NHTSA Complaint #10187998 — 1999 MAZDA 626

THE DOLLAR FIGURES ARE APPROXIMATE. IN FEBRUARY 2002 MY DAUGHTER AND I PURCHASED A USED 1999 MAZDA 626 WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FROM WILSON DODGE IN TORRINGTON CT, 06790 FOR $9000. PART OF THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE WAS A PROMISE TO INSTALL A SUN ROOF FOR $500. THE WARRANTY WAS FOR 60 DAYS OR 2000 MILES. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION ON THE CAR WAS ITS SECOND. UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, I WOULD TAKE THAT AS GOOD NEWS. A FAULTY ONE IS REPLACED. HOW OFTEN DOES A TRANSMISSION FAIL? *AK IN APRIL (ABOUT 5 '' 10 DAYS AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED), THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACING. THE COST WAS ESTIMATED AT $2300. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO GET THIS COVERED BY THE DEALER IN GOOD FAITH, I AUTHORIZED THE INSTALLATION OF A REBUILT TRANSMISSION. DURING THIS NEGOTIATION I HAD TO ENDURE WITH SOME SNIDE REMARKS FROM SOME OF THE OTHER SALES PEOPLE WHEN I MENTIONED THAT ANOTHER DEALER WOULD HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THIS. THEIR RESPONSE WAS ''YEAH. THEY SAY THAT BECAUSE THEY DID NOT SELL YOU THE CAR!'' (THE WARRANTY ON THE REBUILT TRANSMISSION WAS 1 YEAR OR 12,000 MILES) THE SUNROOF COST WAS FORFEITED LEAVING A BALANCE OF $1800. IT WAS AGREED THAT I WOULD PAY $300 A MONTH UNTIL THE BALANCE WAS DONE. IN APRIL OF 2007, THE SAME ISSUE OCCURRED. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT MAZDA HAD USED AN INFERIOR TRANSMISSION IN ITS 626 MODELS. (HTTP://WWW.ESTREETJOURNAL.COM/MAZDA.HTM) MY BIG COMPLAINT IS AGAINST MAZDA, BUT I ALSO HAVE ONE AGAINST WILSON DODGE. THEY HAD TO HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS ISSUE. MECHANICS KNOW THESE THINGS. I BELIEVE THIS IS A CASE OF FRAUD ON THEIR PART. TWICE MY DAUGHTER WAS STUCK ON A BUSY ROAD BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THIS IS A FATHER''S WORST NIGHTMARE. I AM LOOKING FOR A SETTLEMENT THAT WILL ELIMINATE THE REMAINING BALANCE ON THE LOAN ($1,600), REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE FIRST TRANSMISSION REPLACED $2300) AS WELL AS A RECALL ON THE MAZDA 626 WHERE THIS GROSSLY, NEGLIGENT PROBLEM EXISTS.