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 2002 Mazda 626 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 58 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 58, in the owner's own words
TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. WHILE TRYING TO MAINTAIN SPEED TO EXIT THE FREEWAY, THE ENGINE STARTED TO OVERHEAT. AS SOON AS I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO THE LOCAL GAS STATION PARKING SPOT, THE ENGINE DIED. THE TRANSMISSION APPEARS TO NEED A REBUILD. *TR
2002 MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSION BROKE ON ME AT 107,000 ODO . *TR
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *TR
AUTO TRANSMISSION HAS CONSTANT PROBLEMS WITH LEAKING AND SHIFTING. TONS OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE OF PROBLEMS WITH THESE CARS. WHY CANT SOMETHING BE DONE ABOUT THIS LIKE A RECALL? *TR
FAILURE OF TRANSMISSION, 2002 MAZDA 626, TWICE IN LAST 6 MONTHS. CAR LURCHES, STALLS, WILL NOT SHIFT INTO GEARS, HAVE BEEN STUCK ON BUSY FREEWAY. ALSO FUEL PUMP JUST CUTS OFF AND CAR WILL NOT START. *TR
TRANSMISSION FAILURE, 2002 MAZDA 626 4CYL. TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING AND SHIFTING HARD BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEARS. 97,000 MILES BUT HAD REGULAR "HARSH CONDITIONS" MAINTENANCE AS IT WAS BEING OPERATED IN THE AZ DESERT HEAT. TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT BUT NOW SHIFTS HARD 1ST TO 2ND IN ADDITION TO 2ND AND 3RD DESPITE BEING SENT BACK. THERE ARE WIDESPREAD FAILURES OF 626 TRANSMISSIONS BUT MAZDA WAS NEVER FORCED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO ISSUE A RECALL. THE TRANSMISSION IS TOO SMALL FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE PER SOME REPORTS. $2,500 FOR REBUILT TRANSMISSION. I'VE NEVER HAD A AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION GO OUT THIS SOON AND I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR 35 YEARS. *TR
2002 MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSION CHAIN FAILURE. CAR HAS ONLY 72K MILES ON IT, NEEDS ENTIRE RE-BUILT TRANSMISSION COSTING OVER $1900.00. *TR
TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 75,000 MILES. *TR
94,000 MILES ON MY 2002 MAZDA 626 AND THE TRANSMISSION IS SHOT AND STRUTS WERE WORTHLESS. WAS STRANDED ON THE ROAD WHEN THE CAR WOULD GO IN REVERSE BUT WAS DIFFICULT TO OPERATE IN DRIVE AND AT SLOWER SPEEDS AND STOP SIGNS/LIGHTS. *TR
I HAVE MAZDA 626 YEAR 2002. IT HAD AROUND 53,000 MILES ON IT. VERY LOW MILEAGE AND WELL MAINTAINED. ONE DAY, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THERE WAS SUDDEN JERKING MOTION AND OD LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH, AFTER WHICH THE CAR SLOWED DOWN AND WAS MOVING AT A VERY SLOW SPEED. (ON THE HIGHWAY). AS AND WHEN I STOPPED/SLOWED, THE CAR HAD DIFFICULTY TO GAIN SPEED. SOME HOW, I GOT IT HOME AFTER WHICH , IT WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD. NEUTRAL AND REVERSE GEARS WORKED FINE. TOOK IT MAZDA DEALER IN TROY, AND THEY SAID A BAD TRANSMISSION. FIRST THEY SAID THAT THEY WILL GET A NEW TRANSMISSION AND THEY WERE CHARGING EXORBITANTLY. LATER THEY SAID THAT IT WOULD BE REBUILT FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY. I TOOK MY CART TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP AND GOT IT REPAIRED. I HAVE READ ONLINE THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS NUMEROUS PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH TRANSMISSION WITH MAZDA 626. I CALLED UP MAZDA COMPANY AND COMPLAINED ABOUT IT. BUT MY WORDS FELL ON DEAF EARS SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE, MAZDA KNOWS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND HAS NOT ADDRESSED IT. *TR
2002 MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSION BURNOUT. PURCHASED USED MAZDA WITH 138000 MILES, PREVIOUS OWNER SAID HE'D REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION ONCE BEFORE. AT AROUND 160 K MILES MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, I HAD A SHOP REPLACE WITH REBUILT TRANS, BUT MORE PROBLEMS RESULTED. 2000 DOLLARS LATER, PLUS RENTAL CAR FEES AND THE "NEW" TRANSMISSION IS ON THE BLINK STILL, HAS BEEN BACK IN THE SHOP THREE TIMES. SYMPTOMS ARE WELL DOCUMENTED IN THE INTERNET, BUCKING, NO POWER, HIGH RPM'S, FLASHING O/D LIGHT, SPEWING OIL. IF THIS CAR IS EVER DRIVABLE AGAIN I WILL SELL AND NEVER BUY MAZDA AGAIN. *TR
MAZDA 626 WAS BUILT WITH A BAD TRANSMISSION THAT HAS HAD PROBLEMS SINCE 50,000 MILES. THE CAR STARTED FORCEFULLY SHIFTING, AND NOW WILL HAVE PROBLEMS ACCELERATING. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT SINCE 50000 MILES WITH CONDITIONS GETTING WORSE. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE YET TO FIX THE PROBLEM ACCEPT MY MECHANIC SAYS I NEED TO EITHER REBUILD THIS TRANSMISSION OR PUT IN A NEW TRANSMISSION. *TR
I HAVE A 2002 MAZDA 626 AND ON JULY 5,08 MY CAR TRANS STOPPED WORKING WHILE I WAS GOING UPHILL. I HAD TO SWERVE THE CAR TO KEEP IT FROM ROLLING BACKWARD INTO ANOTHER CAR. *TR
NO EVENTS LEAD UP TO MY FAILURE. WE OWN AND HAVE A WELL MAINTAINED MAZDA 626 AND IT STOPPED DRIVING THE OTHER DAY. NO WARNING OR PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THIS - JUST STOPPED RUNNING. WHILE WE WERE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT STARTED TO NOT ACCELERATE OR SHIFT ERRATICALLY AND ROUGHLY. *TR
THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2002 MAZDA 626 HAS BEGAN MAKING NOISES NOW. IT IS CLICKING AND JERKING THE CAR. *TR
I AM TRULY DISAPPOINTED IN THE SERVICE AND QUALITY RECEIVED BY MAZDA. WHEN I BOUGHT MY 2002 MAZDA 626 IN 2005 I TOOK MY CAR IN APPROXIMATELY 1 WEEK LATER TO LET THEM KNOW THAT MY ENGINE SHAKES. MECHANIC SAYS THAT'S THE WAY IT IS SUPPOSED TO ME (ALTHOUGH NO OTHER CAR THAT I'VE BEEN IN DID THAT). AS TIME WENT ON & THINGS GOT WORSE WE DISCOVERED THAT OUR ENGINE MOUNTS WERE BROKEN. WE SEEM TO HAVE TO CHANGE OUR BRAKE PADS EVERY 3 MONTHS. WE TOOK OUR CAR IN TODAY BECAUSE OUR CAR WAS "JUMPING", FIND OUT OUR TRANSMISSION IS SHOT. IM A SINGLE MOM AND DO NOT HAVE A 6 FIGURE JOB , BUT HAS HAD TO DISH OUT $ ALL THE TIME FOR THE REPAIRS ON THIS CAR. IT IS MERELY A WORK VEHICLE AND I DON'T TRAVEL MUCH OTHER THAN THAT. I'VE BEEN PUT BEHIND ON BILLS AND NOW IS TOLD TO REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION IT WILL BE $2000. IT IS FRUSTRATING. ITS NO WONDER WHY SO MANY PEOPLE LOVE TOYOTAS AND HONDAS. *TR
FOR THE PAST WEEK I HAVE BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY VEHICLE'S AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. I OWN A MAZDA 626 2002 4 CYL. MY VEHICLE HAS 63,642 MILES AND FOR THE PAST WEEK WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE WOULD SHIFT OUT OF GEAR INTO A LOWER GEAR. IT WOULD STAY IN THE SAME GEAR AND NOT SHIFT (THIS OCCURS MAINLY IN THE LOWER GEARS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN DRIVE). THE O/D OFF LIGHT WOULD BLINK ON AND OFF AFTER THIS OCCURS AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHEN THE PROBLEMS BEGAN. YESTERDAY AFTER PARKING THE CAR I AM UNABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT GO BACKWARDS. I LOOKED ONLINE AND THERE ARE APPARENTLY NUMEROUS DOCUMENTED ISSUES OF MAZDA 626S HAVING TRANSMISSION FAILURE. . I CALLED THE MAZDA CUSTOMER SUPPORT CENTER AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS NO POWERTRAIN WARRANTY OFFERED AND MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF THE MANUFACTURERS 3 YEAR/50000 MILE WARRANTY. *TR
I HAVE A 2002 MAZDA 626 4CYL WITH 71,200 MILES. I HAD JUST PAID IT OFF LAST MONTH AND COME TO FIND OUT MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS GOING OUT ON ME. WHEN ACCELERATING IT SOUNDS AS IF GEARS ARE GRINDING. THERE WAS A COUPLE TIMES OVER THE LAST 3 MONTHS MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT IN AND WAS TOLD MY BATTERY CONNECTION WAS LOOSE. OTHER THAN THAT THERE WAS NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THIS AND HAPPENED ALL OF A SUDDEN. I HAVE TRIED TO CHANGE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND THE DEFECTED TRANSMISSION IS STILL IN THE VEHICLE CONTINUING WITH GRINDING NOISE. TOOK IT BACK IN AND TOLD ME THE TRANSMISSION IS ABOUT TO NEED REBUILDING I HAVE READ MANY PROBLEMS ONLINE DATING BACK TO 1996 REGARDING THESE 626'S TRANSMISSIONS AND HERE IS ANOTHER ONE. *TR
I OWN A MAZDA 2002 626 LX WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. IT WAS PURCHASED ON DECEMBER 12, 2004 AND HAS ONLY 43,700 MILES ON IT. THE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON THE CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN PERFORMED AS OUTLINED IN THE CAR MAINTENANCE MANUAL. ON JULY 13, 2007 THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO HAVE PROBLEMS. SOME TIME WHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK TO THE REVERSE GEAR IT WILL MAKE A SCREECHING NOISE AND THE GEAR WILL NOT ENGAGE. ON JULY 14, 2007 I CALLED TWO MAZDA DEALERSHIPS AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS OUT OF WARRANTY (TIME WISE, NOT MILEAGE WISE) AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS RELATED TO THE TRANSMISSION. ON JULY 16, 2007 I TOOK IT TO AN AAMCO SHOP. A DAY LATER I WAS TOLD BY AAMCO THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE RE-BUILT. IT COST ME $2510 TO GET THE TRANSMISSION RE-BUILD. THIS WAS A HUGE UNEXPECTED EXPENSE BECAUSE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED AT SUCH A LOW MILEAGE DUE TO SOME INHERENT DEFECT. *TR
THE CAR IS A 2002 MAZDA 626 WITH APPROXIMATELY 90K MILES. THE CAR WAS NOT IN A CRASH OR INCIDENT LEADING UP TO THE ISSUE. AUGUST 28, 2007-DRIVING ON I-5 ON THE WAY HOME FROM WORK THE O/D LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH. I WAS APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES FROM HOME SO I CONTINUED ON. THE NEXT MORNING I STARTED THE CAR AND BACKED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY. IT WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR AT ALL. REVERSE WORKS JUST FINE. IT WAS TOWED TO THE MECHANIC AND WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS COMPLETELY DEAD AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE COST OF THIS IS GOING TO BE $1350 FOR A REBUILT/REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION AND LABOR ($650). THIS IS A TOTAL OF $2,000 NOT INCLUDING TAX. THERE WERE NO USED TRANSMISSIONS AVAILABLE AT THE TIME. BASED ON MY RESEARCH THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MAZDA 626S AND THEY'VE ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN # 05-005/02 DEALS WITH ONE SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCE: AFTER EXTENDED HIGHWAY DRIVING, THE O/D OFF LIGHT IS BLINKING AND CODE P1783 IS SET (EXCESSIVE ATF TEMPERATURE). THE TSB REQUIRES THAT A COOLING KIT BE INSTALLED DUE TO OVERHEATING WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION THE KIT IS INSTALLED AT THE COST OF THE OWNER WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY $1,236 (QUOTED BY SENATOR MAZDA). THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE CD4E WAS MEANT FOR THE FORD CONTOUR/MYSTIQUE WHICH IS MUCH LIGHTER THAN THE MAZDA 626. IN ADDITION, THE MANUAL DOESN'T MENTION ANY SERVICING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE TRANSMISSION NOR HAVE I BEEN CONTACTED AS MAZDA'S DUE DILIGENCE TO REACH OUT TO THEIR 626 OWNERS TO FIX THE PROBLEM AS A PEREMPTORY STRIKE. *JB
WHEN STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE WHEN GIVEN GAS. CAR NEVER PULLED WELL WHEN DRIVING. THE CAR WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP BEFORE IT BROKE DOWN. THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN THE 626. IN LESS THAN 9 MONTHS THE CAR STOPPED PULLING ALL TOGETHER. *AK
PURCHASED A USED 2002 MAZDA 626 AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING. THE WRRRANTY COMPANY DENIED THERE WAS A PROBLEM , AND THIS CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AT THE PRESENT TIME. MEANWHILE THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING FOR A WEEK AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE ON THE VEHICLE.*AK
2002 MAZDA 626 CUSTOMER STATES THAT HE HAS HAD TRANSMISSION REPLACED AND IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN**CC CONSUMER STATES THAT DEALER REPLACED WITH REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION AND WANTS TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE 2ND TRANSMISSION. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE IS SHIFTING HARD. WHEN THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FLUID WAS BLACK, WHICH INDICATED A PREMATURE FLUID BREAKDOWN. THE CONSUMER STATED MAZDA INSTALLED A FORD CD4E TRANSMISSION THAT WAS TOO SMALL FOR THE VEHICLE; THUS CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO OVERHEAT AND THE FLUID TO BREAKDOWN PREMATURELY. *TR
NO CRASHES OR INJURIES JUST YET, BUT I PURCHASED A 2002 MAZDA 626 BRAND NEW AFTER I WAS TALKED INTO IT BY THE DEALERSHIP. I HAD A 2001 626 WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION THAT I BROUGHT IN TO BE SERVICED BY THE DEALERSHIP (FIVE STAR MAZDA). THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD GET ME INTO A BRAND NEW 626 WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FOR LESS PER MONTH THAN I WAS PAYING AT THE TIME. BEING YOUNG, AND JUST PURCHASED A HOME WITH ONE CHILD AND ANOTHER ON THE WAY, I JUMPED AT THE IDEA OF DECREASING THE AMOUNT OF OUR BILLS. I ALSO THOUGHT IT WOULD BE EASIER TO DEAL WITH TWO LITTLE ONES IF I DIDN'T HAVE TO FOOL WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. I SURE WISH I'D HAVE KEPT THAT CAR NOW!! ONE YEAR FOLLOWING THE EXPIRATION OF THE WARRANTY (2005), YOU GUESSED IT, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP. WHEN I TOOK IT INTO FIVE STAR MAZDA, THEY CHARGED ME $90 TO RUN DIAGNOSTICS ON THE CAR (EVEN THOUGH ACCORDING TO NUMEROUS INTERNET POSTS, THEY ALREADY NEW THE PROBLEM!) AT ANY RATE, THEY CONTACTED ME LATER THAT DAY TO LET ME KNOW THAT IT WOULD BE NEARLY $3000 TO REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION, AND WOULD I LIKE TO KEEP IT THERE TO HAVE IT DONE. HELLO, LET ME JUST CLIMB UP MY MONEY TREE AND HAND IT RIGHT OVER!!! WE RECENTLY FILED A BANKRUPTCY AND ARE UNABLE TO JUST GO GET A LOAN OR PUT IT ON A CREDIT CARD, WE WOULD BE IN CONTEMPT OF COURT. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT THIS. I'M SORRY, BUT MAZDA HAS KNOWN OF THIS PROBLEM SINCE 1993? WHY HASN'T SOMETHING BEEN DONE ABOUT THIS? THE CONSUMER SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR MISTAKE! ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE FACT THAT I STILL HAVE TO PAY ON THE LOAN, I SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE THE EXTRA MONEY TO EVEN SAVE UP FOR REPAIR BILLS COSTING THE AMOUNT OF ANOTHER CAR!! THE CAR WORSENS DAILY, AND GIVEN THE FACT THAT IT TAKES AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO BUILD UP SPEED, IF A CAR IS EVEN IN SIGHT RANGE OF MINE, I CANNOT DRIVE OUT IN FRONT OF IT. *JB
2002 MAZDA 626 2.0 W/ 39000 MILES TRANSMISSION FAILED AS REPORTED BY THOUSANDS ON THE NET. ERRATIC HARD SHIFT OCCURRED THAT ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE ODOMETER INDICATOR BEGAN FLASHING RIGHT THERE AFTER. I SEE NO RECALLS FOR THIS ALTHOUGH REPORTED SO MANY TIMES ,WHICH I AM VERY SURPRISED. I SEE SO MANY FAILURES FOR THIS PARTICULAR TRANSMISSION . VERY DISAPPOINTED! NOT MANY MILES ON THIS CAR.*AK
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
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