2002 Mazda Protege Tires Problems
- Complaints
- 9about this part
- Share
- 9%of 98 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 103,248miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 9 complaints about the tires of the 2002 Mazda Protege, 9% of the 98 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 103,248 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.
“Tire: firehawk gt bl 205/50r16 87v 50k mile tire. Tread separation with only 13,582 miles on the tire. The vehicle was parked when the tire was observed to be flat. Attempts to inflate failed. Removed tire and noticed two places on the inward side where tread was separating - one spot was just over an inch and the other was just under an inch. Full set (4) originally purchased at firestone complete auto care store, which is where the failed tire was taken the following morning. Tire has since been discontinued and was replaced by a falken ziex 912 bl 205/50r16 87v 40k mile tire. …”
NHTSA complaint #10456753, filed 2012-04, 103,248 miles“Problems with tire equipment on the 2002 Mazda Protege 5. There was difficulty with placing suitcases or boxes into the trunk of this type of vehicle, the cd player skipped, the transmission displayed a loud clunk noise, there was a spare tire problem, there was a nail in the tire which could not be repaired because it was located too close to the edge of the tire, 50% of tread remained, and there was evidence that the wheel needed to have five holes for bolts (spare wheel), and the brakes had 50% remaining. …”
NHTSA complaint #10079850, filed 2004-06, 19,000 miles“I was driving on 905 west, close to the 805 n exit, and the road was broken. There was a hole on the road and my car's tire exploted when I drove by it. My car's alignment is lost. I almost had an accident because of it. Unfortunately I didn't have a good spare tire so I had to drive to my house with the exploted tire, and since it happened at 10pm I will have to miss work to fix it, and buy a new tire.”
NHTSA complaint #10448883, filed 2012-02“I still have plenty of tread left on my tires, but I already replaced 2 and found out today I have to replace the other 2. One front tire had a bulge in it and I replaced both front tires. My back tire have a hump in them. Which is going to cause them to wear faster .”
NHTSA complaint #10234557, filed 2008-07“The contact owns a 2002 Mazda Protege with goodyear american eagle -h tires 205/55/16. The contact stated that while his wife was driving, she noticed a rubbing, thumping sound. She stopped the vehicle and noticed blisters on the side of the rear driver side tire. She installed the spare and when she reached her destination, she noticed 5 to 6 additional blisters on the tire. She notified the tire store where she purchased the tires from and received no assistance. …”
NHTSA complaint #10289150, filed 2009-10, 131,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10179228Aug 3, 2020New CARB regulation regarding mandatory checking and documenting of tire pressure whenever a vehicle is in for service work. This applies to all service shops (including Mazda…
Tires: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 10 | 8% |
| 2002 | 9 | 9% |
| 2001 | 4 | 8% |
| 2000 | 7 | 7% |
| 1999 | 12 | 14% |
| 1998 | 3 | 7% |
| 1997 | 3 | 5% |
| 1996 | 1 | 1% |
| 1995 | 1 | 1% |
| 1994 | 1 | 1% |
| 1993 | 1 | 2% |
| 1991 | 1 | 2% |
Other parts of the 2002 Mazda Protege
20 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
17 complaintsBrakes
11 complaintsAir bags
9 complaintsElectrical system
9 complaintsBody and structure
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 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