1999 Mazda 626

I HAVE A 1999 MAZDA 626 LX 4 CYLINDER AND FOR A FEW YEARS HAVE NOTICED HARSH SHIFTING THAT HAS ONLY GOTTEN WORSE. THE OTHER DAY THE ODOMETER LIGHT STARTED FLASHING, AND I TOOK VEHICLE TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP, AND THEY SCANNED AND CODES, AND TOLD ME THAT I HAD AN OVERHEATING PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION ,AND THAT IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS SEEMED SO WRONG BECAUSE THE CAR ONLY HAD 111,000 MILES ON IT, AND IT WAS WRONG BECAUSE I KNEW THIS PROBLEM STARTED A LOT EARLIER WHEN I GOT THIS CAR AT 64,000 MILES. IF MAZDA KNEW ABOUT THIS COOLING ISSUE BECAUSE THEY HAVE RELEASED A SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT IT , AND IF THEY KNEW THEY WILL ULTIMATELY FAIL WHY DIDN'T THEY ISSUE A RECALL? IF THEY KNEW THEY HAD INADEQUATE COOLING THEY SHOULD HAVE INSTALLED A COOLER AT THEIR EXPENSE NOT T AT HE OWNERS , AND THEY SHOULD ALSO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT THEIR EXPENSE.*AK

MY1999 MAZDA 626 HAS HAD A TOTAL OF 4 FRONT SEALS AND 2 BACK SEALS REPLACE ON THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAR HAS 80K MILES ON IT. TWO WEEKS AGO THE O/D LIGHT STARTED BLINKING OFF AND ON THEN THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. I HAVE HAD THIS CAR INTO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SINCE IT WAS A MONTH OLD WITH TRANSMISSION ISSUES ONLY TO BE TOLD IT WAS NORMAL. I HAD TO HAVE MY FIRST SEAL REPLACED AFTER ONE MONTH WITH LESS THEN 6K MILES ON IT. MAZDA REPLACED THE SEAL BUT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM (SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD 5 SEALS REPLACED, OF COURSE OUT OF WARRANTY). THERE IS A MAJOR PROBLEM HERE THAT MAZDA KNOWS ABOUT. I JUST PAID 2K FOR A REBUILT TRANSMISSION 2 WEEKS AGO WITH 80K MILES. THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ISSUE. THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. *TR

THE DOLLAR FIGURES ARE APPROXIMATE. IN FEBRUARY 2002 MY DAUGHTER AND I PURCHASED A USED 1999 MAZDA 626 WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FROM WILSON DODGE IN TORRINGTON CT, 06790 FOR $9000. PART OF THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE WAS A PROMISE TO INSTALL A SUN ROOF FOR $500. THE WARRANTY WAS FOR 60 DAYS OR 2000 MILES. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION ON THE CAR WAS ITS SECOND. UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, I WOULD TAKE THAT AS GOOD NEWS. A FAULTY ONE IS REPLACED. HOW OFTEN DOES A TRANSMISSION FAIL? *AK IN APRIL (ABOUT 5 '' 10 DAYS AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED), THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACING. THE COST WAS ESTIMATED AT $2300. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO GET THIS COVERED BY THE DEALER IN GOOD FAITH, I AUTHORIZED THE INSTALLATION OF A REBUILT TRANSMISSION. DURING THIS NEGOTIATION I HAD TO ENDURE WITH SOME SNIDE REMARKS FROM SOME OF THE OTHER SALES PEOPLE WHEN I MENTIONED THAT ANOTHER DEALER WOULD HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THIS. THEIR RESPONSE WAS ''YEAH. THEY SAY THAT BECAUSE THEY DID NOT SELL YOU THE CAR!'' (THE WARRANTY ON THE REBUILT TRANSMISSION WAS 1 YEAR OR 12,000 MILES) THE SUNROOF COST WAS FORFEITED LEAVING A BALANCE OF $1800. IT WAS AGREED THAT I WOULD PAY $300 A MONTH UNTIL THE BALANCE WAS DONE. IN APRIL OF 2007, THE SAME ISSUE OCCURRED. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT MAZDA HAD USED AN INFERIOR TRANSMISSION IN ITS 626 MODELS. (HTTP://WWW.ESTREETJOURNAL.COM/MAZDA.HTM) MY BIG COMPLAINT IS AGAINST MAZDA, BUT I ALSO HAVE ONE AGAINST WILSON DODGE. THEY HAD TO HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS ISSUE. MECHANICS KNOW THESE THINGS. I BELIEVE THIS IS A CASE OF FRAUD ON THEIR PART. TWICE MY DAUGHTER WAS STUCK ON A BUSY ROAD BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THIS IS A FATHER''S WORST NIGHTMARE. I AM LOOKING FOR A SETTLEMENT THAT WILL ELIMINATE THE REMAINING BALANCE ON THE LOAN ($1,600), REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE FIRST TRANSMISSION REPLACED $2300) AS WELL AS A RECALL ON THE MAZDA 626 WHERE THIS GROSSLY, NEGLIGENT PROBLEM EXISTS.

CAR HAVE A KNOCKING NOISE WHEN YOU FIRST TAKE OFF. I SENT IT TO THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS MY TRANSMISSION AND IT WOULD COST $4000.00 TO FIX IT. THEN IT TOOK IT IN FOR A SECOND OPINION AND WAS TOLD IT WAS MY TRANSMISSION ALSO. I HAVE DONE MY RESEARCH AND NOTICE THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. OVER THE YEARS I HAVE HAD THE CAR I HAVE TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET REPAIRS OR THE NORMAL SERVICE. I THINK THAT IT IS VERY UNUSUALLY THAT EVERYONE IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, AND THAT THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM. THAT IS NOT PROFESSIONAL FOR THERE COMPANY AND THEY WILL LOST BUSINESS LIKE THAT.*AK

I HAVE A MAZDA 626 1999 MODEL. THE TRANSMISSION WENT BAD AT ABOUT 80K MILES LAST YEAR AND I HAD TO SEND IT TO A SHOP (SPENDING OVER $1600 FOR IT TO BE REBUILT). IN LESS THAN 1 YEAR, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED AND WAS MORE SERIOUS. NOW THE CAR STARTS VERY SLOW AND TAKES SEVERAL MINUTES TO REACH 40 MPH. WHENEVER I TRY TO SPEED, THE RPN GOING UP WILDLY AND DOES LITTLE TO SPEED. RECENTLY I JUST SEARCHED SEVERAL INTERNET BULLETIN BOARD AND FOUND OUT MANY MAZDA 626 OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY POINT OUT THAT MAZDA ADMITTED THAT THEY PUT A FORD TRANSMISSION MEANT FOR A SMALL-SIZED CARS ON ITS MAZDA 626 MODEL. THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD FORCE MAZDA TO RECALL THE MODEL AND ASK THEM TO REIMBURSE ALL 626 OWNERS FOR REPAIR. UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS SOLVED, THIS WILL BE MY LAST MAZDA CAR. *NM

I AM THE OWNER OF A 1999 MAZDA 626 LX AND AT 118,000 MILES AND NO SIGNS AT ALL THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON MY CAR. I AM A MOTHER OF 2 AND I ALSO BABY SIT FOR A LIVING. I HAD 3 CHILDREN WITH ME WHEN THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY WENT OUT OF MY VEHICLE AND LEFT US ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THANK GOD FOR CELL PHONES. I NEVER HAD ANY SIGNS OF A PROBLEM AT ALL NOR WAS I AWARE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION IN THE 626 UNTIL THIS HAPPENED TO ME. I STILL HAVE 4 PAYMENTS ON MY VEHICLE SINCE I BOUGHT IT USED AND I AM HEART SICK THAT I AM STILL PAYING FOR A VEHICLE THAT I AM UNABLE TO DRIVE. I WISH THAT I HAD KNOWN ABOUT ALL OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE 626 BEFORE I PURCHASED MINE. *JB