1998 Mazda 626 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 626 years
- More complaints than other years 2nd of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 434 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Mazda 626. That ranks 2nd out of 9 626 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (313 complaints, 72%), typically at around 89,600 miles. Complaints mention 12 crashes, 5 fires, 15 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 434owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 12complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 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 | 313 | 72% | 89,600 | “transmission failed” (16%) | $4,100 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 81 | 19% | 85,362 | “timing belt” (42%) | — |
| Electrical System | 12 | 3% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 11 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 2% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 9 | 2% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 7 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 6 | 1% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 1% | 103,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 5 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 5 | 1% | 138,645 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 0% | 175,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 Mazda 626 recalls (4)
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.
Engine and engine cooling:engine
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. An external spring in the timing belt tensioner could break.
Risk: The broken spring may get caught in the timing belt, resulting possible engine stalling.
Fix: Dealers will check the tensioner installed and replace it if the vehicle is equipped with the affected tensioner.
Equipment:electrical:radio/tape deck/cd etc.
Problem: Vehicle description: if the vehicle is operated in a hot, humid environment with the window open and air conditioner running, it is possible for condensation to enter the audio unit and cause a short circuit.
Risk: If the short circuit occurs at one specific set of terminals, the speaker can overheat and in some cases, catch fire.
Fix: Dealers will affix aluminum tape over the audio unit to prevent water from entering.
Fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Due to a programming error, the powertrain control module (pcm) installed can, under certain driving conditions, trigger a shift in air-fuel ratio to an overlean condition.
Risk: This condition can result in an engine stall, which could lead to loss of vehicle control and/or a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the pcm with the correct engine control logic.
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
- Speedometer inoperative (SQ98024) — opened Oct 29, 1998, closed Sep 10, 1999, led to recall 99I005000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Since owning the mazda 626 i have had a very big problem the transmission slipping. It will slip going into second gear. If its below 60 degrees the car wont shift into drive until the motor gets hot enough. The car is like this every single day and does it every time it is driven. Also the…
Takata recall. The transmission cd4e tranny doesn't have switch gears unless you use excessive rpm.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mazda 626. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start and the ignition failed to release the key. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v674000 (electrical system) and stated that the part needed for the repair was not available. The…
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mazda 626. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v674000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact…
I was driving 60mph slowing down to the speed limit which was 55 all of a sudden something popped there was nothing on the road and my steering wheel locked the car went in to the wall and flipped over twice. Everything on the vehicle was damaged including the windows. *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 | 434 | 4 |
| 1997 626 | 358 | 3 |
| 1996 626 | 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 1998 Mazda 626?
Owners most often report power train, engine and engine cooling, electrical system problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 313 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Mazda 626?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 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 1998 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.