Mazda 626 and brakes

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looking4a626

Member
Hey guys, Im a noob to these forums but not to car forums. My fiance is looking at a 1998 Mazda 626(not sure of the model but i know it has the 2.0L engine so its a DX or EX) anyway, a friend of mine said he heard 626's go through brakes REALLY quickly. like 10k miles quickly. I need to know if this is true. While i have no problems changing brakes (as long as its just rotors and not hubs) I dont want to have to do brakes every year.
thanks in advance for any help you can give me and my fiance.

p.s. I know this is a dumb question but are there any cheap or free mods that might add just a little pep to this engine?
 
My parents have a '98 626. They have the V6 version, so 4-wheel disc brakes, whereas the 2.0l for that year has a disc-drum setup.

Brake pads and rotors replaced 1 time. When they were replaced, it was year 5 of ownership and mileage was about 90,000km (so about 55,000miles). The rears had gone down to 10% and the front still had about 20%, but it was decided to do both because they gave us a little more discount that way.

While brakes are not an issue, the auto tranny is. The 4-cylinder 626 has the infamous Ford tranny that is notoriously un-reliable. Before getting it, check the tranny fluid closely. If it's not in good condition, don't get the car, and even if it is in good condition, do a tranny flush right away. The V6 uses a different auto tranny that is reliable, but notoriously harsh. So the auto tranny is definitely the weaklink on the 626.

Edit: The 2.0l engine is shared (but tuned differently) with the '01+ Protege's, so you may be able to find some mods there. You won't find too many mods specifically for the 626.

And also please add your location to your profile as it helps to provide local-specific info (e.g. if you're referring to the non-N. American 626 then everything I mentioned doesn't apply). Add location by going to User CP->Edit Profile->Location
 
Last edited:
Great rundown! I have a '98 626 2.0L, and I've had no abnormal issues with the brakes. I've had the car for 60k miles and done the brakes once, at which time I put on some drilled/slotted rotors (front only...drums in back) and semi-metallic Raybestos pads--it's been great so far. And if it has an ATX, I would strongly discourage you from buying it. I'm a member over on mazda626.net, and the board is FLOODED with complaints about that POS. Luckily I have the Mazda-built MTX...

For mods the 626 shares MANY of its parts with the Ford Probe and Mx-6. The engine has DIS like the later Proteges, but the suspension shares many components with its sportier siblings. For example, my rotors and strut bar are originally for the Probe...


wongpres said:
My parents have a '98 626. They have the V6 version, so 4-wheel disc brakes, whereas the 2.0l for that year has a disc-drum setup.

Brake pads and rotors replaced 1 time. When they were replaced, it was year 5 of ownership and mileage was about 90,000km (so about 55,000miles). The rears had gone down to 10% and the front still had about 20%, but it was decided to do both because they gave us a little more discount that way.

While brakes are not an issue, the auto tranny is. The 4-cylinder 626 has the infamous Ford tranny that is notoriously un-reliable. Before getting it, check the tranny fluid closely. If it's not in good condition, don't get the car, and even if it is in good condition, do a tranny flush right away. The V6 uses a different auto tranny that is reliable, but notoriously harsh. So the auto tranny is definitely the weaklink on the 626.

Edit: The 2.0l engine is shared (but tuned differently) with the '01+ Protege's, so you may be able to find some mods there. You won't find too many mods specifically for the 626.

And also please add your location to your profile as it helps to provide local-specific info (e.g. if you're referring to the non-N. American 626 then everything I mentioned doesn't apply). Add location by going to User CP->Edit Profile->Location
Click to expand...
 
Hey guys since we're talking about 626's maybe I could ask a little question.

With the 2.0L and V6 626s, do they use 5 stud PCD115 wheels or 4 stud PCD115?
 
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