DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED, AND NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE SERVICE DEALER DETERMINED THE VEHICLE NEEDED A EXTERNAL OIL COOLER TO FIX THE ISSUE.
2000 Mazda 626
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most 626 years
Owner complaints for the 2000 Mazda 626 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 44.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 626 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
147 reports with mileage · 70 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 160 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Power Train complaints
160 reports2000 MAZDA 626 4 CYL TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. IT DID NOT CAUSE ME TO WRECK BUT IT SEEMS THAT IT COULD BE A SAFETY CONCERN IF IT FAILS WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. *NM
TRANSMISSIONS FAILURE ON THE 2000 MAZDA 626. *NM
MY 2000 MAZDA 626 HAS 112,800 MILES. SIX MONTHS AGO THE VEHICLE HAS 100,000 MILE SERVICE AND THE DEALER RECOMMENDED I INSTALL A TRANSMISSION COOLER. I ASKED WHY AND HE DIDN'T OFFER ANYTHING OTHER THAN IT WAS A GOOD IDEA. NOW MY O/D LIGHT IS FLASHING AND THE TRANSMISSION IS CLUNKING. THE REPAIR SHOP SAYS THAT THE TRANSMISSION…
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MY 2000 MAZDA 626 HAS 112,800 MILES. SIX MONTHS AGO THE VEHICLE HAS 100,000 MILE SERVICE AND THE DEALER RECOMMENDED I INSTALL A TRANSMISSION COOLER. I ASKED WHY AND HE DIDN'T OFFER ANYTHING OTHER THAN IT WAS A GOOD IDEA. NOW MY O/D LIGHT IS FLASHING AND THE TRANSMISSION IS CLUNKING. THE REPAIR SHOP SAYS THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS BURNED OUT. MAZDA KNOWS ABOUT THIS, THE DEALERS KNOW ABOUT THIS BUT THE CONSUMERS DO NOT KNOW ABOUT IT. THIS VEHICLE NEEDS A RECALL OR AT LEAST A BROADCAST WARNING TO CONSUMERS. *JB
TRANSMISSION REPAIRED FOR SUPPOSED LEAK IN MARCH 2006 AT DEALERSHIP AND WAS NOT CALLED IN UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY, THEN IN AUG. 2006 CAR WILL NOT MOVE WHEN PUT IN ANY GEAR, THE DEALERSHIP IS NOW CLOSED AND WILL NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OF WHY THEY CHARGED ME WITH WARRANTY WORK, ALSO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP IS 75 MILES AWAY, I …
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TRANSMISSION REPAIRED FOR SUPPOSED LEAK IN MARCH 2006 AT DEALERSHIP AND WAS NOT CALLED IN UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY, THEN IN AUG. 2006 CAR WILL NOT MOVE WHEN PUT IN ANY GEAR, THE DEALERSHIP IS NOW CLOSED AND WILL NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OF WHY THEY CHARGED ME WITH WARRANTY WORK, ALSO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP IS 75 MILES AWAY, I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN AND ON A FIXED INCOME I CANNOT AFFORD TO TOW IT THEN MAKE REPAIRS THAT SHOULD HAVE FALLEN UNDER WARRANTY WORK IN THE FIRST PLACE. ALSO MY EXTENDED WARRANTY RAN OUT JULY 1, 2006. I HAVE EXHAUSTED ALL ROUTES TRYING TO GET THIS RESOLVED AND FEEL I HAVE BEEN TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF MY MAZDA. *JB
I PURCHASED MY CAR IN APRIL OF 2004 WITH 45,000 MILES ON IT; AROUND 102,000 MILES, MY CAR STATED JERKING WHEN IT CHANGED FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR; NOW, AT 106,000, THE O/D LIGHT, AND THE ENGINE LIGHT BOTH FLASHES, AND I CAN BARELY MAKE IT UP A HILL, BECAUSE OF ALL THE JERKING AND HESITATING THAT IT DOES. *JB
MY 2000 MAZDA 626 (56 THOUSAND MILE) DIED ON THE HIGHWAY, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND I ALMOST GOT KILLED! MY GIRLFRIEND CALLED THE MAZDA DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT MY CAR ( EAST COAST MAZDA) AND PRETTY MUCH WAS TOLD, OH WELL, WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO DO ABOUT IT?? WELL, I NOW UNDERSTAND THAT THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON IN…
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MY 2000 MAZDA 626 (56 THOUSAND MILE) DIED ON THE HIGHWAY, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND I ALMOST GOT KILLED! MY GIRLFRIEND CALLED THE MAZDA DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT MY CAR ( EAST COAST MAZDA) AND PRETTY MUCH WAS TOLD, OH WELL, WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO DO ABOUT IT?? WELL, I NOW UNDERSTAND THAT THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON IN MAZDA 626 FROM YEARS 1994-2002. I PUT OUT OVER THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A TRANSMISSION AND I THINK THEY SHOULD PAY ON CARS LIKE MINE THAT ONLY HAVE 56 THOUSAND MILES & THE TRANS DIES, PLUS PEOPLE COULD GET KILLED, I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE HAS BEEN "NO RECALL" FOR THIS PROBLEM TO DATE, ARE THEY WAITING TO GET SUED?? THAT MONEY WAS MY VACATION MONEY SO NOW I AM OUT OF MY TRIP BECAUSE OF A BAD TRANSMISSION WHICH THEY ARE WELL AWARE OF, JUST LOOK UP MAZDA 626 TRANS PROBLEMS ON THE WEB AND SEE HOW MANY THERE ARE! *NM
I WAS RECENTLY INFORMED THAT MY VEHICLE (2000 MAZDA 626) IS IN NEED OF A TRANSMISSION. I HAVE HAD PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE DONE AT THE SUGGESTED TIMES AND NOT UNTIL DOING RESEARCH DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THE MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSIONS. UPON TAKING IT TO THE SHOP, I NOTICED 3 OTHER 626'S IN THE GARAGE WITH TH…
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I WAS RECENTLY INFORMED THAT MY VEHICLE (2000 MAZDA 626) IS IN NEED OF A TRANSMISSION. I HAVE HAD PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE DONE AT THE SUGGESTED TIMES AND NOT UNTIL DOING RESEARCH DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THE MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSIONS. UPON TAKING IT TO THE SHOP, I NOTICED 3 OTHER 626'S IN THE GARAGE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. SOMEONE DEFINITELY NEEDS TO LOOK INTO RECALLING THESE VEHICLES AND THE ISSUES THAT THEY ARE HAVING. WHILE I DON'T HAVE MY OLD TRANSMISSION, I DO HAVE RECEIPTS DOCUMENTING THE REPLACEMENT COST FOR THE PART. *NM
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS CONSISTENTLY EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS RESULTING IN A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WOULD SWITCHED GEARS BY ITSELF. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TWO INDEPENDENT MECHANICS, THEY DETERMINED THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED …
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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS CONSISTENTLY EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS RESULTING IN A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WOULD SWITCHED GEARS BY ITSELF. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TWO INDEPENDENT MECHANICS, THEY DETERMINED THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED TO SEARCH FOR RECALLS BY VIN WHO DETERMINED THAT THE VIN DID NOT MATCH ANY RECALLS.
TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARD FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. DEALER SAYS I WILL NEED A NEW ONE SOON. THE CAR WAS NEVER ABUSED AND WAS ALWAYS TAKEN CARE OFF. *NM
Official recalls
100V074000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:master Cylinder
Mar 7, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. CERTAIN RESERVOIR TANK CAPS ON THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER WERE PRODUCED WITH A WORN OUT DIE AND LACK VENTILATION HOLES. AS A RESULT, THE PRESSURE IN THE RESERVOIR TANK CAN DROP GRADUALLY AS THE BRAKE PAD OR SHOE WEARS AND AMBIENT TEMPERATURE DROPS. ALSO, THE PRESSURE COULD REACH A POINT THAT THE BRAKE CALIPER AND DRUM CYLINDER ARE PULLED BACK BY THE VACUUM IN THE RESERVOIR TANK WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED FOR A LONG TIME.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE REDUCED BRAKE EFFICIENCY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE RESERVOIR CAP AND REPLACE IT, IF NECESSARY.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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