Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. 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. 227 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 227, in the owner's own words
MAZDA 626 1997 4 CYLINDER TRANSMISSION PROBLEM ONCE THE O/D OFF LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN I SHIFT INTO REVERSE, SOMETIME IT DOES NOT MOVE. AFTER DRIVING FOR A FEW MINUTES THE CAR JERKS AND STRUGGLES WITH ERRATIC SHIFTING OF GEARS. THIS IS ACCOMPANIED BY AN INCREASE IN THE ENGINE RPM AND NOISE. CAR STILL DRIVES BUT MAY NOT BE SAFE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SHOWS FAULT WITH TRANSMISSION RANGE SWITCH. *TR
TRANSMISSION LIGHT KEEPS BLINKING ONCE RPM REACHES OF 3. *TR
I HAVE A 1997 MAZDA 626 WITH A FORD CD4E TRANSMISSION. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS STORIES OF EARLY TRANSMISSION FAILURE WITH THIS TRANSMISSION. I AM EXPERIENCING IT MYSELF. I HAVE FILED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AND THE ONLY THING I HAVE ACCOMPLISHED IT PUT WEAR AND TEAR ON MY KEYBOARD. I ALSO HAVE A 1998 BUICK LESABRE WITH A PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD. IT HAS 124,000 MILES ON IT AND THE ENGINE SOUNDS LIKE A DIESEL. THIS DEFECT HAS BEEN KNOWN TO CAUSE PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE IN NUMEROUS CASES. WHAT IS GOING ON? I WOULD VOTE TO FIRE ALL THE FORD AND GENERAL MOTOR ENGINEERS. I AM A DISABLED MAN STUCK WITH TWO PIECES OF ENGINEERING STUPIDITY. ALL I CAN DO IS EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE IS TO BEAT ON THIS KEYBOARD AND FEEL LIKE THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT THIS. IS THERE? THE INJURY IS TO MY TRUST AS WELL AS MY WALLET. *TR
MY TRANSMISSION IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. *TR
I DROVE MY 1997 MAZDA 626 FOR A DAY AFTER I BOUGHT IT FROM A USED CAR SALESMAN AS IS. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE O/D OFF LIGHT CAME ON AND ON, THEN PARKED IT, AND JUST 20 MINS LATER I COULD NOT REVERSE IT. WHEN I SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL IT ACTS AS IF ITS IN DRIVE AND NEUTRAL IN REVERSE AND DRIVE IS DRIVE. I'VE READ ONLINE ABOUT PEOPLE WITH THE SAME CAR HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS AND WAS TOLD TO FILE A COMPLAINT HERE. PLEASE BRING MAZDA TO JUSTICE ON THEIR 626 TRANNYS!! *TR
THE MAZDA I OWN IS A 1997 MAZDA 625 WITH A CD-4E FORD AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. IT HAS 96,000 MILES ON IT AND THE TRANSMISSION IS FAILING. I HAVE READ WHERE NUMEROUS PEOPLE HAVE REPLACED THIS TRANSMISSION MULTIPLE TIMES ONLY TO HAVE IT FAIL AGAIN AND AGAIN. I HAVE FILED THIS COMPLAINT WITH SEVERAL AGENCIES AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN OFFERED A SOLUTION OR EVEN A RESPONSE. NUMEROUS PEOPLE ARE IN THE SAME BOAT AND DESPERATELY LOOKING FOR SOME RECOURSE. I REALLY WONDER IF ANYONE OUT THERE REALLY CARES THAT WE ARE BEING FORCED TO DEAL WITH A TOTALLY DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED YEARS AGO. THIS IS TOTAL HIGHWAY ROBBERY. *TR
1997 MAZDA 626, TRANSMISSION REPLACED BY MAZDA DUE TO EXTENDED WARRANTY AT APPROXIMATELY 100,000 MILES. VEHICLE NOW HAS 183,000 MILES AND THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AGAIN. I HAVE HAD THIS CAR GARAGED FOR 2 YEARS AS THE COST OF REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION AGAIN IS PROHIBITIVE. REPLACED TRANS FLUID WITH SYNTHETIC AND IT RUNS BETTER HOWEVER IF I HAD KNOW THEIR WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION FOR THIS CAR I WOULD HAVE SOLD IT A LONG TIME AGO AND WOULD HAVE INSTALLED A TRANSMISSION COOLER WHEN IT WAS REPLACED. THE STATE SHOULD ORDER A RECALL OR YOU WOULD THINK THERE WOULD BE A GROUP OF ATTORNEY'S WHO WOULD LIKE TO FILE A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST MAZDA!!! *TR
I OWN A 1997 MAZDA 626 LX AND IT HAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION. I TAKE GREAT PRE-MAINTENANCE AND ONLY HAVE 69,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND THE TRANSMISSION IS DEFECTED AND NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. *TR
1. SOME EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE: BLINKING OVER DRIVE LIGHT THEN STARTED TO CLICK (ALMOST AS IF IT WERE CV JOINTS) 2. TRANSMISSION, STARTED QUIETLY AND SELDOMLY, THEN TO A MORE FREQUENT AND LOUDER CLICKING, TO WHERE THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY STOPPED WORKING IN ALL. 3.NONE YET HAPPENED TODAY. *TR
1. SOME EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE: BLINKING OVER DRIVE LIGHT THEN STARTED TO CLICK (ALMOST AS IF IT WERE CV JOINTS) 2. TRANSMISSION, STARTED QUIETLY AND SELDOMLY, THEN TO A MORE FREQUENT AND LOUDER CLICKING, TO WHERE THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY STOPPED WORKING IN ALL. 3.NONE YET HAPPENED TODAY. *TR
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
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE. VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE IN REVERSE GEAR. *TR
WE HAVE OWNED A 4 CYLINDER 1997 MAZDA THAT HAS HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED TWICE. *TR
MY 1997 MAZDA 626 HAD A FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE OD LIGHT KEPT FLASHING AND THE CAR SHIFTED ERRATICALLY. THE COST TO REBUILD WAS $1800.00. I HAVE READ ABOUT THIS PROBLEM OCCURRING IN MANY OTHER OLDER MAZDA CARS AS WELL. THE PROBLEM FIRST OCCURRED IN THE SUMMER OF 2006. I WAS FORCED TO PUT THE CAR UP FOR SEVERAL MONTHS WHILE I SAVED THE MONEY FOR THE REPAIRS. IT WAS REPAIRED IN THE SUMMER OF 2007. THE CAR TRANSMISSION IS AGAIN ACTING ERRATICALLY. THERE ARE MANY POSTINGS ON THE WEB THAT INDICATE THAT THERE IS REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE TRANSMISSIONS IN THESE CARS ARE FAULTY. *TR
I PURCHASED A 1997 MAZDA 626 WITH 90,000 MILES ON IT IN JANUARY 2007. RECENTLY, AT 112K, THE O/D LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING AND THE CAR JERKED AND STRUGGLED TO SHIFT GEARS. I TOOK IT TO FOUR DIFFERENT AUTOMOTIVE MECHANIC SHOPS AND THEY ALL RAN AN ESTIMATE AND TOLD ME THE SAME THING - THAT THE FORD CD4E TRANSMISSION IN IT IS FAILING AND IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT QUITS COMPLETELY. THEY ALSO ALL INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS A TYPICAL PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE AND YEAR TRANSMISSION. IT IS VERY DEVASTATING TO ME BECAUSE I AM ON A VERY LIMITED INCOME AND IT HAD PROVEN TO BE SUCH A RELIABLE CAR ASIDE FROM THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, RUNNING GAS AT APROX. 30 MPG. AS I USED A POPULAR SEARCH ENGINE TO FIND "MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSIONS" HOPING TO PURCHASE A NEW ONE, INSTEAD I WAS GREETED WITH THOUSANDS OF PAGES UPON PAGES OF COMPLAINTS ON THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM I HAVE ENCOUNTERED WITH THE FORD CD4E TRANSMISSION. NEITHER FORD NOR MAZDA HAS DONE ANYTHING TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY; THIS SHOULD BE INEXCUSABLE! *TR
TRANSMISSION. *TR
1997 MAZDA 626 LX L4 2.0L 120,625 HAD TO HAVE A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION REBUILD CD4E COST $2,539.00. *TR
FAILURE OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS AT AN EARLY MILEAGE RANGE. EITHER HAVE TO REPLACE OR HAVE TRANSMISSION REBUILT. *TR
TRANSMISSION IN 97 626 MAZDA 4CYL LOCKED UP WHEN TURNING CRUISE CONTROL OFF ON INTERSTATE CAUSING THE FRONT WHEELS TO LOCK UP AND SLIDING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP THE TRANS IS NO GOOD NOW . SHOULD THE MANUFACTURE BE RESPONSIBLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR
FLASHING "O/D OFF" LIGHT, ROUGH SHIFTING, JERKING, SLUGGISH ACCELERATION NEARLY RESULTING IN T-BONE COLLISION. INCIDENTS TOO RECENT FOR REPAIR ACTIONS TO BE ATTEMPTED, BUT CONSISTENT WITH OTHER REPORTS REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR YEAR/MAKE/MODEL. *TR
TRANSMISSION FAILED ON A MAZDA 626 '97 4CYL, HARDLY 9 YEARS AFTER MANUFACTURE. I HAD TO REPLACE THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION ON THE VEHICLE. *TR
97 MAZDA 626 2 LITER ENGINE, AUTO TRANSMISSION FAILURES. 1ST TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 80,000, 2ND ONE WENT AT 105,000, 3RD FAILURE AT 124,000. *TR
1997 MAZDA 626LX 2.0L. HAD THE O/D LIGHT COME ON TWICE. THEN ABOUT A YEAR LATER THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHIFT HARD/SLIP. INSPECTED VALVE BODY OF THE TRANSMISSION & FLUID, EVERYTHING WAS OK. DID A TRANSMISSION FLUSH ANYWAY. DID NOT HAVE ANY CODES IN THE SYSTEM UNTIL 6 MONTHS DOWN THE LINE. WAS FOR THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR. INSTALLED A NEW ONE & VEHICLE OPERATED NORMAL. SINCE I PUT A NEW RANGE SENSOR IN THE VEHICLE, O/D LIGHT HAS COME ON ABOUT 5 TIMES BUT NO ABNORMAL DRIVING CONDITION YET. ONLY NOTICE IT WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGE. ALSO HAVE THE VEHICLE ROUGH IDLING. FOUND NO VACUUM LEAKS, PCV VALVE IS NEW, SPARK PLUGS & WIRE SET NEW. FUEL ADDITIVE ADDED EVERY 6 MONTHS. FUEL INJECTORS ARE OPERATING. TICKING NOISE OCCURS EVERY ONCE & AWHILE FROM ENGINE. DO KNOW THAT THE TRANSMISSION IN THESE CARS ARE NOT CAPABLE OF HANDLE THE ENGINE. THE FACT THAT A FORD PROBE SMALL TRANSMISSION WAS PUT INTO THE MAZDA. IT NEEDS AN TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER TO BE INSTALL BUT WAS NOT A RECALL ISSUE, ONLY A BULLETIN THAT MUST BE PAID FOR BY THE CUSTOMER. EXACT DAY THIS STARTED TO HAPPEN IS UNKNOWN. A NEW PROPER TRANSMISSION SHOULD BE INTRODUCE AS A RECALL FOR THESE CARS. *TR
1997 626 MAZDA TRANSMISSION! THIS TRANSMISSION WILL NOT HOLD UP! I'VE HAD IT REPLACED 2 TIMES (OVER $3400) AND THE PREVIOUS OWNER ONCE. IT WENT OUT WITH ME AT 66K. IT'S ACTING UP AGAIN AND I'M TOLD THE NEED $2500 MORE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE TRANSMISSION SHOPS HAVE TOLD ME THE TRANSMISSION IS A PIECE OF JUNK! IT'S BEEN PARKED FOR OVER A YEAR BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD THE REPAIR BILL AND ALSO I CAN'T IN CONSCIOUS SELL TO ANY OTHER POOR SOUL! *TR
I HAVE A 1997 MAZDA 626 THAT THE O/D LIGHT HAS BEGUN FLASHING AND THE ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON. AFTER THE O/D LIGHT COMES ON THE TRANSMISSION BEGINS GETTING JERKY. THE ERROR CODES INDICATE A TORQUE CONVERTER PROBLEM IN THE TRANSMISSION. I HAVE 99,500 MILES ON THE CAR AND HAD THE TRANSMISSION OIL CHANGED AT 75,000 MILES BECAUSE I READ THAT THESE CARS HAVE A HISTORY OF BAD TRANSMISSIONS. I CALLED TWO MAZDA DEALERS AND THEY TOLD ME THESE CARS HAVE BAD TRANSMISSIONS AND IT WILL COST AROUND $3,000 TO REPLACE. *TR
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .