10067610

56,046 miles · Apr 16, 2004

Power Train

WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP VEHICLE HESITATED THEN JERKED FORWARD BEFORE ACCELERATING. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10067299

94,000 miles · Mar 26, 2004

Power Train

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HI MY NAME IS [XXX].I BOUGHT MY MAZDA 626,1998 FROM NISSAN DEALER RATED NUMBER 1 IN SANTA BARBARA CALIFORNIA.WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR THE ODOMETER REGISTERED 82500 MILES. I PAID 9800 TO BUY THE CAR. AFTER DRIVING ONLY 10000 MILES THE CAR BROKE DOWN. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC HE TOLD ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION BROKE DOWN AND THAT WAS GOING TO COST ME 2300 TO REPLACE IT. WHEN HE FOUND OUT THAT MY CAR HAD ONLY 10000 MILES AFTER I HAD BOUGHT FROM THE DEALER HE ASKED ME TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND SEE IF THEY CAN HELP ME WITH THE COST. SO I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED.THAY TOLD ME THAT I DIDN'T HAD WARRANTY AND THAT THEY COULD DO NOTHING TO HELP ME. SO I ENDED UP PAYING 2300 DOLLARS FOR MY CAR .I FEEL THAT I HAVE BEEN CHEATED AND I THIS MODEL MAZDA 626 SHOULD DEFINITELY BE RECALLED BECAUSE LOTS OF PEOPLE THAT I KNOW HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THEIR MAZDA (TRANSMISSION BREAK DOWN).*AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI #10063938

91,000 miles · Mar 22, 2004

Power Train

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1998 MAZDA 626 - TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 91000 MILES. WITH PROPER FLUID LEVELS AND FLUID CHANGE AT 50K MILES, THE TRANSMISSIONS STILL EXPERIENCED A MAJOR MELTDOWN! NUMEROUS PARTS DESTROYED INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION WHEN THE DIFFERENTIAL GEAR FELL APART. I'M VERY UPSET WITH THE $2,800 BILL TO REPAIR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER FAILED. WHILE CALLING NUMEROUS TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOPS, I QUICKLY FOUND THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE CD4E TRANSMISSION. I WAS ALSO VERY DISAPPOINTED AT MAZDA'S RESPONSE TO A PROBLEM THAT'S BEEN ONGOING FOR YEARS! BASICALLY..."SORRY, NOT OUR FAULT". HOPEFULLY THIS COMPLAINT CAN BE USED TO HELP MAKE MAZDA MORE RESPONSIBLE FOR A PRODUCT THEY KNOW TO BE BAD.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10063645

120,445 miles · Mar 20, 2004

Power Train

TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON CAR. WELL MAINTAINED. SERVICED REGULARLY. MAZDA DEALER IS CHARGING $2,700 TO REPAIR. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10062695

33,000 miles · Mar 18, 2004

Engine And Engine CoolingPower Train

I BROUGHT MY MAZDA 626 LX ON 6/1/01 WITH ABOUT 33,000 MILES, SINCE THEN I HAD TO REPLACE MY TIMING BELT AT 44,000 DUE TO THE TENSION PIN.MEANWHILE, I HAVE MADE NUMBEROUS AMOUNTS OF REPAIRS TO THIS CAR. AT ABOUT AROUND 70,000 MILES MY TRANSMISSION STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS. SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS MAKING A POPPING NOISE AND THE CAR B…

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NHTSA ODI #10062581

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.

00V134000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine

May 9, 2000

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. AN EXTERNAL SPRING IN THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER COULD BREAK.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE BROKEN SPRING MAY GET CAUGHT IN THE TIMING BELT, RESULTING POSSIBLE ENGINE STALLING.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL CHECK THE TENSIONER INSTALLED AND REPLACE IT IF THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH THE AFFECTED TENSIONER.

98V243000 · Equipment:electrical:radio/tape Deck/cd Etc.

Oct 2, 1998

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: IF THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED IN A HOT, HUMID ENVIRONMENT WITH THE WINDOW OPEN AND AIR CONDITIONER RUNNING, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR CONDENSATION TO ENTER THE AUDIO UNIT AND CAUSE A SHORT CIRCUIT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THE SHORT CIRCUIT OCCURS AT ONE SPECIFIC SET OF TERMINALS, THE SPEAKER CAN OVERHEAT AND IN SOME CASES, CATCH FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL AFFIX ALUMINUM TAPE OVER THE AUDIO UNIT TO PREVENT WATER FROM ENTERING.

97V228000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:fuel Injection System

Dec 17, 1997

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. DUE TO A PROGRAMMING ERROR, THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) INSTALLED CAN, UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS, TRIGGER A SHIFT IN AIR-FUEL RATIO TO AN OVERLEAN CONDITION.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN AN ENGINE STALL, WHICH COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND/OR A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE PCM WITH THE CORRECT ENGINE CONTROL LOGIC.

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

SQ98024 · Speedometer Inoperative

Opened Oct 29, 1998 · Closed Sep 10, 1999

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train

SEE RESUME FOR DETAILS.