Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 Mazda 626 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
I HAVE PUT SO MUCH MONEY IN THIS CAR. ALTERNATOR, TRANSMISSION, BRAKES, TIRES AND BALL JOINTS. NOW THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDS REPLACED, WIPER MOTOR AND QUARTER PANELS ARE ALL RUSTED OUT. I AM DISABLED AND THIS IS MY ONLY TRANSPORTATION. SHOULD ALL OF THIS SHOULD OF GONE WRONG? IT WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION. I HAVE HAD THIS CAR EIGHT YEARS. *TR
TRANSMISSION O/D LIGHTS FLASHING AND DOES NOT MOVE IN THE FIRST GEAR OR SHIFT TO SECOND EITHER HAS HAPPENED ON FREE WAY ALSO WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS. MY WIFE DRIVES WITH KIDS. *TR
THIS CAR STARTED HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH GOING INTO REVERSE. FORWARD IS BECOMING DIFFICULT ALSO. TWO DIFFERENT MECHANICS INDICATE THAT IT IS THE TRANSMISSION. THEY NOTE THAT CHANGING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID MAY GIVE TEMPORARY RELIEF BUT THE REAL PROBLEM IS I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. I LIVE AND WORK OVERSEAS ON A US ARMY MILITARY BASE SO TO EVEN CONSIDER BRINGING AN SPEC REBUILT TRANSMISSION OVER IS VERY EXPENSIVE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT WITH A REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION I WILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD ALL PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE DONE ON THE COVER OVER THE YEARS AND TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN AT 88,000 MILES IS A FINANCIAL HARDSHIP. *TR
I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED A YEAR AGO THIS MONTH WHEN MY DAUGHTERS CAR ENGINE LOCKED UP. SHE WAS OUT OF STATE SO IT WAS A HURRY UP THING OVER THE PHONE. SHE DIDN'T REALIZE THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING IN FIRST GEAR, THOUGHT IT WAS CV JOINT. SHOP DIAGNOSED THE TRANSMISSION. THIS REALLY MAKES ME SOOO MAD AS THIS IS A NICE CAR. I THINK FORD SHOULD PAY TO REPLACE ALL THE TRANSMISSIONS IN THESE CARS. NOW I HAVE TO EITHER DUMP IT AT A LOSS OR PAY OUT ALOT TO GET TRANSMISSION REPAIRED . *TR
I OWN A 2001 MAZDA 626. WHILE THE CAR IS 9 YEARS OLD, IT HAS ONLY 72,000 MILES ON IT. THE PROBLEM I'VE HAD WITH IT IS THAT THE SHIFTER CABLE KEEPS FAILING ON IT. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY FATAL THING THAT KEEPS HAPPENING. IT HAS FAILED 3 TIMES IN THE PAST 4 YEARS (2006-2010) AND SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING EVERY 20K-30K MILES. THE LAST TIME WAS LESS THAN A MONTH AGO AND JUST OVER A YEAR SINCE THE LAST FAILURE. EACH TIME, THE WARRANTY PERIOD HAS EXPIRED, SO I'M HAVING TO PAY HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS OUT OF POCKET TO GET THIS REPLACED. I'VE HAD IT DONE AT 3 DIFFERENT PLACES, INCLUDING A MAZDA DEALERSHIP. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A SERIOUS DEFECT IN THE SHIFTER CABLE PARTS/DESIGN, BUT, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, MAZDA HAS YET TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT. I'VE CONTACTED THEM TO NO AVAIL. MOST PEOPLE, MYSELF INCLUDED, HAVE CARS FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND WITH A LOT MORE MILEAGE, AND THE SHIFTER CABLE NEVER GOES OUT. MAZDA NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS DISGRACE. WHAT CAN I DO TO SEE JUSTICE SERVED? *TR
ERATIC SHIFTING IN MAZDA 626 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.AXLE SEAL BROKE. DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THE PART. FACTORY TRANSMISSION REPLACED AFTER 30,000 MILES. THE AXLE SEAL WAS REPLACED AFTER 33,000 MILES. *AK
RETAINING CLIP FROM TRANSMISSION GEARSHIFT LEVER (ON TRANSAXLE ASSEMBLY) WS FOUND MISSING AND SHIFT CABLE BECAME DISCONNECTED FROM LEVER CAUSING VEHICLE TO BE STUCK IN DRIVE (THE GEAR VEHICLE WAS IN WHEN COMPONENT FAILED). THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS SHIFTER INDICATOR SHOWED VEHICLE IN DRIVE. *LA
I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW MAZDA 626 LX 2001 MODEL ON AUGUST 19, 2001 AT MAGNUSSEN'S FORD/NISSAN/MAZDA DEALERSHIP IN NEWARK CA. LITTLE DID I KNOW, I BOUGHT A LEMON!!!!! I RETURNED THE VEHICLE NUMEROUS TIMES AND TELLING THE SERVICE DEPT PEOPLE THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AND OVERRUNNING IN GEAR. AT ONE POINT, I HAD A FRIEND OF MINE DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND MEET WITH THE SERVICE DEPT PEOPLE. THIS WAS THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS 2001. RUDY DIEPHUS COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT I WAS GETTING A SONG AND DANCE FROM THE MAGNUSSEN SERVICE DEPT. RUDY BUILT AND DROVE RACE CARS FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS, AND KNEW I HAD A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. THE SERVICE MANAGER BOB (WHO IS NO LONGER THERE) SAID THAT THE CAR HAD TO BE BROKEN IN, NOT ENOUGH MILES ON THE CAR. BOB ALSO SAID THAT ALL MAZDA 626'S DRIVE LIKE THIS (TRANSMISSION SLIPPING/OVERRUNNING IN GEAR). IN ADDITION, I WAS TOLD TO KEEP A JOURNAL OF EVERY TIME THIS HAPPENED. THAT WOULD BE A PROBLEM, WRITING AND DRIVING AT THE SAME TIME. AGAIN, RETURNED THE VEHICLE BACK TO MAGNUSSEN'S AND MET WITH A DIFFERENT SVC MANAGER. HERE IT IS APRIL 2002, AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION TECH WAS GOING TO RUN A SPECIAL TEST ON THE CAR (LINE PRESSURE CHECK AT IDLE AND STALL SPEEDS). SURE ENOUGH, I WAS RIGHT! THE TEST INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A DEFINITE PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE DEALERSHIPS LOT, THE CAR WAS (AND IS) RUNNING WORSE THAN EVER. THE SECOND TRANSMISSION IS WORSE THAN THE FIRST. I RETURN THE CAR AND THE CAR STAYS THERE FOR ANOTHER WEEK. I PICKED UP THE CAR ON APRIL 26, 2002, (RUNNING WORSE) AND DROVE TO VACAVILLE ABOUT 100 MILES ONE WAY FROM WHERE I WAS LIVING. I FELT SOMETHING FUNNY UNDER THE HOOD AND DROVE INTO VACAVILLE AND FOUND A MAZDA DEALERSHIP. I EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM OF THE TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE. THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE MOUNTS AND THE CAR NEEDED NEW MOUNTS.
VEHICLE BOUGHT NEW. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - OVERREVING, SHIFT HUNTING, HARD TO ENGAGE, SLIPPING, NOISE, VIBRATION, ENGINE HESITANCY. TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT 5512 MILES WITH REBUILT UNIT; REBUILT UNIT IS WORSE THAN ORIGINAL.
RETAINING CLIP FROM TRANSMISSION GEARSHIFT LEVER (ON TRANSAXLE ASSEMBLY) WAS FOUND MISSING AND SHIFT CABLE BECAME DISCONNECTED FROM LEVER CAUSING VEHICLE TO BE STUCK IN REVERSE (THE GEAR VEHICLE WAS IN WHEN COMPONENT FAILED). THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS SHIFTER INDICATOR SHOWED VEHICLE IN DRIVE. *LA
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 .