626 V6 Auto Trans

Hi, first post on this board - quick question.... Going to look at a '98 626 V6 with auto trans on Saturday, potential first car for my son. I noticed that Consumer Reports rates this car very highly EXCEPT for the transmission (doesn't say whether it's the auto or the manual). Knowing nothing about 626's, is the auto trans a week point? The car has about 135k miles on it.

Anything else I should look out for, besides the usual in a used car?

Thanks!

Dan D
Central NJ USA

Hello Dan, I just bought a used 626, in researching mine I have found that the auto trans in these cars do seem to have a high incedence of failure, from what I have been able to gleen from this and many other informational internet sites the problem seems to be that the auto trans overheats, this overheating causes the premature breakdown of the trans fluid and with this premature failure of several other transmission "hard parts".
The favored recomended remedy (though not 100% effective) seems to be the addition of an external trans cooler, the effectivness of the cooler if the car is regularly driven in very warm climates (desert areas) falls sharply though.
After "googl'ing" for these cars I found several other "normal to used car complaints" but nothing as prevaliant as the auto trans issue.
I purchased the 626 I was considering but only because it is equiped with a manual trans.
At this time I can only pass on information I learned elswhere because I have not owned or driven my 626 enough to make such a recomendation, but as I have always found in buy'ing any used car "buyer beware" is a good standard to keep in mind.
The one other bit of information I have already found though is the cost of repairs and/or parts for a mazda seens to be a bit higher than others in the same class ie: toyota nissan, but nowhere near as high as say bmw and the like. And in my area at least "the pacific northwest" the availability of anything other than a standard part ie: "brake pads, spark plugs" is quite slim.
I wish you luck in finding a car for your son, and a welcome to the A/F board.

Thanks for the info, Fuzzy! I've been encouraging my son to get a manual (he knows how to drive one) but one particular 626 with an auto seemed like a good deal. Unfortunately, the buyers aren't really available for us to drive the car! They don't seem to understand that most people need to look at them on the week-ends, when they are generally unavailable. Oh well, their loss.

Thx,

Dan D