2000 Mazda 626

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. IT WAS LATER TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER WHO CONFIRMED THE TRANSMISSION WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. AFTER SOME RESEARCH ONLINE THE CONTACT DISCOVERED OTHER COMPLAINTS CONCERNING TRANSMISSION FAILURE WITH SIMILAR VEHICLES THAT WERE USED PRIMARILY FOR HIGHWAY DRIVING. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED 10 MONTHS AGO AND HAS BEEN USED FOR HIGHWAY DRIVING ONLY. AFTER DOING SOME RESEACH, THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED THE TRANSSMISSION WAS TOO SMALL FOR THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 03/03/06. *JB

TRANSMISSION ON A 2000 MAZDA 626, WOULDN'T ENGAGE IN REVERSE OR THE CAR WOULD SLAM INTO REVERSE, STOP, SLAM INTO REVERSE, STOP, SLAM INTO REVERSE REPEATEDLY. THE CAR WAS STOPPED BECAUSE OF THIS DIFFICULTY, PUT INTO DRIVE AND IT SLAMMED INTO DRIVE. MY MECHANIC SAYS THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REBUILT OR REPLACED. IT HAS 85,000 ON IT, IT'S ONLY 5 YEARS OLD! A LITTLE YOUNG FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. NOW I LEARN IT'S A FORD TRANSMISSION. AND THEY WONDER WHY NO ONE BUYS THEIR CARS! *JB

ON MARCH 29, 2005, MED CENTER MAZDA REPLACED BOTH AXLES AT 52, 248 MILES. I ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE TRANSMISSION THEN BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD JOLT WHEN PUT IN THE "DRIVE" GEAR FROM REVERSE AND THEN HESTITATE BEFORE MOVING FORWARD. ON JANUARY 11, 2006, THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE IN THE "DRIVE" GEAR AT ALL; ALMOST LEAVING ME STRANDED AT THE ENTRANCE OF A MAJOR HIGHWAY. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO USE MY CAR FOR WORK AND I ONLY LIVE 10 MILES FROM HOME AND AM NOT A "ROUGH" DRIVER. THE DEALERSHIP'S ATTITUDE IS "THINGS HAPPEN"; THAT IS NOT SATISFACTORY! THESE COMPLAINTS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY NHTSA; IT IS A SAFTY HAZARD. I WAS ALMOST HIT BY A TRACKER TRAILER BECAUSE I COULD NOT GET MY CAR OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD QUICKLY! THE DEALERSHIP REPRESENTATIVE ADMITS THAT THE FORD TRANSMISSION IN THE MAZDA CAR HAS HAD DEFECTS SOME OF WHICH WERE EXACTLY LIKE MINE. FURTHER, ON CONSUMER.COM; OTHER CONSUMERS LISTED AND DESCRIBED THE SAME PROBLEM. MAZDA HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE 500 COMPLAINTS LISTED ON THIS SITE ACCORDING TO ONE WRITER ON THE CONSUMER.COM SITE. MAZDA SAYS THAT IT WILL COST $3,215 TO REPAIR. *NM

I AM STILL PAYING FOR A 2000 MAZDA 626 WHICH JUST HAD ITS WARRANTY RUN OUT AND NOW MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ISN'T WORKING. I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM MY JOB IN MOUNTAIN VIEW AND WAS STOPPED IN TRAFFIC, WHEN I WAS ABLE TO GO I STEPPED ON THE GAS AND THE CAR DID NOT WANT TO GO. I SWITCHED BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN 1ST AND SECOND AND FINALLY GOT MY CAR TO GO. WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT WAS REVVING UP AND THE O/D OFF SWITCH STARTED FLASHING. I FINALLY AND BARELY MADE IT HOME. NOW WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN ANY GEAR IT WON'T GO ANYWHERE. MAZDA SAID THERE ISN'T ANYTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT SINCE MY WARRANTY IS UP. I NOW AM MAKING PAYMENTS EVERY MONTH FOR A VERY BIG PAPER WEIGHT. I CANNOT AFFORD THE HUGE EXPENSE OF FIXING THIS PROBLEM WHICH AFTER LOOKING AROUND ON THE INTERNET FOUND SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. *NM