1999 Mazda 626 ES review from North America
"Below average performance and not reliable at all since I have owned it!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The first time that the "check engine" light came on, we took it to a mechanic to hook up to the computer. It was a spark plug and wire. The spark was shooting up the side of the plug instead of through it, therefore ruining the wire also. We replaced all of them (thinking no big deal). This has been an ongoing problem and when taken to the dealer, they said it was just a fluke and there is no reason it would continue to do this.
Transmission failed at 86,000 miles and had to pay over $1,500 to repair. Has not seemed to shift properly since.
About 6 months ago, it started to shake and shimmy whenever the air conditioner was on and it was idling. It would also sputter a lot when accelerating. Now though, it does it whether the air conditioner is on or not.
There has always been a ton of road noise and is only decent as far as gas mileage goes.
General comments?
Definately has not proven to be the great car several websites said it was.
I am a VERY disappointed Mazda 626 owner!
Recommended reviews
| A low performance car |
|
| It's a great car; it just hasn't been maintained |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 1999 |
| Year of manufacture | 1999 |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | Automatic |
| Performance marks | 3 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 4 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 74000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 119000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 21st July, 2005 |