1992 Mazda 626 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1992 Mazda 626, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Seat belts523.8%
- Transmission419.0%
- Driver assistance29.5%
- Brakes29.5%
- Visibility29.5%
- Tires & wheels14.8%
- Powertrain (other)14.8%
- Electrical14.8%
- Exterior lighting14.8%
- Airbags14.8%
- Suspension14.8%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
I HAVE A 1992 MAZDA 626, WITH AUTOMATIC FRONT SEAT BELT RETRACTORS. ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, THE RIGHT SIDE RETRACTOR FAILED, RESULTING IN AN EXTENDED BUZZING OF THE SEAT BELT ALARM, AND A DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHT THAT WOULD NOT GO OUT. MAZDA AGREED TO FURNISH THE PART, BUT LEFT ME WITH THE SIGNIFICANT LABOR COST. NOW THE LEFT SIDE HAS FAILED. I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER TODAY, THE SECOND BUSINESS DAY OF THE YEAR, AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ADVISES ME THAT, AS OF THIS YEAR, MAZDA WILL NOT ASSIST IN THIS REPAIR AT ALL. THIS MALFUNCTION MAY PREVENT ME FROM OBTAINING A VALID SAFETY INSPECTION, AND THE COST OF THIS REPAIR WOULD BE NEARLY 1/2 THE PRESENT VALUE OF THE VEHICLE. I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOME NHTSA REQUIREMENT THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD TO MAINTAIN THE SEAT BELT SYSTEM FROM MALFUNCTIONS, AND MAKE REPAIRS AT THEIR EXPENSE.*AK
BELT MECHANISM FAILS TO MOVE THE BELT FORWARD WHEN THE DOOR IS OPENED.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
I AM THE OWNER OF A1992 MAZDA 626 WHICH IS HAVING A TRANSITION PROBLEM INDICATED BY THE FLASHING HOLD LIGHT. THOUGH MY TALKING TO MANY MAZDA OWNERS THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THIS MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR CAR. AT THIS TIME THE TRANSITION IS SHIFTING ROUGH AND APPEARS TO NOT SHIFT PAST THIRD GEAR.
MAZDA 626 - AUTO TRANSMISSION - FULL MAINTENANCE HISTORY AT MAZDA DEALER. AUTO TRANSMISSION HOLD LIGHT ISSUES AND LOCKING LUGS IN THE TORQUE CONVERTOR FRAGMENTED INTO THE GEAR SELECTION SECTIONS OF THE AUTO TRANSMISSION. DEALER WARRANTY DID NOT APPLY DUE TOT HE TORQUE CONVERTOR BEING SEEN BY INSURERS AS AN ACCESSORY TO THE TRANSMISSION RATHER THAN A PART OF IT. AFTER SOME $3,500 WE HAVE THE AUTO TRANSMISSION REPLACED, AND IT STILL DOESN'T WORK - IT STARTS TO SELECT 4TH GEAR IN OVER DRIVE TO START ETC. ENDS U THAT THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER WENT HAYWIRE WHICH SENT THE TRANSMISSION INTO EARLY FAILURE. I THOUGHT I WAS JUST UNLUCKY UNTIL I STARTED REVIEWING THE COSTS FOR TRANSMISSION COMPUTERS ION THE WEB AND FOUND HUGE NUMBERS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCES. MAZDA SHOULD HAVE RECALLED ALL OF THE ABOVE, PARTICULARLY WHERE THEY HAD BEEN THE ONES MAINTAINING THE UNIT OVER THE YEARS. IT IS A VERY POOR PERFORMANCE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
COMPONENT FAILURE UNKNOWN. CAR WAS COLD STARTED FROM PARK, GEAR SHIFT (FIRMLY BELIEVED TO BE) PLACED IN REVERSE; EMERGENCY BRAKE RELEASED; CLUTCH EASED; CAR FAST ACCELERATED FORWARD, JUMPING OVER A CEMENT BLOCK/TIRE STOP, CRASHING INTO AND PARTIALLY THROUGH AN ALUMINUM GUARD RAIL; CRUISE CONTROL WAS USED PREVIOUS EVENING
THROTTLE STUCK DUE TO FOULED THROTTLE BODY. *DH
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
1992 MAZDA 626 DX, ODOMETER 184,580MI. VEHICLE TRAVELING AT APPROX 35MPH ON CITY STREET. AS ANOTHER VEHICLE CUT ME OFF I PRESSED THE BRAKES HARD AT WHICH POINT I HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR BUT THE CAR WAS NOT STOPPING. AT WHICH POINT I PUMPED THE BRAKES A FEW TIMES AND ONLY HEARD SOME AIR HISSING SOUND. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO DOWNSHIFT THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND USE THE HAND BRAKE TO NARROWLY AVOID AN ACCIDENT. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE BRAKE LINE(OR POSSIBLY MULTIPLE LINES) UNDER THE CAR RUPTURED AND CAUSED COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING FLUID(WHICH SPILLED OUT OF THE SYSTEM) AND THEREFORE COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY DISABLED AND AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AS POSSIBLE DEFECT IN COMPONENTS AND/OR MANUFACTURING PROCESS. *KB
WHILE DRIVING APPLIED THE BRAKES WITH FORCE, CAUSING THE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY, CAUSING FACIAL BURNS/NECK PAIN. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
SPEEDOMETER BROKEN.
METAL BRACKET AROUND SUN ROOF FAILED. *DSH
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
DRIVING FROM DENVER, CO TOWARDS SANTA BARBARA, CA ON 6/15/01. WAS ON HWY 70 WEST AT MILE MARKER 100 IN UTAH BETWEEN GREEN RIVER AND SALINA, WHEN TIRE BLEWOUT AT 75MPH AND CAR WENT OUT OF CONTROL AND LANDED IN DITCH. TIRE DAMAGED AND LEFT REAR SIDE BUMPER DETACHED FROM CAR. NECK INJURY AS A RESULT OF ACCIDENT. SUBSEQUENTLY DISCOVERED THAT TREAD WAS PEELING OFF TIRE AS DRIVING. HAVE PICTURES OF TIRE DAMAGE AND SKID MARKS ON ROAD. ALSO HAVE PEELED OFF TREAD BUT NOT ORIGINAL TIRE. TIRE INFO GIVEN PREVIOUSLY IS OFF RIGHT REAR TIRE WHICH WAS PURCHASED AT THE SAME TIME AS DAMAGED TIRE. CAN ALSO GET POLICE REPORT IF NECESSARY. NOTE: COULD NOT FIND DOT # SO PROVIDED OTHER TIRE NUMBERS. *AK (DOT NUMBER: ??? TIRESIZE: P18570R14M)
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
SPEEDOMETER BROKEN.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
SPEEDOMETER BROKEN.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
FRONT LENS ON TURN SIGNAL ARE CRACKED. VEHICLE HASN'T BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. CONSUMER COVERED HOLES UP WITH TAPE SO MOISTURE WOULDN'T SETTLE IN. MAZDA WAS CONTACTED AND THEY HAD NO COMPLAINTS.*AKI
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING APPLIED THE BRAKES WITH FORCE, CAUSING THE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY, CAUSING FACIAL BURNS/NECK PAIN. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
MACPHERSON STRUT FAILURE, SPRING RUPTURES RUBBER HOUSING, CAUSES LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .