1996 Mazda 626 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 626 years
- More complaints than other years 3rd of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 359 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Mazda 626. That ranks 3rd out of 9 626 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (239 complaints, 67%), typically at around 95,000 miles. Complaints mention 35 crashes, 2 fires, 138 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
- 359owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 35complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Mazda 626 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 239 | 67% | 95,000 | “transmission failed” (14%) | $4,150 |
| Air Bags | 49 | 14% | 126,109 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 33 | 9% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 14 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 12 | 3% | 165,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 11 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 3% | 138,318 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 2% | 84,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 8 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 7 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 1% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 1% | 103,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 0% | 165,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 0% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Mazda 626 recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:ignition:switch
Problem: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 1989-1998 MPV, 1990-1995 323, 1990-1998 Protege, 1992-1993 MX-3, 1993-1995 929, 1993-1997 MX-6, and 1993-1998 626 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, grease applied to the contact points inside the ignition switch may become conductive and overheat.
Risk: If the ignition switch overheats there would be an increased risk of a fire.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. The recall began on December 17, 2015. Owners may contact Mazda Customer Experience Center at 1-800-222-5500, option#6. Mazda's number for this recall is 8715J.
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with the sas sensor unit. These vehicles can experience air bag deployments in minor undercarriage impacts.
Risk: Unexpected air bag deployment can result in occupant injury.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the sas unit to reduce the probability of unnecessary deployments in low speed undercarriage impacts.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Headlight failure (RQ99022) — opened Dec 20, 1999, closed Aug 30, 2000.
- Speedometer inoperative (SQ98024) — opened Oct 29, 1998, closed Sep 10, 1999, led to recall 99I005000.
- Oversensitive air bag deployment (EA97012) — opened May 23, 1997, closed Oct 9, 1998, led to recall 98V249000.
- Inappropriate air bag deployment (PE97006) — opened Jan 30, 1997, closed May 23, 1997.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 mazda 626. While driving, the check engine sensor light suddenly illuminated and the instrument panel lights would not illuminate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the ignition switch wire harness was faulty and needed to be replaced…
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 mazda 626. The contact stated that there was a progressing electrical failure and unknown warning lights remained illuminated on the instrument panel. The vent controls failed to work for the air conditioner and heater. The vehicle was taken to four different independent…
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 mazda 626. After placing the key in the ignition and starting the vehicle, the contact noticed a fuel odor under the hood of the vehicle. The contact turned the vehicle off for a while and proceeded to turn the vehicle back on with the front driver and passenger side…
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 mazda 626. After refueling the vehicle, a strong odor of fuel emitted outside of the vehicle. There was no fuel visible on the ground. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who discovered that the top of the fuel tank exhibited a three inch crack. The mechanic…
Three inch crack in top of rule tank ,seat belts broke and slow to role back up and plastic parts used in door opening mechanism broke. *tr
Other Mazda 626 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 626 | 9 | 0 |
| 2002 626 | 87 | 0 |
| 2001 626 | 188 | 0 |
| 2000 626 | 217 | 1 |
| 1999 626 | 318 | 2 |
| 1998 626 | 434 | 4 |
| 1997 626 | 358 | 3 |
| 1996 | 359 | 2 |
| 1995 626 | 488 | 2 |
See all Mazda 626 problems by year, every Mazda model, or the Mazda VIN decoder.
Similar Mazda models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Mazda 626?
Owners most often report power train, air bags, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 239 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Mazda 626?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Mazda 626 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 626 model years, the 1996 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.