Used 2001 Mazda 626 Sedan Consumer Reviews
good value for the $$$
This one is a nice V6 4 door midsize sedan. Nice design, not too fancy, has all you need. Performance is very good with the V6. gas milage might need some improvement. Seem to be pretty reliable. You won't go wrong if you get one
Zombie car that I love.
Owned this car for 11 years. I purchased car used as a dealer demo with 7K on it. At first thought I had a lemon, door trim peeled off, radio broke, O2 sensor went and a sway bar linkage broke, thankfully all under warranty. Now in its 12th year the car has given up the ghost and is a rolling zombie that refuses to die! This year had to replace the CV boot and axle (my fault regular maintenance would have spotted cracked boot and saved me $), the oil pan rusted out, front struts gone, check engine light is on, exhaust almost rusted out and engine leaking oil from a gasket. Saying all this I still loved it. Has out lived all my other cars and cost the least in maintenance.
A good car overall
From an appearance standpoint, this generation has the best lines compared to previous 626s, and the interior has an inviting look to it, plus it's roomy and comfortable with a great stereo. If you want a car full of high- tech toys, you'll be disappointed. The luxury/power features this model has (ES-V6) have been in luxury cars since the '80s. Reliability is good, except the radiator needed replacement @ 110K. I've heard complaints about the transmission but so far I've had no issues with it @ 156K. The V-6 runs horribly on 87 octane, it needs at least 89. I'm getting clunking from the rear suspension, most likely bushings/struts needs replacing.
Dont buy kee max
I bought this car from kee max several years ago, the engine blew before I made it home (less than 15 miles). Kee max buys cars from auction and puts them directly on their lot. After spending approx $2500 on a new engine, this car keeps going and going. It now has over 144,000 miles and still going strong.
Mazda 626ES
Outstanding reliability for 8 years. We did all the preventative maintenance as scheduled and changed oil every 5,000 miles. Fun to drive; responsive. Great Bose sound system. Still a great car after all these years.
Very Reliable Car
There is nothing fancy about this car but I have had no problems at all with it. Just keep the oil changed and this baby will run forever. It is very comfortable inside with lots of leg room. The leather seats still show very little signs of wear on them. The interior has really held up over the years. I am the only owner of this car but with proper maintenance I think it will run forever! The engine does jump a little which no one seems to be able to fix. But other than that it is great!
Good Car For The Money
I bought my car four years ago with a little over 70,000 miles on it. In that time, the only big repair I've had to make is replacing the axles due to the CV boots, which were busted when I bought it. Other repairs were minor, including new spark plugs, plug wires, new battery, and a valve cover gasket. Regular maintenance has kept it on the road and relatively problem- free. I trust it to get me to work and back and to occasionally drive almost the full length of Texas and back, which I've done a few times now. The car isn't sexy, but the looks have held up for close to ten years now. Not fun to drive because of the 4 cyl engine. It's just a tool to get from A to B, and it's done it well.
Good Family Car
I've been fortunate enough not to have the various problems listed by other owners on this site. Any car (even the allegedly bulletproof Camrys and Accords) can have issues. My 626 is reliable, handles well, and has been a good car for the money. I would seriously consider another Mazda product in the future. It has all of the features of the competition for less. Plus, you don't see one at every stop light (such as the aforementioned Camrys and Accords). I can't vouch for everyone that left the plant, but mine has been great.
Piece of junk never buy a 626
Ok where do I start I bought the car for 4500 and I have put that much into repairing the darn thing. Tranny went out at 117,000 water pump and timing belt at 118,000 2 radiator resivours had bad seals and coolant leaked through. Brakes needed to be done @ 115,000. The car just fell apart right after I bought it and I would never even consider Mazda again for a future car in any model at all. They are cheeply made and also the tranny is a Ford tranny. Umm Mazda car with Ford tranny? tranny has been known to fail in these cars but Mazda says nothing about it and has no recalls on it. Ford and Mazda will never receive any future purchases from me ever
Not a winter car
This is my 2nd 626. It's been a reliable car and gets exceptional fuel economy. It has no frills, but gets me where I have to be... except in the snow. Like my first (1998) 626, it slides all over the place in snow. I've tried several different tires, including snows and there's no drastic improvement. I fear driving on snow-covered roads! The only cumbersome maintenance issue is having to replace a pair of bushings in the rear suspension every 20k-25k. You know when they're worn; the noise is deafening.I've got 105k on the car and really haven't had to put a lot into it. I plan to run it as long as I can up to 200k.