1998 Mazda 626 Power Train:automatic Transmission Problems

NHTSA component category: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION · data through 07/14/2026

278Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints

64.1%Of all 434 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How power train:automatic transmission ranks on this vehicle

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION278 · 64.1%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE42 · 9.7%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS14 · 3.2%

POWER TRAIN13 · 3%

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION12 · 2.8%

Share of the 434 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1998 Mazda 626 overview page.

What owners report

“THE FACTORY INSTALLED TRANSMISSION FAILED IN MAY 2002 AT 85000 MILES. THE REPLACEMENT (USED) WITH 46000 MILES FAILED 45 DAYS LATER. UPON CONTACT WITH SERVICE…”NHTSA complaint 768419 — filed 10/14/2002

“AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAD COMPLETELY FAILED AT 15,000 MILES. WAS REPLACED BY MAZDA. FAILED AGAIN AT 53,800 MILES/3 YEARS.”NHTSA complaint 767270 — filed 09/17/2002

“TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AT 37,000 OR 38,000 MILES. WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. REPLACED SPARK PLUGS TWICE BEFORE 50,000 MILES.1ST AT DEALERSHIP(80.00) 2ND BY MY HUSBAND…”NHTSA complaint 767104 — filed 09/12/2002

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1998 Mazda 626 have power train:automatic transmission problems?

Power Train:automatic Transmission is the most-reported problem area on the 1998 Mazda 626: 278 of 434 complaints on file (64.1%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1998 Mazda 626 have in total?

434 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 12 involved a crash, 5 involved a fire, 15 reported injuries, and 5 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's power train:automatic transmission category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.