I seriously cannot tell you how many times we've replaced the catalytic converter on this Mazda. This is the fourth one in the past year alone, other than that, this car has been absolutely perfect. Transmission has behaved itself, the motor's starting to go (after twelve years it was bound to happen), it's starting to burn oil, the heat's not so great, but that bloody catalytic converter is always going now. Always setting off the "Check engine" light, always being a pain in the ass! At first it was an 02 sensor which was no big deal, the local mechanic could pop a new one in quickly and usually never cost that much, but then we had to start replacing the cat itself because it was creating error codes quicker than the 02 sensor could.

We've had it replaced so frequently that each one has been covered by the previous one's warranty. Each had a six-month replacement warranty, the first two were not, one was from a Mazda dealership in town costing around $800, the second time was shortly over five months and they were going to charge $100 more for the same repair when they supposedly could get a CC that was cheaper even when their "refurbished part" was still under warranty for parts AND labor. The third time happened this past weekend, the cat got all fouled up and supposedly the mechanic cleaned it out and next time it sets off the light he'll replace it.

We realize the car only has a couple of years left in her, she's got 152k miles now, she was bought in February 1999 so she's clearly not a spring chicken, minor rusting on the body after small collisions with snowbanks (oops) and small sideswipes, but that's three CC problems in one year alone, it was replaced for the first time around two or three years ago before she turned 100k or so. More or less she's been a ride-around-town car and some light highway driving, she hasn't left the state since a trip in 2006 to Washington DC (which was made with zero problems). We still have not to this day put in as much money as it took to pay for her ($21,000 brand new off the lot)

Once the 626 passes 130k give or take it starts to break down left and right, but I wouldn't trust any other maker to this day.