NHTSA Complaint #10164818 — 1995 MAZDA 626

I CURRENTLY HAVE APPROX. 112,000 MILES ON MY CAR. I DO NOT DRIVE IT A WHOLE LOT BUT DURING A TRIP FROM MARYLAND TO FLORIDA, MY TRANSMISSION STARTED TO GO UP. THE O/D LIGHT STARTED FLASHING, THE RPM AND MILEAGE NEEDLE WAS GOING WACKY AND THE CAR WOULD BARELY DRIVE. THE MILEAGE NEEDLE WOULD SAY THAT I WAS DOING 0 MPH WHEN IN FACT I WAS DRIVING AT 20 MPH. I HAD TO DRIVE ON GEAR 1 OR 2 HALF THE WAY BACK. THERE WAS ALSO THIS BURNT SMELL COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION OIL. WHICH SCARED ME BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS SURELY GOING TO CATCH ON FIRE SINCE I WAS ONLY IN VIRGINIA (AGAIN, FINAL DESTINATION FLORIDA) NOW I TAKE CARE OF MY CAR, I HAD JUST HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSHED TWO MONTHS BEFORE. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, DURING DAILY OPERATION, WHENEVER I WOULD SHIFT GEARS ON MY CAR, THE RESPONSE WAS ALWAYS DELAYED ABOUT 1 SECOND AND A HALF, WHICH I HAVE BEEN TOLD ARE CLEAR SIGNS OF IMPEDING TRANSMISSION FAILURE. I ALSO FOUND OUT FROM SEVERAL OTHER MAZDA 626 OWNERS THAT THESE MAZDA VEHICLES ARE WELL KNOWN FOR TRANSMISSIONS FAILURES. DUE TO THE FACT OF POOR VENTILATION FOR THE TRANS, THIS CAUSES TOO MUCH HEAT THAT LEADS TO TRANS. FAILURE. I FEEL THAT THIS IS THE MANUFACTURERS FAULT FOR LETTING A FAULTY ENGINEER AS THIS ONE GO TO THE MARKET. WHAT IF SOMEONE GETS HURT? NO I HAVE TO FRONT THE BILL FOR A TRANSMISSION THAT WAS DOOMED TO FAIL AND I DO NOT THINK THAT IS RIGHT. MAZDA SHOULD PAY, NOT ME. *NM