MAZDA 626 · model year

1992 MAZDA 626

24 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1992MAZDA626 carries 24 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1992 626 is seat belts with 4 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (2) and suspension:front:macpherson strut (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 21 investigation files overlapping the 1992 626, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

24
Complaints
4
Crashes
0
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

24 filings

Crashes Reported

4 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SEAT BELTS4
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION2
SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL2
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT1
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP1
POWER TRAIN1
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES1
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL1
TIRES1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR1

Recent Complaints

20111012SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

1992 MAZDA 626 DX, ODOMETER 184,580MI. VEHICLE TRAVELING AT APPROX 35MPH ON CITY STREET. AS ANOTHER VEHICLE CUT ME OFF I PRESSED THE BRAKES HARD AT WHICH POINT I HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR BUT THE CAR WAS NOT STOPPING. AT WHICH POINT I PUMPED THE BRAKES A FEW TIMES AND ONLY HEARD SOME AIR HISSING SOUND. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO DOWNSHIFT THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND USE THE HAND BRAKE TO NARROWLY AVOID AN ACCIDENT. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE BRAKE LINE(OR POSSIBLY MULTIPLE LINES) UNDER THE CAR RUPTURED AND CAUSED COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING FLUID(WHICH SPILLED OUT OF THE SYSTEM) AND THEREFORE COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY DISABLED AND AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AS POSSIBLE DEFECT IN COMPONENTS AND/OR MANUFACTURING PROCESS. *KB

Mileage: 184,580

20111012PARKING BRAKE:DRIVELINE:HYDRAULIC:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

1992 MAZDA 626 DX, ODOMETER 184,580MI. VEHICLE TRAVELING AT APPROX 35MPH ON CITY STREET. AS ANOTHER VEHICLE CUT ME OFF I PRESSED THE BRAKES HARD AT WHICH POINT I HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR BUT THE CAR WAS NOT STOPPING. AT WHICH POINT I PUMPED THE BRAKES A FEW TIMES AND ONLY HEARD SOME AIR HISSING SOUND. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO DOWNSHIFT THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND USE THE HAND BRAKE TO NARROWLY AVOID AN ACCIDENT. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE BRAKE LINE(OR POSSIBLY MULTIPLE LINES) UNDER THE CAR RUPTURED AND CAUSED COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING FLUID(WHICH SPILLED OUT OF THE SYSTEM) AND THEREFORE COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY DISABLED AND AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AS POSSIBLE DEFECT IN COMPONENTS AND/OR MANUFACTURING PROCESS. *KB

Mileage: 184,580

20100327POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

I AM THE OWNER OF A1992 MAZDA 626 WHICH IS HAVING A TRANSITION PROBLEM INDICATED BY THE FLASHING HOLD LIGHT. THOUGH MY TALKING TO MANY MAZDA OWNERS THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THIS MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR CAR. AT THIS TIME THE TRANSITION IS SHIFTING ROUGH AND APPEARS TO NOT SHIFT PAST THIRD GEAR.

Mileage: 137,011

20050604POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

MAZDA 626 - AUTO TRANSMISSION - FULL MAINTENANCE HISTORY AT MAZDA DEALER. AUTO TRANSMISSION HOLD LIGHT ISSUES AND LOCKING LUGS IN THE TORQUE CONVERTOR FRAGMENTED INTO THE GEAR SELECTION SECTIONS OF THE AUTO TRANSMISSION. DEALER WARRANTY DID NOT APPLY DUE TOT HE TORQUE CONVERTOR BEING SEEN BY INSURERS AS AN ACCESSORY TO THE TRANSMISSION RATHER THAN A PART OF IT. AFTER SOME $3,500 WE HAVE THE AUTO TRANSMISSION REPLACED, AND IT STILL DOESN'T WORK - IT STARTS TO SELECT 4TH GEAR IN OVER DRIVE TO START ETC. ENDS U THAT THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER WENT HAYWIRE WHICH SENT THE TRANSMISSION INTO EARLY FAILURE. I THOUGHT I WAS JUST UNLUCKY UNTIL I STARTED REVIEWING THE COSTS FOR TRANSMISSION COMPUTERS ION THE WEB AND FOUND HUGE NUMBERS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCES. MAZDA SHOULD HAVE RECALLED ALL OF THE ABOVE, PARTICULARLY WHERE THEY HAD BEEN THE ONES MAINTAINING THE UNIT OVER THE YEARS. IT IS A VERY POOR PERFORMANCE.

Mileage: 174,000

20040105SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

I HAVE A 1992 MAZDA 626, WITH AUTOMATIC FRONT SEAT BELT RETRACTORS. ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, THE RIGHT SIDE RETRACTOR FAILED, RESULTING IN AN EXTENDED BUZZING OF THE SEAT BELT ALARM, AND A DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHT THAT WOULD NOT GO OUT. MAZDA AGREED TO FURNISH THE PART, BUT LEFT ME WITH THE SIGNIFICANT LABOR COST. NOW THE LEFT SIDE HAS FAILED. I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER TODAY, THE SECOND BUSINESS DAY OF THE YEAR, AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ADVISES ME THAT, AS OF THIS YEAR, MAZDA WILL NOT ASSIST IN THIS REPAIR AT ALL. THIS MALFUNCTION MAY PREVENT ME FROM OBTAINING A VALID SAFETY INSPECTION, AND THE COST OF THIS REPAIR WOULD BE NEARLY 1/2 THE PRESENT VALUE OF THE VEHICLE. I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOME NHTSA REQUIREMENT THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD TO MAINTAIN THE SEAT BELT SYSTEM FROM MALFUNCTIONS, AND MAKE REPAIRS AT THEIR EXPENSE.*AK

Mileage: 11,000

20010621CrashTIRES

DRIVING FROM DENVER, CO TOWARDS SANTA BARBARA, CA ON 6/15/01. WAS ON HWY 70 WEST AT MILE MARKER 100 IN UTAH BETWEEN GREEN RIVER AND SALINA, WHEN TIRE BLEWOUT AT 75MPH AND CAR WENT OUT OF CONTROL AND LANDED IN DITCH. TIRE DAMAGED AND LEFT REAR SIDE BUMPER DETACHED FROM CAR. NECK INJURY AS A RESULT OF ACCIDENT. SUBSEQUENTLY DISCOVERED THAT TREAD WAS PEELING OFF TIRE AS DRIVING. HAVE PICTURES OF TIRE DAMAGE AND SKID MARKS ON ROAD. ALSO HAVE PEELED OFF TREAD BUT NOT ORIGINAL TIRE. TIRE INFO GIVEN PREVIOUSLY IS OFF RIGHT REAR TIRE WHICH WAS PURCHASED AT THE SAME TIME AS DAMAGED TIRE. CAN ALSO GET POLICE REPORT IF NECESSARY. NOTE: COULD NOT FIND DOT # SO PROVIDED OTHER TIRE NUMBERS. *AK (DOT NUMBER: ??? TIRESIZE: P18570R14M)

20010316EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL

FRONT LENS ON TURN SIGNAL ARE CRACKED. VEHICLE HASN'T BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. CONSUMER COVERED HOLES UP WITH TAPE SO MOISTURE WOULDN'T SETTLE IN. MAZDA WAS CONTACTED AND THEY HAD NO COMPLAINTS.*AKI

20000223UNKNOWN OR OTHER

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

19990321SEAT BELTS

BELT MECHANISM FAILS TO MOVE THE BELT FORWARD WHEN THE DOOR IS OPENED.

19990223VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

COMPONENT FAILURE UNKNOWN. CAR WAS COLD STARTED FROM PARK, GEAR SHIFT (FIRMLY BELIEVED TO BE) PLACED IN REVERSE; EMERGENCY BRAKE RELEASED; CLUTCH EASED; CAR FAST ACCELERATED FORWARD, JUMPING OVER A CEMENT BLOCK/TIRE STOP, CRASHING INTO AND PARTIALLY THROUGH AN ALUMINUM GUARD RAIL; CRUISE CONTROL WAS USED PREVIOUS EVENING

19980826POWER TRAIN

SPEEDOMETER BROKEN.

19980826VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES

MIRROR BROKEN.

19980826EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.

RADIO INOPERATIVE.

19960917CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

WHILE DRIVING APPLIED THE BRAKES WITH FORCE, CAUSING THE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY, CAUSING FACIAL BURNS/NECK PAIN. *AK

19960917CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

WHILE DRIVING APPLIED THE BRAKES WITH FORCE, CAUSING THE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY, CAUSING FACIAL BURNS/NECK PAIN. *AK

19960628VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THROTTLE STUCK DUE TO FOULED THROTTLE BODY. *DH

19960524SEAT BELTS

THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER SEAT BELT MOVES BACK AND FORTH, WHEN CONSUMER IS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

19960417VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

METAL BRACKET AROUND SUN ROOF FAILED. *DSH

19960417CrashPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT

WHILE DRIVER WAS SITTING IN CAR WITH FOOT HANGING OUT, TRANSMISSION SLIPPED INTO GEAR, PULLED DRIVER OUT, RAN DRIVER OVER. *DSH

19960227SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT

MACPHERSON STRUT FAILURE, SPRING RUPTURES RUBBER HOUSING, CAUSES LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. *AK

Compare 1992MAZDA626 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1992 MAZDA 626 have?
The 1992 MAZDA 626 has 24 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1992 MAZDA 626?
The most-complained component for the 1992 MAZDA 626 is SEAT BELTS with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT.
Is the 1992 MAZDA 626 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.