1998 Mazda Protege Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 15about this part
- Share
- 33%of 46 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 82,100miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 15 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 1998 Mazda Protege, 33% of the 46 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 82,100 miles.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Automatic transmission problems. Vehicle downshifts for no reason. Intermittent times car will downshift to lower gear when foot removed from accelerator pedal whether on streets or freeway. Car is renderd unusable by wife.”
NHTSA complaint #10059969, filed 2004-02, 98,401 miles“The vehicle stalls when pushing in the clutch. When pushing in the clutch, the idle drops to 0 and the car shakes before returning to it's normal idle speed, approx. 500 RPM, or it just stalls. This has caused harrowing moments when pushing in the clutch and braking at high speeds on exit ramps and pulling into parking spots. It has been back to (2) Mazda dealers 3 times and each time I am told that it is the gas I use, but this has been happening for 40,000 miles now and is getting worse. Dt”
NHTSA complaint #768998, filed 2002-10“I have had this car back to the dealer three times since june 1998 when I bought it new for hesitation in the transmission. Each time they have not been able to fix the problem and tell me it is a normal condition for it to hesitate. The car does it badly at low speeds but runs great at highway and interstate speeds. There is definately a problem that they said they were aware of, but there is nothing they can do about it. They contridict themselves by saying it is a normal condition, but then they also try to fix it? I have driven other proteges off their lot, and they do not hesitate. …”
NHTSA complaint #701093, filed 1998-12“When driving at any speed the transmission is jumping and shifting very hard, and there is some knocking noise coming from the vehicle. Also, vehicle sometimes lurches forward. Manufacturer can't determine the cause of the problem.”
NHTSA complaint #849746, filed 1999-10“The over drive light malfunctioned which caused the vehicle to drop into a lower gear, an the engine acted as though it would stall and then bucked erratically.”
NHTSA complaint #10011635, filed 2003-04Related service bulletins
- 10206002Dec 8, 2021Automatic Transmission/Transaxle Cooler and Lines Flushing Procedure: Automatic Transaxle/Transmission (A/T) oil cooler and lines must be power flushed completely before an…
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 12 | 10% |
| 2002 | 17 | 17% |
| 2001 | 6 | 12% |
| 2000 | 29 | 28% |
| 1999 | 22 | 25% |
| 1998 | 15 | 33% |
| 1997 | 10 | 15% |
| 1996 | 8 | 11% |
| 1995 | 19 | 12% |
| 1994 | 7 | 9% |
| 1993 | 2 | 5% |
| 1992 | 4 | 6% |
| 1991 | 4 | 8% |
| 1990 | 2 | 5% |
Other parts of the 1998 Mazda Protege
10 complaintsBrakes
5 complaintsAir bags
3 complaintsSeat belts
3 complaintsTires
3 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
2 complaintsVehicle speed control
2 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
2 complaintsElectrical system
1 complaintsEquipment
1 complaintsOther or unknown
1 complaintsSeats
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1998 Mazda Protege
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology