Total Complaints
9 filings
MAZDA 626 · model year
2003 MAZDA 626
9 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2003MAZDA626 carries 9 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 0 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 2003 626 is air bags with 2 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (1) and suspension:front (1). 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 2003 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.
9
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20151230AIR BAGS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA 626. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V382000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE PART NEEDED WAS UNAVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT. *JS
20151016AIR BAGS
I RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE 7914J, CAMPAIGN #15V-345 & 15V-382, IN AUGUST OF 2015. I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP, LESTER GLEN MAZDA IN TOMS RIVER, NJ ON 8/13/15. THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD ORDER THE PART AND CALL WITHIN A WEEK TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO INSTALL THE RECALL PART. I CALLED AGAIN ON 9/16/15 AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WERE STILL WAITING FOR THE PART FROM MAZDA, THAT THE PARTS HADN'T BEEN SHIPPED BECAUSE OF SOME ISSUE ON MAZDA'S END. IT IS NOW 10/16/15 AND I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND THE PART STILL HAS NOT ARRIVED.
20080926UNKNOWN OR OTHER
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA 626. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE LINING BEGAN TO FALL FROM THE REAR CEILING OF THE VEHICLE. THE GLUE THAT HOLDS THE LINING IN PLACE BEGAN TO WEAR OUT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND HER WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED; THEREFORE, NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO ASSIST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 50,000.
Mileage: 50,000
20050324POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
MAZDA 6 2003, AT 16,070 MILES CLUTCH WENT OUT. *BF THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO WEAR AND TEAR. *JB
Mileage: 16,076
20050301VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS VEHICLE LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING. CONSUMER COULD APPLY THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE WOULD BEARLY MOVE. VEHICLE WAS TO THE DEALER ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.*AK
Mileage: 31,900
20041020SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WARPED PREMATURELY. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE ROTORS THREE TIMES, BUT THE CONSUMER WAS STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *JB
Mileage: 9,000
20040305FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED A FIRE STARTED INSIDE DRIVER SIDE DOOR PANEL. *AK
Mileage: 18,000
20030924SUSPENSION:FRONT
CONSUMER NOTICED WHILE TRAVELING VEHICLE WOULD SWAY TO RIGHT. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED, TECHNICIAN ALLEGED VEHICLE'S PROBLEM WOULD RETURN. *AK
20030310ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED.*JB
Compare 2003MAZDA626 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
RQ26002Recall QueryOpen
Momentary increase in steering effort after recall remedy
PE19006Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Inadvertent Curtain Air Bag Deployment
PE18006Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Front Subframe Corrosion
PE15022Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Lower ball joint separation
PE14005Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Brake Booster Failure
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2003 MAZDA 626 have?▼
The 2003 MAZDA 626 has 9 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 MAZDA 626?▼
The most-complained component for the 2003 MAZDA 626 is AIR BAGS with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and SUSPENSION:FRONT.
Is the 2003 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.