NHTSA Complaint #10158543 — 2000 MAZDA 626

THIS IS ACTUALLY THE SECOND FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED IN EARLY 2003 WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER THE 3 YEAR/36,000 MILE WARRANTY (IT HAD ABOUT 33,000 MILES ON IT). THE PROBLEM WAS THE ONE OUTLINED IN THE MAZDA TSB # 0500502. I HAD THE FLUID COOLER INSTALLED AT THAT TIME AS WELL AS A REPLACEMENT FACTORY REFURBISHED FORD/MAZDA TRANSMISSION (THE DEALERSHIP SOLUTION). I WAS TOLD AT THAT TIME THAT THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY MORE PROBLEMS FOR THE LIFE OF THE (NEW) TRANSMISSION, WHICH I TOOK TO MEAN THAT IT WOULD LAST ABOUT 100-120,000 MILES. WELL, HERE I AM, LESS THAN 50,000 MILES LATER AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD A MAJOR FAILURE. WITHOUT WARNING, THE CAR BEGAN TO MAKE A SOUND I CAN ONLY LIKEN TO TIN CANS IN A TUMBLER. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, THERE WAS A PUDDLE OF TRANSMISSION FLUID ON THE GROUND. A GOOD MECHANIC WILL REBUILD IT FOR $2800. THAT IS MORE THAN HALF THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE (~$5000). THIS DEFECT IS APPARENTLY MUCH MORE THAN A SIMPLE MATTER OF KEEPING THE TRANSMISSION COOL, IT IS A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM THAT AFFECTS THE MECHANICALS OF THE TRANSMISSION AND HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH THE OPERATING TEMPERATURE OF THE FLUID. SINCE THE WARRANTY ON THE CAR HAS EXPIRED, AS WELL AS THE WARRANTY ON THE WORK THE DEALERSHIP DID 3 YEARS AGO TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM INITIALLY, I AM STUCK WITH A HUGE REPAIR BILL AND NO DESIRE TO OWN THE CAR. WHEN THE REPAIR IS COMPLETE, I WILL BE SELLING THE CAR. *JB