2002 Mazda Protege Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 1about this part
- Share
- 1%of 98 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 880miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 1 complaints about the engine of the 2002 Mazda Protege, 1% of the 98 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 880 miles.
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.
“The contact owns a 2002 Mazda Protege. The contact attempted to start the vehicle but the engine failed to start accompanied by an abnormal knocking from the engine. The contact also mentioned that the failure occurred more often when the engine was cold. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 880. Updated 05/28/14 the consumer stated model year 2003 vehicles have been repaired for the same failure by the manufacturer. But the manufacturer refuses to repair model years 2001-2002. …”
NHTSA complaint #10549546, filed 2013-10, 880 milesRelated service bulletins
- 11032103Apr 21, 2026This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA listed below: The changes are noted in Red. SA-011/24 02/12/24, 06/06/24, 07/29/24 DESCRIPTION Mazda has developed factory…
Engine: other model years
Other parts of the 2002 Mazda Protege
20 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
17 complaintsBrakes
11 complaintsAir bags
9 complaintsElectrical system
9 complaintsBody and structure
9 complaintsTires
9 complaintsEngine cooling
7 complaintsFuel system
7 complaintsEquipment
6 complaintsVehicle speed control
6 complaintsWheels
5 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2002 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