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1994 Mazda 626 transmission problems

177 complaints (63% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 109,999. 2 crashes reported.

owner complaints
177
of this car's complaints
63%
typical mileage
109,999
crashes
2
recalls
0

Which part fails

  • Automatic transmission
    159
  • Manual transmission
    8
  • Automatic transmission: park/neutral start interlock switch
    2
  • Automatic transmission: gear position indication (PRNDL)
    2
  • Automatic transmission: cooling unit and lines
    2
  • Automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
    2
  • Clutch assembly: pedal/hand lever(motorcycle)
    1
  • Automatic transmission: torque converter
    1

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Mazda 626 transmission problems in other years

1990199520002003

Specific symptoms reported on the 1994 Mazda 626 transmission

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Transmission failure 66Jerking 27Slipping 12Won't shift 6

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

Related investigations

Speedometer inoperativeOpened October 29, 1998, closed September 10, 1999

See resume for details.

SQ98024

What 1994 Mazda 626 owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Dec 8, 2018 · Transmission · 187,356 miles · SC

Transmission won't shift properly. When it does shift, it shifts hard. Od light flashes. Was driving vehicle from work and took off from a complete stop. The car revved up real high but wouldn't shift. Made it home, and now vehicle won't move.

Filed Oct 20, 2010 · Electrical, Engine · 138,000 miles · CA

The 1994 mazda 626lx with a v-6 2.5l motor has required 3 transmissions in the 8 years I have owned the car. The water pump went out twice and the alternator twice as well. This last time the transmission failed, I was on I-5 heading north near the los banos turnoff when it just started slipping and came to a complete stop on the freeway. I am very frustrated with the design and longevity of many parts of this vehicle.

Filed May 21, 2010 · Transmission · 68,339 miles · NJ

The hold light is continually flashing. This started on sunday may 16, 2010. I called mazda maple shade made an appt. I took the car in on may 19th at 7:30 am. I picked the car up on may 20th at 7:30 am and as I was driving home from work at 3 pm., the problem has worsen. I called mazda on may 21th at 8 am and I am waiting for them to return my call. It is now 10:24 am.

Filed Jan 27, 2010 · Transmission · 220,000 miles · UT

I puchased a 1994 mazda 626 2.0l automatic transmission, when I purchased the car they had told me that the transmission had already been replaced once due to falure. I do not know the story of how the transmission came to fail on the previous owner. Now that I own it the car has started to shift very hard, and randomly shift down for a split seccond at cruising speeds(no change in accelarator travel or grade change). The transmission also causes a fluctuation in RPM's in cruising conditions for about 5 seconds.

Filed Feb 7, 2009 · Transmission · 149,500 miles · TX

I purchase a 1994 mazda 626lx automatic sedan approximately 3 months ago, from an individual here in austin, tx. Approximately one month after obtaining, and putting new tires, new brakes and a complete tune-up, the transmission went out. After doing some further investigation on the car, I found out that the transmission(cdf4e) for that year model has gotten a lot of complaints. Apparently, the transmission is to small for the 2.0 liter engine, and burns up after so many miles or length of driving. I checked it out online, and the site that I checked gave a fairly decent approval rating of the vehicle. Anyhow, the vehicle, as of now, is disabled and right now, I don't have the money to fix it. The transmission quit working while I was driving down I-35 at 65mph, in a construction zone. Luckily, I was going fast enough to coast to the end of the construction area, to park on the shoulder of the road, safely.

Filed Jan 14, 2009 · Transmission · 146,545 miles · TX

I bought a 1994 used mazda 626 lx a little over a month ago for $1600.00. And I put another $500.00 in it getting 2 new front tires a complete tune up, and a complete brake job. I test drove it and it ran fine. I found out later after I bought the car in a few days while going up a steep hill here in austin, and put it in d2 a lower gear, and the transmission started slipping. So, at the top of the hill, I put it back in drive, and it worked ok. But sometimes is would take off very sluggishly after warming up. The hold light started flashing also. I fixed the hold light problem, but 2 weeks later, going on the highway, the transmission went completely our, right at a construction zone, with the concrete barrier walls on both sides. So fortunately, I managed to coast about another mile to the end of the construction zone and off the highway, onto the shoulder safely. I have just recently found out here online on these auto forums, that the 1994 mazda 626 lx automatic is a lemon. Lot's of people have complained about the cd4e ford transmission on the car. I honestly can't believe there hasn't been a re-call on them. I've only had the car a little over a month, and im out of around $2100.00 dollars on it. I having a hard time finding anyone around here that will work on it, at a fair price. I could repair it myself, with some help, but from what I've read, the whole car was a design flaw, in that the transmission was actually to small for the 626 body, and causes the transaxle to overheat after a while. And I didn't know you had to buy a extra cooling kit for the transaxle to keep it from overheating. I liked the car when I first bought it, but,man, I didn't expect all of these problems. That is about all I have.

Filed Jul 15, 2008 · Transmission · 90,000 miles · NV

Rough transmission shifting that occurs almost every day with o/d light flashing. No repair shop is able to find what the problem is. Last repair shop charged me $800 to replace the engine mounts but that did not fix the problem. Issue is still on going. There was a recall for the 94 mazda 626 model for this particular issue but I was not notified. See this link for more info http://www.dustbury.com/626/94speedo.html.

Filed May 20, 2008 · Transmission · 102,000 miles · FL

Transmission on 1994 mazda hold light flashing.

Filed Feb 8, 2008 · Transmission · 200,000 miles · TX

Automatic transmission failed.

Filed Jul 10, 2007 · Transmission · 201,652 miles · MO

1994 mazda 626 auto transmission failure. Known transmission problems by manufacturer resulting in defective auto transmissions that fail prematurely. Only solutions are total transmission replacement sometimes on multiple occasions. This has been addressed in a tsb by mazda, but nothing has been done by them to correct the problem.

Questions about the 1994 Mazda 626 transmission

Does the 1994 Mazda 626 have transmission problems?

Owners have filed 177 complaints about the transmission of the 1994 Mazda 626, 63% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.

At what mileage do 1994 Mazda 626 transmission problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 109,999 miles.

Was there a recall on the 1994 Mazda 626 transmission?

There is no recall for this problem on this model year.

What year does the Mazda 626 have bad transmission?

The Mazda 626 model years with the most transmission complaints are 1995 (337 complaints), 1998 (313 complaints) and 1996 (240 complaints).

Other 1994 Mazda 626 problems

Engine 26Electrical 24Brakes 17Airbags 14Lights 12Suspension 10Acceleration 9Visibility 6Seat belts 5Steering 4Fuel system 3Body 2Seats 2Tires 2Wheels 2

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