Most common 1999 Mazda 626 problems
Share of the 318 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mazda 626 complaints by model year
Best 626 years: 2003, 2002, 2001. Years to avoid: 1995, 1998. Compare all years →
1999 Mazda 626 recalls (2)
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. An external spring in the timing belt tensioner could break.
Remedy: Dealers will check the tensioner installed and replace it if the vehicle is equipped with the affected tensioner.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Master cylinder
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Certain reservoir tank caps on the brake master cylinder were produced with a worn out die and lack ventilation holes. As a result, the pressure in the reservoir tank can drop gradually as the brake pad or shoe wears and ambient temperature drops.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the reservoir cap and replace it, if necessary.
What 1999 Mazda 626 owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 233 →
The transmission in my 1999 Mazda 626 burned up at 51, 590 miles. Two delaer mechanics said the failure was due to driving at speeds over 70mph for an extended period of time. One of them said he has seen a lot of this in the 626s for a few years . Of course, Mazda no longer makes the 626. I was driving between 75 and 80mph for approximately 2.5 hours. It turns out Mazda did not install transmission coolers on the 626 for several years. The cooler, according to Mazda, is an after factory part. Unfortunately, the consumer is not told that their car does not have this and that if they drive at highway speeds for an extended period of time they May face thousands of dollars in repairs. The cooler, which Mazda does not make, costs around $100.00 depending on labor, etc. …
At present I own a 1999 Mazda 626es and am extremely dissatisfied with Mazda, Ford, and this vehicle overall. The 626 has caused me a lot of headaches and money. Every time I turn around there s something wrong with this vehicle. I recognize that all cars must be maintained according to the dealer suggested maintenance schedules to get the full life out of the vehicle (which I do), but this is absolutely preposterous! The priciest expense was the transmission that I replaced December 2002. With a price tag of $2900.00 for a rebuilt transmission, you would think it would be rebuilt to last longer than 1 year. Yep, here it is January 2004 and the Ford transmission that was placed in my car is slipping! And of course, the 12 month, 12,000 mile warranty the Mazda dealership offers has now expired. I just felt a need to express my sincere disappointment in the Mazda brand. …
Engine & cooling all 50 →
I bought a 1999 Mazda 626 lx in November of 1998. VIN [redacted] the time the warranty ran out I had taken my car into an oil change franchise. They suggested that I flush and renew the transmission fluid. So I did. That's when all the problems began. I then drove the car from nj to fl where I lived. It started burning up a lot of oil so I took it into to Mazda. They said that it was well known that my make and model car runs hot. They said they could not see anything wrong with what the oil change franchise did. They recommended that I put a radiator on the transmission to keep it from boiling...which is what it was doing. I believe it is the boiling transmission which has cause my engine to heat up so much that the oil has gunked my engine. …
I was driving and the car was losing speed even though my foot was on the gas pedal. I took my foot off for a moment and then pushed on the gas pedal again hoping to regain speed. I did not regain any speed, and it continued to drop. I was able to get a break in traffic where I could turn into a small parking lot to remove myself from traffic. As I began to make the turn I noticed that I had lost all power steering and had to turn the car manually. When I got into the parking lot, I had help attempting to jump the vehicle to see if that was the problem, but nothing worked. I called a tow truck and had the vehicle towed to my local mechanic. As they were attempting to locate the problem it was discovered that the timing belt had "jumped". This was caused by the tensioner spring breaking. …
Brakes
Tl contact owns a 1999 Mazda 626. While driving 55 MPH downhill, the contact stated that she lost control of the steering when she depressed the brake pedal then crashed into a tree. As a result, the crash destroyed the vehicle. The road conditions were wet. The rear passenger sustained a broken left leg while seated in a child seat. There is a recall for service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder (NHTSA campaign id #00V074000) however, the manufacturer stated that her VIN was not included. As of January 2, 2008, the dealer had not inspected the vehicle. The current and failure mileages were 145,000.
When driving 10 MPH and upon depressing the brake pedal, pedal became very hard and would not move, causing it to continue moving forward, resulting in an accident. Also, in a separate incident when backing into a parking space and when applying the brake pedal, pedal was very hard. Consumer has contacted the dealer, dealer was unable to determine the cause of the problem. Please provide any further details.
1999 Mazda 626 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 23 / 30 / 26 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 26 / 22 |
| 2.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 19 / 25 / 21 |
| 2.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 24 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1999 Mazda 626 a good car?
Based on 318 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1999 626 rates average: 1.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the 626 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Mazda 626?
The transmission & drivetrain — 233 complaints, 73% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the engine & cooling (50) and brakes (16).
How many recalls does the 1999 Mazda 626 have?
There are 2 recalls for the 1999 Mazda 626, the most recent from May 9, 2000 (engine). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mazda 626?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2003, 2002 and 2001. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1995 and 1998. See the full Mazda 626 years comparison.
At what mileage do 1999 Mazda 626 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 80,000 miles; 11% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.