NHTSA Complaint #750452 — 1998 MAZDA 626

NOISE FROM ENGINE, WHINING NOISE, RPM DIAL JUMPS UP WHEN ACCELERATOR PUSH BUT NO POWER. CAR JERKS UPON COMING TO A FULL STOP. RPM DIAL GOES UP AND DOWN TO THE POINT THAT ENGINE WILL CUT OFF. NO DASH BOARD LIGHT EVER CAME ON TO GIVE WARNING. ON 8-01-01, HAD CAR TOWED TO MONTGOMERY MADZA IN CHARLOTTE, NC (VACATIONING) DEALER CALLS ON MONDAY TO STATE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED AND TO REPLACE WOULD COST $2700.00. DEALER CALLED BACK WITH A NEW QUOTE OF $1700.00. STATED THAT TERRITORY REP, TOM WATKINS WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT COULD AUTHORIZE A DIFFERENT BUT BECAUSE I WAS OVER 80,000 MILES, HE WAS STICKING TO HIS DECISION. I ASKED TO SPEAK WITH MR. WATKIN AND WAS TOLD HE WAS UNAVAILABLE AND WAS GIVEN MY PHONE NUMBER BUT HE NEVER RETURNED THE CALL. I CALLED MY DEALER LOCATED IN ATLANTA, GA, HENNESSY MAZDA AND SPOKE WITH STEVE ANDREWS IN THE REPAIR DEPT AND TOLD HIM OF THE SITUATION AND HIS ONLY RECOMMENDATION WAS THAT THEY ADD AN ADDITIONAL TRANSMISSION COOLER AND HE WAS NOT SURPRISED THAT THE TRANSMISSIONS ARE NOT GOOD. I GAVE AUTHORIZATION TO HAVE THE CAR REPAIRED AT 4:30PM ON 8-6-01. I ALSO STATED THAT I HAD SOME DEALER (HENNESSY MAZDA) COUPONS THAT WOULD HAVE HELPED WITH THE COST OF THE REPAIRS BUT MONTGOMERY MAZDA WOULD NOT HONOR THE COUPONS. DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND TO MY SURPRISE THAT THIS MODEL AND MAKE HAS SO MANY PROBLEMS. MY FAITH IN MAZDA HAS GONE OUT OF THE WINDOW.