Latches, locks and linkagesPart report

2002 Mazda Protege Latches, locks and linkages Problems

Complaints: 2about this part
Share: 2%of 98 total for the year
Median mileage: 78,562miles
Trend: Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 2 complaints about the latches, locks and linkages of the 2002 Mazda Protege, 2% of the 98 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 78,562 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 hydraulic arm broke and snapped off at the metal ball joint suddenly slamming the hatch door on my 2002 Mazda Protege 5 closed. Fortunately, my son and I had just stepped back from the rear of the vehicle when this happened. Had either one of us still been retrieving items from the back of the car, I believe we would have been seriously injured.”

NHTSA complaint #10225348, filed 2008-04, 81,000 miles

“1. Normal use of the vehicle. 2. The left front seat inside door handle (driver's side) broke off 1/28/09. Only way out is to craw over center console and exit passenger side. 3. The left rear seat inside door handle broke off 8/22/09. Child had to exit the opposite side of the car. 4. Google (no quotes) Protege broke door handle and see others with this defect.”

NHTSA complaint #10281667, filed 2009-08, 76,124 miles

Latches, locks and linkages: other model years

Year	Complaints	Share of year
2003	1	1%
2002	2	2%
2000	4	4%
1998	2	4%
1996	1	1%
1995	2	1%
1994	1	1%
1993	1	2%
1992	1	2%
1991	1	2%

Other parts of the 2002 Mazda Protege

Seat belts
20 complaints Transmission and drivetrain
17 complaints Brakes
11 complaints Air bags
9 complaints Electrical system
9 complaints Body and structure
9 complaints Tires
9 complaints Engine cooling
7 complaints Fuel system
7 complaints Equipment
6 complaints Vehicle speed control
6 complaints Wheels
5 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2002 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