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 2002 Mazda 626 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Without any warning the transmission started slipping out of forward gear while at a traffic light after releasing the brakes and gently pressing the accelerator pedal the vehicle didnt move. Manually shifting into 1st gear was the car able to move but causing a very harsh lurching forward causing a loud "clunking" noise. I was able to limp the car 3 miles to my home. I was involved in a rear end accident at the next traffic light. While the vehicle was in 1st gear and having the brakes applied the transmission caught in gear and lunged forward causing me to contact the car in front of me. Both myself and the occupant of the vehicle I hit sustained minor injuries and well as property damage to the front of my vehicle and the back of theirs.
My car was driving fine and then one day as I was leaving work my car started acting as though it wanted to shut off. I made it all the way home and was going to go to the store and my car would not shift into gear I tried to add transmission fluids but it sounds not move.
The car is a 2002 Mazda 626 with approximately 90K miles. The car was not in a crash or incident leading up to the issue. August 28, 2007-driving on I-5 on the way home from work the o/d light began to flash. I was approximately 1.5 miles from home so I continued on. The next morning I started the car and backed out of my driveway. It would not go into gear at all. Reverse works just fine. It was towed to the mechanic and we have been told that the transmission is completely dead and needs to be replaced. The cost of this is going to be $1350 for a rebuilt/remanufactured transmission and labor ($650). This is a total of $2,000 not including tax. There were no used transmissions available at the time. …
I bought my 2002 Mazda 626 in February 2003. In jan. 2006 with just over 50,000 miles on it, just over the 50,000 mile warranty the transmission failed, while I was driving on the highway. Out of no where I couldn't go over 30 MPH, not safe!!! My only option was to put a rebuilt transmission into the car at a cost of $2600. Now in May 2006, I am having transmission problems again and have been doing as much research as possible. I have come to find that Mazda put a Ford transmission (cd4e) in the 626's and this specific transmission has caused many problems for many people. This is a transmission built for smaller, lighter cars but Mazda put it in the 626 anyway, although it is a heavier car. I now see that a technical service bulletin (TSB #0500502) was released by Mazda stating that this problem can be compensated by installing a transmission cooling kit. …
I have Mazda 626 year 2002. It had around 53,000 miles on it. Very low mileage and well maintained. One day, while driving on the highway, there was sudden jerking motion and od light began to flash, after which the car slowed down and was moving at a very slow speed. (on the highway). As and when I stopped/slowed, the car had difficulty to gain speed. Some how, I got it home after which , it would not move forward. Neutral and reverse gears worked fine. Took it Mazda dealer in troy, and they said a bad transmission. First they said that they will get a new transmission and they were charging exorbitantly. Later they said that it would be rebuilt for the same amount of money. I took my cart to a transmission shop and got it repaired. I have read online that there are numerous numerous people who have had issues with transmission with Mazda 626. …
1) there was no warning of impending failure on the transmission on this vehicle. It simply ceased to function in forward speeds in a mattler of less than half an hour. 2) it was parked on street for about two hours after having been driven 20 miles on the freeway. After starting the car, I shifted into drive and found there was no drive gear. Shifting down, there was second and first available. As I was less than 10 miles from my home, I drove there on back streets, using second gear. Within a mile of my home, second gear failed and first gear barely engaged. I had to have it pushed from a busy intersection to the side of the road. Subsequently, it was towed to a service facility for an estimate. 3) as of today, I have not had it repaired. After an external investigation turned up no answers, I was told that the only way to approach the repair would be to open up and examine it. …
I own a Mazda 2002 626 lx with an automatic transmission. It was purchased on December 12, 2004 and has only 43,700 miles on it. The routine maintenance on the car has always been performed as outlined in the car maintenance manual. On July 13, 2007 the transmission started to have problems. Some time when shifting from park to the reverse gear it will make a screeching noise and the gear will not engage. On July 14, 2007 I called two Mazda dealerships and was told that the transmission was out of warranty (time wise, not mileage wise) and there were no recalls related to the transmission. On July 16, 2007 I took it to an aamco shop. A day later I was told by aamco that the transmission had to be re-built. It cost me $2510 to get the transmission re-build. This was a huge unexpected expense because transmission completely failed at such a low mileage due to some inherent defect.
For the past week I have been having trouble with my vehicle's automatic transmission. I own a Mazda 626 2002 4 cyl. My vehicle has 63,642 miles and for the past week while driving my vehicle would shift out of gear into a lower gear. It would stay in the same gear and not shift (this occurs mainly in the lower gears when the vehicle is in drive). The o/d off light would blink on and off after this occurs and the check engine light came on when the problems began. Yesterday after parking the car I am unable to put the car in reverse. The vehicle will not go backwards. I looked online and there are apparently numerous documented issues of Mazda 626s having transmission failure. . I called the Mazda customer support center and was told that there is no powertrain warranty offered and my vehicle is out of the manufacturers 3 year/50000 mile warranty.
Mazda 626 2002 total transmission failure. Car 58K miles. The incident made driving the car very difficult and dangerous (especially for merging into high speed traffic). The transmission would just spin and not switch gears properly. There was little warning for this condition to occur. The dealer has replaced the transmission to correct the problem at the owners cost. Note that the transmission used was a Ford model cd4e transmission, designed for lighters cars and put it on the Mazda 626. Mazda knows about the problem and has issued a technical service bulletin to correct the problem but the method of communication through the dealerships was ineffective since there are many other owners with a similar problem (per the articles that I have read on the internet).
I have a 2002 Mazda 626 4cyl with 71,200 miles. I had just paid it off last month and come to find out my automatic transmission is going out on me. When accelerating it sounds as if gears are grinding. There was a couple times over the last 3 months my check engine light came on. I took it in and was told my battery connection was loose. Other than that there was no events leading up to this and happened all of a sudden. I have tried to change transmission fluid and the defected transmission is still in the vehicle continuing with grinding noise. Took it back in and told me the transmission is about to need rebuilding I have read many problems online dating back to 1996 regarding these 626's transmissions and here is another one.
Transmission complaints in other 626 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2002 Mazda 626?
NHTSA has 70 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2002 Mazda 626, 80% of the model year's 87 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (56 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Mazda 626 transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2002 Mazda 626. 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 2002 Mazda 626 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 72,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 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.