NHTSA Complaint #10162877 — 2000 MAZDA 626

MY 2000 MAZDA 626 LS OVERHEATED ON JUNE 16, 2006. THE O/D OFF LIGHT HAS BEEN FLASHING WHEN ON THE ROAD FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR SINCE THE FALL OF 2005. THE TRANSMISSION HAS NOT YET FAILED BUT HAS BEGUN TO. THE CAR STRAINS WHENEVER I DRIVE IT & ITS LACK OF STABILITY HAS LED TO CLOSE CALLS WITH ACCIDENTS WHENEVER THERE'S RAIN OR SNOW. EVERY TIME I AM ON THE ROAD FOR MORE THAN 45 MINUTES, THE ENGINE HEATS UP TO THE POINT THAT IT BOILS THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, WHICH OVERFLOWS ONTO THE REST OF THE ENGINE. AFTER APPROX. 15 MORE MINUTES, THE O/D OFF LIGHT BEGINS TO FLASH & MY CAR STARTS TO RESIST SPEEDS OVER 60 MPH. THE RPMS INCREASE WHEN THE LIGHT FLASHES & THERE'S A DANGEROUS DELAY IN MY ABILITY TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN AS THE CAR LURCHES. ON JUNE 19, 2006, I TOOK THE MAZDA TO AN IMPORTS SPECIALIST WHO INFORMED ME THAT MY TRANSMISSION WILL SOON FAIL. A NEW TRANSMISSION COSTS APPROX. $2800 & A USED ONE COSTS APPROX. $1800. HOWEVER, THE TRANSMISSIONS THAT FIT MY CAR ARE THE SAME TYPE OF TRANSMISSION THAT WAS INITIALLY PUT IN MY ENGINE & WILL FAIL AFTER ANOTHER 70,000 MILES DUE TO ITS BEING TOO SMALL FOR THE 626. PUTTING AN "EXTERNAL COOLING SYSTEM" UNDER THE HOOD IS APPROXIMATELY $300 & IS A TEMPORARY BANDAID FOR THE ISSUE WHICH WILL STILL OCCUR. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH & FOUND THOUSANDS OF DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE STATED THAT ALL AUTOMATIC MAZDA 626 LS VEHICLES FROM 1994-2000 HAVE ENGINES THAT WERE MADE FOR A SMALLER CAR & ARE THEREFORE TOO SMALL FOR THE 626 LS. ACCORDING TO SAID RESEARCH ALL 1994-2000 626 LS VEHICLES HAVE TRANSMISSIONS THAT WILL FAIL BETWEEN APPROX. 70-80,000 MILES. MY CAR HAS 74,400 MILES AT THE DATE OF THIS COMPLAINT. MAZDA REFUSES TO TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THIS SITUATION, YET IT HAS BECOME COMMON KNOWLEDGE AMONG CAR DEALERSHIPS, SO THE VALUE OF MY CAR HAS DROPPED DRAMATICALLY & IT HAS BECOME DIFFICULT FOR ME TO SELL. NOTHING CAN BE DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM UNLESS AN ENTIRELY NEW ENGINE IS PUT INTO THE CAR WHICH WILL COST