Used 1994 Mazda 626 Consumer Reviews
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Common Sense
We bought this car when it already over 10 years old and about to crest 150K miles. So far we've replaced the front tires, the negative battery lead, and a headlight bulb. It has incredible pickup and a good, stiff suspension. Body and panels are still tight and well maintained. Last owner obviously took care of it. If you bought a used car that already had damage to it, do you think it will somehow be all better because you own it now? It still has years of abuse, so don't judge it on how the last owner did not maintain it well.
This car stinks
We have had nothing but trouble since we bought this car. First the transmission went. Then it was the water pump. Then all 4 shocks and ball joints needed to be replaced. We only had to replace the front 2 ball joints. The engine in this car feels like a piece of junk. So far it has died twice on the highway and once at home.
Love this car!
Honestly I've read a lot of bad reviews on here but this is probably one of my all time favorite cars. It was more comfortable than my 08 Toyota Camry, however it's a little short on storage with a very small console and small glove box, the cup holders also have a lot to be desired. For a 1994 it's probably one of the most stylish and still fits in as a modern looking vehicle today. The Manual Transmission was strong throughout the entire time I owned it. I bought my 626 with 50,000 miles and sold it with 320,000. It never left me stranded, the only repairs I ever had done were just routine maintenance such as spark plugs, tires, belts, shocks struts etc. It has been an absolute pleasure
Trustworthy car
I had owned two cars before and this is the best. The engine is very smooth, proving the V6 power, double overhead camshifts with 24 valves renders a smooth drive I have never experienced with most of the cars I have driven, except BMW 324i. The automatic transmission is smooth at high speeds and the engine is unbelievably silent at very high speeds too. The brakes are excellent and relaible like a rock. There is lot of room inside the car and five 6 ft guys can sit in, comfortably. It never gave me any repairs surprisingly, considering my poor maintenance. One helluva car I fell in love with.
A good relaible car
A very good and reliable car, never let me down ever. Lucky to have the machine, smooth and silent, V6 zooms like a rocket and room for a whole family. Build is sturdy and comfy. No repairs to date, but I do maintain with regular oil changes and checks. $20 per three months and 626 is your friend for life.
Great Ride
Bought in Jan.2005 with only 70k miles. Drives like new. With only minor performance upgrades, I sometimes chirp wheels from 1st to 2nd without trying (and I have an automatic!). Near sports-car performance in a luxury sedan.
Fun to Drive, good MPG
I have mine with all options, Leather, sunroof, power window, central lock, ABS, V6 2.5L, 4 wheel disc brake...and the most important...5 speed manual. This car so much better than Honda Accord. Has a lot of power but still have good MPG. My wife's car is Honda Accord 97. It's an automatic; it seems lame, bored, doesn't have power and has worse MPG even though the Honda has smaller engine (2.2L). This Mazda 626 has better suspension and better build quality compare to Accord. I bought this car based my experience with my previous car, a Mazda Protege LX 1.8L. It has all options. Has more than 200.000 miles but the engine still run like new...bravo Mazda. My next car probably will be a MazdaSpeed 6.
Solid car
i bought this car unsed in 1997 it was a lease return and has been a very reliable vechile since I bought it. great gas mileage with the 4cyl 5 spd, and vitually maintenance free. Since I've owned it the only money I've had to put in the vechile was for a new distributor and usual item.... brakes/tires. I would recomend this vechile to anyone.
1994 Mazda 626
I bought it new and it's been very reliable and comfortable. I just had to change the transmission at 107K. There's a oxygen sensor light that has been going on since I bought the car. I have gotton it fixed a few times but it still comes on.
My Favorite Car
I have 186,000 miles on my Mazda 626 and I am very fond of her performance. The engine runs quietly and reminds me of a purring kitten while being driven. It runs smoothly and is powerful while driving. It reminds me of a turbo engine. I am very pleased with it and will keep it as long as she continues to be a reliable vehicle.
Good if you can afford it
I got this car from my grandfather. It's a good enough car until you have to fix something. When the transmission died on me, every mechanic I called said that they didn't really want to mess with it. It finally got replaced at the cost of $2300. Parts for the car are almost impossible to find, and when I could find them they were really expensive. Body style is great and can stand up to anything. If you buy the car in silver, paint it immediately or it will look bad. Sound system is wonderful especially with a cassette adapter. Overall though, I cant wait to get rid of this car so I can get something I can afford to repair.
I LOVE MY 626
I love my car. I have had it for two years now, and I had to replace the distributor 2 weeks after buying, then nothing until last month, I had to replace the alternator and I am now replacing the driver side window switch. But I do love it. I can go off road with it, and race if I wanted. I got it to 111 in the quarter mile. I haven't seen any good looking rims on this car yet. I would suggest this car to EVERYONE!
Sold but had some problems!
We bought the car in 1996 and it had 35,000 miles. We had to put in a new trans at 55,000 miles. the ca now has 100,000 mile and had to replace the two front axles, rear struts, front brakes, tires. I quess we got the lemon because of the trans. The car is still very tight.
Average 626
I of course bought this car used and the previous owner did not take care of it, but since I got it I had to replace: front A frames, sparks plugs and wires, rear and side motor mounts, exoste, and the normal repairs (rotors;tires;brakes;etc.) In general it is a very nice car, after the previous abuse it still runs fairly well. It does shift hard though. And only recently has the motor sounded louder.
Overall Solid Car
I've owned this car for almost 8 years now. In general, I've found it to be a dependable performer. The engine, transmission, body and hardware (brakes/shocks, etc.) integrity have been fine. However, I've had some issues with the electrical systems. Though not big enough to prevent my use of the car for any length of time or costly, they have been irritating, e.g. problems with the AC, electric windows, and locks.
Good Car
Had it 2 years now. Motor mount replaced. Noisy tires.... was not rotating... now OK. Love the car. Dependable. Auto trans does not give lots of power on downshifting - actually sluggish. But, that is the only item I can complain about.
Great Car
I had this vehicle for 8 years and it was awesome. Unfortunately I was in an accident with it, but it reacted just as it was supposed to and I walked away without a scratch. Just keep it maintained like you should and it will last you quite a while!
Mazda 626 DX
It is an awesome car
94 Mazda 626 is unreliable
If you want a car you are constantly repairing then this is the car for you. Th e biggest problem is the transmission that is computure controlled and can have mechanical or electrical problems. Avoid at all costs. I don't believe that Edmunds would allow this to rated at 8.7 on this site. It should be a 3 at the highest.
Very Reliable
I bought the car used with just under 60,000 miles. It now has over 170,000 miles and is running great. Gas mileage is still at 25-27 mpg on regular gas. Only had to repair normal wear item (brakes, tires, struts, etc.) It has never left me stranded anywhere, at anytime. I love the car and would highly recommend it to anyone who wants a reliable, inexpensive car.
lemon
well.. for the first: trans on this car, according to the papers i've got, has been fixed 4 times, so i've just replaced it.. also after 150K i've changed: timing belt, water pump, alternator, all injectors, spark plg destributore, exoste from top to the bottom, fuil pump and tubings, pwr train computer unit, whole pwr steering system, rebuild rear break drums, engine and trans mounts, radiators, left front door lock replacement,driver's sit rebuild so.. it is not that great as you may see.... maybe i have a lemon... i do not know
not the best car ever...................
I bought my 626 2 years ago, thinking Id found a quality vehicle. But since I bought it, Ive had to replace 2 front axles, tie-rods, crank seals, cam seals, oil pressure pump, brakes needed work twice, rear sway bar, all the drive belts, the entire exhaust system had to be replaced,new ignition module, and there's a lot of other repairs Ive made to it. Ive basically bought the car over again, after all the cash I spent on it. It has a lot of zip, so its fun to drive but it doesnt have the tightest ride. Overall, a disappointment.
We Miss Our Mazda
Very Dependable. Was totaled at 120,000. Car was hit at 45mph on drivers door. Walked away no injuries. Repairs to cv joints, axel and other minor areas during 5 year ownership.
Still "zoom-zoom"in'
Bought this car used in '97, and have been in love with it since. Have not had many maintenance issues with it, mostly the usual, except dist and starter. Over 133K miles and still runs strong, and still gets 30 mpg avg.
I love my Car
Had this car for almost 2 years now, and no real maintainance except brakes,exhaust. Fun to drive, really good reliability never lets me down starts perfectly at -30C. Auto trans leaves some of the power untouched wish i had the manual. Lots of space and extremely comfy.
Mazda 626 LX- nice car poor transmission
Bought when it was one year old as a chick car present for my wife in Cameo White with tan cloth interior. She loved it. Always a pleasure to drive, comfortable to drive. The only major maitenance problem was the transmission, replaced 3x under original and extended warranty. Not great on gas and the transmission shifts rough by design. After nine years we just gave it to our daughter and it still looks brand new. I have of course done all the required manitenance like timing belt, water pump ect....
Great First Car
Wow I love my car; its my first car. It is great and very reliable. I have never had any serious problems with it. I drive it every where in So Cal. The tranny needs improvement and in my case the green paint job is bad because the clear coat is peeling off of the car, but other that those two thing the car is great. It is the perfect car for a teen in my opinion. It is safe and reliable and maintenance isn't expensive either. My parents bought my car for $1500 with only 114,000 miles on it. This car has been wonderful in comparison to my friend's 1996 Taurus that broke down with severe engine trouble and got fixed and just recently broke down with electrical and tranny problems. Im glad I have it.
No more Ford Knockoffs
I purchased this car to replace my beater Integra. I knew that this was a Ford, but I felt good about the Mazda 4 cylinder. The auto transmission had been replaced before I bought it @130K, since then I'm on MY 3rd transmission; NEW, not rebuilt units. I spent over $3K on the 2nd transmission. I only paid $2300 for the car! Also the motor is burning oil, the a/c doesn't work,yellowed headlights. I had numerous electrical problems. It is currently sitting in my driveway for the last 5 months. It will not stay running, so I'm trying to sell it. I'll end up giving it away and I'll NEVER get my money back that I've put into it. It was a waste of money and a waste of my time. I now drive an Accord daily.
Reliable, but ugly and falling apart
I needed a 'beater' for a year, and it filled that role well. The paint was in terrible shape, with the clearcoat cracking or 'lifting' to give it a very oxidized look. The car never let me down, there were no real problems despite over 160K miles. It did have a lot of small noises, rattles, squeaks, and other annoyances. As soon as I stopped working from home I got rid of it...I couldn't let others ride in this thing!
great car
value for money, luxury vehicle, space, speed.
good
good to drive, i lvoe it. as good as my volvo.
good
good to drive, i lvoe it. as good as my volvo.
What a waste!
What a waste of money this car was. New it already had warped brakes, but later it needed new ignition wires 15k miles, new O2 sensors -both, new CV joints both sides, new lower control arm 1-side, new paint, new oil pressure sensor, new thermostat. Hey the care still starts and gets me where I need to go. At least it did this morning.
360,000 Km and still going strong
A good car overall. Anyone who drives it usually remarks on how smooth and quick the V6 is compared to even new cars. It has gone through 2 water pumps and is starting to get some extra 'old car' noises but it keeps on going. It also tows a 1000lb trailer quite easily and the 'hold' function on the auto tranny is useful for towing. The tranny is starting to shift a bit harshly but still seems robust. We've had other cars that shifted the same way and never failed.
a reliable friend
I just sold this car with 142,000 miles on it and it was still riding like a new car....no rattles, shimmies or shakes and still tight on the road.
Dealership transmission trap!!!
I've seen a lot of reviews that were mostly complaints of transmission replacement. My experience, while driving suddenly car wouldn't shift and the hold light started flashing. Dealership told me they would do diagnostics for $96.00. Mechanic shop said it was the transmission. I did my own research and it is actually a celenoid wire problem (the celenoid wires pinch) I had my uncle look at it he didn't see anything wrong with the celenoid but after messing with the wires the problem was gone and hasn't happened since, that was almost five years ago. Sounds crazy but before you get ripped off by a deceitful dealer check celenoid and wires before handing over a ton of money for no need.
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