Mazda 626 1997 4 cylinder transmission problem once the o/d off light came on. When I shift into reverse, sometime it does not move. After driving for a few minutes the car jerks and struggles with erratic shifting of gears. This is accompanied by an increase in the engine RPM and noise. Car still drives but may not be safe. Check engine light shows fault with transmission range switch.
1997 Mazda 626: jerking or lurching
28 of the 358 complaints about the 1997 Mazda 626 describe jerking or lurching.
- owner complaints
- 28
- of this car's complaints
- 8%
- typical mileage
- 100,000
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 3 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Jerking or lurching by model year
What owners say
I purchased a 1997 mazda 626 with 90,000 miles on it in january 2007. Recently, at 112k, the o/d light began flashing and the car jerked and struggled to shift gears. I took it to four different automotive mechanic shops and they all ran an estimate and told me the same thing - that the ford cd4e transmission in it is failing and it's only a matter of time before it quits completely. They also all informed me that this is a typical problem with this type and year transmission. It is very devastating to me because I am on a very limited income and it had proven to be such a reliable car aside from the transmission problem, running gas at aprox. 30 mpg. As I used a popular search engine to find "mazda 626 transmissions" hoping to purchase a new one, instead I was greeted with thousands of pages upon pages of complaints on the exact same problem I have encountered with the ford cd4e transmission. Neither ford nor mazda has done anything to accept responsibility; this should be inexcusable!
Flashing "o/d off" light, rough shifting, jerking, sluggish acceleration nearly resulting in t-bone collision. Incidents too recent for repair actions to be attempted, but consistent with other reports regarding this particular year/make/model.
I have a 1997 mazda 626 that the o/d light has begun flashing and the engine light has come on. After the o/d light comes on the transmission begins getting jerky. The error codes indicate a torque converter problem in the transmission. I have 99,500 miles on the car and had the transmission oil changed at 75,000 miles because I read that these cars have a history of bad transmissions. I called two mazda dealers and they told me these cars have bad transmissions and it will cost around $3,000 to replace.
The vehicle began shifting very roughly, then the overdrive started blinking and the vehicle ceased to shift, I was stuck in 3rd gear. There was a small "bang" in the engine compartment, then check engine light illuminated. I pulled over to a fuel station and opened the hood. There was transmission fluid all over the interior of the engine compartment, 1+ quarts. I could find no obvious leaks, but purchased some additional fluid and refilled what was lost. Since then whenever it is warm out or the car is driven for over an hour in temperatures above ~50 f, it shifts very rough and the od light and check engine light come on. I have since learned that this is a very common problem among 2.0l mazda 626's with an automatic transmission. They apparently overheat very easily. I have been told I am lucky that the transmission has not failed on me. I've taken it apart and cleaned it out several times. I also change the transmission fluid frequently. These above average maintenance routines are likely what has kept the transmission from failing altogether. The vehicle is barely tolerable to drive when it is having these problems as it will slam into the next gear hard enough to jerk the occupants forward or backward.
Driving and car began to jerk over time. Eventually, car has lead to problems going in reverse (must gas to 4000 RPM's to back up).
1) purchased a used '97 mazda 626 dx, with 115000+ miles on it, supposedly in decent condition. The vehicle required a new fuel pump, so wasn't in any kind of road use until replacement. After replacing, the car seemed to work fine, but had odd 'jumps' forward in low speeds and stops (making me believe I would run stop signs). The dealership refused this lemon back. 2) after having the car 8wks, & only testing it around the block until all tests completed on the fuel system, it began to steam & make popping noises driving <400 yards at <20mph. After time, the noises got louder, the steam more widespread, and when the gas was pressed there was noticable lack of power for long seconds. Radiator was suspected due to the steam and power issues. During 1 test while braking it jumped/lurched sideways into a weak brick wall. 3) we are military mechanics, & we went through the entire fuel/transmission/oil systems by mazda's own book. We even removed the engine, completely cleaned the old gunk out, & refilled fluid with only the finest fluids & cleansers, replacing entire sections of the engine with new parts, & still had the same problems. Per mazda, they kept diagnosing anything from sensors/computer/regulators/hoses/fuel system issues. Extensive searches on-line turned up a horrifying list of 100's of websites that all blasted ford's buying of mazda & resultant lowering of quality. All sites reported transmission issues, similar 'diagnosis' from bad mazda dealerships, & the end result being years of transmission replacements. Tranny's would break down at early mileages. Few reports of satisfaction from mazda in replacing what had to be known as deffective trannys. The mazda 626 (all versions '94 to '00) have seriously none-safe transmissions. When we fully eliminated the last of the possibilities, it was the transmission!!! Mazda refused to deal with this, nor issue a valid safety recall of 626's! Spent over $2000 on new parts. This is a safety issue!!
In feb. 2005 I purchased a 97 mazda 626 with 74000 miles on it. About 2 months later the check engine light came on. It started idling at 500-2500 rpms and had trouble switching gears. Around 75 MPH it would cut out and drop to 60 MPH before jerking back into gear. Last month my o/d off light came on and my car starting leaking transmission fluid. I had that fixed, had a new o2 sensor put in, and my o/d off light is still coming on. Now my overdrive doesnt work at all and I have trouble switching it out of low gears. I have been told I need a new transmission, after already putting a great deal of money into repairs. I have 84000 miles on it right now, and after seeing hundreds of other similiar complaints online, am outraged that mazda is doing nothing as far as a recall.
Transmission has failed twice, at 91k and at 120k. Both times the symptoms were the same, and very similar to those of other 626 transmission failures; jerky shifting, shaking at idle, loss of certain gears, etc.
Viloent jerks and stalling of the transmission. O/d light flashes after driving for 45 minutes to an hour. The check engine light comes on also as a result.
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. Then it started coming back on in february 2005,so I took it to a certified mechanic here in pooler,ga.he cleared the sensors,lasted about 1/2 day,tool\k it back,he said it was number 2 sensor,replaced it,lasted about a day and now it stays on all the time. Number 2 sensor was what it was the first time. I;m also expercing some jerky motion in this car and it could be the transmission. So I'm hoping that you will do something about these faulty problems with these cars,like recall them and repair them at no cost to the owners. [email protected].
The transmission acts up switching from 1st to 2nd gear. It goes into high RPM and then jerks into 2nd gear. After driving for a little while, the o/d (overdrive) light begins to flash and it only turns off if the car is turned off. A mechanic has looked at it and says that it is the transmission acting inconsistently.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1997 Mazda 626 jerking
Is jerking or lurching a common problem on the 1997 Mazda 626?
28 of 358 owner complaints about the 1997 Mazda 626 (8%) mention jerking or lurching. The model year with the most reports is 1998.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1997 Mazda 626?
There are 0 recalls and 3 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1997 Mazda 626
Transmission failure 79Check engine light 30Stalling 25Slipping 13Overheating 12Won't shift 7No deployment 6Engine failure 6Hesitation 6
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