Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Mazda 626 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 41 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 41, in the owner's own words
THE VEHICLE IS STALLING DURING ACCELERATION AND AFTER. SOMETIMES IT'S STOPS AND CLEAR ITSELF UP AND THEN THROWS ITSELF INTO OVERDRIVE (O/D OFF LIGHTS STARTS FLASHING) ALL WHILE DRIVING IT IN THE STREET(CITY AND INTERSTATE). WHEN YOU LET THE CAR SIT AND NOT RUN IT WILL NOT FLASH BUT AFTER DRIVING AMD NOT GETTING ANY SPEED IT DOES IT AGAIN.
CPSC#I1190531A. 1997 MAZDA 626. CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE BROUGHT THE CAR IT HAD SEVERE TRANSMISSION ISSUES, AND BEGAN SMOKING SEVERELY ONCE TAKEN THE SPEED LIMIT. SHE ALSO STATED IT RESULTED IN BEING TOWED ON THE 6TH DAY OF HAVING THE VEHICLE PURCHASED. *LN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MAZDA 626. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ON APRIL 16, 2007. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC ,WHO DETERMINED THAT THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER WAS CAUSING EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE BELT. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS RECALL # 98V206001 CONCERNING ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING ON, AND HE SHOULD CALL THE MAZDA MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THIS VEHICLEWAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE RECALL WAS NOT REMEDIED PREVIOUSLY. THE CONTACT ARRIVED AT A MAZDA DEALER FOR RECALL REPAIRS, WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THIS VEHICLERWAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. HE SHOWED THE DEALER A COPY OF THE RECALL NOTICE, AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BRANDED WITH NO WARRANTY. THE DEALER REFUSED TO PERFORM RECALL REPAIRS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 83,936, AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.*AK
CAR RPM'S ARE HIGH ON START, CAR IDLES ROUGH, OVER DRIVE LIGHT BLINKS, CAR IS VERY DANGEROUS AND WHEN OD LIGHT BLINKS CAR CANNOT CHANGE GEARS CORRECTLY AND MAKES IT DANGEROUS ON TURNS. HAD CLOSE CALLS ALMOST BEING HIT, AS TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. I HAVE HAD TO CHANGE ALL SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES, HAD A REBUILT ENGINE OUT IN AS OLD ONE WAS DESTROYED DUE TO A SPRING IN THE TIMING BELT BREAKING. NEW 02 SENSORS, AND MAF. CURRENT ISSUES ARE WITH THE OD LIGHT BLINKING AND CAUSING THE CAR TO HESITATE AND STALL. TURNING CAR OFF AND ON SEEMS TO FIX IT FOR A WHILE, THEN PROBLEM HAPPENS AGAIN AFTER A FEW HOURS. SEEMS TO BE A COMPUTER PROBLEM OR SOMETHING, ALSO THERE IS A WHINING NOISE WHEN RPM'S ARE OVER 4000. THIS CAR IS A LEMON AND I HAVE READ HOW MAZDA REFUSES TO ADMIT THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS THEY HAVE. *JB
DECEMBER 2004-JANUARY 2005- 1. CAR OVERHEATS CONSTANTLY 2. THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED THE CAR AND CAUSED COMPLICATIONS WITH THE WATER PUMP, COMPUTER 3. REPLACED ALL ITEMS; TRANSMISSION REBUILT COST TO FIX $3200.00 COULDN'T AFFORD TO JUST JUNK THE CAR, AS I HAD PURCHASED IT FOR $5200 THE SUMMER BEFORE. SO I HAD TO FIX IT. WITHIN A WEEK OF GETTING THE CAR BACK, IT BLEW A RADIATOR HOSE. *JB
REPEATED TRANSMISSION AND MOTOR MOUNT PROBLEMS /AXLES TOO. *AK
ENGINE IS STALLING. IT LOOKS LIKE THE SIMILAR FAILURE RECALL DESCRIPTION OF MAZDA 97, HTTP://WWW.AUTOMOTIVE.COM/1997/49/MAZDA/626/RECALLS/12919.HTML) REPORTED. AND DEALER(TELE. NO. 972 298 0333) REFUSED TO FIX. *NM
IN ADDITION TO SMELLING GAS - THE RADIO AND ANTENNA DOESN'T WORK. NOW THE SUNROOF WON'T CLOSE ALL THE WAY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON MORE OFTEN THAN NOT SINCE I HAD THE CAR. THE KEY SOMETIMES WON'T FIT INTO DOOR LOCK AND EVEN THOUGH THE CAR LOOKS BRAND NEW AND HAS BEEN WELL TAKEN CARE OFF - IT JUST SEEMS TO FALL APART. THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT LOCK FELL APART BUT THE BIGGEST THING IS THE SUNROOF WON'T CLOSE ALL THE WAY. THIS IS MY 3RD MAZDA AND I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER ONE.
1997 MAZDA 626 LX - TRANSMISSION, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, OXYGEN SENSOR, AND COMPUTER HAVE ALL BEEN REPAIRED IN A SPAN OF 11 MONTHS. THE CAR DOES NOT HAVE 80,000 MILES ON IT!*AK
TRANSMISSION FAILURE HAD TO BE REPLACED, OVERDRIVE LIGHT CONSTANTLY FLASHING, DEALERS STATED WAS OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACED BOTH SENSORS, PROBLEM NOT SOLVED, REPLACED TRANSMISSION REPLACED SEVERAL DAYS LATER WITH ANOTHER, FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS DEFECTIVE. *LA
CONSUMERS VEHICLE BEGAN SHAKING, MAKING NOISES AND THE DASH LIGHT CAME ON. CONSUMER HAD TENSIONER KIT, GASKET CONVERTER FAILURES. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL ENGINE RELATED PROBLEMS. THE DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP, CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND SENSORS. THE A/C ALSO FAILED. *NLM
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING OIL WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. *AK
THE VEHICLE STALLED, AND THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE.*JB
INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE JERKS/ SPUTTERS AND JUMPS OUT OF GEAR OR GETS STUCK BETWEEN GEARS. GEAR IS SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL FIRST BEFORE GOING INTO DRIVE. SERVICE TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT VEHICLE DIDN'T FALL WITHIN THE GUIDELINS OF RECALL 98-V-206-001/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 76810. VEHICLE HAS A PREEXISTING TIMING BELT PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *AK
ENGINE TIMING CHAIN AND GEAR MALFUNCTIONED. *AK
CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING THE FLUID TO BURN, ALSO VEHICE WAS SHIFTING HARD, THE TRANSIMISSION WAS REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME, HOWEVER VEHICLE IS STILL EXPERIENCING SAME PROBLEMS.*YD
WHILE TRAVELING AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE STARTED IDLING AND STOPPED TRAVELING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
THE VEHICLE STALLED AFTER A SCHEDULED OIL CHANGE. AFTER RETURNING TO THE SERVICE CENTER WHERE THE OIL CHANGE WAS PERFORMED, I WAS TOLD THAT I NEED TO HAVE MY VALVE COVER GASKETS CHANGED. I WANTED A SECOND OPINION AND SCHEDULED A CHECK WITH THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER. I HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH STALLING AFTER THE FIRST INITIAL INCIDENT. AFTER THE DEALERSHIP MECHANICS LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE UNLESS THE ENGINE WAS REVED. I WAS INFORMED AT THIS POINT THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AND THAT I NEEDED MY VALVE COVER GASKETS AND SPARK PLUGS CHANGED. THE TOTAL COST WOULD AMOUNT TO OVER $3200. AFTER GETTING A SECOND OPINION ON THE STATE OF THE TRANSMISSION I HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED. I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP MECHANIC THAT THE 1997 MAZDA HAS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE NEW TRANSMISSION IS EXTREMELY LOUD, THE CAR DOES NOT DRIVE THE SMOOTHLY; I CAN FEEL THE GEARS CHANGE, AND THE ODOMETER IS RUNNING RAMPANT. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT MAZDA TRANSIMISSION ARE GENERALLY LOUD AND THAT THE CAR WILL REV AND CAUSE ONE TO FEEL A SHIFT IN GEAR IF THE COMPUTER CANNOT DISTINGUISH A SPEED SETTING. I FEEL THAT AFTER RESEACH AND SPEAKING WITH THE DEALERSHIPS MECHANICS THAT MAZDA WAS AWARE THAT THE MADZA 626 V6 1997 YEAR WAS DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD NOT CONTINUE TO MAKE REVENUE FOR A COSTLY "REPAIR" THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED BY THE MANUFACTURE. WHEN MY VEHICLE STALLED IT WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC (45MPH ZONE) AND IT IS A BLESSING THAT I DID NOT CAUSE A WRECK OR HIT ANYONE. THANK YOU T. SIMPSON*AK
ONGOING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE STALLING WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. VEHICLE BEEN IN DEALER SHOP ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL REOCCURRING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
ABOUT A YEAR AGO MY ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO THE MAZDA DEALER AND THEY SAID THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS BAD. IT WAS REPLACE BECAUSE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. TWO MONTHS AGO MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I WAS AGAIN TOLD THAT MY CATALYTIC CONVER WAS BAD AND IT WAS AGAIN REPLACED. TODAY I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 75 MILES PER HOUR WHEN MY O/D LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH ON AND OFF. FIVE MINUTES LATER MY CAR STARTED TO LOSE POWER. AFTER PULLING OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD MY CAR WOULD NOT CHANGE GEARS. IT WOULD NOT GO FORWARD OR IN REVERSE. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE MAZDA DEALER AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS BAD AND THAT IT WOULD TAKE $2500.00 TO BE REPLACED.*AK
ENGINE WAS RUNNING BADLY, ENGINE AND OIL LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER FOUND ENGINE HAD "SLUDGED" UP, HAD TO REPLACE ENGINE. IN OCTOBER OF 1999, TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. *AK
VEHICLE TAKEN TO SERVICE TWICE UNDER WARRANTY. SENSOR CLEANED INSTEAD OF REPLACED. PER MAZDA, THIS IS NOT A PROPER "REPAIR". NOW MASS AIR FLOW & O2 SENSOR DAMAGED. VEHICLE STALLS WHEN SLOWING OR STOPPED.*AK
CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAS STALLED NUMEROUS TIMES, 2 TIMES DUE TO SPILLAGE FROM A CUP THAT'S IN THE CUP HOLDER, DEALER INSTALLED A COVER TO PROTECT PCM, VEHICLE HAS ALSO STALLED 3 OTHER TIMES WITH NO EXPLANATION, POSSIBLY AN ELECTICAL PROBLEM, HOWEVER CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ALSO ILLUMINATED, STALLING COULD ALSO BE RELATED TO ENGINE PROBLEM. *SLC
RECALL 98V206001 DONE IN JUNE 1999, PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE EVER SINCE, TIMING CHAIN REPLACED A SECOND TIME IN OCTOBER 2000. CURRENTLY VEHICLE IS SHAKING, CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REPLACED, DEALER THOUGHT THAT WAS THE PROBLEM, ENGINE LIGHT STILL ON, TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED A THIRD TIME. *AK
ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CAR OVERHEATED. CAR BROKEDOWN ON THE WAY TO THE DEALER'S SERVICE SHOP. HAD TO PUSH CAR THREE BLOCKS THE REST OF THE WAY. WAS TOLD THAT THE RADIATOR LEAKED INTO ENGINE. ENGINE IS DAMAGED MUST BE REPLACED. HAVE TO BUY NEW ENGINE AND NEW RADIATOR. NO OTHER WARNINGS BEFORE THAT.
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.
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