2002 Mazda Protege Fuel system Problems

“Fuel is leaking from the top of the fuel tank/sender unit into the back seat of my Mazda protege5. Given an ignition source, this is a fire hazard. This failure resulted in a recall in the mazda6, 2003 model year. Mazda refuses to fix under warranty in my vehicle. Cost to repair is over $900. I am looking for a used replacement tank. I feel Mazda should replace the tank under warranty because it is a safety hazard and a known problem.”

“The car began to shutter and dropped from 50 to 25 in seconds. The check engine light (cil) starting flashing and the car began to stutter like it was going to die, I pulled to the side of the road and the car died. Started car again the cil continued to flash, it only would accelerate to 25 miles an hours even with my foot all the way down on the gas. I took it to the a mechanic and the codes were p0421, 171, 300. The mechanic did everything from engine flush, spark plugs, oil, air filters and installed a new catalytic converter but the problem persists. …”

“I have been working on this car for maybe 2 years and the last few months it has been misfiring on cylinder 3. It seems that many other people have had this problem but cant seem to figure it out. I have replaced everything that had to do with electrical and now I think it might be something to do with the fuel injectors. Also the seat belt would stay locked for about 10 minutes or so.”

“The contact owns a 2002 Mazda Protege. The contact stated that while attempting to park, the brake pedal was applied and the vehicle lunged forward. The vehicle then accelerated up a hill and suddenly stopped. The contact had the vehicle towed to a tow yard. Later, the vehicle was driven to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the frame was bent and the fuel and brake lines were destroyed. The vehicle was unable to be repaired and was destroyed. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000. Updated 11/09/15”

“The contact owns a 2002 Mazda Protege 5. The contact smelled a strong odor of gasoline coming from her vehicle. She took the vehicle to a local repair shop and was informed that the retaining bracket in the fuel tank was corroded. The corrosion punctured holes in the sending unit and caused fuel leakage. The contact is in the process of having the vehicle repaired. She filed a complaint with the manufacturer. The failure and current mileages were 62,502 updated 08/04/09. Updated 08/06/09.”