NHTSA Complaint #10088931 — 1997 MAZDA 626

1194-2002 MAZDA 626 4-CYL. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS ARE DEFECTIVE AS NOTED IN SIMILAR COMPLAINTS (FORMAL AND INFORMAL; SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE LENGTHY DESCRIPTIONS IN 466 POSTS AT HTTP://WWW.CARTRACKERS.COM/FORUMS/LIVE/YOURLEMON/189.HTML, A FORUM DEDICATED SPECIFICALLY TO THIS DEFECT). I PERSONALLY OWN A 1997 MAZDA 626 DX WHICH HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING THE DESCRIBED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, INDICATED BY THE FLASHING "O/D OFF" LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE "TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH MECHANICAL FAILURE" TROUBLE CODE RETRIEVED BY ODBII DIAGNOSTICS PERFORMED ON 8/27/2004. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT MAZDA HAS BEEN MADE AWARE OF THIS DEFECT IN THEIR TRANSMISSIONS AS EARLY AS 2002, AND IN MAY 2002, TSB# 0500502 "A/T - OD OFF LAMP FLASHING/DTC P1783/SHIFT CONCERNS" WAS ISSUED.*AK