Worst 1998 Mazda 626 Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
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This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about this specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer rollbacks. Full report just $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 1998 Mazda 626.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 278 | 1 | 2 | 99,320 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 42 | — | — | 90,175 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | 14 | — | — | 77,437 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN | 13 | — | — | 80,694 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 12 | — | — | 87,741 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 11 | — | — | 91,533 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 10 | — | — | — | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 9 | — | 1 | 111,956 mi | |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 9 | — | — | 85,917 mi | |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 8 | 5 | — | — | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 8 | — | — | 150,000 mi | |
| TIRES | 5 | — | — | — | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 4 | — | — | 63,081 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM) | 4 | — | — | 58,500 mi | |
| AIR BAGS | 3 | 3 | — | — | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 3 | — | — | 102,667 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES | 3 | — | — | 89,000 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY | 3 | — | — | 84,040 mi | |
| SEATS | 3 | 1 | — | — | |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 3 | — | — | — | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 2 | — | — | 138,645 mi | |
| ENGINE | 2 | — | 1 | 175,000 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL | 2 | — | — | — | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | 2 | — | — | 80,000 mi | |
| EQUIPMENT | 2 | — | — | 86,500 mi | |
| EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL | 2 | — | — | 86,800 mi | |
| EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. | 2 | — | 2 | 20,000 mi | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 2 | — | — | 103,000 mi | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | 2 | — | — | 136,018 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | 2 | — | — | — |
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 1998 Mazda 626. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Recalls for 1998 Mazda 626
1 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~1,368,500 vehicles.
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.
Other Mazda 626 Years
Wider context: See the full Mazda 626 reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
Check Your Specific 1998 Mazda 626
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud.
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