1998 Mazda 626

THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT SUDDENLY AT APPROXIMATELY 62,800 MILES. WHEN I LIMPED IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS OCCURRED I WAS TOLD IT NEEDED TO BE TESTED TO SEE IF THE PROBLEM WAS INTERNAL TO THE TRANSMISSION OR NOT. UNFORTUNATELY, PER THEIR TEST, IT WAS AND NOW THEY WANT $3200 TO REPLACE IT WITH A NEW ONE. MY UNDERSTANDING FROM DOING RESEARCH (UNFORTUNATELY WELL AFTER I BOUGHT THIS CAR) IS THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM COMMON TO MAZDA , ESPECIALLY THE 626'S I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS PROBLEM IS AS PREVALENT AS IT APPEARS TO BE WHY THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL AS THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO THE MAZDA TRANSMISSION DESIGN.*JB

THE TRANSMISSION ON THIS VEHICLE JUST QUIT. IT HAS ALWAYS HAD PROBLEMS FROM DAY ONE. THE DEALERS WOULD SAY IT WAS NORMAL FOR IT TO CLANK, SHIFT ERRATICALLY, AND SOMETIMES ENGINE REVVED BETWEEN SHIFTS. NOW IT HAS QUIT WORKING COMPLETELY. HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR THE PEOPLE AT NHTSA TO START SAVING PEOPLE. AFTER ALL IT IS YOUR MOTO. MAZDA/FORD SHOULD BE FORCED TO REIMBURSE THE $2000 REPAIR COSTS EACH TIME.

WHILE DRIVING MY 98 MAZDA 626, I NOTICED SLIPPAGE OF GEARS (IN THE TRANSMISSION). I WOULD STEP ON MY ACCELERATOR, AND NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN. I SPOKE WITH MAZDA, AND WAS TOLD THAT SINCE MY MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 100,000, THIS IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. I REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, AT ANOTHER ASE-CERTIFIED FACILITY, FOR $3018.00. THE MECHANIC ADVISED ME THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS "TYPICAL" WITH THE 98 MAZDA'S. APPARENTLY, MAZDA HAD A JOINT-VENTURE WITH FORD. THE TRANSMISSION USED FOR THE 98 MAZDA 626 WAS THE SAME TRANSMISSION USED ON THE FORD PROBE. (FUNNY, YOU DON'T SEE ANY OF THOSE AROUND NOW). I WAS GIVEN A 12-MONTH, 12,000 MILE WARRANTY. IT IS ONE YEAR LATER, AND AGAIN THE TRANSMISSION IS INOPERABLE. DUE TO THE NUMEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS OF MAZDA TRANSMISSIONS, I ASKED THE MAZDA DEALER IF THE TRANSMISSION IS UNDER RECALL. THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT UNDER RECALL. I FIND IT APPAULING THAT A BUSINESS CAN NOT STAND IN GOOD FAITH WITH ITS PRODUCT, ESPECIALLY, IF NUMEROUS DISCREPANCIES ARE NOTED FOR THE RECORD. HOW MANY OTHER MAZDA OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM, BUT ARE NOT FILING COMPLAINTS? I BELIEVE MANY. IF YOU OWN A MAZDA AND HAVE A PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY WITH THE TRANSMISSION, PLEASE FILE A COMPLAINT. I AM IN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY, AND HAVE MY PROPERTY AND CASUALTY LICENSE. WHEN I CONSULT FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS AND RELATIVES ABOUT AUTOMOBILES, I URGE THEM, NO I BEG THEM, NOT TO EVER PURCHASE A MAZDA, BECAUSE THEY DO NOT STAND BY THEIR NAME.