1995 Mazda 626 LX from North America - Comments

I bought a 94 Mazda 626 about 3 years ago with 65k on it. Now it has about 120k. It has been a great car overall. Very little maintenance. Oil changes and tune ups basically.

But just yesterday the tranny went nuts! It slips in and out of gear in 1st and 2nd gear. And it takes a few seconds for it to even engage when I put it in drive. It moves, but is completely unsafe to drive. What a disappointment. Other than that its been an "OK" car. But the tranny is complete garbage. I'm currently searching for a place to get a tranny for cheap.

I wish I would have done better research before getting the car!!!! Sigh.

Everybody who has had problems with the Mazda 626 transmissions (such as myself) should file a complaint here:

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

Theres well over a hundred complaints there already.

I have a MAZDA 626 LX model 1995, and recently the symbol beside the high beam light symbol start glowing at the initial pick up the car. Somebody could help me up with this and let me know what does it means...PLEASE...

96 Trans. Problems!

I bought a 96 - 626 about a year ago, and after replacing the 02 SENSOR that was making the engine shutter, I thought I had bought a good car.

A few weeks ago, while driving some mountain roads my O/D light started flashing and the RPMs would act strange between gears. The problem went away when I stopped and re-started only to do it again and again. When I got it back to the city the problem stopped and I thought it was over.

Until a week later, when I pulled up to a stop light, it ceased to go forward. After downshifting it would lurch into 1st and 2nd, but the RPMs went nuts when put back into drive, after barely making it another mile I pulled over... It never moved again... My mech. wanted to put in a re-built $2,800 trans... I ended up with a new car.

Beware... SELL IT WHILE ITS STILL WORTH SOMETHING!!!

~Jennifer

beachunny21@yahoo.com.

Bought a used 95 Mazda 626 LX with 122k on it. Everything is new (so the dealer claims) but it the tranny hard shifts from first to second gear after 15-20 minutes of driving (even with a tranny cooler on it!) I hope it lasts long enough for me to pay it off so I can get rid of it! I just don't get it before I had an 88 Mercury Tracer, everything under the hood was manufactured by MAZDA and it was one of the best cars one could ever own with virtually no maintenence.Doesn't anyone believe in the power of a product anymore? If I can I would convert to a NON MAZDA tranny, but don't know if it's possible. Yes it's auto, but no blinking lights yet.<insert joke here> No more Mazda's for Me!

Hate to tell you all this, but Mazda 626 problems go all the way up to the 2002 model year. I bought my Mazda 626 new in Nov. 2002 and by February 2003, had the first tranmission replaced. That transmission went in Nov. 2003 and had another one installed. Now this one, the third one feels like junk. Love the car, hate the bad transmission. Car handles great, looks good, gets me to and from work, but I never feel safe driving it...EVER! Mazda North America insists that even though the car has been in for checks, mounting tightening for the transmission, and two full transmission replacements, that the car does not qualify for lemon law. I can't sell this car in good conscious, and the local dealer won't take it back and help me into a new Mazda, given all the problems with this car.

I owned a 1997 Protege, loved the car and really believed in the Mazda concept, good cars for good prices. Now I feel ripped off, run around, and I will never buy another Mazda again.

Call your attorney general's office

Call National Traffic Safety people

Call local tv stations and newspapers.

Don't give up fighting for Mazda to do something.

I own a Mazda 95 626 LX. I have nothing, but problems with it. I have replaced the transmission five times. I have replaced the water pump twice, the distributor three times, and the crank shaft censor twice. It also vibrates really bad. It sucks gas excessively. I have replaced the tires several times. The last tires I just put new tires on it again and it needs them again because of the vibration. It needs new struts. Now it is under my garage messed up again. I took it to Bull Cheverolet to have them check for a blowed head gasket. They said nothing was wrong with it. They put a intake gasket on it and charged me $400 and it was still was overheating. I took the spark plug out and turned it over and water blew out of the spark plug holes. That was the next day after taking it to the Cheverolet place. We had to tear it down and have the head checked on it and replace all the gaskets thanks to Bull Cheverolet. Now once again my light is blinking again. If you buy a Mazda you deserve to walk!!! Danica Arkansas.

I have a 95 Mazda mx-6 before I got it the transmission was replaced twice I replaced it once already and about 7 months later the overdrive off light started flashing, I was about to sell the car, but now I don't know how I would do it because the light is flashing and it jumps when going into first gear...

I have a 94 626 the transmission went out @ about 150,000 I took it to the shop witch the guy told me I was lucky cause they usely go out about 75,000. in short there is a problem with this transmission. it cost me 2,000 to repair it. the pump plat went out and the transmission burned out. and for some part updates to currect the problem. and there some thing else you should Idle air control need to be cleaned time to time. it will cause your car to idle low in drive and shake/WWW.X_ON@MSN.COM.

Very interesting information. I too wish that I had read up on the 626. My Girlfriend went out and bought a used 1996 626 auto. with 164000 miles, from a roadside used car dealer. the dealer gave her a (sweetheart) deal of 1100 dollars, down of course from 1800. He also told her the car needed a tune up and oil change, maybe a belt or two. Being the good boyfriend that I am, I told her that I would take care of whatever needed to be done so she would be safe driving it. Today we took it to a service center where I paid in excess of 800 dollars for various parts and labor. I was also advised that the car still needs a water pump, strut mounts or tops and maybe a timing belt all for another 1200 dollars. So far, at least not to my knowledge, no lights blinking. Maybe the previous owner (s) bore the brunt of the storm. Pray for you all? Pray for me.

We have a Mazda 626, a 94, within two years I had to put a rebuilt transmission in it. The following comment is for the person who asked if you should your Mazda to a Mazda dealership. NO! First they insisted it was the harness (electrical system). They said this would cost $2000 to fix. We gave them the OK. After fixing this, they then said it was the transmission. We fought and said we wouldn't pay since it was their initial mistake, but had to relent and let them fix the transmission anyway (or no car!). Altogether, we spent like 4500 dollars in one fell swoop--to our horror and the credit card company's delight. This was about four years ago--now the hold light is coming on and it is beginning to jerk. Mazda 626 is a mechanic's dream and an owners nightmare!

My wife bought a 1999 Mazda 626 V6 new off the lot and it now has 130K on it. Admittedly, although I have followed my own advice, the transmission is beginning to fail and so now I write this little tryst. The transmission problems, particularly the automatics, have been around since 1993 and continued through the entire product line. The problem of AT failure also plagues the Probes because they are virtually the same car. The V4 626 uses the CD4E and the V6 uses the 4EAT/GF4A-EL transmissions, both are poor transmissions and prone to overheating. The factory specified interval of 2yrs/24,000 miles is too long and the fluid breaks down long before then. The thing is that very few owners change their ATX fluid every year which is the best idea, but from the looks of the posts on this site this type of prevention is too late. So what can you do if you have to replace?

If you can do not buy a replacement transmission from Mazda - They will be selling you a transmission that is the same as the piece of junk that just failed on you although depending on the year of the 626 with minor improvements.

Look for a better more high performance one they are about 2000 US and buy a better transmission cooler these can be found on the web or locally by talking with shops.

If you have to buy a Mazda transmission do so, but buy a better transmission cooler and replace the ATX fluid at least once a year.

The heart of the problem lies in the fluid break down due to overheating in about 90 percent of these things. That combined with a poorly matched transmission in the first place and you have the saga of the Mazda/Probe ATX failures.

I am a gear head not a mechanic or dealer etc. but these transmissions are crap and Mazda and Ford have known for ten years about it.

I purchased a 1996 Mazda 626 in 1999 (I believe). I have had many problems with it. The most current: I just replaced my timing belts, water pump, thermostat, and got a tune up. However, after doing all this my car will not start up on the first try, if it has been sitting out for along time or over night. I have to turn the ignition on two or three times for the car to come on. My mechanic just informed me today that I need to buy a new computer for the car and I am looking at $500 for that. I don't really now if this car is worth me spending all this money, but I am in school, paying my own tuition so I don't know what to do. Should I trade my car in for another or should I just get the computer. I am going to try to unhook the battery like many of ya have posted on this website. Hopefully that will work... if not I know next time not to buy a Mazda.

I have had a 1995 for 8 years now. I had my first transmission go at 95000 miles I am now at 159,000 I change the tranny fluid after every other oil change and have had good luck. I go through front brake pads about every nine months and new tires about every 30000 miles. My car has been a great car for the most part.

Howdy!

I have an 89 626 that was built in Japan, and have had a great experience with the car. I bought it in 1992 with 25,000 miles on it, and now it has 367,000 miles. Never had any engine work; I just replace wearable parts, timing belt, struts, tune-ups, etc...

Still running great, and this is my primary car. I also have a badass 78 Jeep CJ5, 304 V8, w/33-in Mud Kings.

My sister bought an American-made 94 626, that always seemed to have problems, and it seemed to be made with cheaper parts.

Anyway, the Mazda has been a great car to me. I'm sure I will hit 500,000 with this engine. This spring I will be swapping out the motor mounts.

Anybody else have a high-mileage experience with the 626?

Drop me a note: jgrover@coin.org.

Peace!