Your vehicle report
1994 Mazda 626
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 282
- Received Jan 1995 to Dec 2018
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Transmission fails or loses power while driving49 complaints · 17% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips25 complaints · 8.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Engine suddenly shuts off while driving13 complaints · 4.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #15V674000Mazda 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.
- Recall #99V358000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The headlight wire that runs through the turn signal lever can fail at the point where it is soldered to the headlight switch.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 18 crashes, 6 fires, 16 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 16 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 12 |
| 1996 | 20 |
| 1997 | 13 |
| 1998 | 17 |
| 1999 | 32 |
| 2000 | 34 |
| 2001 | 30 |
| 2002 | 32 |
| 2003 | 28 |
| 2004 | 23 |
| 2005 | 20 |
| 2006 | 7 |
| 2007 | 5 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 3 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 282 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 49 | 17% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 25 | 8.9% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 13 | 4.6% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 10 | 3.5% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 7 | 2.5% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 7 | 2.5% | – | NHTSA recall #99V358000 |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 6 | 2.1% | – | |
| Transmission will not engage reverse gear | 6 | 2.1% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 5 | 1.8% | – | NHTSA recall #15V674000 |
| Battery drains and dies when parked | 5 | 1.8% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 4 | 1.4% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 4 | 1.4% | – | |
| Radiator transmission cooler leaks fluid into transmission | 4 | 1.4% | – | |
| Transfer case shifts into 4-wheel drive unexpectedly | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Trailer frame, axle, or hitch fails while towing | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 3 | 1.1% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #15V674000October 19, 20151,368,500 vehicles affected
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.
If the ignition switch overheats there would be an increased risk of a fire.
Remedy
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.
NHTSA recall #99V358000December 17, 199940,000 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: headlights: switch
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The headlight wire that runs through the turn signal lever Can fail at the point where it is soldered to the headlight switch.
The failure of this wire could cause a loss of headlights, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the headlight switch lever.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1994 Mazda 626.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN