NHTSA Complaint #10195154 — 1997 MAZDA 626

MY WIFE AND I OWN A 1997 MAZDA 626. IN 2006, SEEMINGLY OUT OF NOWHERE, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SHIFTING ROUGH. I CHECKED FLUID LEVELS BUT THEY WERE FINE. THEN WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE ONE MORNING, MY O/D KICKED OFF (WITH WARNING LIGHT) AND THE ENTIRE DRIVE HOME WAS EXTREMELY ROUGH. BROUGHT THE CAR TO A REPUTABLE LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP AND AS SOON AS I TOLD THEM WHAT KIND OF CAR I HAD, THEY KNEW RIGHT AWAY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. I ENDED UP PAYING $2000 TO HAVE A NEW TRANSMISSION INSTALLED DUE TO THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE IN THE ORIGINAL. SEEMS TO ME THAT IF ALL OF THE TRANSMISSION SHOPS AND (AS I FOUND OUT LATER) OWNER FORUMS KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEMS WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS, MAZDA/FORD PROBABLY KNOWS AS WELL. IT'S IRRESPONSIBLE TO KNOW THAT A $50 REPAIR COULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM BUT THEY DO NOTHING TO EVEN INFORM THEIR BUYERS OF THE PROBLEMS. $50 WOULD HAVE BEEN A LOT EASIER TO COME UP WITH THAN $2000. SUMMED UP: TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED DUE TO INSUFFICIENT COOLING CAUSING SEVERE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED. *TR