Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 9 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 Mazda 626, most frequently naming the airbags, brakes and driver assistance categories. 21 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2003 | 1 | 1 |
| Sep 2003 | 1 | 2 |
| Mar 2004 | 1 | 3 |
| Oct 2004 | 1 | 4 |
| Mar 2005 | 2 | 6 |
| Sep 2008 | 1 | 7 |
| Oct 2015 | 1 | 8 |
| Dec 2015 | 1 | 9 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA 626. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V382000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE PART NEEDED WAS UNAVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT. *JS
I RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE 7914J, CAMPAIGN #15V-345 & 15V-382, IN AUGUST OF 2015. I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP, LESTER GLEN MAZDA IN TOMS RIVER, NJ ON 8/13/15. THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD ORDER THE PART AND CALL WITHIN A WEEK TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO INSTALL THE RECALL PART. I CALLED AGAIN ON 9/16/15 AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WERE STILL WAITING FOR THE PART FROM MAZDA, THAT THE PARTS HADN'T BEEN SHIPPED BECAUSE OF SOME ISSUE ON MAZDA'S END. IT IS NOW 10/16/15 AND I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND THE PART STILL HAS NOT ARRIVED.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA 626. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE LINING BEGAN TO FALL FROM THE REAR CEILING OF THE VEHICLE. THE GLUE THAT HOLDS THE LINING IN PLACE BEGAN TO WEAR OUT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND HER WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED; THEREFORE, NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO ASSIST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 50,000.
MAZDA 6 2003, AT 16,070 MILES CLUTCH WENT OUT. *BF THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO WEAR AND TEAR. *JB
ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS VEHICLE LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING. CONSUMER COULD APPLY THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE WOULD BEARLY MOVE. VEHICLE WAS TO THE DEALER ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.*AK
THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WARPED PREMATURELY. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE ROTORS THREE TIMES, BUT THE CONSUMER WAS STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *JB
WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED A FIRE STARTED INSIDE DRIVER SIDE DOOR PANEL. *AK
CONSUMER NOTICED WHILE TRAVELING VEHICLE WOULD SWAY TO RIGHT. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED, TECHNICIAN ALLEGED VEHICLE'S PROBLEM WOULD RETURN. *AK
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; VISIBILITY/WIPER
This bulletin supersedes the previously issued bulletin(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. 09-042/04 12/10/04 DESCRIPTION Some vehicles may exhibit inoperative electric rear window defroster grid lines, integral antenna concerns causing radio reception issues or terminal tabs pulled from the rear window glass. Follow the diagnostic and repair procedures included in this service information to inspect and service rear defroster grid lines, integral antenna concerns or broken terminal tabs.
ENGINE; POWER TRAIN; SERVICE BRAKES
This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA listed below: The changes are noted in Red. SA-011/24 02/12/24, 06/06/24, 07/29/24 DESCRIPTION Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle-specific workshop manual or owner's manual. Services performed outside of Mazda's factory scheduled maintenance are not recommended. These services are unnecessary and create unneeded expenses for your customers. SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE Refer to the applicable Workshop Manual or Owner's Manual for vehicle -specific manufacturer scheduled maintenance. Workshop Manual - Refer to section 00-00 SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. Owner's Manual - Refer to section 8 Maintenance and Care. b. Note: Please refer to the information below outlining the services not included in Mazda's Factory Scheduled Maintenance: IMPORTANT: Recommending fluid flushes when not necessary can lead to customer confusion and dissatisfaction. Fluid flushing for preventive maintenance purposes is strongly discouraged, unless otherwise specified in a published procedure (Owner’s Manual, Workshop Manual, Technical Service Bulletin, etc.).
A musty/mildew type odor may come from the vents when the air conditioning (A/C) system is operating. It is most noticeable when the A/C is first turned ON. This odor is the result of mold growth in the A/C evaporator/cooling unit which is caused by condensation, dust, and pollen within the cooling unit. This condition is usually worse during high humidity conditions. “Mazda Air Cooling Coil Coating” is available to encapsulate the mold to reduce odors. If the product is properly applied, it can effectively reduce the musty/mildew odor for up to three years. NOTE: See parts information for Mazda Air Cooling Coil Coating and Kit part numbers.
A musty/mildew type odor may come from the vents when the air conditioning (A/C) system is operating. It is most noticeable when the A/C is first turned ON. This odor is the result of mold growth in the A/C evaporator/cooling unit which is caused by condensation, dust, and pollen within the cooling unit. This condition is usually worse during high humidity conditions. “Mazda Air Cooling Coil Coating” is available to encapsulate the mold to reduce odors. If the product is properly applied, it can effectively reduce the musty/mildew odor for up to three years.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
In accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer. NOTE: Tampering with a motor vehicle odometer is strictly prohibited by Federal, and State laws. It is the dealer’s responsibility to comply with Federal, State, and local laws concerning odometer and related documentation requirements when providing a repair or replacement. Mazda vehicles are manufactured with tamper-proof speedometers. When a speedometer is replaced, the new speedometer will read zero (0) miles. This procedure is extremely important to accurately represent actual vehicle mileage. Prior to speedometer removal, complete the information required on the “Speedometer Replacement Label”. Labels can only be ordered through Mazda eStore. In an effort to achieve a higher level of Customer Experience and retain the value of Mazda’s vehicles, MNAO Warranty Operations is allowing all Mazda dealers to utilize a third party, SPECMO Enterprises, Inc., for Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) odometer setting service. With the use of SPECMO’s services, it is possible that the odometer will be set between 10 to 31 miles over the odometer mileage at the time of replacement for both warranty and customer pay repairs. Please make sure that the customer is aware that there may be a slight variance to the odometer, in which case the customer may have to accept the slightly higher mileage. Since odometer setting service is not part of the warranty repair, it is not warrantable nor required, but optional. However, Mazda Warranty policy provides after- warranty assistance (AWA) or DSA that can be utilized to cover this service expense.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER
Speedometer replacement procedure
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003Viewing | 9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2002 | 87 | 0 | 0 | 37.2 |
| 2001 | 188 | 1 | 0 | 44.0 |
| 2000 | 217 | 2 | 0 | 46.6 |
| 1999 | 318 | 4 | 0 | 50.3 |
| 1998 | 434 | 6 | 1 | 56.8 |
| 1997 | 358 | 4 | 2 | 60.8 |
| 1996 | 359 | 3 | 4 | 64.6 |
| 1995 | 488 | 4 | 4 | 65.9 |
| 1994 | 282 | 4 | 2 | 60.1 |
| 1993 | 122 | 2 | 1 | 56.5 |
| 1992 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 43.6 |
| 1991 | 62 | 2 | 2 | 58.2 |
| 1990 | 44 | 2 | 2 | 54.8 |
| 1989 | 42 | 2 | 2 | 57.9 |
| 1988 | 45 | 6 | 3 | 61.1 |
| 1987 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 52.6 |
| 1986 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 51.1 |
| 1985 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1984 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1983 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1982 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1981 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1980 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1979 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1978 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.