NHTSA Complaint #10171964 — 2002 MAZDA 626

AT AROUND 30000 MILES WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER COMPLAINING OF A STUTTERING PROBLEM WHEN ACCELERATING AND INSISTED THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION. DEALER FOUND NO OBVIOUS PROBLEM BUT DID REPLACE THE FUEL FILTER. TOOK THE CAR BACK SEVERAL TIMES FOR THIS STILL, NO PROBLEM. AT AROUND 89000, TOOK THE CAR BACK IN BECAUSE TRANSMISSION "JUMPED" INTO REVERSE. DEALER STATED TRANSMISSION LOOKED FINE BUT RECOMMENDED A FLUSH SO WE DID. DEALER ALSO STATED TRAN-AXLES WERE CRACKED/RUSTED SO WE REPLACED THEM AT A COST OF $500 (DEALER SAID THIS WAS A VERY UNUSUAL PROBLEM AND THAT IT WAS PROBABLY A BAD PART). THE NEXT DAY, I NOTICED TRANSMISSION FLUID ON OUR GARAGE FLOOR. I CALLED THE DEALER AND TOOK IT BACK ASAP. THEY SAID THERE WAS A BROKEN SEAL AND THEY REPLACED IT. A FEW DAYS LATER WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I CALLED THE DEALER AND SCHEDULED THE CAR FOR ANOTHER APPT. LATER THAT SAME DAY, WHILE SITTING AT A BUSY INTERSECTION, THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO MY OFFICE A 1/2 MILE AWAY AND CALLED THE DEALER. THEY SAID TO BRING IT IN. WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE CAR THERE BY DRIVING IT IN D1 LATE AT NIGHT AS TO AVOID TRAFFIC. DEALER EXAMINED AND CONFIRMED THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHOT. I QUESTIONED AS TO WHY A WEEK EARLIER THE TRANSMISSION "LOOKED GOOD" AND THEY ONLY RECOMMENDED A FLUSH. NO ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION. DEALER CREDITED BACK THE FLUSH AND SENT THE CAR TO A LOCAL SHOP FOR THE TRANSMISSION OVERHAUL. STILL DO NOT HAVE CAR BACK THREE WEEKS LATER. ALL SERVICE/REPAIRS HAVE BEEN DONE AT THE DEALER. IF PROBLEM WAS ADDRESSED WHEN FIRST BROUGHT IN, WARRANTY WOULD HAVE COVERED THE MUCH NEEDED REPAIR. MAZDA OBVIOUSLY HAS MADE A MISTAKE AND IS NOT OWNING UP. MANY PEOPLE TRANSPORT CHILDREN IN THIS STYLE OF VEHICLE AND MAZDA NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE THE HARM THAT THEIR CUSTOMERS FACE. WILL ALSO BE CONTACTING MO ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE TO FILE A COMPLAINT. *NM