1999 Mazda 626 from North America - Comments

I am anticipating buying a new transmission for my 1999 626 within 2 years maximum, based on a transmission expert's comments when I took it in recently. The transmission had been slipping, and acting very strange. If it had been a standard I would have figured that it was slipping out of gear or the clutch was going out, but this is an automatic and what it was doing just didn't make sense. The repairman is a trusted friend of a friend, and ended up patching it up for free as much as they could, but he said it *will* go out and probably in a year or so. He said there are numerous problems with the transmissions in the FORD 626 and he's already replacing the transmissions in 2002's and 2003's.

Yes, that was FORD, not Mazda. Which is why I'm disappointed. I bought something that was misleading. A friend from Columbia said Mazdas were so reliable that it was one of the few cars (that and the Subaru) that are good in the mountians and rough conditions in South America, and that it should be really reliable. Well, theirs are actual Mazdas made in Japan. Mine was made by Ford in Detroit, and it's based on the Ford Probe's frame. The engine is Japanese and will last forever, but the transmission is poorly designed, weak, and prone to various failures. too bad I found that out after I bought it.

If it had a decent transmission this would be one hot car. The styling on mine is beautiful, it's black with some sporty molding and the nice wheel option, leather, and it looks beautiful. It's comfortable and has good acceleration. The gas mileage is reasonable for a mid-size car, and it's very roomy. I just wish I could trust it.

Maybe I'm prejudiced against american cars, but I've owned a Mitsubishi / Dodge Raider and a Toyota Corolla before. The Toyota was the best car in the world, but unfortunately I wrecked it. From now on, I'm sticking with Toyota, Subaru, or Honda. Period. Mazda is not necessarily the quality you would expect from a Japanese car, in fact the 626 is not Japanese at all. (Yes, I realize my old Corolla was made in partnership with GM, but it was so well built... and GM is fairly reliable anyway.) Forget the reputation that Mazda has for their other well-built vehicles; the 626 is a re-labeled Ford, not a Mazda. I don't plan on it lasting any longer than any other Ford would.

Such beautiful leather and options, a beautiful sunroof... it's such a pretty car and so comfortable. So why leave such a horribly critical show-stopper screwing up all the other beauty? If they would fix the transmissions, this would be one hell of a car. But since the transmissions go out so badly, forget it and buy something else that will last longer without major repairs of that nature.

Your transmission shop is mistaken. The entire driveline, engine and the messed up transmission is Mazda. Same thing with the Ford Probe. Ford just built the body. That was a Mazda slip up, 100%, not Ford. Obviously, Ford has had its share of spectacular failures too.

I think you are genuinely being objective, but were given inaccurate information by someone with the popular belief that Japanese manufacturers can do no wrong. Mazda did in this case... the 626/Probe transmission has a notorious reputation.

The engines seem to be decent in terms of durability (my aunt, uncle, and cousin had three Probes respectively) but I know some repairs were more complicated and expensive than they should have been. I know in my cousin's Probe/626, the exhaust manifold had to come off to replace something very basic (might have been the alternator, but I do not remember), and as I recall, the component failed very prematurely. A coworker/friend of mine currently has a '97 626 (manual transmission model) who cannot get the check engine light to go off for anything. Runs great, but cannot pass inspection... a real problem.

I know Ford owns Mazda. Not sure who the designers/engineers of Mazda are though (Mazda? Ford?)

Ford doesn't completely own Mazda, they just have something like a 25% stake in Mazda.

Great cars with poorly matched transmissions. Improve your chances of keeping your AT alive by adding an external trans cooler. Keep the trans fluid level right, never too high or too low. Don't ignore CEL or blinking OD light. Get an OBD II scan and fix any probs early. In Calif., Autozone will not do free OBD readouts. Another goofy CA law. Dirty or defective MAF sensors and several other components can cause trans symptoms when actually nothing may be wrong with the trans.

Absolutely right about the Transmissions being Mazda. I know that the Ford transmissions in the Taurus for example were great if you just changed the fluid every so often. I have a 93 Taurus with 270,000 miles and two other 93 with well over 200,000 mies and none have had their transmissions replaced. I think 96 they started using the Mazda transmission and that's where the problems began.

I have a 1999 Mazda 626 Lx. I replaced the transmission with a rebuilt one that had a warranty of 90 days. 91 days later the transmission went out again!! Anyone have any ideas where I can get another transmission?

The engine is mazda the transmission is not. my 99 626 v6 auto has no transmission problems (knock on wood) and I've put 26k on it since a brought it a year ago. but a key thing you should do (as I am planning to do) is have an tranny cooler installed. this should help pro-long the life of the tranny whether it's a i4 or v6...jus food for thought.

I own a 1999 Mazda 626. I had it for 3 months before the trans went out, so I had a rebuilt one installed!! Two days later my car was and still is having the trans problem. Now I supposedly have metal in my oil due to the bad trans. and the mechanic I went to says my car is contaminated from the burned trans fluid, and my car motor is going to blow! Sure it's a pretty car, but I don't recommend this car to anyone, especially a single mom.

I'm really glad that I have read all of your comments. I was going to buy a 626, but now I have changed my mind.