Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1995 Mazda 626 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Less than a year ago, I purchased a 1995 Mazda 626 lx from a friend. My friend had informed me that the car had a new transmission, etc.. So I decided to purchase the car since it did not seem that much else could go wrong with it besides maintenance. Shortly after I bought the car, the o/d off light began to flash. Nothing seemed to be wrong with the car, though so I continued to drive it. My friend said that he had taken it back to the place that had repaired the transmission and they could find no reason why that light occassionaly came on. The last time the light came on, the car began to shift repeatedly from 3rd to 4th gear and would remain in neither gear. It has now been a month and I am still trying to figure out what is wrong with the car. …
Mazda 626 transmission broke after just 50000 miles: we were driving from ny to pittsburgh on our way home and the o/d light started flashing. After pulling the car to the next exit burning smell started coming in so we took the car to pep boys who changed the transmission fluid but it still didn't fix the problem of car unable to move/slip gears when occasionally it moved. Took the car to aamco who replaced the whole transmission and the total cost came to somewhere like $4000. On doing further research on the internet found out that Mazda was putting Ford transmissions in some of there vehicles and Ford had issue with the transmissions for there own vehicles at one point. Here is the link for all the people who had issues with there transmission for Mazda cars. …
Car details: Mazda odel 626, year of mfg: 1995, 4 door, auto transmission, no. Of miles (till the date of complaint): 87,410 miles. This is a used car and I bought it in December 2003. The miles on the car when I bought was about 84,500. Problem: 1) events leading to the failure: there was a slip in the car every time the car was started from rest. I showed it to my mechanic and he suggested the problem to be due to new brake pads which I had got changed about two months back.I use the car mainly inside the city and it was working perfectly fine. I drove it only once on the interstate for about 30 minutes (this was on the day of complaint) and while coming on the way I saw that the car was having lot of jerks whenever I slowed down or stopped at any signal. Also the pick up of the car was very poor. …
The od off light began flashing in March or April of this year took it to the dealership I purchased it from, was told then that it was a bearing within the transmission that just wasnt moving they moved electronically and the light went out then approximately two weeks ago the overdrive off light began flashing again, I took it in and they say it is thr torque converter and probably a bushing inside the transmission that is causing a major vibration. My 1995 Mazda 626 has just over 77,000 miles on it and has the same transmission as the 94 which is known for its problems and by all reports most of those problems were not fixed until 96 now I am facing a secondary warranty company who May or May not approve my claim, my car occasionall stalls when I push the gas etc, many similar problems you can read on the web with this same car. …
1995 Mazda 626 purchased used in 1998 with appx. 30,000 miles at time of purchase. Vehicle currently has 40,000 miles and the transmission has totally burned out. Took vehicle to dealer in July 2005. I was informed that I needed a new transmission. I asked why would a vehicle with only 40,000 miles need a new transmission. Car was only driven on weekends for short trip. In the 7 years that I've had the vehicle it was only driver 10,000 miles. I paid over 18,000 for a vehicle that gets only 10,000 miles? Or 40,000 total? Asked Mazda to pick up the cost of repair which is $4,000 as this is as recurring problem with certain of their model vehicles due to the installation of a Ford transmission in these makes//modesl. Mazda has advised that my warranty period has expired. I stated that it's not a warranty problem but a defective transmission problem. …
I currently have approx. 112,000 miles on my car. I do not drive it a whole lot but during a trip from maryland to florida, my transmission started to go up. The o/d light started flashing, the RPM and mileage needle was going wacky and the car would barely drive. The mileage needle would say that I was doing 0 MPH when in fact I was driving at 20 MPH. I had to drive on gear 1 or 2 half the way back. There was also this burnt smell coming from the transmission oil. Which scared me because I thought the car was surely going to catch on fire since I was only in virginia (again, final destination florida) now I take care of my car, I had just had the transmission fluid flushed two months before. …
1. First time my transmission gave out I was in the middle of a busy intersection and when I pressed the gas peddle the RPM went way up but the car did not move. I tried not to panic as oncoming traffic came right at me. Before I knew it, the intersection was gridlocked and horns were honking everywhere. I was almost hit and would have been injured. Finally, with the help of others the car was pushed to the side of the road and towed away. The final bill costing 2,300.00$. Recently, in a parking lot, after shifting into reverse and pushing the gas peddle, the car shot forward (still in drive). Luckily there were no people in front of me but I almost hit a car. I looked at the console and saw the gear was in drive even though my shifter was in reverse. The shifting mount is unhitched and the transmission needs to be replaced again!!!! …
I own a 1995, Mazda, 626, 4 cylinder, automatic, lx model car. Purchased the car in 1996 with 15000 miles on it and started having transmission trouble @ about 40000 miles. Contact Mazda and had dealer look at the car before the warranty expired due to un-normal transmission activity and the end results were the car/transmission was OK. Continued to drive car and problem got worst. (erratic shifting, blinking od light, jumping in and out of gear at any known time) the transmission eventually went out on the road. Luckily nobody was hurt. That transmission was changed out (expenses paid by me the owner, the car was out of commission for about 10 days) and replaced with a second transmission not knowing there was any known transmission trouble from/with Mazda or Ford. …
I have a '95 Mazda 626 2.0l autotrans, it drives fine in town and for short periods but since I live in a rural area most shopping is done and hour from home. On such trips, my car will begin to shift hard and the o/d off light will start flashing. I've talked to the Mazda dealership and they said its a typical Mazda problem and to unhook the neg battery cable, wait 3 minutes then reconnect and the light will be off. This works but I shouldn't have to reset the computer every time I drive my car for an hour. I've also done lots of internet research and it appears this is a very common problem caused by the transmission overheating and eventually burning up. …
I purchased my 1995 Mazda 626 new. After having the car for only a few months and less than 3,000 miles the transmission went out and had to be replaced. Because the car was under warranty, they replaced it. However, it was only after the car left me on the side of the road that they agreed to fix it. I had taken the car in three times previously because of problems, but each time they said it was something different and that they had fixed it. Recently, I had the transmission rebuilt. I have taken it back 4 times in the past 4 months because I am still having problems with it. No one should ever buy a Mazda again! I have seen the numerous posts regarding problems with the transmission and each of them describe what happened to mine. The overdrive light flashes off and on, it has difficulty going into gear, it stalls between gears and constantly leaks transmission fluid. …
NHTSA investigations
Speedometer inoperative
See resume for details.
Transmission complaints in other 626 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 1995 Mazda 626?
NHTSA has 337 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 1995 Mazda 626, 69% of the model year's 488 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (310 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1995 Mazda 626 transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 1995 Mazda 626, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1995 Mazda 626 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 2 fires and 2 injuries to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.