NHTSA Complaint #10182493 — 1997 MAZDA 626

THE VEHICLE BEGAN SHIFTING VERY ROUGHLY, THEN THE OVERDRIVE STARTED BLINKING AND THE VEHICLE CEASED TO SHIFT, I WAS STUCK IN 3RD GEAR. THERE WAS A SMALL "BANG" IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, THEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. I PULLED OVER TO A FUEL STATION AND OPENED THE HOOD. THERE WAS TRANSMISSION FLUID ALL OVER THE INTERIOR OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, 1+ QUARTS. I COULD FIND NO OBVIOUS LEAKS, BUT PURCHASED SOME ADDITIONAL FLUID AND REFILLED WHAT WAS LOST. SINCE THEN WHENEVER IT IS WARM OUT OR THE CAR IS DRIVEN FOR OVER AN HOUR IN TEMPERATURES ABOVE ~50 F, IT SHIFTS VERY ROUGH AND THE OD LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AMONG 2.0L MAZDA 626'S WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THEY APPARENTLY OVERHEAT VERY EASILY. I HAVE BEEN TOLD I AM LUCKY THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAS NOT FAILED ON ME. I'VE TAKEN IT APART AND CLEANED IT OUT SEVERAL TIMES. I ALSO CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FREQUENTLY. THESE ABOVE AVERAGE MAINTENANCE ROUTINES ARE LIKELY WHAT HAS KEPT THE TRANSMISSION FROM FAILING ALTOGETHER. THE VEHICLE IS BARELY TOLERABLE TO DRIVE WHEN IT IS HAVING THESE PROBLEMS AS IT WILL SLAM INTO THE NEXT GEAR HARD ENOUGH TO JERK THE OCCUPANTS FORWARD OR BACKWARD. *NM