NHTSA Complaint #10139763 — 2001 MAZDA 626

I HAVE A 2001 MAZDA 626 THAT HAD A TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT LESS THAN 60K MILES. MY PROBLEMS BEGAN WHEN I STARTED NOTICING A JERKING MOTION WHEN I ACCELERATED OUT OF A FULL STOP. THEN, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SOMETIMES DELAY ENGAGING IN REVERSE OR DRIVE. I HAD MULTIPLE MECHANICS LOOK AT THE CAR, ALL OF WHOM RECOMMENDED A REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION. I SPOKE WITH EVEN MORE MECHANICS ABOUT THE SITUATION, INCLUDING THREE AT MAZDA DEALERSHIPS, AND ALL FULLY AND OPENLY ACKNOWLEDGED WIDESPREAD PROBLEMS WITH MAZDA TRANSMISSIONS. ONE SERVICE MANAGER AT A MAZDA DEALERSHIP RECOMMENDED I GET RID OF THE CAR ALTOGETHER. ANOTHER INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST, REFUSED TO WORK ON MAZDAS AT ALL. TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, MAZDA IS ALSO CHARGING EXORBITANT PRICES FOR REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSIONS (PERHAPS BECAUSE THEY'RE IN SUCH DEMAND?): JUST UNDER $3000 FOR THE PART ITSELF, NOT TO MENTION LABOR. I PAID OVER $3700 FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO BE REPLACED AT A MAZDA DEALERSHIP. EVEN THEN, I HAD TO RETURN THE CAR TWICE TO THE MECHANIC BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION WASN'T ENGAGING PROPERLY WHEN I SHIFTED GEARS FROM PARK TO DRIVE, FOR EXAMPLE. FINALLY, THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR ON MY BRAND-NEW TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I STRONGLY URGE NHTSA TO TAKE ACTION TO BEGIN A RECALL OF MAZDA TRANSMISSIONS. ON THIS SITE, THE 2001 MAZDA 626 HAS 10 TIMES THE TRANSMISSION COMPLAINTS THAN 2001 HONDA AND NEARLY 12 TIMES MORE THAN THE 2001 CAMRY. *NM