2000 Mazda 626

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 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 TO SEARCH FOR RECALLS BY VIN WHO DETERMINED THAT THE VIN DID NOT MATCH ANY RECALLS.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE STALLED ON THE ROAD WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT SUITABLE FOR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OBTAINED THE VEHICLE'S VIN TO IDENTIFY ANY MANUFACTURER DEFECT AS THE CAUSE FOR THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION.

DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY 5, OVER DRIVE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. NO INFORMATION IN MANUAL REGARDING FLASHING OVER DRIVE LIGHT, SO CONTINUED DRIVING. ABOUT 50 MILES LATER, LOST POWER AND SPEEDOMETER DROPPED TO ZERO. THROUGH AAMCO, FOUND OUT ABOUT TSB REGARDING PROBLEM WITH AT IN MY MODEL YEAR (2000) THAT CAUSED IT TO OVERHEAT. FAILURE CAUSED ME TO SPEND EXTRA MONEY ON TOWING, HOTEL, AND RENTAL CAR. CAR TOOK APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS TO REPAIR AT AAMCO, WHICH INCLUDED A REBUILT TRANSMISSION AND A COOLING UNIT ADDED TO HELP PREVENT FUTURE PROBLEMS. *JB

I OWN A 2000 MAZDA 626 WITH ONLY 90,000 MILES. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED SEVERAL TIMES IN THIS CAR AND SPENT OVER $3000 PARTS AND LABOR. I HAD TO REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, SEVERAL SENSORS, MASTER BREAK CYLINDER, CV BOOTS, AND RACK AND PINION. NOW I AM HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND THE AC. THE MECHANIC SAYS I NEED TO REBUILD THE TRANS AND REPLACE THE AC COMPRESSOR. THIS IS ANOTHER $3000 OR MORE. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THIS SITUATION. I PLEAD WITH YOU TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS. I HAVE CHECKED SEVERAL WEB FORUMS AND FOUND SIMILAR PROBLEMS. PLEASE, PLEASE MAKE MAZDA ACCOUNTABLE FOR BUILDING SUCH BAD CARS. FYI, I AM VERY, VERY DILIGENT IN GENERAL MAINTENANCE. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. CHRIS. *NM

MY 2000 MAZDA 626 LS OVERHEATED ON JUNE 16, 2006. THE O/D OFF LIGHT HAS BEEN FLASHING WHEN ON THE ROAD FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR SINCE THE FALL OF 2005. THE TRANSMISSION HAS NOT YET FAILED BUT HAS BEGUN TO. THE CAR STRAINS WHENEVER I DRIVE IT & ITS LACK OF STABILITY HAS LED TO CLOSE CALLS WITH ACCIDENTS WHENEVER THERE'S RAIN OR SNOW. EVERY TIME I AM ON THE ROAD FOR MORE THAN 45 MINUTES, THE ENGINE HEATS UP TO THE POINT THAT IT BOILS THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, WHICH OVERFLOWS ONTO THE REST OF THE ENGINE. AFTER APPROX. 15 MORE MINUTES, THE O/D OFF LIGHT BEGINS TO FLASH & MY CAR STARTS TO RESIST SPEEDS OVER 60 MPH. THE RPMS INCREASE WHEN THE LIGHT FLASHES & THERE'S A DANGEROUS DELAY IN MY ABILITY TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN AS THE CAR LURCHES. ON JUNE 19, 2006, I TOOK THE MAZDA TO AN IMPORTS SPECIALIST WHO INFORMED ME THAT MY TRANSMISSION WILL SOON FAIL. A NEW TRANSMISSION COSTS APPROX. $2800 & A USED ONE COSTS APPROX. $1800. HOWEVER, THE TRANSMISSIONS THAT FIT MY CAR ARE THE SAME TYPE OF TRANSMISSION THAT WAS INITIALLY PUT IN MY ENGINE & WILL FAIL AFTER ANOTHER 70,000 MILES DUE TO ITS BEING TOO SMALL FOR THE 626. PUTTING AN "EXTERNAL COOLING SYSTEM" UNDER THE HOOD IS APPROXIMATELY $300 & IS A TEMPORARY BANDAID FOR THE ISSUE WHICH WILL STILL OCCUR. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH & FOUND THOUSANDS OF DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE STATED THAT ALL AUTOMATIC MAZDA 626 LS VEHICLES FROM 1994-2000 HAVE ENGINES THAT WERE MADE FOR A SMALLER CAR & ARE THEREFORE TOO SMALL FOR THE 626 LS. ACCORDING TO SAID RESEARCH ALL 1994-2000 626 LS VEHICLES HAVE TRANSMISSIONS THAT WILL FAIL BETWEEN APPROX. 70-80,000 MILES. MY CAR HAS 74,400 MILES AT THE DATE OF THIS COMPLAINT. MAZDA REFUSES TO TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THIS SITUATION, YET IT HAS BECOME COMMON KNOWLEDGE AMONG CAR DEALERSHIPS, SO THE VALUE OF MY CAR HAS DROPPED DRAMATICALLY & IT HAS BECOME DIFFICULT FOR ME TO SELL. NOTHING CAN BE DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM UNLESS AN ENTIRELY NEW ENGINE IS PUT INTO THE CAR WHICH WILL COST