2000 Mazda 626

THIS IS ACTUALLY THE SECOND FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED IN EARLY 2003 WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER THE 3 YEAR/36,000 MILE WARRANTY (IT HAD ABOUT 33,000 MILES ON IT). THE PROBLEM WAS THE ONE OUTLINED IN THE MAZDA TSB # 0500502. I HAD THE FLUID COOLER INSTALLED AT THAT TIME AS WELL AS A REPLACEMENT FACTORY REFURBISHED FORD/MAZDA TRANSMISSION (THE DEALERSHIP SOLUTION). I WAS TOLD AT THAT TIME THAT THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY MORE PROBLEMS FOR THE LIFE OF THE (NEW) TRANSMISSION, WHICH I TOOK TO MEAN THAT IT WOULD LAST ABOUT 100-120,000 MILES. WELL, HERE I AM, LESS THAN 50,000 MILES LATER AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD A MAJOR FAILURE. WITHOUT WARNING, THE CAR BEGAN TO MAKE A SOUND I CAN ONLY LIKEN TO TIN CANS IN A TUMBLER. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, THERE WAS A PUDDLE OF TRANSMISSION FLUID ON THE GROUND. A GOOD MECHANIC WILL REBUILD IT FOR $2800. THAT IS MORE THAN HALF THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE (~$5000). THIS DEFECT IS APPARENTLY MUCH MORE THAN A SIMPLE MATTER OF KEEPING THE TRANSMISSION COOL, IT IS A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM THAT AFFECTS THE MECHANICALS OF THE TRANSMISSION AND HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH THE OPERATING TEMPERATURE OF THE FLUID. SINCE THE WARRANTY ON THE CAR HAS EXPIRED, AS WELL AS THE WARRANTY ON THE WORK THE DEALERSHIP DID 3 YEARS AGO TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM INITIALLY, I AM STUCK WITH A HUGE REPAIR BILL AND NO DESIRE TO OWN THE CAR. WHEN THE REPAIR IS COMPLETE, I WILL BE SELLING THE CAR. *JB

2000 MAZDA 626 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED AFTER 82,000 MILES BUT HAS FAILED TWICE SINCE THE REPAIR. IN ALL THREE CASES THE AUTOMOBILE TRANSMISSION HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO SWITCH INTO REVERSE FROM BEING PARKED. WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS, SWITCHING INTO REVERSE IS COMPARABLE TO SWITCHING INTO NEUTRAL. *JB

THE BRAKE PADS MUST BE REPLACED EVERY 6-8 MONTHS BECAUSE OF WEAR, THE BRAKES CAN BE FELT GRINDING WHEN APPLIED. ACRID, BURNING RUBBER SMELL IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WHEN WAITING AT TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND STOP SIGNS. DEALER REFUSED TO EXAMINE THE CAR WITHOUT A RECALL LETTER, HOWEVER RESEARCH REVEALED THIS CAR'S VIN # IS IN THE RECALL GROUP. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR IS LOCKED AND CANNOT BE UNLOCKED. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, THE BRAKE PADS MUST BE REPLACED EVERY 6-8 MONTHS, BECAUSE THE BRAKES DO NOT PROPERLY STOP THE VEHICLE, THERE IS A LOUD NOISE, AND THE BRAKES CAN BE FELT GRINDING WHEN APPLIED. THERE HAVE BEEN NO OTHER ATTEMPTED REPAIRS TO THE BRAKES.

2000 MAZDA 626 LX 4 CYL. ON MARCH 1ST 2006, MY SPEEDOMETER DROPPED TO ZERO WHILE DRIVING AT A CONTINUOUS SPEED (45 MPH) THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WITHIN A HALF HOUR PERIOD BEFORE THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ON MARCH 2ND, I DROVE THE CAR TO THE LOCAL MAZDA DEALERSHIP FOR A DIAGNOSTIC. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE DIAGNOSTIC REVEALED THAT THE SPEED SENSOR WAS BAD. HOWEVER, THEY ALSO RELATED THAT THE SENSOR WAS REPLACED AND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS STILL THERE. THE DEALERSHIP PROCEEDED WITH A SEARCH OF THE WIRING IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THIS WAS DONE AT AN HOURLY RATE OF $85.00 AN HOUR. ON MARCH 6TH, A BROKEN WIRE WAS FOUND AT THE FIREWALL. IT TOOK THEM 7.5 HOURS TO MAKE THIS DETERMINATION. ON MARCH 11TH, WHILE ON THE EXPRESSWAY, MY O/D LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING OFF AND ON CONTINUOUSLY. IT ALSO BEGAN BUCKING AND JERKING AND WOULD SLIP IN AND OUT OF GEARS. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED WITH THIS CAR. I JUST HIT 95,000 MILES AND I PURCHASED IT NEW IN MAY 2000. *NM