NHTSA Complaint #10114125 — 2001 MAZDA 626

ON OR BEFORE FEBRUARY, 2005, MY 2001 MAZDA 626 BEGAN EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM WHILE CHANGING GEARS. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN SPUTTERING, CHANGING GEARS VERY ROUGHLY AND BACKFIRED. AS THIS WAS TAKING PLACE, THE O/D LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING ON AND OFF. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF THE ROAD TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENT AND TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. IT TOOK ABOUT FORTY-FIVE MINUTES BEFORE IT TURNED ON AGAIN. EVER SINCE THIS INCIDENT, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM ( ROUGH GEAR SHIFTING). IT IS NOW AT A TRANSMISSION SHOP WHO HAS EXPLAINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAS BURNED OUT BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF A COOLING SYSTEM. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT THERE ARE MANY CONSUMERS WITH MAZDA 626'S THAT WERE MANUFACTURED IN THE YEARS 1992 TO 2002 WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE NOT HAD THE PROBLEM FIXED AS YET, I WILL DO SO AND REQUEST TO KEEP THE OLD PARTS IF NECESSARY.*AK