NHTSA Complaint #10088289 — 2000 MAZDA 626

TOOK MY 2000 MAZDA 626 TO MIKE MCGRATH'S IN CEDAR RAPIDS, IA WHILE UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. WAS A DELAY IN SHIFTING AND SHIFTING HARD. SERVICE DROVE THE CAR AND I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. PROBLEM CONTINUED AND WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN AFTER IT WAS OFF OF WARRANTY, WAS TOLD BY MCGRATH'S THAT THE CAR NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. MCGRATH'S WAS AWARE THAT 2000 MAZDA 626'S HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS THE FIRST TIME I TOOK THE CAR IN BUT NEGLECTED TO INFORM ME. APPEARS THAT MAZDA USES A FORD TRANSMISSION BUT DOES NOT INSTALL A COOLANT AS FORD DOES WITH THEIR VEHICLE TRANSMISSIONS. ALTHOUGH MAZDA COVERED COST OF PARTS, I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LABOR COSTS OF $600. MCGRATH'S SHOULD HAVE ALERTED ME TO THE FACT THAT THERE WERE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS THE FIRST TIME I BROUGHT THE CAR IN AND MAZDA SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A RECALL ON THIS DEFECTIVE VEHICLE. I HAVE DRIVEN MAZDA'S FOR 19 YEARS BUT I AM FINISHED WITH THEM. THE QUALITY NOW IS EXTREMELY LACKING. *AK