1999 Mazda 626

WHILE DRIVING HOME, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T SHIFT INTO 2ND OR 4TH. TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT AT APPROX. 98,000 MILES. AT A COST OF $2,800.00. CAR NOW HAS APPROX. 160,000 MILES AND TRANSMISSION NEEDS REBUILT AGAIN. HAVE HEARD ALOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. CAR IS OTHERWISE IN GREAT SHAPE, CAN'T AFFORD A NEW CAR SO I GUESS I'M STUCK AGAIN PAYING TO HAVE A TRANSMISSION REPAIRED THAT MAZDA KNOWS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND THEY REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. CAN WE ALL GET A LITTLE HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM?? *TR

76,000 MILES ON CAR. WHILE DOING HIGHWAY DRIVING, AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR, THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT STARTED TO FLASH. TRANSMISSION FLUID RELEASED INTO ENGINE COMPARTMENT. TOOK IT TO GARAGE AND THEY SAID ERROR CODE INDICATED TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING. THE FLUID WAS BURNT AND TRANSMISSION MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED. THE FLUID HAD BEEN GOOD A COUPLE OF WEEKS EARLIER. ACTIONS TAKEN INCLUDE: FLUSHED FLUID. ADDED AN AFTERMARKET COOLER. WAIT AND SEE IF THE TRANSMISSION PERFORMS CORRECTLY AND IF THE FLASHING LIGHT RETURNS. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MAZDA 626. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND HE STATED THAT THE INTERNAL SPRING IN THE TIMING BELT FAILED. THE FAILURE WAS SIMILAR TO THAT OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V134000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE), HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 72,000. UPDATED 01-15-08. *KB UPDATED 12/12/07. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MAZDA 626. THE CONTACT HAS EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION FAILURE TWICE. SHE ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS WHEN THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT AND A YEAR AND A HALF LATER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE AND THE CONTACT FELT AS IF THE GEARS WERE JUMPING WHEN DRIVING. SHE RETURNED TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AGAIN. SHE DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT A VEHICLE SHOULD GO THROUGH TWO TRANSMISSIONS WITHIN TWO YEARS. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY PARKED IN HER DRIVEWAY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 87,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,000.

OUR MAZDA 626 1999 WAS WELL MAINTAINED. AT 72,134 MILES I TOOK IT TO A TRANSMISSION PLACE FOR A TRANSMISSION FLUSH. I DROVE HOME FOR 5 MILES AND IN THE EVENING ON THE FREEWAY. THE MAZDA NOW FELT A BIT JERKY AT 55-60 MPH. (I NEVER NOTICED THAT BEFORE.) AFTER 23 MILES THE MAZDA SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND STOPPED. I WAS LUCKY TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY WITHOUT ACCIDENT. I WAS STRANDED ON THE FREEWAY IN DARKNESS AND HEAVY TRAFFIC FOR 1 1/2 HOURS. SCARY!!!! THERE WAS A LONG TRAIL OF TRANSMISSION FLUID BEHIND THE CAR, A PUDDLE UNDER THE CAR, ALSO UNDER THE HOOD AND ALONG THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOORS. THE TOWING SERVICE NOTICED A DISCONNECTED TRANSMISSION HOSE UNDER THE HOOD. I WAS TOWED HOME AND THE NEXT MORNING TO THE MAZDA DEALER. THEY SAY I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION FOR $3225. THE DEALER SAYS THE 30A EGI INJ FUSE IS BURNT. FLUID LEVEL OF TRANS WAS AT LEAST 3 QTS OVER FULL, WAS DARK BROWN AND HAD SEVERE BURNT SMELL. FLUID APPEARS TO HAVE LEAKED OUT OF COOLER LINE AND VALVE BODY PAN DUE TO HIGH PRESSURE. (I NEVER SAW A LEAK ON OUR GARAGE FLOOR.) TRANSMISSION IS STUCK IN REVERSE. (I DON'T KNOW HOW IT GOT INTO REVERSE FROM MY DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY???) THIS IS COSTING US BIG BUCKS AND AGGRAVATION: NEW TRANSMISSION, THREE TIMES TOWING CHARGES, DIAGNOSTIC BY DEALER, TRANSMISSION FLUSH, RENTAL CAR, LOSS OF WORK... AND NO GUARANTEE THAT THINGS WILL BE MADE GOOD! AFTER READING ALL THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT BAD MAZDA TRANSMISSIONS, I AM NOT SURE WHETHER THE FAULT HERE LIES IN A BAD PRODUCT (TRANSMISSION) OR BAD WORKMANSHIP WITH THE TRANSMISSION FLUSH. NOW THE MAZDA IS BACK AT THE TRANSMISSION SERVICE PLACE THAT ORIGINALLY DID THE TRANSMISSION FLUSH, IN HOPES THAT THEY WILL MAKE GOOD. I COULD HAVE BEEN ROAD KILL! CAN SOMEBODY INVESTIGATE AND HELP? *JB