Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 44 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1993 Mazda Protege. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–25 of 44 · page 1 of 2
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 MAZDA PROTEGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED AND REMAINED STUCK. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND INQUIRED AS TO WHY OTHER MAZDA VEHICLES WERE RECALLED FOR THE SEAT BELTS BUT NOT THE PROTEGE. THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 237,000.
1) I HAVE A 93 MAZDA 323/PROTEGE AND THE SEAT BELT WERE RECALLED ACCORDING TO THE WEB SIT SAFERCARS.GOV. NHTSA ID NO.97V211000 2)THE SEAT BELT LIGHT WAS ON MY VEHICLE AND THE BELT REFUSES TO MOVE ON THE RAIL SOME TIMES. IN ADDITION THE BUZZER COMES ON WHILE I AM DRIVING AND THE BELT TENDS TO MOVE SLIGHTLY UP AND DOWN WHILE I AM DRIVING. 3) I TOOK THE CAR INTO MAZDA TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND THE DEALER SAID THAT ITS GOING TO BE $ 98.95 TO HAVE THE CAR LOOKED AT. IF THEY FIND A PROBLEM THAT IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE PARTS ON THE RECALL THEY WOULD REPAIR IT. I LEFT THE CAR AT THE SHOP FOR MORE THAN 3 FULL DAYS AND THEY SAID THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT FROM THE RAILING, AND ALSO THAT THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THE SEAT BELTS BUT INSTEAD IT WAS A SPECIAL SERVICE PROGRAM BY MAZDA. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE CENTER SEAT BELT RETRACTION UNIT HAS GONE BAD AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND ALSO THAT THE DOOR SWITCH FOR THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT IS STARTING TO GO BAD. I CALLED MAZDA HEAD QUARTER UNIT AND SPOKE TO STEVE A CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT AND HE FIRST SAID THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE DOOR SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE EVEN THOUGH THE 12 YR EXTENDED WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER SHIP 2 DAYS LATER TO SEE WHAT IS THE PROGRESS AND TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO PERFORM ANY REPAIRS. I CALLED STEVE AND HE SAID THAT AFTER AGAIN TALKING TO THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT THEIR FAULT. WHEN I PICKED UP MY CAR I ASKED TO SERVICE MANAGER WHAT COULD HAPPEN IT THE PARTS ARE NOT REPLACED AND I GET IN A CRASH, HE ANSWERED THAT IF I DON'T PAY THEM TO FIX THE SEAT BELT SYSTEM, THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THE SEAT BELT UNIT WILL NOT LOCK IN TIME TO KEEP THE FRONT OCCUPANTS SEATED. SO IN CONCLUSION THE MAZDA DEALER DOES NOT GUARANTY THE SEAT BELTS WILL FUNCTION PROPERLY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. CHARGED ME 99 DOLLARS TO INSECT THE BELTS WHICH THEY THEM SELF SAID THAT ACCORDING TO THEIR DATA BASE WERE NEVER INSPECTED. AND SAID THAT ITS GOING TO COST MINIMUM $ 900 TO FIX. *TR
THE DRIVER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SEATBELT GOT STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRACK AND WOULD NO LONGER HOLD THE DRIVER IN THE SEAT IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. THE DEALER WOULD NOT FIX IT PROPERLY AND REPLACEMENT OF THE SEATBELT IS FAR TOO COSTLY.*AK
NOTHING LED UP TO THE FAILURE, ONE DAY THE PASSIVE SEATBELT JUST WENT ABOUT HALF-WAY UP THE TRACK, THEN IT STOPPED AND A GREASY CABLE POPPED OUT OF IT. WORST OF ALL, MAZDA'S EMERGENCY HANDLE WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO TURN AN INTERNAL HEX NUT TO MOVE THE SEATBELT REARWARD ONLY MADE ABOUT ONE TURN UNTIL IT GOT STIFF AND PUTTING ANY MORE FORCE ON THE EMERGENCY HANDLE CAUSES IT TO SLIP AND ROUND OFF. TRYING TO FORCE THE PASSIVE SHOULDER BELT BUCKLE REARWARD BY HAND DOESN'T WORK EITHER, IT'S EXTREMELY STIFF AND WHEN IT WILL MOVE (WHICH IS ONLY SLIGHTLY) THE CABLE COMES OUT EVEN FURTHER. THIS LEAVES THE SEATBELT IN A POSITION WHERE IT WON'T HOLD THE DRIVER IN THE SEAT INCASE OF A CRASH, AND IF THE SEATBELT IS LEFT PLUGGED IN IT DRASTICALLY REDUCES VISIBILITY OUT OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW. I TOOK THE CAR TO MAZDA DEALER NUMBER 10158 ABOUT THE NHTSA RECALL ID NUMBER 97V211000 BUT THE DEALER SAID IT DIDN'T APPLY TO MY CAR AND THEY QUOTED A PRICE OF NEARLY $800 TO FIX THE SEATBELT. A FRIEND OF MINE WHO ALSO HAS A 93 PROTEGE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE PASSIVE SEATBELT THREE YEARS AGO. SHE TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT DEALER AND THEY ALSO WOULD NOT HANDLE THE RECALL.*AK
THE HORN GOES OFF ON ITS OWN.
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THE HORN GOES OFF BY ITSELF. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS
CONSUMER STATES THE VEHICLE HORN GOES OFF BY ITSELF.DEALER NOTIFIED. TS
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE DOES NOT RETRACT ANY MORE. CONTACTED DEALER.*JB
AUTOMATIC RESTRAINT BELTS DO NOT FUNCTION UNLESS VEHICLE HAS WARMED UP TO A CERTAIN TEMPERATURE.*AK
THE PLASTIC HEADLIGHT LENSES HAVE LOST THEIR TRANSPARENCY WITHOUT ANY DAMAGE OR NEGLECT IN CARE. THE NIGHTTIME ILLUMINATION HAS BEEN GREATLY REDUCED. WHILE THIS HAS NOT OCCURRED IN AN OLDER '89 MAZDA 626 WE HAVE OWNED SINCE NEW, I HAVE NOTICED THIS TYPE OF PLASTIC HEADLIGHT LENS OPACITY IN EARLY '90'S FORD ESCORTS AND DODGE/PLYMOUTH NEONS. I CAN RECALL WHEN IN 1966-67, THE US GOVERNMENT PROHIBITED EXTERNAL HEADLIGHT LENSES (AS IN VW BEETLES) BECAUSE VISIBILITY COULD BECOME REDUCED IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS DUE TO FOGGING OR ICE/SNOW BUILDUP. WHY IS IT THAT SOME MANUFACUTURERS CAN NOW HAVE THESE PLASTIC "EXTERNAL" LENSES (E.G. NOT SEALED BEAM) THAT HAVE COMPOUNDS AFFECTED BY AGING (NOT DAMAGE OR NEGLECT) THAT BRING ON A CONDITION THAT THE NHTSA EXPRESSLY TRIED TO AVOID IN THE LATE 1960'S. I SHOULD ADD THE CONSUMER CAN REMEDY THIS SITUATION ONLY BY INVESTING MANY HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS FOR OEM OR AFTERMARKET REPLACEMENTS, WITHOUT ANY FAULT OF THEIR OWN.*AK
WINDOWS-DRIVER SIDE POWER ASSISTED WINDOW FAILURE TO GO UP/DOWN, CONTROL WOULD NOT FUNCTION, HAD TO REASSEMBLE WINDOW AND REPLACE MASTER POWER WINDOW CONTROL UNIT. COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE @ 155,000MI. ALL COMPONENTS HAD TO BE REPLACED. WAS NOT ACTIVLY DRIVING WHEN FAILURE NOTICES. NO ACCIDENT OR INJURY. THROTTLE COMPONENT- TEMPERATURE CENSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. THROTTLE WOULD SPARATICALLY GIVE OUT, CAUSING A TRAFFIC HAZARD. (I.E. COULD BE ON HIGHWAY DOING 55MPH, CENSOR WOULD MISDETECT ENGINE STATUS CAUSING THROTTLE TO GO DOWN AND SPEED TO INVOLUNTARILY AND DRASTICALLY DECREASE) DRASTIC AND EXTENSIVE DIAGNOSTICS AND TESTING REQUIRED TO EVALUATE AND SOLVE PROBLEM. SEATBELTS-POWER-SEATBELT WARNING LIGHT GOES OFF WHEN SEATBELT PROPERLY ENGAGED. CONTACTED DEALER AND WAS TOLD SENSOR MAY BE "STICKY/DIRTY" AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE ABOUT IT. WAS TOLD TO TRY TO DISASSEMBLE AND CLEAN OUT. DID NOT USE RECOMMENDATION DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS COULD MAKE THE PROBLEM MUCH WORSE, SO WARNING CONTINUES TO RANDOMLY COMES ON WHEN DRIVING. EXHAUST SYSTEM- COMPLEATLY REPLACED. DEEMED INADEQUATE. CAUSED CARBON MINOXIDE LEAK IN VEHICLE.*AK
COOLANT COMING THROUGH CRACKS IN RADIATOR. COOLANT IS BLOWING ON ENGINE.*AK
VERY FIRST TIME BRAKES ARE APPLIED TO STOP VEHICLE AND THE WEATHER IS COLD, BRAKES FAIL TO ENGAGE, AND CONSUMER HAS TO PUMP BRAKES FOR THEM TO WORK. DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THERE WAS CONDENSATION IN "CHECK BALL" THAT WOULD FREEZE, PREVENTING PROPER FUNCTION OF BRAKE SYSTEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WILL NO LONGER MOVE ON TRACK. *AK
THE SEATBELT DOES NOT RUN ALONG THE TRACK. I HAVE FIXED IT ONCE AND THE OWNER BEFORE ME ALSO HAD IT FIXED WHEN IT WAS RECALLED AND IT IS NOW BROKEN FOR A THIRD TIME. I DON'T THINK THAT IF IT WAS FIXED CORRECTLY THE FIRST TIME I WOULD STILL BE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH IT.
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL FOR THE FRONT DOOR LATCH FOR IMPROPER OPERATION OF THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT RETRACTOR, THEY REFUSED RECALL REPAIR AND STATED THAT IT ONLY APPLIES WHEN IT GETS STUCK HALF WAY DOWN THE RETRACTOR, THE DOOR LATCH IS INOPERABLE AND THE CONSUMER FEELS THE RECALL SHOULD BE COMPLETED. (RECALL INFORMATION NOT AVAILABLE) *MJS
AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT HAD STOP WORKING WITHOUT A WARNING. CABLE CAME OUT OF THE RAIL, AND MOTOR STOPPED WORKING.*AK
LEFT FRONT MOHAWK MONTEGA A/S TSB TIRE WAS COLLAPSING, DEALER SAID THOSE TIRES WERE BEING BROUGHT BACK BECAUSE OF SOME SORT OF HEAT RELATED SEPARATION, CONSUMER PURCHASED A REPLACEMENT BUT 27 DAYS LATER THE NEW TIRE STARTED SHOWING THE SAME DEFECT. NLM
AUTO TRANSMISSION FAILURE CAUSING DIFFICULTY IN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE AND THE HOLD LIGHT COMES ON DURING PARKING. *ET
SEAT BELT LIGHT COMES ON, IS THIS A SAFETY HAZARD?
DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSAGER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELTS DON'T RETRACT AND KEEP GETTING JAMMED ON BOTH SIDES. *AK
THE WINDOW ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WOULD MAKE NOISES WHENEVER THE DOOR IS CLOSING OR OPENING. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE ENTIRE MECHANISM TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE WINDOW WORE OUT BECAUSE THE PLASTIC PARTS WERE OF POOR QUALITY. OWNER BELIEVES THAT MAZDA SHOULD PAY FOR REPAIRS FOR THIS DEFECT. *AK
SHOULDER BELT WON'T WORK DUE TO THE RETRACTOR PART OF THE SEAT BELT, WHICH MAKE'S THE CONSUMER MOVE FORWARD AND BACKWARD, FAILED. CONSUMER STATES THIS IS A SAFETY DEFECT. *AK
OWNER RECEIVED A RECALL SAFETY NOTICE FROM MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS, WHICH READS IN RELEVANT PART: ' [T]HE PASSIVE SHOULDER BELT BUCKLE STAYS AT THE REARMOST POSITION EVEN IF THE DOOR IS OPENED.' OWNER EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM BUT WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THAT THE BELT NOT ONLY STAYED IN THE REARMOST POSITION, BUT THAT IT DID SO WITH GREAT FORCE, PINNING THE OWNER IN THE VEHICLE AND CAUSING MINOR ABRASION TO OWNER'S NECK. OWNER THEN TOOK VEHICLE IN TO DEALER FOR RECALL REPAIR. DEALER CLAIMED THE PROBLEM WAS UNRELATED TO THE RECALL NOTICE AND REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. OWNER STRONGLY STATED THAT THE PROBLEM EXPERIENCED WAS EXACTLY THE PROBLEM THAT WAS THE SUBJECT OF THE RECALL. WHEN DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR, OWNER CONTACTED MAZDA CEO RICHARD BEATTIE AND VARIOUS OTHER PERSONNEL AT MAZDA MOTORS BUT COULD RECEIVE NO SATISFACTION. LEGAL ACTION IS PENDING. OWNER BELIEVES THAT THE STARTLING AND SUDDEN NATURE OF THIS EVENT COULD RESULT IN EITHER DRIVERS OR PASSENGERS BEING TRAPPED IN A VEHICLE ON FIRE OR IMMERSED IN WATER OR IN SOME OTHER EMERGENCY, BEFORE THEY FIGURED OUT HOW TO EITHER SLIP OUT OF THE TAUT BELT OR RELEASE IT WITH THE MANUAL RELEASE. OWNER ALSO BELIEVES THAT MAZDA IS AWARE OF THE SEVERE NATURE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT IS ATTEMPTING TO CONCEAL IT AND IS ATTEMPTING TO AVOID MAKING NEEDED SAFETY REPAIRS.
SEAT BELT LIGHT COMES ON AND CHIMES PERIODICALLY WHILE SEAT BELT ENGAGED. OFTEN SEAT BELT LOCK IN PLACE AND I AM UNABLE TO MOVE.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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