1998 Mazda 626 problems
Owners have filed 499 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Mazda 626. Transmission is the most reported problem area, at 61% of complaints. Next are engine (17%) and drivetrain & axles (3%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 499 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Transmission 61% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 15 and 6
- Injuries and deaths
- 18 and 10
- Typical mileage
- 88,000 miles 253 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 2 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 8 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 18 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 57 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 78 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 40 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 22 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 15 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 7 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 4 |
| 200k+ miles | 2 |
What the data shows
Of the 253 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 88,000 miles. For transmission specifically, the median reported mileage is about 90,000 miles (178 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 15 complaints mention a crash; 6 complaints mention a fire; 18 injuries reported; 10 deaths reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1998 ranks 2nd most-complained-about out of 12 model years of the Mazda 626 with enough data (243 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 4 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
I purchased a car in april 2001 (a used car) and have an extended warranty for it. Car started giving me problems in 2002 so I decided to use my extended warranty to get the car fixed once it broke down on me on the highway; I found out that the warranty company never heard of me and that my warranty never existed.
While driving 30 MPH consumer's vehicle was involved in a rear end collision which caused a chain reaction. Upon impact, air bags did not deploy. Driver and two other passengers sustained minor injuries and were transported to the hospital. Vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection.
Imade a complaint earlier but I forgot a few things. My o/d light sometimes flashes and my check engine light is always on. I took it to autozone to get the light read and the man gave me a list of problems wrong with the car. I don't remember every thing but one thing was just a sensor and the other problem was something wrong inside of the transmission.
Dt: the caller said the transmission needed to be replaced. While driving the engine revved without warning. The caller said it would happen mostly in stop and go traffic. She had the vehicle towed to a mechanic shop. Dealer said she needed to get a different year transmission, and she will have to update the computer. Manufacturer said there was no recall on her vehicle and offered no help for free.