1997 Mazda 626 reliability record
NHTSA consumer complaints and recall campaigns for the 1997 Mazda 626 from the dataset labeled 2026. The source file does not provide an exact snapshot date. Use the reported issues to guide further checks; these counts do not establish failure rates or repair costs.
- NHTSA complaints
- 451
- Dataset year: 2026; snapshot day not provided
- Top problem area
- POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
- 210 complaints
- Recalls on record
- 1
- see below
- Reported harm
- 22 reported crashes · 35 injuries · 8 fires
How this record compares
raw NHTSA counts, not defect ratesCounts are not adjusted for vehicles sold, time in service or reporting frequency. A larger count does not establish a higher chance of failure, and these comparisons do not set the maintenance budget in our calculator.
Complaint rank
#1,159
of 4,194 vehicle records
Vs Mazda median
+255
median 196 across 81 Mazda records
Vs 1995-1999
+194
median 257 complaints in 591 records
Top component share
47%
Power Train: 210 complaints
What owners report fails — 1997 Mazda 626
- POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 210
- AIR BAGS:FRONTAL 22
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER 16
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE 15
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE 14
1 recall on record for the 1997 Mazda 626
- NHTSA 15V674000 · 2015 · ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH If the ignition switch overheats there would be an increased risk of a fire.
Estimate the 5-year cost to own a 1997 Mazda 626
Build a separate budget with your purchase price, insurance quote, mileage and maintenance estimate. Complaint counts do not enter that calculation. Unknown local taxes and fees stay listed as costs to confirm.
Open TCO calculatorThese are unverified consumer reports and manufacturer recalls filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — not validated defect rates, and not adjusted for how many 1997 Mazda 626 units were produced or sold. High-volume and older vehicles naturally accumulate more complaints. Use this as one research signal, not a verdict on any individual vehicle. Dataset year: 2026; exact snapshot day not supplied. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (public domain).
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Mazda 626 reliable?
NHTSA has 451 consumer complaints on record for the 1997 Mazda 626 and 1 recall. The most-reported problem area is power train:automatic transmission (210 reports). These are unverified consumer reports filed with the government, not validated failure rates, and are not adjusted for how many 1997 Mazda 626 units were produced — popular vehicles naturally accumulate more reports.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Mazda 626?
Owners most often report problems with: power train:automatic transmission (210), air bags:frontal (22), unknown or other (16), engine and engine cooling:engine (15). Each figure is the number of complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
How much does it cost to own a 1997 Mazda 626?
This complaint dataset does not measure repair prices or predict a maintenance budget for the 1997 Mazda 626. Use your purchase price, insurance quotes, fuel use and a maintenance estimate in the separate five-year cost calculator. It does not convert complaint counts into repair costs, and any unknown taxes remain excluded and clearly listed.