1996 Mazda 626 LX review from North America
"Fun to drive, high cost to maintain"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Spark Plug wire failure at 89K miles.
Oil cooler leak at 89K miles.
Vacuum chamber and vacuum lines below the manifold also failed at 90K miles.
Power steering pump replaced at 90K miles.
Clutch went out at 91K miles.
Needed new brake rotors at 91K miles.
Radiator started to leak at 96K miles.
Alternator failed at 98K miles.
Oil leak behind timing cover at 100K miles.
General comments?
The car has serious reliability problems. I've spent over $4000 to get it fixed and keep it running. Almost everything went wrong in about 10,000 miles. My other car had 142,000 miles and did not have any major problems except a new clutch and an alternator. The car also burns oil - about 0.5 quart every 3000 miles.
The car is fun to drive. Really good suspension and the V6 is pretty responsive with a manual transmission. No lack of power even at 7000ft above sea level where I live. The interior is relatively roomy, the sound system is also decent. The cruise control system needs a little more fine tuning though. Also there is no ABS which is a little troublesome sometimes. Overall it is a decent car with very poor reliability.
Recommended reviews
| It is a nice car that has not required too many repairs, though more than I'd like. |
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| I wouldn't have too much hopes on this car |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.5L V6 Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 3 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 3 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 88600 miles |
| Most recent distance | 101000 miles |
| Previous car | Nissan Sentra |
| Date of Entry | 18th March, 2003 |