1997 Mazda 626 Air bags Problems
- Complaints
- 36about this part
- Share
- 10%of 358 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 84,200miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 36 complaints about the air bags of the 1997 Mazda 626, 10% of the 358 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 84,200 miles. 11 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I have failed 2 times trying to type this letter of complaint. Well,I have a 1997 Mazda 626 lx 4 cylinder,2 liter engine sedan.,the engine light stays on all thew time now. First time I took it back to granger in garden city,ga and they sent it to fairway fordmazda in abercorn st in savannah,ga. They kept it about 6 weeks and the engine light stayed off about 2 years. …”
NHTSA complaint #10116819, filed 2005-04, 46,000 miles“On sunday afternoon, october 8, 2006, I was driving locally to visit a friend in a new home. I had just turned off a busy thoroughfare onto a side road when a huge explosion went off in my face. …”
NHTSA complaint #10170279, filed 2006-10, 109,456 miles“We had just bought my 1997 Mazda 626 from a family member and had only had it about 3 weeks. My mother in law had used my car and was coming down the drive and hit a pot hole when the air bags deployed hitting her in the face and busting the windshield. She had to be taken to the hospital for injuries sustained due to the airbags deploying. I then went online where I saw that Mazda had a recall on my car model. I called Mazda and they said there was nothing they could do, that I would have to contact my insurance company. Due to this being an older vehicle I have only liabilty insurance. …”
NHTSA complaint #10407636, filed 2011-06, 157,821 miles“My wife was driving our 1997 Mazda 626 when she hit a pothole at 19th and spring garden sts in phila., pa. Both airbags went off, breaking the windshield. Her neck was a little red after the incident, but no medical treatment was sought. We found a small dent in the rim, but the tire did not go flat. She drove the car to a place where she could pull off the road. Our insurance company totaled the car. I found that 97 Mazda 626's were recalled. I had a dealer check our VIN number and was told that it had been taken in for the recall. …”
NHTSA complaint #10112070, filed 2005-02, 87,000 miles“My wife struck a curb with the right-front tire at about 25-30 MPH. The drivers side airbag deployed, though not the passenger side. When I looked on the DOT website I found that 97 626 drivers-side airbags had been recalled for deploying too easily. When I spoke with the dealer they said that my VIN was not covered under that recall. My insurance company paid for the repair, less our $300 deductible, and put in a complaint on the airbag. Because they were paying around $1800, I thought the insurance company would investigate the airbag deployment. …”
NHTSA complaint #10070672, filed 2004-01, 86,000 milesRelated recalls
- 98V249000Oct 8, 1998Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with the sas sensor unit. These vehicles can experience air bag deployments in minor undercarriage impacts.Covers: Mazda 626 1995–1997, MX-6 1995–1996
Related service bulletins
- 10021000Oct 4, 2006Non genuine accessories affect air bag operation.
Air bags: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 2 | 22% |
| 2002 | 3 | 3% |
| 2001 | 11 | 6% |
| 2000 | 9 | 4% |
| 1999 | 5 | 2% |
| 1998 | 11 | 3% |
| 1997 | 36 | 10% |
| 1996 | 49 | 14% |
| 1995 | 67 | 14% |
| 1994 | 14 | 5% |
| 1993 | 15 | 12% |
| 1992 | 1 | 5% |
| 1985 | 1 | 17% |
Other parts of the 1997 Mazda 626
233 complaintsEngine cooling
39 complaintsElectrical system
32 complaintsOther or unknown
16 complaintsBrakes
14 complaintsVehicle speed control
9 complaintsEquipment
8 complaintsSteering
8 complaintsTires
5 complaintsExterior lighting
4 complaintsSeats
4 complaintsSuspension
4 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1997 Mazda 626
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology