2002 Mazda Protege Seat belts Problems
- Complaints
- 20about this part
- Share
- 20%of 98 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 78,012miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 20 complaints about the seat belts of the 2002 Mazda Protege, 20% of the 98 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 78,012 miles. 3 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Myself, the driver, rear-ended another driver at a speed of 35-40mph. The driver slammed on his brakes and I had no time to react. The result is a totaled front end w/ $4000+ of repairs. The seat belt did not restrain me and the airbag did not deploy. The car will be totaled and I suffered extensive bruising because of this failure.”
NHTSA complaint #10368200, filed 2010-11, 112,000 miles“I was driving at about 35 MPH and hit a bump on the road that caused the driver seat belt buckle to come loose and it got in my way of the steering wheel. I was lucky to be driving on the left lane on one way street, I was able pull over, and to my surprise the buckle wouldn't latch to the female connector. It seems like the female connector pieces inside it had broken. Please check, this is a huge concern for anyone. If this would have happened on an interstate freeway I can't imagine taking my eyes of the road for even 1 sec. Please investigate!”
NHTSA complaint #10663073, filed 2014-12, 91,000 miles“I've owned my 2002 Mazda protege5 for 7 years now. It's always had a vibration while braking. Even after having out brand new brakes, rotors and calipers. I'm very anal on how my car looks and drives. If I feel something out of the ordinary, I know something is off. This has happened ever since I've had the car. It does cause me to drive more cautiously especially in the back roads along with wet pavement. The steering wheel shakes while braking as well. As for the body of the car, the paint is faiding fast. It's yellow, and I hand polish and wax it once before spring, summer, and winter. …”
NHTSA complaint #10863216, filed 2016-05, 67,000 miles“At first the seat belt locked and I could not get out of it. After about 15 minutes I was able to get it released. Thank god I was in the garage at home. Then approx 6 weeks later I was latching the belt to the buckle and the darn thing fell apart. The right rear door handle broke last year but since no one sits back there I never worried about it. Now with the seat belt issue I was searching for the part and someone suggested I check the recall list for this car, because they are not supposed to do that. I found numerous complaints on line and then this site.”
NHTSA complaint #10521222, filed 2013-06, 120,500 miles“The rear seat belt mechanism failed. While riding in the car my daughter fell asleep. When she sat upright the seat belt had twisted around her middle. She was able to release the latch but the seat belt was feeding back in and would not release. I tried to pull the seat belt and was unable to advance the belt. It would retract causing more constriction on her. I eventually had to cut the belt to free her.”
NHTSA complaint #10005127, filed 2003-02, 41,000 milesSeat belts: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 17 | 14% |
| 2002 | 20 | 20% |
| 2001 | 3 | 6% |
| 2000 | 8 | 8% |
| 1999 | 2 | 2% |
| 1998 | 3 | 7% |
| 1997 | 6 | 9% |
| 1996 | 6 | 9% |
| 1995 | 13 | 8% |
| 1994 | 37 | 50% |
| 1993 | 23 | 52% |
| 1992 | 34 | 54% |
| 1991 | 27 | 53% |
| 1990 | 21 | 57% |
Other parts of the 2002 Mazda Protege
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 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
4 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2002 Mazda Protege
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 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