2001 Mazda Protege Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 3about this part
- Share
- 6%of 50 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 68,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 3 complaints about the electrical system of the 2001 Mazda Protege, 6% of the 50 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 68,000 miles. 1 a fire, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I was at a local restaurant when they announced a Mazda Protege was on fire in the parking lot. Fire department and police were called. Fire was put out and fire department looked to find source of fire. I was told it was electrical. It started in the wiring at the left rear door. The fireman asked what was in the trunk (meaning highpowered amps). I told him everything in the car was original. No added equipment. He said that the only time he had seen a fire in the electrical system like mine was as a result of overload from added speaker/ amps. …”
NHTSA complaint #10158631, filed 2006-05, 68,000 miles“Last november the check engine light came on in my 2001 Mazda Protege. I immediately brought it to the Mazda dealership, who said that their was an error with the code and they cleared it and recalibrated it. They said it had gone off for no apparent reason. Three months later (shortly after the warranty expired) the light came on again. This time the dealership claimed that the code said that the gas cap was not screwed on tight. This was not true! When that light came on I immediately checked the gas cap since the owners manual told me that was all I could do myself (it was tight as a drum). …”
NHTSA complaint #10074444, filed 2004-05“Vehicle: 2001 Mazda Protege lx 2.0 liter engine failure: key is inserted in ignition and turned, starter will turn over but engine will not start. Occurrence: intermittently, 3 times in 2 months. Service: had it towed each time to a certified Mazda dealership. First time - they replaced the ignition coils with another vehicles coils and it started right up. They put the original coils back in and it started up fine. Second time - they replaced the PCM third time - had it towed to a different Mazda dealership. After towing, the vehicle started right up. …”
NHTSA complaint #10196516, filed 2007-07Related service bulletins
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Electrical system: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 3 | 3% |
| 2002 | 9 | 9% |
| 2001 | 3 | 6% |
| 2000 | 6 | 6% |
| 1999 | 6 | 7% |
| 1998 | 1 | 2% |
| 1997 | 6 | 9% |
| 1996 | 3 | 4% |
| 1995 | 15 | 9% |
| 1994 | 5 | 7% |
| 1993 | 3 | 7% |
| 1992 | 5 | 8% |
| 1991 | 4 | 8% |
| 1990 | 1 | 3% |
Other parts of the 2001 Mazda Protege
11 complaintsEngine cooling
8 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
6 complaintsBrakes
5 complaintsTires
4 complaintsEquipment
3 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsSeat belts
3 complaintsSteering
3 complaintsVehicle speed control
3 complaintsEngine
2 complaintsBody and structure
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2001 Mazda Protege
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.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology