Mazda Protege Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 1,074 consumer complaints across the 14 model years of the Mazda Protege (1990–2003) that have at least 5 complaints. 1995 has the most, with 165. Across all years, the part named most often is seat belts (220 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst Protege years →
All Protege model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 120 | 67,000 | 0 | 82 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2002 | 98 | 61,000 | 0 | 77 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2001 | 50 | 45,500 | 1 | 73 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2000 | 102 | 45,000 | 1 | 71 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1999 | 88 | 64,065 | 1 | 57 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1998 | 46 | 82,100 | 1 | 52 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1997 | 66 | 99,000 | 1 | 40 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1996 | 70 | 42,000 | 1 | 10 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1995 | 165 | 79,000 | 4 | 9 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 74 | 95,000 | 1 | 7 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1993 | 44 | 183,000 | 1 | 7 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1992 | 63 | 92,000 | 1 | 5 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1991 | 51 | 153,256 | 1 | 5 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1990 | 37 | 167,125 | 1 | 7 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Seat belts220 24%
- Air bags159 17%
- Transmission and drivetrain157 17%
- Engine cooling124 13%
- Brakes92 10.0%
- Electrical system70 7.6%
- Tires53 5.7%
- Vehicle speed control47 5.1%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2001: “Every time I go to fasten my seat belt into the buckle, it's always unbuckling it self. This happens in stationary and in motion. My radios screen cant be seen or read. The visor on the car broke off and nothing was pulling it.”
NHTSA complaint #11364709, filed 2020-10, 170,000 miles2003: “When our vehicle was struck from behind the driver seat collapsed backward. I was mildly injured and if my 1 year old daughter was in the driver's side of the rear seat instead of the passenger side, I would have crushed and likely killed her. I am not overweight and was struck while stopped by a van at relatively low speed.”
NHTSA complaint #10392389, filed 2011-03, 137,000 miles2002: “Myself, the driver, rear-ended another driver at a speed of 35-40mph. The driver slammed on his brakes and I had no time to react. The result is a totaled front end w/ $4000+ of repairs. The seat belt did not restrain me and the airbag did not deploy. The car will be totaled and I suffered extensive bruising because of this failure.”
NHTSA complaint #10368200, filed 2010-11, 112,000 milesOther Mazda models
3,125 complaintsMazda MAZDA3
2,991 complaintsMazda CX-5
2,469 complaintsMazda MAZDA6
2,232 complaintsMazda Tribute
2,098 complaintsMazda CX-9
1,493 complaintsMazda CX-7
1,133 complaintsMazda MPV
936 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology