10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 1 / 2
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 1 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 60,021 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
Transmission failure.
- Des Moines , WA, USA
This will be the second time that I have replaced the transmission on my 626. The first time was August of 2006. It started with the O/D light flashing the smoking and finally going out completely. The car left me stranded on the freeway in the middle of no-where. I had to wait for a tow truck for 3 hours and $200 to get it towed to a shop near my house. I was able to find a used transmission from a junk yard and had it replaced for a total cost of $1200. Cheap compared to what everyone else has paid. The second time was just recent 12/7/07. The transmission started jumping between gears (2nd and 3rd) then it stayed stuck on 2nd gear. Finally it went out and would not engage any gear including reverse. So far I have not found another (reasonably priced) transmission. The cheapest I found with a 30 day warranty is $1000. This does not include the labor which is about $400.
- Atwater, CA, USA
My Mazda 626 transmission fail 3 times in 18 months.
- Santa Clara, CA, USA
The contact owns a 1998 Mazda 626. When the gear was shifted into drive, the vehicle would not accelerate. The vehicle would not drive in reverse or drive unless the gear was placed in neutral. The repair shop stated that the transmission failed. No repairs were made. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 110,000 and current mileage was 135,000.
- Elkridge , MD, USA
My transmission slips, and will not go into first or second gear. Car is in perfect shape, completely maintained throughout lifetime, and only has 104,000 miles. Transmission must be replaced.
- Wallingford, PA, USA
7 months ago, the transmission needed to be replaced at 150,000 miles. That is to be expected for that mileage. When I put the car in drive it is sluggish moving forward. This is because the car is starting out in 2nd gear instead of 1st. At 15 - 20 mph, the car downshifts to first, then immediately back to second gear. At 20mph, the car does not want to shift into 3rd gear for about 15 seconds, but eventually shifts. The O/D light begins to flash on the dashboard. When I slow down, the car will down shift abruptly in to a lower gear. I took it to my mechanic and he said that this should not happen to a 7 month old transmission. I researched online and there are tons of people that have experience this very same problem with the 626. This is a manufacturer defect and I would like to see what can be done about it. The car is unsafe to drive.
- Plant City, FL, USA
1998 Mazda 626 2.0L automatic tranny issues. Car has 118K miles and the tranny is needing a rebuild. Looked it up and several people are complaining about the cd4E Ford number or the la4A-el Mazda number tranny.. updated 01/02/08. Updated 12/12/07
- Spring Hill, TN, USA
My 1998 Mazda 626 has a faulty transmission, which has failed at 110K. The resulting failure will cost about $2,000 to fix, and the replacement transmission will likely have the same problem. I have done nothing to fix the problem, because I am afraid a new transmission will only fail as well.
- Spanish Fork, UT, USA
Transmission are bad in 1998 Mazda 626.
- Hurst, TX, USA
I bought my 626 new in 1998. I have had transmission troubles regularlysince then. In 2003-4, I had the transmission rebuilt, then purchased a new one. The new one is having problems. It will get hot, the O/D light flashes, and we are stuck on the side of the road waiting for it to cool.
- Jesup, GA, USA
I had my first Mazda 626 transmission fail at 65,000 miles and I got it replaced, and then at 120,000 my transmission needed to be reaplced again. Therewas obviously something wrong with the Mazda 626 transmission, and there should be a recall and some financial compensation to all those who have had problems.
- Miami, FL, USA
Replaced transmission at 42,000 miles and again at 128,000 miles
- Miami, FL, USA
The contact owns a 1998 Mazda 626. While driving 45 mph, the vehicle began to automatically decelerate and a whining noise was heard coming from the transmission. The vehicle was towed to the mechanic who rebuilt the transmission. The current and failure mileages were 115,000. The consumer stated the CD4 transmission is used in a Mazda but made for a lighter vehicle but used in a Mazda 626. The consumer provided a copy of the repair invoice. Updated 09/05/07
- Columbus , GA, USA
Transmission failure, repaired recurring problem.
- San Diego, CA, USA
1998 Mazda 626 4 cylinder transmission being replaced for the fourth time...the auto is under 100,000 miles...
- Lafayette, LA, USA
We are complaining about our 1998 Mazda 626 because the transmission failed with only 76,691 miles on the car. We are the original owners, so that mileage is correct. The total cost to have it rebuilt was $2,222.87. Had this happened on the highway in heavy traffic, there certainly would have been a horrible accident with serious, if not fatal injuries. When we looked on the internet, we found many other people complaining of transmission problems. The problem, which Mazda is aware of is, it that they put a Ford transmission in the Mazda 626, but this transmission was meant for a smaller, lighter car, which is the reason for the overheating and eventual transmission failure. Their bulletin tsb# 0500502.addresses this problem. Mazda has refused to replace these transmissions or compensate owners for this problem. Since this transmission failure happens very suddenly, it is only a matter of time before someone is gravely injured or killed in an accident on a busy highway. Please make Mazda do the right thing!
- Wales, WI, USA
Transmission failure on Mazda 626 ( again) second time.
- Garland , TX, USA
I own a 1998 Mazda 626 4 cylinder automatic transmission, the transmission has failed twice now, 1st repair was over $2,000 second repair will be just as much or more. After checking message boards on the internet and talking to transmission mechanics this is a huge problem with all these Ford/Mazda vehicles. With a failure rate this high and continual problems with these vehicles over several years some sort of recall needs to be made. There is also a danger factor with these transmissions, they have a huge tendency to over heat causing transmission fluid to boil over through the dipstick causing oil slicks on streets and highways.
- Blaine, MN, USA
1998 Mazda 626 transmission failure.
- Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Charlotte, NC, USA