NHTSA Complaint #10070874 — 2001 MAZDA 626

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW MAZDA 626 LX 2001 MODEL ON AUGUST 19, 2001 AT MAGNUSSEN'S FORD/NISSAN/MAZDA DEALERSHIP IN NEWARK CA. LITTLE DID I KNOW, I BOUGHT A LEMON!!!!! I RETURNED THE VEHICLE NUMEROUS TIMES AND TELLING THE SERVICE DEPT PEOPLE THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AND OVERRUNNING IN GEAR. AT ONE POINT, I HAD A FRIEND OF MINE DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND MEET WITH THE SERVICE DEPT PEOPLE. THIS WAS THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS 2001. RUDY DIEPHUS COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT I WAS GETTING A SONG AND DANCE FROM THE MAGNUSSEN SERVICE DEPT. RUDY BUILT AND DROVE RACE CARS FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS, AND KNEW I HAD A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. THE SERVICE MANAGER BOB (WHO IS NO LONGER THERE) SAID THAT THE CAR HAD TO BE BROKEN IN, NOT ENOUGH MILES ON THE CAR. BOB ALSO SAID THAT ALL MAZDA 626'S DRIVE LIKE THIS (TRANSMISSION SLIPPING/OVERRUNNING IN GEAR). IN ADDITION, I WAS TOLD TO KEEP A JOURNAL OF EVERY TIME THIS HAPPENED. THAT WOULD BE A PROBLEM, WRITING AND DRIVING AT THE SAME TIME. AGAIN, RETURNED THE VEHICLE BACK TO MAGNUSSEN'S AND MET WITH A DIFFERENT SVC MANAGER. HERE IT IS APRIL 2002, AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION TECH WAS GOING TO RUN A SPECIAL TEST ON THE CAR (LINE PRESSURE CHECK AT IDLE AND STALL SPEEDS). SURE ENOUGH, I WAS RIGHT! THE TEST INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A DEFINITE PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE DEALERSHIPS LOT, THE CAR WAS (AND IS) RUNNING WORSE THAN EVER. THE SECOND TRANSMISSION IS WORSE THAN THE FIRST. I RETURN THE CAR AND THE CAR STAYS THERE FOR ANOTHER WEEK. I PICKED UP THE CAR ON APRIL 26, 2002, (RUNNING WORSE) AND DROVE TO VACAVILLE ABOUT 100 MILES ONE WAY FROM WHERE I WAS LIVING. I FELT SOMETHING FUNNY UNDER THE HOOD AND DROVE INTO VACAVILLE AND FOUND A MAZDA DEALERSHIP. I EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM OF THE TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE. THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE MOUNTS AND THE CAR NEEDED NEW MOUNTS.