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#BS-1998-MAZ626-439E

1998 Mazda 626

Based on reports from 499 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
499
Crashes
15
Fires
6
Recalls
6
TSBs
102
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 499 complaints, 15 crashes, 6 fires, and 6 recalls. Complaint rate is 2.0x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

transmission failure

9 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
2

cracked gasket

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
3

transmission wont go into reverse

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Power Train:automatic TransmissionHIGH

278 owners reported power train:automatic transmission issues — failures commonly reported around 89K miles.

!Inspect the Engine And Engine Cooling:engineMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

4
0–30K
24
30–60K
105
60–90K
70
90–120K
33
120–150K
18
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (105 reports) • Median: 89K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Power Train:automatic Transmission (278 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Power Train:automatic Transmission278 (56%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine42 (8%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline:belts And Associated Pulleys14 (3%)
Drivetrain13 (3%)
Engine13 (3%)
Power Train:manual Transmission12 (2%)
Other11 (2%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline10 (2%)

1998 Mazda 626: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 56% of all reports filed for the 1998 Mazda 626, with 278 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 89,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 89K-mile mark.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 1998 Mazda 626, with 42 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline:belts And Associated Pulleys Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline:belts And Associated Pulleys complaints account for 3% of all reports filed for the 1998 Mazda 626, with 14 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline:belts and associated pulleys-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Drivetrain Issues

Drivetrain complaints account for 3% of all reports filed for the 1998 Mazda 626, with 13 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to drivetrain-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

31
00
46
01
59
02
76
03
91
04
61
05
34
06
26
07
19
08
12
09
3
10
4
11
3
14
3
16
2
17
2
18

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1998 Mazda 626. Recent trend: stable.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (6 recalls)

00V134000Sep 2000

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. AN EXTERNAL SPRING IN THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER COULD BREAK.

05E065000Sep 2005

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

CERTAIN SPX FILTRAN FUEL FILTERS WITH A 45-DEGREE ANGLE INLET TUBE, MODEL 800F350-S1, SOLD AS REPLACEMENT FILTERS FOR 1993-1997 FORD PROBE,1993-2001 MAZDA 626 AND MX-6, AND 1983-1994 LOYAL, 3-DOOR COUPE, HATCHBACK, SEDAN, WAGON, BRAT, DL, GL, GL-10, RX, XT, AND XT6 PASSENGER VEHICLES WITH EFI OR TURBO ENGINES. THESE FILTERS ARE PACKAGED AS WIX, NAPA, AND CARQUEST BRAND FUEL FILTERS. CERTAIN SPX FILTRAN FUEL FILTERS WITH A 90-DEGREE ANGLE INLET TUBE, MODEL 800F300-S2, SOLD AS REPLACEMENT FILTERS FOR 19983-1994 SUBARU VEHICLES WITH EFI OR TURBO ENGINES. THESE FILTERS ARE PACKAGED AS WIX, NAPA, AND CARQUEST BRAND FUEL FILTERS. FUEL MAY LEAK FROM THE FILTER DUE TO NON-CONFORMING BRAZING WELDS WHERE THE INLET TUBE IS CONNECTED TO THE FILTER CAN.

09E012000May 2009

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

15V674000Dec 2015

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

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.

97V228000Jan 1998

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

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.

+ 1 more recall in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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1998 Mazda 626 vs. Class Average (Midsize Cars)

This vehicle

499

Class avg

246

2.0x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical midsize cars vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 499 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 6 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Mazda 626 Model Years

2003200220012000199919981997199619951994199319921991199019891988198719861985198419831982198119801979
View all Mazda 626 years →

1998 Mazda 626: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1998 Mazda 626?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1998 Mazda 626 is related to the power train:automatic transmission, with 278 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1998 Mazda 626 reliable?
The 1998 Mazda 626 has 499 complaints, 15 crash reports, and 6 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 2.0x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 1998 Mazda 626 problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1998 Mazda 626 have any recalls?
Yes, the 1998 Mazda 626 has 6 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Mazda 626 problems start?
Based on 254 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 89,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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