Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1998 Mazda 626, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train313
- Engine and engine cooling81
- Electrical system12
- Air bags11
- Vehicle speed control10
- Unknown or other9
- Tires7
- Equipment6
- Steering5
- Seats5
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 15 injuries and 5 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1998 Mazda 626 failed the safety check 2.16% of the time — 26% more often than the average 1998 passenger car (1.71%). Median odometer at inspection: 105,004 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 1998 Mazda 626 cars on Dutch roads are the 1.8 petrol (66 kW, 89 hp) and 2.0 petrol (85 kW, 114 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.8 petrol | 66 kW 89 hp | 56 |
| 2.0 petrol | 85 kW 114 hp | 32 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
112 first registered in 1998 are on Dutch roads; 2% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde41
- Band onvoldoende profiel35
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht19
- Remslang beschadigd, wapeningsmateriaal zichtbaar19
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm16
- Roestschade van 1,5 t/m 2,0E of meer dan 15% dikteafname14
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld14
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen12
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
19 cars built in 1998 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 146 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In Finland
274 of these cars first registered in 1998 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 282,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
85 1998 cars are on the New Zealand register; 1% arrived as used imports, 98% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 4 variants: combined 9.2–12.1 L/100 km (about 19–26 mpg US), CO₂ 212–278 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 626 · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 10.3 | 7.9 | 9.2 |
| 626 · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 12.1 | 8.9 | 10.7 |
| 626 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 13.2 | 10.1 | 11.8 |
| 626 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 13.7 | 10.1 | 12.1 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
5 Transport Canada recalls for the 1998 Mazda 626.
| 2015489 19 Oct 2015 | Electrical On certain vehicles, a defect in the ignition switch could cause an electrical short to develop over time. This could result in smoke and/or fire, increasing th… |
| 2000176 28 Aug 2000 | Other Certain vehicles do not comply with Regulation 6 - Statement of Compliance. Vehicles have an incorrect National Safety Mark (NSM). Correction: Since this non… |
| 2000125 14 Jun 2000 | Engine On certain vehicles, an external spring in the timing belt auto tensioner may break. The broken spring may get caught in the timing belt, resulting in possible… |
| 1998202 21 Oct 1998 | Electrical On certain vehicles operated in a hot, humid environment with the window open and air conditioner running, it is possible for condensation to enter the audio un… |
| 1997223 17 Dec 1997 | Engine NOTE: VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.0 LITRE ENGINE. THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) MAY TRIGGER A SHIFT IN AIR-FUEL RATIO TO AN OVER-LEAN CONDITION RESULTING IN… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. AN EXTERNAL SPRING IN THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER COULD BREAK.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: IF THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED IN A HOT, HUMID ENVIRONMENT WITH THE WINDOW OPEN AND AIR CONDITIONER RUNNING, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR CONDENSATION TO ENTER THE AUDIO UNIT AND CAUSE A SHORT CIRCUIT.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. DUE TO A PROGRAMMING ERROR, THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) INSTALLED CAN, UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS, TRIGGER A SHIFT IN AIR-FUEL RATIO TO AN OVERLEAN CONDITION.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Mazda told its dealers about the 1998 Mazda 626: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 635773 | SUBJECT REGARDING AIR CONDITIONING MUSTY / MILDEW ODOR. *TT |
| 634465 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT AN OD OFF LIGHT FLASHING WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P1783 STORED IN MEMORY AFTER DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS FOR EXTENDED PERIODS. *SLC |
| 634454 | INFORMATION ON FUEL INJECTOR(S) REPLACEMENT GUIDELINES. *SLC |
| 634325 | SUBJECT REGARDING DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION OF OXYGEN SENSOR, CATALYST EFFICIENCY AND FUEL SYSTEM MONITORS. *SLC |
| 621306 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A TAPPING NOISE WHICH CAN BE HEARD COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WITHIN THE FIRST 10 MINUTES AFTER A COLD START. THIS CONCERN MAY BE CAUSED BY THE OPERATION OF THE CDCV (CANISTER DRAIN CUT VALVE) SOLENOID DURING THE EVAPORATIVE EMISSION MONITOR. *TT |
| 621302 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A TAPPING NOISE WHICH CAN BE HEARD COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WITHIN THE FIRST 10 MINUTES AFTER A COLD START. THIS CONCERN MAY BE CAUSED BY THE OPERATION OF THE CDCV (CANISTER DRAIN CUT VALVE) SOLENOID DURING THE EVAPORATIVE EMISSION MONITOR. *TT |
| 615641 | SUBJECT REGARDING INSPECTION PROCEDURE - WATER PUMP LEAK. *TT |
| 614906 | SOME 4-CYLINDER VEHICLES WITH VINS LOWER THAN 1YV GF22C4 15202676 MAY EXHIBIT A ROUGH IDLE / HESITATION DURING ACCELERATION WITH MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ON. *TT |
| 614126 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT THE HORN(S) BEING INOPERATIVE OR STAYING ON ALL THE TIME. *TT |
| 612578 | INFORMATION ON DIAGNOSING STEERING SQUEAK NOISE. *TT |
| 612552 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE A TAPPING NOISE WHICH CAN BE HEARD COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WITHIN THE FIRST 10 MINUTES AFTER A COLD START. *TT |
| 609951 | SUBJECT REGARDING AIR CONDITIONER ACCUMULATOR REPLACEMENT CRITERIA WHEN REPAIRING THE AIR CONDITIONER SYSTEM. *TT |
| 609944 | CONCERNS WITH THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) COMING ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) P1132 AND / P1131. *TT |
| 6089292 | CUSTOMER MAY COMPLAIN OF INOPERATIVE, NOISY OR BINDING SUNROOF. *TT |
| 608128 | THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS MICROFICHE CORRECTIONS ON SUNROOF COMPONENT PARTS WHICH ARE AVAILABLE FOR ORDERING. *TT |
| 608126 | SUBJECT REGARDING PAINT DAMAGE - IRON PARTICLES / INDUSTRIAL FALLOUT / ACID RAIN. *TT |
| 606768 | SUBJECT REGARDING THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) COMING ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC) P1131 / P1132 AND NO DRIVEABILITY CONCERNS. *TT |
| 606073 | VEHICLES WITH VINS LOWER THAN 1YVGF22C*X5875297 MAY EXPERIENCE REAR BRAKE SQUEAL NOISE (DRUM BRAKES). *TT |
| 606033 | INFORMATION REGARDING PISTON STANDARDIZATION FOR VEHICLES WITHIN CERTAIN VIN RANGES. *TT |
| 606031 | INFORMATION DESCRIBING HOW THE TRUNK LID ON SOME VEHICLES MAY BE HARD TO CLOSE. *TT |
| 605976 | SOME VEHICLES MAY PRODUCE A SQUEAKING NOISE WHEN POWER WINDOW IS OPERATED UP OR DOWN. *TT |
| 605847 | VEHICLES WITH FS 4-CYLINDER ENGINES MAY EXPERIENCE COOLANT LEAK AT ACCESSORY BLOCK HEATER. *TT |
| 605067 | CONCERNS WITH MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P1132 AND / OR P1131. *TT |
| 604517 | VEHICLES PRODUCED AFTER 1YVGF22**W5772066 WERE PRODUCED WITH LOW POWER AIR BAG SYSTEMS. *TT |
| 604514 | CUSTOMER MAY COMPLAIN OF INOPERATIVE, BINDING, OR NOISY SUNROOF. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
SPEEDOMETER INOPERATIVE
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation