Ok this review may not be all that great, but worthwhile decent. I bought this car around December of 1999 from an Arabian Individual. It was SALVAGED with 88,000 miles. At the time I didn't know what salvaged meant when I saw it on the DMV papers, then when the insurance explained the disadvantage of it, I was in serious anxiety. I bought this car for 5,800 (where it was listed for 6500, but made a bargain) and where did I get that kind of money? From totalling my mother's 94 nissan sentra and I was at fault. Anyhow, how is this Mazda salvaged? The owner said it used to be stolen with the leather stripped and driver door broken and was hotwired. That's all the retailer said. I bought it anyway. Smart move huh. For some time problems occured. I had a rebuilt transmission which killed $2,500 out of me the most and has caused drama, I had rebuilt front left and right drive-axles costing half a thousand dollars, rear sway bar left link replacement which less than a couple hundred. Two and a half years later I had an engine oil leak (cuz my dumb self was using valvoline high mileage oil and was kinda overfilling the oil), and that was 400 bucks. Sooner or later I had a COOLANT leak. It was probably a sign to change my timing belt and water pump, so therefore I had my timing belt and water pump service after noticing coolant leakage. Then ANOTHER problem days later after the service, except this will SHOCK YOU... my car just died out on the freeway at 65-75mph with the dash lights litted on and the HOLD light blinking, kinda difficult to start the car after pulling to the side off the pavement, but gave it a couple of minutes resting and got it running again. This happend to me three times. So took it in for service and they recommend new spark plugs, air filter, distributor and rotor cap, and they say I went 3000 miles over since my last oil change, and transmission fluid was red than usual so they drained and filled fluid at the time which was right every 30,000 miles and I believe its been 24-30 thousand miles after getting the rebuilt transmission (for a whopping $2400). So I brought it to be serviced AGAIN!! Then I got the car back, AND IT DIED AGAIN ON THE FREEWAY!! @$!#%@#$ its such a DISGRACE for a new looking car to do that!!! So as of today (5/6/02) my car is in the shop AGAIN, but free diagnose of the engine problem but now they're making me pay a diagnose fee of the HOLD light coming on as a sign of a transmission problem and I have just had a rebuilt trans 2 years ago and its probably been just 24-30 thousand miles on it. Everything shifts fine and all I just don't wanna pay another #$%@#$% $2500 AGAIN!!! AHHHHHH DAMN MAZDA TO HELL!!!
Is this car Japanese or American? When you start the ignition on a Honda, Acura, Nissan, Lexus, Toyota, Mitsu, and so on (except on a Mazda), dont their startup "rythm"seem to sound alike (the rhythm is slow)? on a Mazda it sounds like an American starter (where the rythm sounds fast). I noticed that the Ford Probe is exact to a Mazda 626 or MX6. Can anyone tell me if this car is actually a Ford (I saw a Ford commercial and like other brand logos appeared which means its made by Ford, even MAZDA???) And is FORD reliable in some ways or not? Also, my friend also owned a V6 626 but 2 years newer, and her car had problems too, except not as much as I have. She has had timing belt and water pump service already, and now she has to worry about the axle boots and axles which went out after having the water pump and timing belt service. Fortunately, her car was in new condition with a CLEAN history title... but she dislikes it and she has already traded it in.

I don't understand why they permit salvaged cars to sell... don't they know that insurance won't cover a salvaged car fully? They should just keep the car at the junkyard for dismantling the parts to replace other parts and thats it nothing more nothing less.

I also have doubts that anyone will buy this car... I have close to 3,500 of repairs done from bringing the car into the dealership from day one. Would anyone buy it for 6,900 for the sake of goodwill and charity? I would encourage slow steady careful local drivers to think about it. I do need the money. It just sucks how this Scarlet Letter A salvaged title makes it cursed. If I ever get it sold for enough or if pick and pull buys it for a decent amount, I'll put that money as a down payment on a used but RELIABLE japan import car, and if I ever get a job, make monthly payments on a loan as well to the car.

I wished I have done this type of research with used car reliability guides and Epinions in the first place, but now its too late but now I know.

DO NOT GET A MAZDA, EVEN IF YOU A RACER ENTHUSIAST GOING FOR THE RX-7!!! GET RID OF IT AND GET A TRUE JAPANESE CAR, LIKE ACURA OR HONDA, TOYOTA OR LEXUS, AND INFINITI OR NISSAN!! MAZDA IS FORD, AND F O R D = Found On the Road Dead
Amount Paid (US$): 5800
Condition: Used
Model Year: 1994
Model and Options: ES V6