NHTSA Complaint #10166042 — 1999 MAZDA 626

TRANSMISSION FAILED FOUR TIMES IN TWO YEARS. THE FIRST TIME (AUGUST 2004) IT FAILED IT WAS 24 HOURS AFTER WE BOUGHT IT FROM A MAZDA USED DEALER, HOLIDAY MOTORS IN FOND DU LAC WI. THEY PULLED THE TRANSMISSION OUT AND REPLACED GASKETS. I ASKED THEN TO PUT ON THE COOLING KIT AND THEY DID NOT. A YEAR LATER (OCTOBER 2005) MY DAUGHTER WAS STRANDED NORTH OF CHICAGO IL WITH THIS CAR AND A PUDDLE OF TRANSMISSION FLUID UNDER IT (GASKETS AGAIN). THE THIRD TIME (MAY 2006) IT WAS SMOKING AND LEAKING FLUID (GASKETS). TWO MONTHS LATER (AUGUST 2006) IT WAS SMOKING AND LEAKING FLUID. THIS TIME IT LEFT MY DAUGHTER IN A VERY UN-SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD OF MILWAUKEE WI. A COOLING KIT PUT ON THIS CAR TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE LAST PROBLEM BUT IT WAS ALREADY TOO LATE. THIS TIME THE SHOP IS REPLACING THE TORQUE CONVERTER (?) THEY SAY IT OVER HEATED. REPAIR COST HAVE BEEN ABOUT $600-$300-$150 (COOLING KIT) $700-$300. *NM