Mazda Protege Complaints (2002)

99 consumer complaints on file.

#10202066September 6, 2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MAZDA PROTEGE. WHILE PERFORMING AN EMISSIONS INSPECTION, THE DEALER NOTICED A LEAK CAUSED BY A FAULTY TRANSMISSION SEAL AND STATED THAT IT WAS A DEFECT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 77,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10201253August 30, 2007
SEAT BELTS:FRONT, SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER
2002 MAZDA PROTEGE', IN 2006 (UNDER 60,000 MILES) THE DRIVER SIDE SAFETY BELT MALFUNCTIONED AND BEGAN TO STICK. AFTER A SHORT TIME, IT WAS NO LONGER WORKING AT ALL. MAZDA DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE SAFETY LATCH AT NO COST. JUST LAST WEEK THE SAME THING STARTED HAPPENING TO THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE SAFETY BELT. AS THIS IS WHERE A 2-YEAR OLD IS BUCKLED, I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY FOUND THAT IS INDEED BEGINNING TO MALFUNCTION. THE CAR HAS JUST OVER 80,000 MILES ON IT AND IT IS "NO LONGER UNDER SAFETY WARRANTY". HOWEVER, THE SEATBELT HAS ONLY BEEN USED CONSISTENTLY ON THAT SIDE FOR JUST UNDER A YEAR. A NEW PART HAS BEEN ORDERED BY THE DEALERSHIP AND REPLACEMENT COST WILL BE APPROXIMATELY $100 INCLUDING THE LABOR. UPDATED 01/11/08. *LJ THE DEALERSHIP STATED THEY WOULD REPLACE THE PART AT NO CHARGE. UPDATED *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10201156August 29, 2007
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY
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. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10198323August 2, 2007
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
DRIVING ON FL TURNPIKE AT NIGHT IN HEAVY RAIN, BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC, WIPERS WERE ON HIGH, SWITCHED THEM TO LOW (NOT INTERMITTENT) AND THE WIPERS STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. TRYING TO MAKE IT TO THE RIGHT HAND LANE WITH MY HEAD OUT THE WINDOW SO I CAN SEE, AND THEY JUST CAME BACK ON AUTOMATICALLY. MADE IT HOME, KEEPING THEM ON LOW. THAT WAS 7/17/07. YESTERDAY (8/1/07) IN MEDIUM RAIN IN DAYLIGHT, WENT TO LOCAL STORE. AS A TEST, I PUT WIPERS ON LOW A MINUTE OR SO, THEN HIGH, THEN BACK TO LOW, THEN THEY STOPPED MID WINDOW AGAIN (ALL THIS IN ABOUT 4 MINUTES). TURNING THEM OFF/ON WOULD NOT MAKE THEM COME ON AGAIN. I PUT THEM BACK ON LOW HOPING THEY WOULD COME BACK ON. TRAFFIC LIGHT CHANGED AND I HAD TO DRIVE ACROSS FOUR LANES TO STORE WITH NO WIPERS. WIPERS CAME BACK ON AUTOMATICALLY WHEN I PULLED UP TO THE STORE (MAYBE 3 MINUTES AFTER THE WIPERS POWERED OFF). THE CAR HAS ABOUT 60,050 MILES, ORIGINAL OWNER, NO ACCIDENTS OR OTHER MISHAPS. IT APPEARS THAT I CAN REPRODUCE THIS BEHAVIOR. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10197387July 24, 2007
TIRES
THE TIRE WAS SIX WEEKS OLD AND BLEW UP FOR NO REASON WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON A HIGHWAY. DUNLOP AND TIRES PLUS REFUSED TO HONOR A WARRANTY BECAUSE WE COULD NOT RETURN THE ENTIRE TIRE TO THEM. THE TIRE WAS BLOWN INTO 2 INCH PIECES AND ALL OVER THE HIGHWAY. PERHAPS THEY ARE SUGGESTING THAT WE SHOULD HAVE RISKED OUR LIVES RUNNING AROUND THE HIGHWAY PICKING UP THE PIECES. I AM OF THE OPINION THAT OUR LIVES WERE PUT INTO ENOUGH DANGER DUE THE DEFECTIVE TIRE DUNLOP MADE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10195376July 5, 2007
SEAT BELTS
2002 MAZDA PROTEGE. DRIVER-SIDE SEAT BELT RECEIVER , THE PIECE THAT THE SEAT BELT CLIPS INTO, SHATTERED WHEN INSERTING THE SEAT BELT. OUR CAR NOW HAS NO SEAT BELT, AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THAT PARTICULAR YEAR. WE HAVE TO SPEND OVER $150 TO HAVE IT REPLACED BY MAZDA. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10184912March 12, 2007
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE SUDDENLY STOPPED LATCHING. THERE WAS NO WAY TO SECURE THE SEAT BELT AND SAFELY OPERATE THE VEHICLE. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10184032March 2, 2007
STEERING
ON 2/7/2007 HAD A 15 MILE HIGHWAY RIDE, THEN PROCEEDED THREE CITY BLOCKS TO PARK AFTER EXITING THE HIGHWAY. PLACE THE STICK SHIFT IN REVERSE TO PARALLEL PARK HOWEVER NO POWER STEERING AVAILABLE. INEVITABLY HAD TO STRUGGLE WITH STEERING WHEEL TO FORCE THE CAR INTO A PARKED POSITION. UPON RETURNING TO THE CAR WITHIN ABOUT 10 MINS THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO SELF CORRECT. HOWEVER, THE RETURN 15 MILE HIGHWAY TRIP PROVED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED WHEN A RIGHT TURN WAS MADE INTO A BUSINESS COMPLEX -- THE POWER STEERING FAILED. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC, A SEAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ON A PUMP. THAT SAME DAY AS THE INCIDENT, THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE MECHANIC WHO COULD NOT REPAIR IT THE SAME DAY BECAUSE THE PART WAS ON BACKORDER AT THE DEALERSHIP UNTIL 2/19/2007. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT WHEN A PART IS ON BACKORDER, IT TYPICALLY INDICATES THAT THERE IS A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM WITH THE PART. THIS IN ADDITION TO THE MECHANIC STATING THAT THIS IS NOT A TYPICAL PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE FOUND ON A VEHICLE, ALONG WITH THE FACT THAT THE MILES ON MY VEHICLE ARE PRINCIPALLY FROM HIGHWAY TRAVEL (INDICATING LESS WEAR AND THE CAR) ARE THE KEY FACTORS THAT MADE ME CONSIDER RECOMMENDING THIS AS A POTENTIAL ISSUE. ADDITIONALLY, ALTHOUGH THERE IS HEAVY RUSH-HOUR TRAFFIC IN THE WASHINGTON DC AREA, I AM NOT OFTEN AFFECTED BY THIS WHICH ALSO REDUCED THE WEAR-AND-TEAR ON THE CAR. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10180978January 29, 2007
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELT FAILED TO RELEASE UPON PRESSING THE RELEASE BUTTON. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES OF TRYING IT FINALLY RELEASED ITSELF. ONCE FREE THE SEAT BELT NO LONGER WOULD WORK. HAD THERE BEEN A FIRE I WOULD NOT OF BEEN ABLE TO GET OUT IN TIME. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10179398January 22, 2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
MY 2002 MAZDA PROTEGE HAS 61,000. THE TRANSMISSION HAS COMPLETELY GONE OUT ON IT. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER TO INQUIRE IF THIS WAS 'NORMAL' BECAUSE I HAD ONLY ONCE BEFORE HAD TO REPLACE A TRANSMISSION AT 120,000 SHE SAID, "OH YEAH WE GET THEM ALL THE TIME. THEN WANTED TO CHARGE ME $4,500 TO FIX IT." I WENT INTO THE MAZDA DEALER TO TRY AND REPLACE THE SAID CAR AND I TOLD HIM ABOUT MY SITUATION AND HE ALSO SAID, "YEAH, 61,000 MILES, JUST AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRES, THEY TIMED THAT RIGHT." I CAN NOT BELIEVE THE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT SO SOON. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10174535November 28, 2006
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER SEAT BELT WOULD NOT BUCKLE AT ALL. THERE WAS NO CLICK WHEN THE SEAT BELT WAS INSERTED IN THE BUCKLE, AND THE BELT DID NOT LOCK INTO THE BUCKLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. A NEW PART WAS ORDERED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10169193September 25, 2006
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 60 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. AFTER A FEW SECONDS, THE ENGINE REGAINED POWER BUT THE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE THE EGR VALVE AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER WERE REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10165204August 10, 2006
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
I PURCHASED A USED 2002 MAZDA PROTEGE 5 ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO. THE 5TH GEAR STARTED POPPING OUT OF GEAR ABOUT A MONTH LATER, THEN ACTS LIKE IT IS IN NEUTRAL WHEN YOU PUT IT IN 5TH GEAR. I WAS TOLD I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION FOR ABOUT $2500. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING ON THIS NEW OF A CAR. I HAVE READ MANY OTHER REVIEWS AND COMPLAINTS, IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS A PRETTY COMMON OCCURRENCE, WHY ISN'T A RECALL BEING MADE?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10158936June 4, 2006
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:THERE ARE TWO SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION WHICH ARE POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS. 1)WHEN SHIFTED INTO DRIVE THE TRANSMISSION FREQUENTLY FAILS TO ENGAGE. DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR FROM A STOP RESULTS IN A RACING ENGINE AND ALMOST NO FORWARD MOVEMENT. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN PULLING ONTO A HIGH-SPEED INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WITH OTHER CARS BEHIND AND AROUND YOU. DEALER MECHANICS OFFER EXPLANATIONS SUCH AS NOT REALLY A PROBLEM, DRIVE IT LIKE IT IS. THIS DEALER HAD THE CAR FOR OVER A WEEK. ANOTHER DEALER (SUGGESTED BY MAZDA AFTER CONTACTING THEM) SAYS WE NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT OUR EXPENSE. THIS PROBLEM IS WORSENING. 2)OVERDRIVE WARNING LIGHT ON DASH BLINKS ON WITH NO APPARENT REASON. WHILE THIS SITUATION EXISTS, THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS LOCKED IN HIGH GEAR. ACCELERATING FROM A STOP IS ONCE AGAIN A DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS EXPERIENCE. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10143965November 29, 2005
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
DT: CONTACT STATES WHILE SHIFTING GEARS THE PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY.*AK UPDATED 02/08/07. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10135860September 8, 2005
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONING HAS BEEN GETTING LESS AND LESS COOL. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND THEY INDICATED THE EVAPORATOR WAS LEAKING AND PART WOULD COST 561.12 OUT OF WARRANTY. 2 MONTHS PRIOR THE CONDENSER WENT OUT AND REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10135704September 7, 2005
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
I HAVE A 2002 MAZDA PROTEGE LX WITH 61,000 MILES ON IT. RECENTLY MY TRANSMISSION FAILED AND HAD TO FIX IT WITH AAMOCO. TOTAL BILL, $2500. I REALIZED THE PROBLEM WHEN I DROVE THE CAR IT WOULDN'T SHIFT. IT ACTED LIKE I WAS DRIVING IN NEUTRAL. MAZDA REFUSED TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM AND NOW I'M STUCK WITH A HAVE SAFE HALF RELIABLE CAR. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IF YOUR DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AND YOU CAN'T ACCELERATE IT CREATES A VERY SCARY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10130079July 26, 2005
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
IF MY MAZDA PROTEGE 5 IS NOT DRIVEN FOR 2-3 DAYS, THE BATTERY IS DEAD THE NEXT TIME I TRY TO START IT. IT HAS BEEN TO MAZDA DEALERSHIPS ON AT LEAST 6 OCCASSIONS. I HAVE HAD THE CAR JUMPED ON 3 OTHER OCCASSIONS. THEY HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY 3 TIMES, REPLACED VARIOUES FUSES, AND FINALLY DECIDED THAT THE FACTORY STEREO SYSTEM WAS DRAINING THE BATTERY WHILE THE CAR WAS NOT RUNNING. THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE WAS 7/25, ALTHOUGH THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 9 OTHER TIMES SINCE LAST JUNE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10127734July 7, 2005
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES
MY CAR STALLED WHILE I WAS DRIVING (ACTUALLY IN MOTION). I SLOWLY CAME TO A STOP AND TRIED TO RESTART CAR BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. I SAT ON THE SIDE OF A VERY NARROW ROAD FOR SEVERAL HOURS WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK TO TOW ME TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT MY BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DEAD AND THAT I NEEDED A NEW ONE. MY CAR BARELY HAD 20K MILES ON IT AT THAT POINT. I INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP THAT I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE BATTERY COULD JUST DIE WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION BUT THEY INSISTED THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AND A HALF LATER THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM OCCURRED. I HAD IT JUMP STARTED TO TEST THE BATTERY. WE DISCONNECTED THE PLUS CABLE FROM THE BATTERY WHILE THE CAR WAS ON AND IT REMAINED ON BUT AS SOON AS I TURNED MY LIGHTS ON IT DIED. WE WERE NOT ABLE TO JUMP START THE CAR AGAIN AFTER THAT. THE NEXT DAY MY FIANCE WENT OUT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE CAR AND IT STARTED RIGHT UP. HE BROUGHT IT TO A MECHANIC AND THEY RAN SEVERAL TESTS OVER THE ENGINE BUT FOUND NO PROBLEMS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10122636May 23, 2005
AIR BAGS, SEAT BELTS, POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, SUSPENSION, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
2002 MAZDA PROTEGE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION AT 30 MPH YET THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.*MR THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED TWO SLIPPED DISK IN HER BACK. AFTER THE VEHICLE'S BODY DAMAGE WAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE AIR BAGS TESTED BUT THE DEALER REFUSED TO TEST THE AIR BAG. THE INDICATED THAT AS LONG AS THE AIR BAG LIGHT WASN'T ON THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE. THE RADIO SWITCHES STATIONS ON IT'S OWN. THE SEAT BELT LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN THE CAR WAS STARTED. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED 9/7/2004, 40561 MILES. THE VEHICLE ALIGNMENT WONT HOLD. THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES DUE TO NOISE.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0

← Back to Mazda Protege