NHTSA Complaint #10124539 — 2000 MAZDA 626

WAS DRIVING NEARLY 70MPH ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE CAR BEGAN ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT INTO THE NEXT GEAR. IT WOULDN'T SHIFT AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN SPUTTERING UNCONTROLLABLY, AND IT NEARLY MADE ME HIT AN 18-WHEELER. THE FRONT END SEEMED LIKE IT JUMPED SEVERAL TIMES, AND I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET IT IN CONTROL AND PULL OVER. ONCE ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE, I PLACED IT ON PARK, AND THEN BACK TO DRIVE, AND CONTINUED MY JOURNEY, ONLY TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN AGAIN BEFORE I HIT 60MPH. THAT TIME, THE CAR KEPT ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE GEARS EVEN AFTER LETTING GO OF THE GAS PEDAL, AND AGAIN, "JUMPED" SEVERAL TIMES UNCONTROLLABLY. I SERIOUSLY THOUGHT I WOULD GET INTO AN ACCIDENT ON THE INTERSTATE, BUT I PULLED OVER AGAIN AND LEFT IT ON PARK FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. AFTER THAT, I STARTED BACK ON DRIVE TO AT LEAST REACH THE NEXT EXIT OFF THE INTERSTATE, WHEN I ONLY REACHED ABOUT 35-40MPH WHEN IT DID IT AGAIN. IT IS IN THE SHOP NOW AND I HAVNE'T STOPPED HEARING ABOUT HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO REBUILD THAT SPECIFIC TRANSMISSION, AND HOW FREQUENTLY THEY HAVE THOSE MAZDA 626 VEHICLES WITH TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS (AND FRIGHTENING STORIES), IN THEIR SHOP. I AM JUST THANKFUL THAT I WASN'T KILLED DRIVING THAT CAR ON A VERY BUSY INTERSTATE. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED, IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY.