4th Mar 2004, 11:06

I purchased a 91 Probe brand new in 91. For the most part it has been a good car. At about 100,000 I have to have a valve job, but that was the most I've had to do.

For the past year it's been going down hill with small things. Gas tank leaks (I only put in 1/2 tank now), parking light switch wouldn't turn on, drivers seat belt motor stopped working, horn died, antenna motor died, speedometer died, head light motors failed, cassette doesn't work... time to get it out of my drive for good. It now has about 155,000 and has been PAID OFF for 8 years!

6th Mar 2004, 22:11

I JUST purchased a 1996 Mazda 626 for $1600. I thought I was getting a good buy (Japanese car) until I read all these posts! I guess I didn't do enough research! Anyway, it has 178K highway miles. I haven't had any transmission problems yet, but it DOES shake like MAD when I'm in idling in drive. Does anyone know why it does that? I was thinking it was something w/the engine...

13th Mar 2004, 23:14

Hi,

I was just reading the last post of March 6th. I have a 1995 Mazda 626 LX. My car also shakes like crazy when on idle. I took it to a mechanic to look it, and I was told the rear engine mount was broken. It will cost about $70 for the part and about $45 for labor. So, maybe that could be why your car shakes like that. Hope this helps.

20th Mar 2004, 08:39

I own a 95 626, have had it since 95. Have just started to have any type of trouble with the transmission. The only problem I have is it shifts hard into reverse when cold. It has almost 100,000 miles on it so it is normal to have some problems. Engine has a rough idle when stopped in drive…pretty sure it is a motor mount…again typical replace and repair part. Bad vibration at 65 mph from the back end and the car eats rear tires for lunch. This is the only problem I have not been able to pinpoint.

Very good car and would buy another Mazda. To think a car and its parts will last a lifetime is absurd. Every car on the road needs to have some type of repair and work done on it. If you get 100,000 miles or close to it before you have to change things then consider yourself lucky. These cars are not made like the good old days. Nothing more than an aluminum can with a small motor. If you want a car that will live forever then get a 50’s or 60’s Chevy.

27th Apr 2004, 08:44

I guess I lucked out with my '95 626. Bought it in 1995 as a used rental vehicle with 33000 km and apart from a faulty pressure switch that caused extremely rough gear shifting about 7 years ago, (Mazda dealership was not able to find the problem, local transmission shop fixed it for about $270) I have not had problems until this past weekend. At 223,000 km, the transmission gave up the ghost. Apparently this will cost me $3300 to fix. So my dilemma is fix or not. The car is still in pretty good shape... very little rust, but it's still 10 years old.

Ottawa, Canada.

31st May 2004, 15:27

I have a 1993-4 626 2.5 ABS light stays on unable to find the fault 2mths now a bigger problem with front brakes binding after 2miles. stationary select drive car does not move forward, using excessive fuel. this problem intermittent can anyone help?

10th Jun 2004, 12:12

I own a 1994 Mazda 626 and I regret ever buying it. My first problem is with the belts. I have had the belts replaced THREE times in one year. They still squeak terribly and will probably go again in a few months.

I had to pay $100 for rewiring during a routine tune-up because they were being melted from heat due to where they were placed.

Hold light started flashing last summer. I brought it to TWO shops and was told there were no mechanical problems. I had the codes reset and it ran fine for about 8 months. 3 months ago the hold light started to flash and it jerked while driving over 40mph. The rpm jumped to 4 back to 3, etc. it was also leaking transmission fluid. I brought it in and was told it needed a rebuild by two different specialists. I had the rebuild done for $1500. LO AND BEHOLD I have my car for 2 days and the hold light flashes again and it jerks insanely. I am told it needs a new speed sensor which costs $25.

11th Jun 2004, 03:42

Yes I too was given a Mazda 626LX for a graduation gift. It looked like it was in good shape. After about 2 months transmission starts to go out. Eventually it did and I was stuck later to find out that I would have to pay 400 bucks to get my transmission worked on. After I get it back, transmission goes out again, so I'm stuck 2 hours away from home without a car. Then I pay 800 dollars to get it fixed again. It does just fine until once again the transmission goes out 5 months later. Now here I sit probably never to get it fixed again, and I have to walk everywhere. The car didn't even make it a year so to everyone out there who plan on or just have to get a Mazda 626, do yourself a favor and look away. Go to a different car, its not worth it. I'm out 4000 dollars all because of this car.

15th Jun 2004, 19:36

I have owned a 95 Mazda 626 for 2 years now. Recently my O/D Off light has been flashing constantly. Does this mean my transmission is going to go out pretty soon? lynnifer107@juno.com.

20th Jun 2004, 17:12

Of course it is far to late for us to read these comments on Mazda 626. We were stung too, thinking that we were getting a good deal on a used car! After a couple weeks our o/d light began flashing and would do that constantly for a while then stop for a while. Then, a little while later, it became a permanent feature. We too were told it needed a new transmission. If we could have afforded all that money, we would have bought a new car in the first place! We are faced with this dilema now, and hoping that some of your suggestions like unhooking the battery will work for us. Thanks to all of you that gave these suggestions! I would have never bought this car if I would have known that Ford had anything to do with it!!! Have never had good success with Ford. It was unfair that Mazda never made the world aware of this change so people could have made a choice!! Hope something can be done with a law suit as they sure deserve it!

Vida and Jack, British Columbia.