U.S. public vehicle records

1998 Mazda 626 problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

410 owner complaints analyzed

4 distinct recall campaigns

89,278 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1998 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 224 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Power Train:Automatic Transmission is the most frequently named component, appearing in 272 of 410 complaints (66.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Transmission and shifting	280	68.3%
Engine operation	42	10.2%
Electrical and battery issues	11	2.7%
Braking behavior	6	1.5%
Steering behavior	4	1.0%
Fuel system concerns	2	0.5%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

272

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys

Power Train

Engine And Engine Cooling

Electrical System

Power Train:Manual Transmission

Unknown Or Other

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	272
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	41
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys	14
Power Train	13
Engine And Engine Cooling	11
Electrical System	9
Power Train:Manual Transmission	9
Unknown Or Other	9

Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 272; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 41; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys: 14; Power Train: 13; Engine And Engine Cooling: 11; Electrical System: 9; Power Train:Manual Transmission: 9; Unknown Or Other: 9

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 3; 25,000 to 49,999: 8; 50,000 to 74,999: 53; 75,000 to 99,999: 78; 100,000 to 149,999: 66; 150,000 and above: 16

75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (78). 186 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2014

2016

2017

2018

2000: 24; 2001: 37; 2002: 54; 2003: 74; 2004: 74; 2005: 53; 2006: 31; 2007: 24; 2008: 16; 2009: 11; 2010: 3; 2011: 4; 2014: 1; 2016: 2; 2017: 1; 2018: 1

Pattern summary

Power Train:Automatic Transmission leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 280 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 42 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 11 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10000816 · 2003-01-08 (January 8, 2003)

THE TRANSMISSION BLEW AWAY AT 90K MILES INSPITE OF RELIGIOUS TAKE CARE OF CAR ( MAZDA 626 ). *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 93,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000816 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10002669 · 2003-01-14 (January 14, 2003)

THE TRANSMISSION ON MY MAZDA 626 1998 ES (V6) IS EXTREMELY DEFECTIVE. I'M NOW ON MY THIRD TRANSMISSION AND HAVE SPENT CLOSE TO 1/2 THE VALUE OF THE CAR ITSELF. BOTH TRANSMISSION FAULTED TO THE POINT WHERE I COULD NOT GO IN REVERSE. IN ADDITION, MY GEARS STICK TO THE POINT WHERE IT MAKES THE CAR JERK.

Owner-reported narrative. 59,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10002669 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10017154 · 2003-04-18 (April 18, 2003)

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT WITH THE ENGINE STALLING AS STATED IN RECALL 97 V 228 000. THE CONSUMER VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. 78,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10017154 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10022651 · 2003-06-09 (June 9, 2003)

WHEN VEHICLE IDLES IT BEGINS TO HAVE A STALLING SENSATION. DEALER STATED A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED; BUT, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 87,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10022651 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10018573 · 2003-05-12 (May 12, 2003)

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. WHEN STOPPING, TRANSMISSION DOWN-SHIFTS SO HARD THAT ALL PASSENGERS FEEL AS IF THEY WILL BE THROWN THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD, LIKE BEING REAR-ENDED. ALSO, THE TRANSMISSION IS VERY SLOW TO SHIFT. WHEN IT FINALLY DOES, IT "KICKS" LIKE HAVING BEEN HIT BY ANOTHER CAR. TRANSMISSION TAKES ITSELF OUT OF CRUISE CONTROL AND OUT OF O/D. MAZDA DEALER SERVICE MANAGER HAS DRIVEN THE VEHICLE AND HAS EXPERIENCED THESE PROBLEMS FIRST HAND, BUT BECAUSE THE CAR IS NOT GENERATING A "CODE", MAZDA'S OFFICIAL POSITION IS THAT THERE IS NO PROB…

Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10018573 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10032678 · 2003-08-12 (August 12, 2003)

WHILE DRIVING SOUTH ON I75, I HAD NOTICED THAT MY O/D LIGHT HAD STARTED TO FLASH. THE CAR SEEMED OKAY, BUT THE O/D CONTINUED TO FLASH. I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF PASSING A TRUCK WITH AN EIGHTEEN WHEELER RIGHT BEHIND ME AND ALL KINDS OF STUFF STARTED TO HAPPEN. THE SPEEDOMETER QUIT WORKING. THEN THE BATTERY AND OIL LIGHT CAME ON. ONCE THAT HAPPEN, THE ENGINE COMPLETELY DIED. AFTER CALLING STEPPS AND HAVING MY CAR TOWED TO MY MECHANIC, HE ADVISED ME THAT I HAD BURNED UP THE TRANSMISSION. SOMETHING BLEW INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION WHICH CAUSED A …

Owner-reported narrative. 123,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10032678 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10138153 · 2005-09-29 (September 29, 2005)

DT: ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2005, CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS CUT OFF AND IT LOST POWER, THE VEHICLE WAS HARD TO STEER IT AND LOST THE BRAKES. RECALL 00V134OOO WAS ISSUED . IT STATES THE EXTERNAL SPRING IN THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER COULD BREAK AND BE CAUGHT IN THE TIMING BELT, RESULTING IN STALLING; HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. . THE VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALER, AND THEY ARE SAYING THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO FOREWARNING AND NO NOISE. IT WAS RUNNING SO ROUGH THAT THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHIN A F…

Owner-reported narrative. 92,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10138153 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10043936 · 2003-11-19 (November 19, 2003)

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED.*AK THE CONSUMER THOUGHT HIT THE CRUISE CONTROL BECAUSE THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND LOST STEERING. THE SECOND INCIDENT, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO EXCEED 40 MPH AND FINALLY STALLED. THE FIRST INCIDENT, THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED AND THE MECHANIC FOUND A TENSIONER BROKEN. WHEN THE INCIDENT HAPPENED THE SECOND TIME, THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THERE WAS RECALL, HOWEVER HIS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT FOR BOTH TENSIONER SPRING FAILURES. *JB *NM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10043936 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10135956 · 2005-09-09 (September 9, 2005)

1998 MADZA 626 TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHILE ENTERING INTERSTATE WITH VEHICLES TRAVELING AT 60+ MPH. BEFORE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE, I DID MY RESEARCH. I FOUND THAT TRANSMISSION FAILURE WAS A KNOW PROBLEM IN MAZDAS BUT THE CAR SALESMAN ASSURED ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM EXISTED ONLY IN THE MODEL PREVIOUS TO THE 1998 WHICH I WAS INTERESTED IN. SHE STATED THAT AFTER THE DESIGN OF THE EMBLEM WAS CHANGED, THIS PROBLEM AS WELL HAD BEEN CORRECTED. THIS WAS A LIE. I WAS ENTERING INTERSTATE ONGOING A RAMP WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR STOPPED PUL…

Owner-reported narrative. 139,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10135956 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10070067 · 2004-01-15 (January 15, 2004)

SINCE APPROXIMATELY JUNE, 2002, THE IMMOBILIZER HAS BEEN TURNING OFF THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY AFTER I START THE CAR, EVEN THOUGH THE ALARM IS DEACTIVATED. I USUALLY HAVE TO WAIT 24 HOURS OR SO FOR THE ALARM TO RESET ITSELF. THIS OCCURS EVERY 2 MONTHS OR SO, BUT WHEN IT HAPPENS, IT CONTINUES TO OCCUR FOR SEVERAL DAYS. IT HAS HAPPENED EVEN WHEN THE CAR WASN'T LOCKED. JUNE, 2002, REPLACED BATTERY; DEC. 2002, INSTALLED NEW FUEL PUMP; JAN. 2003, INSTALLED FUEL PUMP AGAIN; APRIL, 2003, BOUGHT NEW KEY AND CLICKER; SEPT. 2003, DEALER WANTS TO REPLACE IMM…

Owner-reported narrative. 103,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10070067 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 767888 · 2002-09-29 (September 29, 2002)

STALLS AND WILL NOT ACCELERATE FROM COMPLETE STOP, CAR ALSO STALLS WITHOUT WARNING IN INTERSECTIONS WHILE MAKING TURNS. "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT FLASHES BUT DOES NOT REMAIN ON, THEN CAR SUDDENLY JOLTS FORWARD. ALSO SHIFTS HARD AND JOLTS DURING DRIVING. MAZDA SERVICE DEPT. CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG, SINCE THERE IS NO COMPUTER CODE TO INDICATE WHAT IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. ALL REQUIRED MAINTANENCE HAS BEEN PERFORMED, GAS TANK IS FULL. CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY AS REQUIRED BY MANUFACTURER. HELP! MR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 767888 at NHTSA ↗