NHTSA — Power Train: Automatic Transmission Problems

1997 Mazda 626 (Page 1 of 11)

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
7 / 0
Average Mileage:
52,419 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

1997 Mazda 626 transmission problems

transmission problem

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1997 Mazda 626 Owner Comments (Page 1 of 11)

problem #210

Jan 102009

626 4-cyl

  • 100,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Mazda 626 1997 4 cylinder transmission problem once the O/D off light came on. When I shift into reverse, sometime it does not move. After driving for a few minutes the car jerks and struggles with erratic shifting of gears. This is accompanied by an increase in the engine RPM and noise. Car still drives but may not be safe. Check engine light shows fault with transmission range switch.

- North Brunswick, NJ, USA

problem #209

May 042009

626

  • 177,000 miles
Transmission light keeps blinking once RPM reaches of 3.

- Fort Stewart, GA, USA

problem #208

Feb 112009

626

  • 94,000 miles
I have a 1997 Mazda 626 with a Ford cd4E transmission. I have read numerous stories of early transmission failure with this transmission. I am experiencing it myself. I have filed numerous complaints and the only thing I have accomplished it put wear and tear on my keyboard. I also have a 1998 Buick Lesabre with a plastic intake manifold. It has 124,000 miles on it and the engine sounds like a diesel. This defect has been known to cause premature engine failure in numerous cases. What is going on" I would vote to fire all the Ford and general motor engineers. I am a disabled man stuck with two pieces of engineering stupidity. All I can do is every once in a while is to beat on this keyboard and feel like there is nothing I can do about this. Is there" the injury is to my trust as well as my wallet.

- West Jordan, UT, USA

problem #207

Apr 022008

626

  • 60,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My transmission is not functioning properly.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #206

Dec 022008

626

  • 205,000 miles
I drove my 1997 Mazda 626 for a day after I bought it from a used car salesman as is. All of a sudden the O/D off light came on and on, then parked it, and just 20 mins later I could not reverse it. When I shift into neutral it acts as if its in drive and neutral in reverse and drive is drive. I've read online about people with the same car having the exact same problems and was told to file a complaint here. Please bring Mazda to justice on their 626 trannys!!

- Geneseo , IL, USA

problem #205

Oct 272008

626

  • 96,000 miles
The Mazda I own is a 1997 Mazda 625 with a cd-4E Ford automatic transmission. It has 96,000 miles on it and the transmission is failing. I have read where numerous people have replaced this transmission multiple times only to have it fail again and again. I have filed this complaint with several agencies and I have never been offered a solution or even a response. Numerous people are in the same boat and desperately looking for some recourse. I really wonder if anyone out there really cares that we are being forced to deal with a totally defective transmission which should have been recalled years ago. This is total highway robbery.

- West Jordan, UT, USA

problem #204

Jan 102006

626

  • 180,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

1997 Mazda 626, transmission replaced by Mazda due to extended warranty at approximately 100,000 miles. Vehicle now has 183,000 miles and the transmission is slipping again. I have had this car garaged for 2 years as the cost of replacing the transmission again is prohibitive. Replaced trans fluid with synthetic and it runs better however if I had know their was a problem with the transmission for this car I would have sold it a long time ago and would have installed a transmission cooler when it was replaced. The state should order a recall or you would think there would be a group of attorney's who would like to file a class action suit against Mazda!!!

- Calimesa, CA, USA

problem #203

Apr 202006

626

  • miles
I own a 1997 Mazda 626 LX and it has a manufacturer defect in the transmission. I take great pre-maintenance and only have 69,000 miles on the car and the transmission is defected and not functioning properly.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #202

Oct 101997

626

  • 135,000 miles
1. some events leading up to the failure: Blinking over drive light then started to click (almost as if it were cv joints) 2. transmission, started quietly and seldomly, then to a more frequent and louder clicking, to where the transmission finally stopped working in all. 3.none yet happened today.

- Myrtle Beach, SC, USA

problem #201

Oct 101997

626

  • 135 miles
1. some events leading up to the failure: Blinking over drive light then started to click (almost as if it were cv joints) 2. transmission, started quietly and seldomly, then to a more frequent and louder clicking, to where the transmission finally stopped working in all. 3.none yet happened today.

- Myrtle Beach, SC, USA

problem #200

Sep 052008

626

  • 137,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have a 1997 Mazda 626 2 L 4 cylinder with 137K miles on it. I have had nothing but problems with my transmission cd4E. It has shifted erratically since I bought it in Oct. 2006 and now will not shift from 2nd to 3rd gear. It will have to be rebuilt or replaced. The cd4E transmission in this care has a vast record of problems dating back to 1994. Today's transmissions and vehicles should not have this type of problem and will probably force me to buy another car which I can not afford at this time, due to the cost of repairs to the transmission.

- Cape Coral, FL, USA

problem #199

Jun 152008

626

  • Automatic transmission
  • 129,481 miles
Automatic transmission failure. Vehicle will not move in reverse gear.

- Vine Grove, KY, USA

problem #198

Jul 052008

626

  • 100,000 miles
We have owned a 4 cylinder 1997 Mazda that has had the transmission replaced twice.

- West Harrison, IN, USA

problem #197

Jul 072006

626

  • 94,000 miles
My 1997 Mazda 626 had a failure of the transmission. The od light kept flashing and the car shifted erratically. The cost to rebuild was $1800. I have read about this problem occurring in many other older Mazda cars as well. The problem first occurred in the summer of 2006. I was forced to put the car up for several months while I saved the money for the repairs. It was repaired in the summer of 2007. The car transmission is again acting erratically. There are many postings on the web that indicate that there is reason to believe that the transmissions in these cars are faulty.

- Whitehall, NY, USA

problem #196

May 252008

626 4-cyl

  • 112,000 miles
I purchased a 1997 Mazda 626 with 90,000 miles on it in January 2007. Recently, at 112K, the O/D light began flashing and the car jerked and struggled to shift gears. I took it to four different automotive mechanic shops and they all ran an estimate and told me the same thing - that the Ford cd4E transmission in it is failing and it's only a matter of time before it quits completely. They also all informed me that this is a typical problem with this type and year transmission. It is very devastating to me because I am on a very limited income and it had proven to be such a reliable car aside from the transmission problem, running gas at aprox. 30 mpg. As I used a popular search engine to find "Mazda 626 transmissions" hoping to purchase a new one, instead I was greeted with thousands of pages upon pages of complaints on the exact same problem I have encountered with the Ford cd4E transmission. Neither Ford nor Mazda has done anything to accept responsibility; this should be inexcusable!

- Birmingham, AL, USA

problem #195

May 012008

626

  • miles
Transmission.

- Lugoff, SC, USA

problem #194

Sep 102007

626 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 87,000 miles
Failure of automatic transmissions at an early mileage range. Either have to replace or have transmission rebuilt.

- Longview, TX, USA

problem #193

Apr 022008

626 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 140,000 miles
Transmission in 97 626 Mazda 4cyl locked up when turning cruise control off on interstate causing the front wheels to lock up and sliding the vehicle to a stop the trans is no good now. Should the manufacture be responsible to fix the problem.

- Belpre, OH, USA

problem #192

Mar 242008

626 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 165,200 miles
Flashing "O/D off" light, rough shifting, jerking, sluggish acceleration nearly resulting in T-bone collision. Incidents too recent for repair actions to be attempted, but consistent with other reports regarding this particular year/make/model.

- Stoddard, NH, USA

problem #191

Apr 112006

626 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 150,000 miles
Transmission failed on a Mazda 626 '97 4cyl, hardly 9 years after manufacture. I had to replace the whole transmission on the vehicle.

- Salinas, CA, USA

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