NHTSA Complaint #10078757 — 1995 MAZDA 626

CAR DETAILS: MAZDA ODEL 626, YEAR OF MFG: 1995, 4 DOOR, AUTO TRANSMISSION, NO. OF MILES (TILL THE DATE OF COMPLAINT): 87,410 MILES. THIS IS A USED CAR AND I BOUGHT IT IN DECEMBER 2003. THE MILES ON THE CAR WHEN I BOUGHT WAS ABOUT 84,500. *AK PROBLEM: 1) EVENTS LEADING TO THE FAILURE: THERE WAS A SLIP IN THE CAR EVERY TIME THE CAR WAS STARTED FROM REST. I SHOWED IT TO MY MECHANIC AND HE SUGGESTED THE PROBLEM TO BE DUE TO NEW BRAKE PADS WHICH I HAD GOT CHANGED ABOUT TWO MONTHS BACK.I USE THE CAR MAINLY INSIDE THE CITY AND IT WAS WORKING PERFECTLY FINE. I DROVE IT ONLY ONCE ON THE INTERSTATE FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES (THIS WAS ON THE DAY OF COMPLAINT) AND WHILE COMING ON THE WAY I SAW THAT THE CAR WAS HAVING LOT OF JERKS WHENEVER I SLOWED DOWN OR STOPPED AT ANY SIGNAL. ALSO THE PICK UP OF THE CAR WAS VERY POOR. THE TRANSMISSION COULD NOT PICK THE POWER THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING AND I HAD A PROBLEM EVEN GETTING TO 30 MPH. AS SOON AS I SAW THIS I DID NOT DRIVE ANY FURTHER. THE VERY NEXT DAY I GOT MY CAR TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. 2) THE FAILURE: THE TRASMISSION OIL IN THE CAR WAS LOW, THE GEAR TEETH IN THE TRANSMISSION WERE BROKEN; THE CLUTCH PLATES WERE WORN OUT; THE LEFT AXEL HAD EATEN AWAY THE SLEEVE OF THE TRANSMISSION ON THE LEFT SIDE.THE WORN OUT METAL (OF THE GEAR) WAS SUPPOSEDLY CARRIED OVER TO OTHER PARTS OF THE TRANSMISSION WHICH CAUSED SOME OTHER GEARS TO GET DAMAGED. 3) PRESENTLY THE CAR AND THE OLD TRANSMISSION BOTH ARE WITH MY MECHANIC. I HAVE NOT TAKEN ANY DECISION SO FAR AS THE COST OF REBUILDING THE TRANSMISSION IS MORE THAN THE COST OF THE CAR ITSELF.