1998 Mazda 626 problems & reliability
434 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Mazda 626, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
11 complaints report injuries (15 injured, 5 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1998 Mazda 626 vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 313 | 72% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 81 | 19% |
| Electrical System | 12 | 3% |
| Air Bags | 11 | 3% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 2% |
| Unknown OR Other | 9 | 2% |
| Tires | 7 | 2% |
| Equipment | 6 | 1% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 1% |
| Seats | 5 | 1% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 89,278 miles (middle 50% between 72,012 and 112,101 miles), based on 222 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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 interior lights work…”
Electrical System · filed Jan 8, 2018
“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 contact stated that the…”
Electrical System · filed Mar 30, 2016
“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 stated that the check…”
Engine · filed Feb 23, 2016
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SPEEDOMETER INOPERATIVE
Investigation SQ98024 · opened Oct 29, 1998 · closed Sep 10, 1999 · led to recall 99I005000
Technical service bulletins
102 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Mazda 626. The 10 most recent:
Some customers may experience a squeaking noise may be heard from the exhaust manifold when the idle speed drops from fast idle to normal idle speed during cold start. This is caused by a variable valve being stuck in…
01-010-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 26, 2022
In accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer.
09-024-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 18, 2022
This service bulletin provides testing and charging procedures in order to promote proper battery maintenance, to deliver new vehicles with fully charged batteries, and to reduce unnecessary battery replacement cost…
01-006-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 22, 2022
Some customers may complain of signs of oil on the struts or shock absorbers. In most cases the oil that is present is normal, and a result of the oil that remains on the shaft during the normal sweeping process of the…
02-004-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 24, 2022
Accessory instructions can be found on OneMazda under Dealer Resources - Parts & Accessories.
SA-014-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 29, 2022
The Mazda DCA-8000 is required for all warranty battery testing. If the Mazda DCA-8000 is not used, incorrect battery testing may result in unnecessary battery replacement. Use the following test procedures in this…
01-003/22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 17, 2022
Battery Maintenance: This service bulletin provides testing and charging procedures in order to promote proper battery maintenance, to deliver new vehicles with fully charged batteries, and to reduce unnecessary battery…
01-006-21-3779b · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 21, 2021
Automatic Transmission/Transaxle Cooler and Lines Flushing Procedure: Automatic Transaxle/Transmission (A/T) oil cooler and lines must be power flushed completely before an overhauled or replacement A/T is installed…
05-002-21-3854 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 8, 2021
This service bulletin provides testing and charging procedures in order to promote proper battery maintenance, to deliver new vehicles with fully charged batteries, and to reduce unnecessary battery replacement cost…
01-006-21-3779a · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 24, 2021
This service bulletin provides information regarding the proper use of the driverâ  s floor mat to avoid any potential interference with the foot pedals. The following are possible causes of floor mat interference…
09-025-21-3824 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 17, 2021
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1998 Mazda 626 has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1998 Mazda 626?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 89,278 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.