1998 Mazda 626

LAST OCTOBER (05), MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, FINALLY WENT OUT. NOT WANTING TO SPEND TO MUCH MONEY TO FIX SOMETHING, WHEN THE CAR ISN'T WORTH IT. I GOT A USED TRANSMISSION (NOT SURE HOW USED IT WAS, BUT THE GUY THAT PUT IT IN, SAID IT WAS REALLY CLEAN (LITTLE WEAR) ON IT. NOW AUG 06 THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING OUT AGAIN. THE SYSTEM CAN'T SHIFT BETWEEN 2-3 GEAR. I HAVE YET TO GET IT FIXED, BUT IT WELL PROBABLY RUN ME AROUND $1300 LIKE THE LAST ONE DID. WHEN THE CAR ITSELF IS WORTH MAYBE 2,800? I THINK MAZDA NEEDS TO TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS. *JB

WHILE DRIVING, MY '98 626LX THE TRANSMISSION WILL DISENGAGE FROM THE ENGINE. AAMCO TRANSMISSION DETERMINED THE PROBLEM TO BE THAT DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT, THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED AND FRAGMENTS PENETRATED THE TRANSMISSION WHILE BEING SUSPENDED BY THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. NO LESS THAN $2000 TO REPAIR. HERE'S WHERE I REALLY GOT UPSET. MAZDA PUBLISHED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN-005/02 IN 2002 WHICH OUTLINES PREVENTIVE MEASURES TO TAKE TO AVOID THIS HEAT RELATED FAILURE. WHEN CONTACTED ABOUT A CLAIMS PROCEDURE, THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO SUCH BULLETIN AND THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE. I UNDERSTAND THAT FAILURES DO OCCUR ON VEHICLES. HOWEVER, WHEN THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND FAILS TO EVEN MAKE A CURSORY EFFORT TO INFORM THE VEHICLE OWNER/PURCHASER, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE COMPANY IS NEGLIGENT AND SHOULD IN PART BARE THE BURDEN OF THE COST OF REPAIR. *JB

FAILURE OF 1998 MAZDA 626 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED ON THE INTERSTATE RESULTING IN BOILING OUT OF FLUID, FLUID WAS REPLACED AND THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED AGAIN BLOWING THE MAIN SEAL. SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER OCCURRED ON THE INTERSTATE (WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN VEHICLE TO EXIT RAMP -INCIDENT OCCURRED VERY CLOSE TO RAMP). THE SEAL WAS PREPARED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON (PTC 0743). DIAGNOSIS AT LOCAL SHOP INDICATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. MILEAGE WAS ONLY 90,000. *JB

I JUST BOUGHT A 98 626 WITH A LITTLE OVER A 100K ON IT IN MAY BEFORE I BOUGHT IT I TOOK IT TO MAZDA TO HAVE ALL PARTS AND COMPONETS CHECKED OUT THEY SAID THE TRANSMISSION WAS HEALTHY AND THE ENGINE WAS GOOD AND ALL PARTS LOOKED GREAT. SO I BOUGHT THE CAR THE SAME DAY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE GAS I WAS USING THEN RESET MY CODE. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ALTERNATOR THE BELTS AND NOW THE TRANSMISSION. SINCE MAY I HAVE PUT OVER 1100 IN PARTS AND LABOR IN THIS CAR NOW THEY SAY I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION WHICH IS OVER 2200 ANY SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT TO DO. *JB

I PURCHASED A 1998 MAZDA 626 IN OCT. 2001 WITH 71 THOUSAND MILES. THIS TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 110. I HAD IT REPLACED WITH A USED ONE (BEFORE I KNEW OF ALL THE DEFECTS), IT LASTED 8000 MILES. IN SEPT 2004 A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST PUT IN A NEW TRANSMISSION FROM MAZDA. IT LASTED 18,000 MILES. I WAS TOLD IT HAD A THREE YEAR WARRANTY. MAZDA NOW DENIES THIS. THEY SAY ITS 6 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REBUILT. BEING DISABLED THIS HAS REALLY BEEN A DISAPPOINTMENT. THE INCONVENIENCE AND EXPENSE ARE TAKING ITS TOLL. IN 3 YEARS TIME MAZDA HAS COST ME OVER $5000 IN REPAIRS AND CLOSE TO $500 IN TOWING. THEY ARE AWARE THESE TRANSMISSIONS ARE FAULTY BUT REFUSE TO HELP PEOPLE. IT SEEMS MORALLY AND ETHICALLY WRONG.. ANY 'NEW' TRANSMISSION SHOULD LAST LONGER THAT THESE. I RECENTLY GAVE THIS CAR TO MY DAUGHTER, BUT I AM GOING TO CONTINUE THE FIGHT WITH MAZDA. THANK YOU! *JB

I JUST FINISHED PAYING FOR THE SECOND TRANSMISSION IN MY 1998 MAZDA 626. THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION WENT 93,000 MILES BEFORE COMPLETE FAILURE. THAT UNIT WAS REPLACED WITH A USED TRANSMISSION AND IT FAILED AT 105,000 MILES. I HAD THE SECOND FAILURE REBUILT AT A COST OF $2,100, THE FIRST USED TRANSMISSION COST $1,700 TO REPLACE. *JB

MY 1998 MAZDA 626 REPLACED TRANSMISSION AT 49000 MILES ON IT O/D LIGHT FLASHING ON TRANSMISSION DOWN SHIFTING ON ITS OWN. TRANSMISSION FLUID BLEW OUT, THE DIPSTICK WAS REPLACED, SPEEDOMETER GEAR SET ALSO FLUSHED RAD.& COOLER NOW NEW TRANSMISSION DOING SAME THING AT OVER $2600 DOLLARS OUT OF POCKET. HEARD LOTS OTHERS HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEMS WOULD LIKE TO REPORT. TO SEE IF THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP COULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIRS. *JB

MAZDA 626 4 CYLINDER, 4 DOOR, AUTOMATIC; 93K MI; TRANSMISSION FAILED DUE TO INTERNAL OVERHEATING (''O/D OFF'' LIGHT FLASHES). I NEVER USED THIS CAR TO TOW ANYTHING; DRIVING PATTERN IS VERY LIGHT. APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES DAILY TO WORK ON HIGHWAY AT 40-60 M/H SPEED (TRAFFIC). MY RESEARCH SHOWS THAT MAZDA WAS CLEARLY AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM - SB0500502/NHTSA 634465. SB DETAILS A VERY SIMPLE AND RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE FIX - EXTERNAL TRANS OIL COOLER. DEALER CLEARLY STATES THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. IF IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE MY FAMILY USES THIS CAR ROUTINELY WHY WOULD MAZDA BE SO NEGLIGENT AND NOT ADVICE OWNERS OF THIS POTENTIAL RISK AND THE ALTERNATIVE REPAIRS, WHICH WOULD SAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN PROPERTY DAMAGE? IT IS NOW IN THE THOUSANDS TO FIX THE CAR. *JB