NHTSA Complaint #10145929 — 2001 MAZDA 626

MY 2001 MAZDA 626 WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALER WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO A BURNING SMELL IN THE ENGINE. THE CAR ALSO SMELLED MUSTY AS IF WATER WERE LEAKING SOMEWHERE. THE DEALER ADJUSTED THE MOONROOF SCREWS OUT IN THE PARKING LOT AND CLAIMS NO BURNING SMELL WAS PRESENT. AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES OVER THE WARRANTY, THE STEREO DISPLAY STOPPED ILLUMINATING AND MAZDA WOULD NOT COVER THE $300 REPAIR. AT AROUND 70,000 MILES, THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT SUDDENLY BEGAN TO FLASH CONTINUOUSLY. THE CAR STARTED TO CHUG UP HILLS AND JERK WHEN SHIFTING INTO DRIVE. I NOTIFIED MAZDA IMMEDIATELY, THINKING IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AS STATED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE DEALER SAID TO DRIVE IT IN. ON THE WAY, THE CAR QUICKLY GOT WORSE, WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 40 MPH AND STALLED WHILE MERGING ONTO THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR WAS UNABLE TO GO INTO REVERSE. THE DEALER SAID, "BAD NEWS, YOU NEED A NEW TRANNY". UNPROFESSIONAL AND IGNORANT WORDS TO ME. I PAID ANOTHER TRANSMISSION COMPANY FOR TOWING AND A REBUILT TRANSMISSION SINCE MAZDA WANTED OVER $3,000. HE STATED THAT MANY MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSIONS HAVE BEEN FAILING TOO EARLY SINCE THEY WERE BUILT WITH A FORD TRANSMISSION, NOT CAPABLE FOR A CAR LIKE THE 626. MAZDA MUST HAVE HAD SOME GOOD REASON TO OFFER 0 PERCENT FINANCING THEN SUDDENLY STOP MAKING THE LONG EXISTING AND ONCE RELIABLE 626. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT THE NUMEROUS AND SIMILAR COMPLAINTS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. THERE ARE PROBABLY SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS OF THE 626 OUT THERE REPAIRING THEIR TRANSMISSIONS TOO EARLY AND UNAWARE TO FILE A COMPLAINT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *JB