1988 Mazda 626 LX review from North America
"I wish I could find another like this one"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Keep in mind that this is a high-mileage car, and these faults were distributed over 190,000 miles of driving. CV boots are fairly short lived, averaging one boot replacement every 18 months.
The clutch master cylinder began leaking and needed replacement at about 150,000 miles.
The gears in the electric window lifts have failed on both rear doors, making the windows impossible to open and allowing them to fall down over big bumps.
The moon roof needs a nudge before it will pop open, but the sliding function still works.
I've replaced the leaking valve cover gasket twice.
The electric antenna will no longer go up-and-down. So I unplugged the power connector on the radio, pulled the antenna up and left it. No problem.
It takes so long to warm up in cold weather, I replaced the 185-degree OEM thermostat with a 195-degree one. It didn't help.
The lap belt tends not to fully retract when you take it off, causing it to fall out the door when you exit the car. When it does, the door doesn't fully close, leaving the dome light on. Several times I failed to notice the door hadn't completely close and the battery ran down.
The shoulder belt is one of those annoying motorized mice. If you open the door and stick out your head -- like to get a better view when backing up -- the accursed thing will try to decapitate you. Hell has an especially warm place reserved for the inventor of the motorized passive restraining shoulder harness.
One wheel bearing, one CV boot and joint, and one tie rod end -- and who knows what else -- now are worn out (after more than a quarter of a million miles, I don't wonder). I can buy a newer model of the same car for less than the repair so, sadly, it's time to put it out to pasture.
General comments?
This car has been extremely economical basic transportation. Except when the battery has gone dead, it has never failed to start. Not once!
It still has the original clutch.
Until six months ago (at about 250,000 miles) it still gave 32mpg or better around town, 34mpg or better highway.
This is without a doubt the best buy I ever made in a car.
Recommended reviews
| 1988 - 626 LX Touring 2.2 Fuel Injected An excellent high performance family car |
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| This is a comfortable, affordable, bargain sedan |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1988 |
| First year of ownership | 1994 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.2L Manual |
| Performance marks | 4 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 74000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 260000 miles |
| Previous car | Porsche 944 |
| Date of Entry | 18th December, 2002 |