1999 Mazda 626 LX from North America - Comments

My car stopped going in reverse at approx. 30,000 miles.

The paint peeled off on all door handles at approx. 35,000 miles.

At approximately 30,000 miles, my car began having intermittent problems going in reverse. The problem would last for a day or two and then it would come back. It seemed to be a transmission problem (b/c it wouldn't go into gear) so I brought it back to the dealer. When I brought it back to the dealer, they said they couldn't fix it because they couldn't duplicate the problem. I continued to have this problem, so I brought it back again. Once again, they said there was nothing they could do for me b/c they couldn't duplicate it. And, miraculously, it was working fine when they gave it back to me. The problem showed up again this morning and I'm furious! I called Mazda and they were not interested in helping me at all! My warranty will run out in August and I want this taken care of, but I'm not getting any assistance from my dealer, or from Mazda.

I also had a problem with the paint peeling on all four door handles. Two were replaced with no hassle and I'm bringing it in to get the other two replaced shortly.

Before I bought this 626, I had a 1992 Geo Storm that (believe it or not) was more reliable than this 1999 Mazda 626.

I understand that problems can occur with cars, but dealerships and manufacturers that handle it professionally will always win my loyalty. Next time I'll buy a Honda or a Toyota.

The gearbox problem is not surprising (it's made by Ford)