1999 Mazda 626

WE BOUGHT A USED 1999 MAZDA 626 EX FROM A MAZDA DEALERSHIP IN NOVEMBER 2000. IT WAS A "GOLD CHECK CERTIFIED" CAR. WHILE WE WERE BUYING THE CAR, THE DEALERSHIP WAS SOLD TO CAPITAL MAZDA OF CARY. WE NEVER RECEIVED ANY RECALL NOTIFICATIONS ABOUT THE CAR, THOUGH WE DID RECEIVE SOLICITATIONS FOR SERVICE AND REPAIR WORK, WARRANTIES, OR TO BUY A NEW CAR. IN APRIL 2004, WE DROVE THE CAR FROM RALEIGH NC TO CHARLESTON SC, AND THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. WE HAD OUR 3 YEAR OLD AND 1 MONTH OLD IN THE CAR, IN THE HEAT, WALKING TO GET HELP. THE AAMCO DEALER TOLD US IT WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT OF THE FORD TRANSMISSION. THERE WAS A CRACK INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION WHICH HE SAID WAS AN "INHERENT DEFECT." WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO REPAIR IT SO WE COULD GET HOME. WE ARE VERY UPSET THAT WE HAD TO PAY $2000 TO FIX IT WHEN IT IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM - WE FEEL THAT MAZDA SOLD US A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. NOW, LESS THAN THREE MONTHS LATER OUR CAR BROKE DOWN WHILE MY SISTER WAS TAKING IT TO GET THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT LOOKED AT. SHE WAS STRANDED. WE HAVE HAD TO SPEND ANOTHER $275 ON TRANSMISSION WORK AND THE PROBLEM IS NOT RESOLVED. WE ARE STILL PAYING FOR THIS VEHICLE AND CANNOT AFFORD TO SELL IT, NOR CAN WE AFFORD TO KEEP REPAIRING IT. WE ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING ANY CLASS ACTIONS BEING DEVELOPED AGAINST MAZDA REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT IS WIDELY KNOWN THAT FORD TRANSMISSIONS ARE NO GOOD, YET MAZDA HAS NOT TAKEN ANY STEPS TO RECALL THESE.*AK

1999 MAZDA 626 WITH 50,900 MILES.TRANSMISSION STUCK IN REVERSE. ALL GEAR SHIFT POSITIONS RESULTED IN REVERSE. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF, IT WOULD NOT RESTART. MECHANIC STATES THAT THE GEAR INTERCHANGE CABLE OR THE ROD IS BROKEN. INSPECTION OF THE TRANSMISSION FLUID INDICATES THAT THE FLUID IS SEVERELY BURNED WITH QUITE A BIT OF CLUTCH DEBRI. MY CURRENT CHOICES ARE TO PURCHASE A NEW TRANSMISSION AT $3000 PLUS THE GEAR INTERCHANGE, OR HAVE THE TRANSMISSION DISASSEMBLED AND REPAIRED AT A COST BETWEEN $1.5000 TO $2.7000. THE TRANMISSION HAS NOT GIVEN ANY SIGN OF PROBLEMS UNTIL THIS CURRENT MALFUNCTION. PREVIOUS MAZDAS HAVE BEEN EXCELLENT CARS. THIS APPEARS TO BE A PRIME EXAMPLE OF FORD'S EXCELLENT ENGINEERING DESIGNED TO FAIL AS SOON AS WARRANTY EXPIRED. *AK

I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 95 NORTH ABOUT 4PM LAST SEPTEMBER. ALL THE SUDDEN OUT OF THE BLUE MY OVERDRIVE LIGHT COMES ON. MY SPEED DROPS FROM 70MPH TO 40MPH CARS ON MY BUMPER. SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. LUCKILY THERE WAS A REST STOP LESS THAN ONE MILE AHEAD. I BARELY MADE IT INTO THE ROADSIDE AREA. I HAD IT CHECKED OUT BY SOMEONE THERE IN THAT TOWN. AFTER MUCH DECISION, I DECIDED TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED BACK TO CHARLESTON, SC ABOUT 120 MILES FROM WHERE THE PROBLEM HAPPENED. MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS EVENT, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEP COMING ON. WE KEPT TAKING IT TO MAZDA BUT THEY COULDN'T TELL ME WHAT WAS WRONG. SO I CONTINUE TO MAKE MY CAR PAYMENTS. I CAN ONLY DRIVE MY CAR LOCALLY. *AK

I OWN A 1999 MAZDA 626 WITH THE 4 CYLINDER ENGINE AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE CAR HAS 44,000 MILES ON IT AND IS ON IT'S SECOND TRANSMISSION. THE FIRST TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED IN 12/15/99. I AM NOW FACING REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION AGAIN. THE CAR IS WELL MAINTAINED AND AFTER REVIEWING DATA I FIND THAT I AM NOT ALONE IN MY SITUATION AS THIS TRANSMISSION IS A PROBLEM WITH MANY OTHER CONSUMERS AS WELL. *AK

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON NOV. 2003, CODE SAID TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE; RESULT: REBUILD TRANSMISSION($2600.00) ANY HIGHWAY DRIVING SINCE THEN HAS RESULTED IN 0/D LIGHT FLASHING ON AND OFF,TRANSMISSION FLUID COMING OUT OF VENT HOSE. 1ST TIME BACK: REPLACE SENSOR, 2ND TIME BACK: REPLACE BURNT BUSHING. IN SHOP (AAMCO) AGAIN TODAY FOR THIRD TIME SINCE REBUILD. INCIDENT ONLY HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THEN SHIFTING BECOMES HARD JERKS UNTILL TRANNY COOLS DOWN (AUTOMATIC). *AK