NHTSA Complaint #10045982 — 2000 MAZDA 626

OD OFF LIGHT ON OUR 2000 MAZDA 626 LX STARTED FLASHING. TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL DEALER (BERGE MAZDA IN MESA AZ) AND THEY DIAGNOSED A CODE P1718- TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING. THEY RECOMMEND TO INSTALL A TRANSMISSION COOLER KIT AND PERFORM A TRANSMISSION SERVICE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM(ESTIMATE GIVEN -$1014.00-WAY TOO EXPENSIVE!!!). WENT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP (EARNHARDT'S FORD/MAZDA IN CHANDLER AZ) TO GET A SECOND OPINION AND THEY MADE THE SAME RECOMMENDATIONS. BOTH DEALERS STATED THAT MAZDA ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM (CD4E TRANSMISSION) AND ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE WITH A TRANSMISSION COOLING KIT INSTALL. WE DECIDED TO HAVE THE WORK DONE AT EARNHARDT'S (TOTAL COST $344.00-MORE REASONABLE ESTIMATE). WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE AT HERTZ CAR SALES IN NOV 2001 WITH ABOUT 30,000 MILES ON IT. SHORTLY AFTER WE GOT IT, THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER(BERGE MAZDA) BECAUSE IT WAS SLIPPING. SINCE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY(3 YR/50,000 MILES), WE DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY THE COST OF REPAIRS. OUR CAR CURRENTLY HAS 51000 MILES AND SINCE IT'S OUT OF WARRANTY, WE HAD TO SHOULDER THE COST THIS TIME. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THE INTERNET AND HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT MAZDA TRANSMISSION FAILURES. I BELIEVE THAT SINCE MAZDA WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS TYPE OF TRANSMISSION AND REMEDIED IT BY INSTALLING THE TRANSMISSION COOLING KIT FREE OF CHARGE TO CONSUMERS.*AK