NHTSA Complaint #10204019 — 2001 MAZDA 626

AFTER TWO HOURS OF HIGHWAY DRIVING, MY 2001 MAZDA 626 O/D OFF LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING, AS MY TRANSMISSION FLUID OVER-HEATED. I CHECKED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVEL, WHICH WAS OK. MY ENGINE OIL LEVEL WAS 2 QTS. LOW. THIS DID NOT MAKE ANY SENSE SINCE I HAD JUST HAD MY OIL CHANGED TWO WEEKS PRIOR AND CHECKED THE OIL LEVEL AFTER THE WORK WAS COMPLETED. I CALLED THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD TO BRING THE CAR IN TO HAVE IT EVALUATED. THE CAR REGISTERED A P1783 CODE DURING DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN RECOMMENDING THAT AN ATF COOLING KIT BE INSTALLED TO REDUCE THE ATF TEMPERATURE, PREVENTING OVER-HEATING. THE SERVICE MANAGER RECOMMENDED THAT I NOT HAVE THE ATF COOLING KIT INSTALLED AT A COST OF $1,100 SINCE MY TRANSMISSION MAY POSSIBLY FAIL WITHIN A FEW MONTHS. AFTER READING TSB 634465 AND REALIZING THAT THE TRANSMISSION DESIGN IS UNDER-SIZED FOR THE 2001 626, I RECOMMEND THAT MAZDA RECALL THE 626 TRANSMISSIONS INSTALLING THE REQUIRED ATF COOLING KIT TO PREVENT PREMATURE FAILURE OF MAZDA'S UNDER-SIZED TRANSMISSION DESIGN FOR THE 626 MODEL. *JB