RoadVitals

1997 Mazda Protege Airbags Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Airbags reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
12
Latest Aug 7, 2002
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
18%
of 66 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
10
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
8

What this page shows

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Mazda Protege submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming airbag

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Airbags
Filed Aug 7, 2002
Crash reported1 injury reported

AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY ON BOTH SIDES AT 35MPH WHILE REAR ENDING A VAN. TORE OFF BUMPER WITH AIRBAG SENSORS CLEARLY IN VIEW AIRBAG LIGHT INSIDE OF VEHICLE WAS NOT ON EITHER. *AK

NHTSA ID
765324
Incident
Aug 4, 2002
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Jun 28, 2002
Crash reported1 injury reported

WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH THERE WAS A DIRECT FRONTAL COLLISION, AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSING INJURY TO DRIVER. *AK THE SEAT BELT FAILED DURING THE ACCIDENT. *YH

NHTSA ID
8012946
Incident
May 7, 2002
AirbagsBrakes
Filed Aug 13, 2000
Crash reported

1) AIRBAG DIDNT DEPLOY DURING A RIGHT ANGLE (T BONE) ACCIDENT AT AN INTERSECTION .. THE DRIVER (ME) SYSTAINED HEAD AND FACE / CHEST INJURIES. 2) SINCE NEW THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE ON MY NON ABS CAR LOCKES UP VERY EASILY, AND HAS CAUSED A SPIN OUT IN SEVERAL CASES, ON WET SURFACES. A DEALER TRIED TO DO SOMETHING, BUT IT HAS NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. FURTHER, WHEN I WROTE MAZDA CUSTOMER SERVICE HQ, THEY SIMPLY SAID TO GO BACK TO A DEALER FOR THEIR JUDGEMENT / ACTION TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID
727784
Incident
Sep 15, 1997
Airbags
Filed May 26, 2000
Crash reported

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION WHILE TRAVELING 40 MPH. UPON IMPACT, NEITHER DRIVER'S SIDE NOR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID
862633
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Feb 9, 2000
Crash reported1 injury reported

WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MHP ANOTHER VEHICLE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE CONSUMER PUMPED THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE SLID INTO THE OTHER VEHICLE, REARENDING IT. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY UNTIL THE CONSUMER HIT THE STEERING WHEEL AND BROKE THE BIGGEST STERNUM BONE IN HER CHEST. ALSO, THE SHOULDER BELT DIDN'T HOLD THE CONSUMER. *AK

NHTSA ID
832154
Incident
Nov 4, 1998
Airbags
Filed Sep 28, 1999
Crash reported1 injury reported

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S AIRBAG EXPLODED IN DRIVER'S FACE, CAUSING BURNS ON CHEEK AND SHEARING OFF CORNEA ON LEFT EYE. *AK

NHTSA ID
846137
AirbagsBody & structure
Filed Jul 6, 1999
Crash reported

CONSUMER HAD AN ACCIDENT, AND AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. IN ADDITION, ON A 15 MPH IMPACT, BOTH HOOD HINGES SEPARATED FROM VEHICLE AND HIT WINDSHIELD. *AK

NHTSA ID
838484
Incident
May 1, 1999
AirbagsBrakes
Filed Sep 30, 1998
Crash reported

WHILE DRIVING 30-35 MPH THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES LOCKED UP, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SLIDE INTO VEHICLE AHEAD. THE FRONT END OF VEHICLE WAS SMASHED, AND THE THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS. THE WEATHER WAS SUNNY AND DRY AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THIS TIME.

NHTSA ID
828377
Incident
Sep 25, 1998
Airbags
Filed Jul 9, 1998

THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT FLASHES, LETTING DRIVER KNOW THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE AIR BAG SYSTEM. THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. *AK

NHTSA ID
825207
Airbags
Filed Jul 9, 1998

WARNING LIGHT FOR DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG HAS ILLUMINATED TWICE AND THE UNIT HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE.

NHTSA ID
538254
Airbags
Filed Nov 13, 1997
Crash reported4 injuries reported

CONSUMER DRIVING AND SUDDENLY VEHICLE IS OUT OF CONTROL, FELL INTO A HOLE HEAD-ON AND ROLLED 3-4 TIMES, ALL OCCUPANTS WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS. NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. *AK

NHTSA ID
818994
Incident
Nov 10, 1997
Airbags
Filed Aug 15, 1997
Crash reported

DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50MPH WHEN HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE DIRECTLY IN THE FRONT, NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. *AK

NHTSA ID
815395
Incident
Aug 14, 1997

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .