First of all - if you ever considered buying MAZDA 626 - DON'T. DO NOT. I've learned the hard way. I've read all those posts about severe TRANSMISSION in Fords and Mazdas, especially in Mazda 626. I've seen so many posts about someone buying a new or a new-used Mazda 626 and transmission going out of order in just a few days/weeks/months/miles...Well, I bought 626 (1998 model) exactly a year ago. I just couldn't believe that such a nice car can have such shitty transmission. Only in America! No majour problems occured until a few weeks ago. Yesterday transmission died....Now I BELIEVE. I lost probably $6000 but now I believe. NO MORE MAZDAS.
I was thinking about Millenia, but NO. Thanks. No more Mazdas. In normal cars transmissions do not break this...

'95 Mazda 626 ES 125,000 miles of hard driving and transmission still going strong.

95 mazda 626LX 4cl.
transmission was gone in 80.000 miles. Ford turned Mazda to another shitty Ford car.

Now I'm no fan of Ford but the engine and tranny in the 626 is Mazda design, it represents the roughly 30% of the car that is not made from American parts.

True the Ford and Mazda truck lines are one and the same, buit I believe the only "shared" Mazda/Ford is the MX-6 and Probe.

My Haynes manual for my 1998 626 is for the 93-98 line Ford Probe and Mazda MX6/626.

I thought I read somewhere that the automatic transmission in these cars is a Ford part.

Anyway, the 626 is indeed the same as the Probe and MX6.

...I may be crazy, but...the build sheet for my '98 626 LX 5spd says 70% American made parts (Ford, et al), 30% Japanese, specifically citing the engine and transmission as foreign.

When I researched cars in this size class before buying this 626, EVERY review of new and used 626's with the automatic mentioned a herky-jerky-quirky element to the transmission. Rough downshift between 2nd to 1st and wierd torque converter lock-up shit.

After further research I found that globally, over 70% of Mazda's are made with manual transmission's, that's why I chose to go with a five speed (plus the better mileage rating).

So, yes, the auto may be a Ford in Mazda clothing, but I doubt it because I don't hear about Ford tranny's crapping out with the frequency of these 626's. I think Mazda knows how to make a damn good manual tranny, but is still cutting their teeth on automatics. Automatics, by the way, are really only popular in the American market. Manual tansmissions are foreign manufacturers, and drivers, bread and butter.

It's also been noted that the computer that controls the tranny often has inherent programming flaws that cause the tranny to essentially tear itself up. That transmission is only a mechanical beast being driven by an electronic brain, I've read several articles indicating that reprogramming the computer cleared up the tranny problems. Crysler/Dodge/Plymouth mini-vans also have this inherent computer flaw that allows way to much clutch slip between 3rd and 4th. When you go to have the tranny rebuilt, the standard operating procedure is to replace the factory ECM.

There've been a number of different transmissions or variations used on 626s in different model years. The one that's giving everybody fits is the Ford sourced CD4E that's also used in the Contour, Mondeo, Mystique, and I think a couple of model year Probes.

1995 Mazda 626 LX, Auto Trans, 90K Miles, and going strong here..

i wonder if the automatic trans going out prematurely has something to do with not properly using the O/D button- ie: turning it off when going up a hill (not accusing you of this, but just trying to figure out why some have this prob and some dont)

or perhaps not using the correct octane fuel? the manual states 'for best performance use 91 octane'...

It has nothing to do with the OD. My transmission went out at 35K. The 626 has a defect that has not been recalled.

did Mazda reimburse you for the costs of replacement or repair?

98' 626, same problem. Driving down the road two years ago when the car started shaking out of the blue. Several thousand dollars for a transmission problem that had no reason to occur. I thought something was up at the time (defect-wise), and I'm not surprised to find out this is a somewhat common problem.

Mazda would not reimburse- but the dealer I bought it from did. It's an unrecognized defect- Mazda won't admit it, instead they are selling a kit to fix it- it runs at about $2,600

Trust me these 626s have sum kind of serious problem with their trannies. I heard about their problems but i fell in love wid the leather seats and swinging vents....LOL.....I bought my 94 626 ES 2.5 V6 and two weeks later my tranny went. LUCKILY, i still had the 30 day dealer warrantee so they replaced it wid a used 94 Tranny. THAT tranny went 2 weeks after that. So the dealer added a 96 tranny wid a transmission cooler, that did the job,...... its been running fine ever since. The transmission cooler is a great investment if u want to protect ur tranny, I myself work for AutoZone and we sell them for 30-50 bucks for the 626s.

Peace
I'm wid u man.... NO MORE MAZDAS...... I'm trading my 626 in for a Honda

95' 626 LX (manual) 150,000 k with beautiful tranny performance

All I have to say is that I have 214,000 on my '94 2.5L 626. Granted it is the 5 speed manual, and with the original clutch no less.

The tranny going out has nothing to do with the OD button. Rather, the faulty part is called the solenoid pack that tells the tranny when to shift. These go bad quite frequently and cause your tranny to not shift. Their are some mechanics that will change the solenoid pack out for you, however, Mazda sells you the whole updated and corrected tranny for 1600 or 2800 installed. They are not putting in a kit, they are installing a new tranny or either they change out the solenoid pack and valve body. Hope this clarifies this mess for you guys. I am a current 626 owner as well. I changed out the solenoid pack and cured the problem. Good luck.

99 626 ES V6, manual 5 speed transmission. No problems with transmission/clutch after 78K miles. Manual transmission is the way to go on these cars. Manual tranmsission Mazdas are generally very reliable and durable cars. However, this is no excuse for Mazda to install a crummy automatic in these cars.

I recently purchased a '97 626 V6 90k miles and about 3 weeks after I had where my car started to have problems shifting from 2nd to 1st. I was just hoping it was nothing (not wise in my case) and kept driving and about 1 week after I had the check engine light come on. I took it in and they said it was the Throttle Position Sensor. I had that replaced and I have had no problems with the shifting ever since. This is where a possible computer problem caused a major shifting problem. Hope this helps...

I am on my 5th Mazda and will never buy one again just because of the hassle I am going through. My 1999 626 was a 5 speed and I had absolutely no problems. This time I went to an automatic and told them something was not right when I drove it off the lot in September 2002. I've been fighting them ever since and I'm not giving up. Now I am having a problem with a rubbing/squeeking noise in the steering (which I also had on my 1999 626 when I traded it in). They changed out one part but the noise is still there. They even told me that sometimes changing the part works and sometimes it does not. In my case, it did not. What do you do when the service department of a Mazda dealership admits they can't fix a problem?

...here's 1 for sale today http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33727&item=2464879312
I also saw a valve body for a 929 transmission, shows the solenoids, which are probably like the ones in the 626...they don't look like much of a job to replace either.

I owned two 94 Mazda Proteges and they were the most reliable cars I have ever owned. I have only heard crap about the transmissions on the 626's. Trannys go bad on other makes as much as Mazdas if we stick with models OTHER than the 626.

my 91 626 automatic tranny is jerky from 1st to 2nd especially when cold. Any suggestions?

Peggy - The only suggestion is to get rid of it. If you bring it to the dealer, they will only tell you, "that is the way it is designed". I don't think they "designed" it that way, but the transmission is acting how it is expected to act with the way it was built. Anyone else looking for a 626, get a 5 speed. It's only the automatics that have problems.

Manual transmission in a Mazda is the way to go. I have a 99 ES V6 5 speed with 83K miles. Tranmsission and clutch like new.

Mazda/Ford should be held accountable but if Ford is still killing cops with the design flaw in the Crown Vic's gas tank then there is little hope they will care about us. The tranny in the 626, does it get replaced with a tranny that has the design flaw worked out or do they think that would be admitting the original mistake, so they won't change the design, so it will just keep failing again and again on our dime, does anyone know? Has anyone had any luck getting Mazda to do anything for them??? I am going thru the process now of getting the tranny replaced and I don't know where to go or who to use any suggestions??

go to
www.mazda626.net
this site will help you alot

Everybody who asks me about my opinion on Mazda 626, I tell them that if they buy one, they should get one with a manual transmission. Once again, stay away from 626 with auto transmission, ESPECIALLY the 4 cylinder models. These transmissions are suitable for a Ford Pinto, nothing better. V6 auto transmissions are better but I would still recommend a manual over automatic in this car any day. The problem is, many people are too lazy to shift gears, and then they pay the penalty. Of course, there is no reason why at this day and age the auto transmissions sould be bad.