2003 Mazda Protege Body and structure Problems
- Complaints
- 4about this part
- Share
- 3%of 120 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 148,500miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the body and structure of the 2003 Mazda Protege, 3% of the 120 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 148,500 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.
“Passenger side strut tower has rusted to the point that failure of the suspension is imminent. The rust inhibitor that was applied from Mazda motor corp. During manufacturing, on the passenger front wheel well has failed and is allowing water, road salt etc to enter the engine bay and cause severe rusting on the top and side portion of the strut tower where the side motor mount and strut tower brace attach to the strut tower. …”
NHTSA complaint #10605125, filed 2014-06, 134,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10148068Oct 10, 2018When encountering a vehicle with paint damage, refer to the "Mazda Pocket Paint Guide" to determine cause, prevention, remedy, and warranty coverage (if applicable). Copies of…
- 10134702Mar 22, 2018When encountering a vehicle with paint damage, refer to the "Mazda Pocket Paint Guide" to determine cause, prevention, remedy, and warranty coverage (if applicable).
Body and structure: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 4 | 3% |
| 2002 | 9 | 9% |
| 2001 | 2 | 4% |
| 2000 | 1 | 1% |
| 1999 | 1 | 1% |
| 1997 | 5 | 8% |
| 1996 | 1 | 1% |
| 1995 | 4 | 2% |
| 1994 | 4 | 5% |
| 1993 | 1 | 2% |
| 1991 | 7 | 14% |
Other parts of the 2003 Mazda Protege
34 complaintsSeat belts
17 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
12 complaintsSuspension
11 complaintsAir bags
10 complaintsTires
10 complaintsBrakes
7 complaintsSteering
7 complaintsEngine
6 complaintsSeats
4 complaintsElectrical system
3 complaintsEquipment
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2003 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