Mazda 626 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 3,125 consumer complaints across the 19 model years of the Mazda 626 (1985–2003) that have at least 5 complaints. 1995 has the most, with 488. Across all years, the part named most often is transmission and drivetrain (1,983 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All 626 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 9 | 18,000 | 0 | 20 | — | Not enough data |
| 2002 | 87 | 72,600 | 0 | 85 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2001 | 188 | 78,346 | 0 | 82 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2000 | 217 | 81,100 | 1 | 80 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1999 | 318 | 80,000 | 2 | 65 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1998 | 434 | 89,155 | 4 | 58 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1997 | 358 | 90,000 | 3 | 44 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1996 | 359 | 95,000 | 2 | 10 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1995 | 488 | 102,262 | 2 | 10 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 282 | 112,000 | 2 | 9 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1993 | 122 | 106,000 | 1 | 9 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1992 | 19 | 155,506 | 0 | 7 | — | Stable |
| 1991 | 62 | 131,000 | 1 | 7 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1990 | 44 | 121,416 | 1 | 7 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1989 | 42 | 60,000 | 1 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1988 | 45 | 50,000 | 6 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1987 | 29 | 38,423 | 1 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1986 | 16 | 235,000 | 2 | 0 | — | Stable |
| 1985 | 6 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Transmission and drivetrain1,983 63%
- Engine cooling335 11%
- Air bags224 7.1%
- Electrical system175 5.5%
- Seat belts144 4.6%
- Brakes141 4.5%
- Vehicle speed control80 2.5%
- Other or unknown76 2.4%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2002: “The car started to not want to crank it would crank sometimes then one day we went to the store then when we went to leave the store it finally just stopped trying to crank only making a clicking sound and while trying to crank it the steering column started smoking and almost caught on fire I believe it is the ignition switch”
NHTSA complaint #10811234, filed 2015-12, 100,000 miles1995: “While driving on the highway after just drop off my daughter, I proceeded back on the highway and the transmission just threw me in park. I put the car in park. Then I put in gear and it was driving fine and then the hold light started flashing. While driving home it was fine and then again it started all over.”
NHTSA complaint #10541690, filed 2013-09, 162,000 miles1999: “I had the transmission replaced at about 65,000 miles. The replacement transmission is very jerky and shifts very hard, and I would not be surprised if it failed again at some point in the future. Apparently, the automatic transmission for this model has a high rate of failure. Transmission problems can be potentially dangerous and very costly to repair; Mazda should issue a recall.”
NHTSA complaint #10398081, filed 2011-04, 65,000 milesOther Mazda models
2,991 complaintsMazda CX-5
2,469 complaintsMazda MAZDA6
2,232 complaintsMazda Tribute
2,098 complaintsMazda CX-9
1,493 complaintsMazda CX-7
1,133 complaintsMazda Protege
1,074 complaintsMazda MPV
936 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology