1985 Mazda 626 LX review from North America
"Run away from this vehicle as fast as you possibly can"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The transmission went out at 107,000 miles. We then had the transmission replaced with a used one that had only 20,000 miles on it.
A seal in the new transmission had to be replaced 1,000 miles later.
The new transmission had to be completely replaced again after another 1,000 miles put on it. Fortunately it was under warranty.
The mass air flow sensor had to be replaced, which is not cheap.
The tensioner on the timing belt went out, but was not too expensive to repair.
General comments?
This car drives great as long as no mechanical problems are going on.
For those of us who live paycheck to paycheck, you will go into extensive credit card debt for car repairs.
Mazda refuses to recall the transmission although it's a well known fact that they fail you in every Mazda 626 that they make. Unfortunately I wasn't aware of that when I bought mine.
If you purchase this car, plan on trading it in a year later with negative equity and $3,000 in credit card debt.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7/10 |
| Reliability marks | 0/10 |
| Comfort marks | 5/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 1/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 105000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 115000 miles |
| Previous car | Pontiac Parisienne |
| Date of Entry | 2nd July, 2003 |