1988 Mazda 626: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 1988 Mazda 626. The newest campaign is 93V174000. NHTSA received the report on 29 Oct 1993. The NHTSA record gives the component Structure / Body / Door. NHTSA has 45 complaints on file for this model year. 3 NHTSA investigations name this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 93V174000, in the NHTSA record

Dealers will replace the door handle/latch assembly.

NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 29 Mar 2018. Recall file through 29 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

6 campaigns, newest first. 408,768 units in total.

93V17400029 Oct 1993Structure / Body / Door
88V06300014 Apr 1988Seat Belts
88V02200022 Feb 1988Vehicle Speed Control / Accelerator Pedal
87V19600029 Dec 1987Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components / Drum / Shoes/Linings
87V1860007 Dec 1987Fuel System, Gasoline / Storage / Tank Assembly
87V14900017 Sep 1987Vehicle Speed Control / Linkages

93V174000Received 29 Oct 1993. 244,000 units.
Structure / Body / Door
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Resin molded front handles fail at the door latch actuating rod attachment, freeing the rod to fall inside the door frame. Subsequent lowering of the associated window may force the actuating rod downward and release the door latch.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Inadvertent actuation of the door latch causes the doorto open unexpectedly which could result in an occupant falling out of thevehicle.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace the door handle/latch assembly.
Report filed by MAZDA (NORTH AMERICA),INC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 29 Apr 1994.
88V063000Received 14 Apr 1988. 42,810 units.
Seat Belts
Defect, in the NHTSA record
The drive spring that drives the automatic belt may break.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
This would prevent full forward movement of the seat beltanchorage from the lock position when the door is opened.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Replace automatic shoulder belt.
Report filed by MAZDA (NORTH AMERICA),INC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 29 Apr 1988.
88V022000Received 22 Feb 1988. 72,883 units.
Vehicle Speed Control / Accelerator Pedal
Defect, in the NHTSA record
At ambient temperatures below 0 degree f, frost may accumulate within the throttle body under extended constant speed operation.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Frost accumulation on the throttle valve may prevent thevalve from returning smoothly.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Install a new type thermostat designed to raise the coolant temperature and warm the throttle body to a level above freezing.
Report filed by MAZDA (NORTH AMERICA),INC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 22 Apr 1988.
87V196000Received 29 Dec 1987. 14,807 units.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components / Drum / Shoes/Linings
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicles equipped with rear brake drums transported by train may experience separation of the brake shoe from the wheel brake cylinder piston.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Should separation occur, repeated brake operation maydamage the wheel brake cylinder dust boot, allowing water or dust intrusion andsubsequent piston contamination.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
All vehicles will be inspected and if no separation is found grease will be applied to the component interface to lower friction and avoid subsequent relative motion. If separation is found the wheel brake cylinder dust boot will be replaced.
Report filed by MAZDA (NORTH AMERICA),INC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 15 Jan 1988.
87V186000Received 7 Dec 1987. 33,868 units.
Fuel System, Gasoline / Storage / Tank Assembly
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Fuel tank fixing band retention is not sufficient, allowing the band to rub against the fuel tank by vehicle vibrations.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
This could wear a hole in the fuel tank which couldresult in fuel leakage.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Repair fuel fixing band by installing a rubber sheet.
Report filed by MAZDA (NORTH AMERICA),INC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 15 Jan 1988.
87V149000Received 17 Sep 1987. 400 units.
Vehicle Speed Control / Linkages
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Floor mat could interfere with release of accelerator pedal due to improper shape of mat.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
This could result in loss of accelerator control andcreate potential for an accident.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Remove present mat and replace with new improved mat.
Report filed by MAZDA (NORTH AMERICA),INC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 17 Sep 1987.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

45 complaints, 58 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. The figure per 1,000 component mentions shows how many of each 1,000 mentions name the component.

1988 Mazda 626
All 1988 vehicles

1988 Mazda 626: complaints by component, per 1,000 component mentions
Component	1988 626	All 1988 vehicles	626, all years	Mentions
Seat Belts	465.5	116.5	40.8	27
Electrical System	120.7	159.4	45.6	7
Latches/Locks/Linkages	86.2	17.9	6.7	5
Structure	69	51.9	12.3	4
Power Train	69	64.5	538	4
Fuel System, Gasoline	51.7	67.4	11.5	3
Engine and Engine Cooling	51.7	119.1	100.9	3
Visibility	34.5	32.7	13.9	2
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	17.2	97.2	39.2	1
Suspension	17.2	29.2	19.2	1

The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 11.

Complaints that report a crash: 1
Complaints that report a fire: 3
Injuries in the complaints: 1
Deaths in the complaints: 0
Date of the newest complaint: 4 Jul 2005

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 1988 Mazda 626, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 1995, with 16 complaints.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 1988 Mazda 626
Number	Type	Subject	Component	Opened	Closed	Campaign
EA92031	Engineering analysis	INADVERTENT DOOR OPENING	Structure	25 Sep 1992	30 Nov 1993	93V174000
PE92050	Preliminary evaluation	INADVERTENT DOOR OPENING	Structure	2 Jun 1992	25 Sep 1992
PE91088	Preliminary evaluation	THROTTLE STICKING	Vehicle Speed Control / Linkages	18 Jun 1991	21 Oct 1991

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 1988 Mazda 626The recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 1988 Mazda 626: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/mazda/626/1988/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 29 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 29 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 29 Mar 2018
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: MAZDA (NORTH AMERICA),INC

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 1988 Mazda 626?: 408,768 units in 6 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Mazda 626 have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 18 recall campaigns for the Mazda 626, model years 1979 to 2003. 6 of them name the 1988 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 1988 Mazda 626 name most often?: Seat Belts: 27 of 58 component mentions, or 465.5 per 1,000. For all 1988 vehicles the figure is 116.5 per 1,000.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 1988 Mazda 626 open?: No. Each of the 3 investigations that name this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.