Dead battery, twice.
Check engine light came on, once. Cost $75 for the dealer to tell me it was a loose gas cap.
Gap in the passenger's seat back. Everything I put in the seat (CD's, checkbook, etc) slides to the rear floor.
My Mazda 626 has been a very reliable car so far. I have put 49,000 miles on it in just over two years without any major maintenance episodes.
It is beginning to stutter a bit in performance, but I believe that means it is due for it's first tune up since I've owned it.
One performance hitch that tends to bother me, though, is that the low gear takes too long to kick in when going from a coasting speed to an accelerated speed in traffic. I have to floor it and then it downshifts. Not the smoothest of operations.
Gas mileage has been somewhat disappointing for a four cylinder. About 22 mpg around town. I am somewhat of a "lead foot."
Auto Zone will run the check engine for free, I had the same problem and found out it was the gas cap. They also re-set my check engine light and shut it off!
Funny that you should mention your transmission is a little rough in shifting--- at least it is still shifting.
I would strongly advise you to get it up for sale as soon as possible, before you are staring at a 2500 dollar replacement bill. Ask me, I know. Mine only had 76,000 thousand miles on it when I noticed shifting problems. How I wish I woud have read this site before my purchase of this piece of junk. For the sake of Japan's car integrety, they should disown the Mazda brand.
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