Mazda Protege Complaints

1,077 consumer complaints on file.

#10378644January 25, 2011
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC
PASSENGER VEHICLES LEFT SIDE REAR BRAKE HOSES DAMAGED, BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10376300January 11, 2011
STEERING
2002 MAZDA POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURES. PUMP HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE, NOW ON ITS 3RD UNIT.. CAR, A 2002 MAZDA PROTEGE5 HAS APPROX. 102,000 MILES ON IT. FIRST FAILURE WAS A COMPLETE FAILURE WITH LOSS OF STEERING WITH NO WARNING NOTICED. 2ND PUMP LEAK WAS DETERMINED BY MECHANIC CAUSING ERRATIC STEERING PROBLEMS. FIRST PUMP (ON CAR WHEN NEW) FAILED AT 87,000 MILES, 2ND OCCRRED SOME 10,000 MILES LATER. THE THIRD PUMP HAS ONLY 3K MILES AND NO WAY OF TELLING HOW LONG IT WILL LAST. MAZDA DENIES ALL RESPONSIBILITY. PUMPS HAS BEEN REPLACED 2X AND ON ITS THIRD PUMP ON THIS CAR. OLD PART NOT LIKELY AVAILABLE. MAZDA TOLD OWNER THEY HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS (EVER?) WITH POWER STEERING PUMPS, A LIE. CHECK INTERNET FOR POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURES. CURRENTLY RECALLING 500,000 POWER STEERING PUMPS ON OTHER YEARS. BELIEVE THEY HAVE NOT ADMITTED THEIR COMPLETE PROBLEMS ON THESE UNITS TO THIS DATE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10372369December 25, 2010
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
THE DIM LIGHTS WENT OUT AND THE BRIGHT LIGHT INDICATOR CAME ON. FORTUNATELY THE BRIGHT LIGHTS WORKED, OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN DRIVING WITHOUT LIGHTS. THE TURN SIGNAL/LIGHT CONTROL WAND WAS REPLACED. ABOUT TWO MONTHS LATER THE PROBLEM REPEATED. IT WAS LATE WITHOUT MUCH TRAFFIC AND I DROVE HOME FOR 30 MILES WITH ONLY BRIGHT LIGHTS. THIS TIME I TOOK THE CAR TO THE MAZDA DEALER. THE WIRE CONTROLLING THE LIGHTS HAD OVER HEATED WHICH CAUSED THE WAND TO BURNOUT AND A WIRE CONNECTOR TO WARP. A NEW WIRE WAS THREADED FROM THE CONNECTOR THROUGH THE FIREWALL TO THE CONTROL WAND. THE LIGHTS ARE NOW WORKING. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10372300December 23, 2010
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2002 PROTEGE HEATER FAN SWITCH MALFUNCTIONED AND MELTED PLUG AND SWITCH ALMOST CAUSED A FIRE BUT IT WAS SMOKING WHEN IT FRIED AND CAUSED THE 4TH SPEED OF THE FAN NOT TO WORK I HAD TO SPLICE A NEW PLUG IN TO FIX THE ISSUE AND TO KEEP IT FROM CATCHING FIRE I HAVE PICTURES IF NEEDED. *LN
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10370639December 14, 2010
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MAZDA PROTG. THE CONTACT WAS ENTERING A PARKING SPACE WHEN THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT ENGAGED THE BRAKE BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND CRASHED INTO A POLE. SHE STATED THAT THE POLE STRUCK A BUILDING AND CAUSED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE BUILDING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A CLAIM WAS FILED WITH HER INSURANCE COMPANY. THE FRONT BUMPER OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,624 AND THE APPROXIMATE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 64,000. UPDATED 2/22/11 *CN UPDATED 07/01/11
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10368689December 2, 2010
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
MY SON BOUGHT A 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE 5, BACK IN LATE JULY 2010. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, ON AUGUST 3RD, 2010 IN FACT, HE KNOWING OF AN OPEN RECALL, HAD THE CAR SERVICED AT THE LOCAL MAZDA DEALERSHIP. APPARENTLY THEY PERFORMED PART A OF RECALL 3005C AND DID A COMPRESSION CHECK AND SLAPPED A "RECALL COMPLETED" STICKER UNDER THE HOOD. COME LATE AUGUST, MY SON TAKES THE CAR AWAY TO SCHOOL. ON NOVEMBER 1ST, 2010, HE CALLS COMPLAINING OF A "'LOUD ENGINE NOISE". 2 DAYS LATER, WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A NEARBY PERFORMANCE SHOP. THEY INVESTIGATED AND NOTICED THE RECALL 3005C STICKER UNDER THE HOOD. KNOWING THIS, THE PERFORMANCE SHOP RECOMMENDED WE TAKE THE CAR TO THE LOCAL MAZDA DEALERSHIP NEARBY MY SONS' SCHOOL. THIS SECOND DEALERSHIP VERIFIED WITH A BORESCOPE THAT THERE WAS DAMAGE IN CYLINDERS 1 AND 3. AFTER MUCH DISAGREEMENT, THIS SECOND MAZDA DEALERSHIP EVENTUALLY OPENED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND FOUND 7 OF THE 8 SCREWS AND ALL 4 BUTTERFLY VALVES LAYING IN THE BOTTOM OF THE INTAKE. THE SECOND DEALERSHIP THEN REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD BUT UPON STARTING THE ENGINE FOUND THAT THE ENGINE NOISE STILL EXISTS. NOW THEY CLAIM THE ENGINE NOISE IS DUE TO "ENGINE BEARING FAILURE" AND NOT RELATED TO THE 3005C RECALL. AFTER FORCING THE ISSUE WITH MAZDA THEY CLAIMED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE CAN BE OFFERED. I WAS THEN FORCED TO TOW THE CAR BACK TO THE PERFORMANCE SHOP. THERE THEY REMOVED THE CYLINDER HEAD AND FOUND THE MISSING SCREW EMBEDDED IN THE TOP OF CYLINDER #2. BEARING FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN VERIFIED BY ANYONE YET. I MAINTAIN THAT THE SCREW BEING EMBEDDED IN CYLINDER #2 PLUS OTHER METAL FILINGS RELATED TO THE 3005C RECALL, MUST HAVE CAUSED THE ALLEGED "BEARING FAILURE". MAZDA CLAIMS THE SO CALLED "BEARING FAILURE" MUST HAVE EXISTED PREVIOUSLY. APPARENTLY, THEY THINK I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AROUND WITH THE BEARING PROBLEM. LOOKS LIKE LEGAL ACTION WILL BE THE NEXT STEP. ALL OF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE FIRST MAZDA DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD IN THE FIRST PLACE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10368200November 29, 2010
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL, SEAT BELTS
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. *TR
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#10367075November 22, 2010
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MAZDA PROTG DX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER TAKING HIS VEHICLE IN FOR ROUTINE INSPECTION, THE MECHANIC INFORMED HIM THAT BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES WERE RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT ALL THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 99,000. UPDATED 02/11/11 *BF UPDATED 11/30/2011 *LN
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10353061August 31, 2010
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
I OWN A 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE 5, AND I HAVE AUTOMATIC/REMOTE KEY UNLOCKS DOORS. ONE DAY IT JUST STOP WORKING, I HAD TO START TO MANUALLY LOCK AND UNLOCK MY DRIVER SIDE DOOR. IT WOULD NOT BE MUCH OF A BOTHER HAD IT BE ANOTHER DOOR, BUT JUST THE MAIN ONE I USE BROKE. I WENT TO THE DEALER BUT THEY WANTED $250 TO FIX IT, SAYING IT NEEDS A NEW CAR DOOR ACTUATOR. NOT 2 MONTHS PAST, AND THE BACK DOOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BROKE TOO, A DOOR I HARDLY USED. IT WAS A CHEAP PLASTIC PART WITH IN THE ACTUATOR THAT BROKE FOR NO GOOD REASON. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS. I HAVE YET TO COME UP WITH $500 TO FIX BOTH DOORS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10352264August 27, 2010
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 60 MPH FOR 40 MINUTES, THE CAR BEGAN SPUTTERING, JERKING, MAKING NOISES, LOSING ACCELERATION AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. IT INITIALLY FELT LIKE SOMEONE WAS TAKING THEIR FOOT ON AND OFF THE GAS. WE PULLED OFF ROAD AND WERE TOWED TO OUR GARAGE. MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE SPARK PLUG FOR CYLINDER 4 WAS SMASHED SHUT, HE REPLACED IT AND TOLD US TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER SINCE THIS WAS THE 3RD TIME WE HAD THIS PROBLEM. IN DEC OF 2009 THE SPARK PLUG FOR CYLINDER 1 HAD SAME PROBLEM THEN AGAIN IN FEB 2010 IT WAS THE PLUGS FOR 1 & 4. EACH TIME WE WERE DRIVING AT 55 MPH OR HIGHER WHEN CAR BEGAN TO SPUTTER THEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. MAZDA IS TELLING US NOTHING IS IN THE ENGINE, THE COMPRESSION IS FINE AND THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHY SPARK PLUGS ARE GETTING SMASHED. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED OUR MECHANIC THOUGHT IT WAS BAD SPARK PLUG AND REPLACED IT FREE OF CHARGE, THE SECOND TIME WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO COULD FIND NOTHING. IT IS NOW AT THE DEALER AGAIN AND THEY ARE SAYING THE ONLY THING THEY COULD DO IS TAKE THE ENGINE APART AND LOOK BUT HAVE NO GUARANTEE OF FINDING ANYTHING AND IT COULD COST $1500. THEY REMOVED SPARK PLUG, CHECKED FOR DEBRIS AND TESTED THE COMPRESSION. THEY ALSO USED A MAGNET TO SEARCH FOR FOREIGN BODY IN CYLINDER AND FOUND NOTHING. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10352276August 27, 2010
SEAT BELTS
FRONT DRIVER SEAT BELT SUDDENLY WAS INCAPABLE OF BEING BUCKLED. DRIVERS SEAT BELT COULD NOT CLICK IN RECEPTACLE AND WAS NOT USABLE. DEALER SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED B/C IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIR WHICH WAS ABOUT $100. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10348673August 11, 2010
SEAT BELTS
DRIVERS FRONT SEAT BELT WILL NOT LOCK IN. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10330758May 17, 2010
TIRES
ON MAY 12, 2010 MY SON CALLED ME AT MY PHONE TO ADVISED ME THAT AS HE WAS DRIVING HIS 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE AND WITHOUT ANY REASON HIS FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE GAVE UP ALL AROUND THE OUTSIDE SIDE CENTER OF THE TIRE MAKING A BLOWOUT NOISE AND WENT FLAT. HE WENT TO A TIRE SERVICES CENTER AND THERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO REPAIR THE TIRE AND ALSO THEY RECOMMENDED HIM TO CHANGE ALL THE TIRES (KUMHO SOLUS HP/4/PLUS-P195/55//15. I JUST BOUGHT TWO OF THEM IN DECEMBER. I WROTE TO KHOMO TIRES WEB-SITE ASKING IF THERE IS ANY RECALL FOR THE TIRES AND WHAT KIND OF GUARANTEE IS THERE. I NEVER GOT A REPLY. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10327260April 24, 2010
SEAT BELTS
2003 MAZDA PROTEGE LX DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT LOCKING CLIP INTERNAL PARTS SHATTERED AFTER 50,000 MILES. OUT OF WARRANTY NOW BUT I HAVE READ OTHER WEBSITES OF PEOPLE WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. WHY HAS A RECALL NOT BEEN OFFERED FOR THIS HIGHLY DANGEROUS SEATBELT? *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10323018March 31, 2010
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
ON 10/31/09, WHILE MOVING THE '02 MAZDA PROTEGE ES FROM 2ND BAY TO 1ST BAY IN MY SHOP, AT THE 1ST BAY EVEN BRAKE PEDAL BEING APPLIED, THAT CAR RUSHED FORWARD TO THE SHOP WALL ; MY SHOP WALL AND CAR CRASHED. MY ADDRESS IS [XXX](CELL) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10316645March 4, 2010
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE - THE MAZDA PROTG MENTIONED UNDER "SUBJECT" OF THIS E-MAIL - ACCELERATING WITHOUT THE GAS PEDAL BEING TOUCHED ON AT LEAST THREE OCCASIONS SINCE I PURCHASED IT NEW IN THE FALL OF 1996. THE VEHICLE ALSO EXHIBITED INTENSE RUMBLING WHEN IN DRIVE AND WAITING AT IDLE AT A STOP SIGN OR TRAFFIC LIGHT. ON ONE OF SEVERAL OCCASIONS THAT I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ABOUT THE LATTER PROBLEM, A YOUNG ATTENDANT AT THE DEALER (MAZDA MAPLE SHADE IN MAPLE SHADE, NEW JERSEY) MENTIONED - APPARENTLY INADVERTENTLY - THAT THE RUMBLING WAS A "FACTORY DEFECT". I NEVER MENTIONED THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM SINCE I HAD ALWAYS MANAGED TO PUT ON THE BREAKS FIRMLY WHENEVER IT OCCURRED, AND THEREBY PREVENTED MOVEMENT THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS DAMAGE TO ANYTHING IN FRONT OF ME AS WELL AS THE CAR. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAS AN ELECTRONIC FEATURE THAT CAUSES IT TO AUDIBLY "REV UP" THE MOTOR BRIEFLY (APPROXIMATELY SEVERAL SECONDS, BUT LESS THAN A MINUTE) TO WARM UP. ONCE THE WARM-UP CYCLE ENDS THE CAR "REVS DOWN" TO A NORMAL IDLE SOUND. EVENTUALLY I HAD ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH THE CAR THAT REQUIRED THAT A MAJOR REPAIR BE DONE TO THE TRANSMISSION - AT EXPENSE TO ME SINCE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY I HAD PURCHASED HAD WORN OUT. THE REPAIR FIXED NOT ONLY THE NEW PROBLEM BUT -COINCIDENTALLY ACCORDING TO THE DEALER - THE RUMBLING. I HAVE ALSO NOT HAD THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM SINCE THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WAS FIXED. ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS APPEAR TO ME TO HAVE BEEN CONNECTED. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF OTHER PURCHASERS OF THIS VEHICLE HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS. FROM NHTSA WEB SITE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10313384February 23, 2010
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE 5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, HE NOTICED A LOUD RUMBLING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE MOTOR. HE TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND PULLED OVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD SHUTTER BECAUSE THE VALVE BROKE OFF AND FELL INTO THE ENGINE. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST HIM. HE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH HIS VEHICLE SINCE THE REPAIR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 214,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 114,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10308505February 10, 2010
SEAT BELTS
SEATBELT BROKE WHEN I TRIED TO PUT IT ON. INSIDE THE FEMALE ADAPTER SEVERAL PLASTIC PIECES WERE BROKEN AND FLOATING AROUND RENDERING MY SEATBELT USELESS. I HAD TO PLUG IN MY SEATBELT TO THE PASSENGER SIDE.*TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10301694January 21, 2010
SEAT BELTS
PASSENGER SIDE REAR SEAT BELT AUTOMATIC LOCKING RETRACTOR DOES NOT STAY LOCKED, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SAFELY INSTALL A CHILD SAFETY SEAT. THE SEAT BELT WAS RARELY IF EVER USED UNTIL THE CAR SEAT WAS INSTALLED. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10298841January 9, 2010
SEAT BELTS
1. DECEMBER 17, 2009: THE SEAT BELT LIGHT WAS ON WHEN ALL SEAT BELTS WERE FASTENED. 2. JANUARY 6, 2010: THE DRIVERS SEAT BELT MECHANISM NO LONGER LATCHES. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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