1998 Mazda Protege Owner Complaints

Straight-on, front-end collision occurred, that destroyed radiator and folded hood. Air bag did not deploy.

NHTSA ID

11437046

Incident

Oct 7, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 MAZDA PROTEGE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE IGNITION SWITCH ALONG WITH THE KEYS BECAME HOT TO THE TOUCH WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE DIAGNOSIS WAS UNKNOWN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ORDERED UNKNOWN PARTS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CALLED SKYLAND MAZDA AT (828) 667-52132 AND THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V674000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 200,000.

NHTSA ID

10993819

Incident

May 24, 2017

Mileage

200,000 mi

WHEN TURNING IN EITHER DIRECTION STEERING PRODUCES A GRINDING NOISE. AS A RESULT, THE STEERING RACK AND PINION HAS MALFUNCTIONED. MIDAS ASKING FOR $1400 AND SAYS THIS IS COMMON MAZDA PROTEGE 1998 PROBLEM. I FOUND SIMILAR ALREADY EXISTING COMPLAINT BY SOMEONE ELSE (REFERENCE NUMBER: 10083656). *TR

NHTSA ID

10249129

Incident

Jul 15, 2008

Mileage

99,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING ALONE MY 1998 MAZDA PROTEGE ALONG A LOCAL ROUTE IN TEWKSBURY MA IN LIGHT RAIN AT ABOUT 30-35 MPH WHEN A CAR A FEW CARS AHEAD OF ME MADE A QUICK STOP FOR A LEFT TURN. SEVERAL CAR BEHIND STOPPED WITHOUT PROBLEM, BUT I WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP AND SKID ALL THE WAY INTO THE CAR AT FRONT WHICH WAS A 2002 CAMRY. AT THE TIME THE CAR AT FRONT OF ME HIT THE BRAKE I TAPPED ON MY BRAKE ALMOST AT THE SAME TIME AND THERE WERE ABOUT 10 CAR LENGTH DISTANCE BETWEEN ME AND THE 2002 CAMRY THAT I HIT EVENTUALLY. THE TRACTION PROVIDED BY MY TIRES ARE EXTREMELY LOW ESPECIALLY IN WET. THE TIRES I WAS RIDING ON ARE 4 GOODYEAR INTEGRITY P175/70R13 THAT I INSTALLED IN MAY 2005 IN ALLIED TIRES AND SERVICE IN GAINESVILLE, FL 32607. I HAD ABOUT 40K MILES ON THEM AT THE TIME OF ACCIDENT. MY CAR PASSED THE MA STATE SAFETY INSPECTION IN JAN 2008, AND MY MOST RECENT VISUAL CHECK ON THE TIRES SHOWED THERE WERE ENOUGH TREAD LEFT. FROM DAY ONE I NOTICED THESE TIRES WERE EXTREMELY SLIPPERY COMPARED TO OTHER TIRES, A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THROTTLE OR BRAKE COULD CAUSE TIRE SPIN IN EVEN DRY CONDITION, IN WET IT'S MUCH WORSE. AS A SAFETY DRIVER I CONSIDERED MYSELF, I ALWAYS DROVE WELL UNDER SPEED LIMIT WITH EXTREME CAUTION, AT THAT TIME I DIDN'T CONSIDER THESE TIRES AN IMMINENT HAZARD SO I TOOK NO ACTION AND CONTINUED USING THEM UNTIL THIS ACCIDENT. I DEEPLY REGRETTED THIS. I SINCERELY REQUEST YOUR FULL INVESTIGATION INTO THE GRIP PERFORMANCE ON THIS LINE OF TIRES. I AM A SAFE DRIVER WITH 7 YEAR OF CLEAN RECORD BEFORE THIS ACCIDENT. BEFORE I MADE THIS COMPLAINT I FOUND MANY PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE ALSO ADDRESSED THE GRIP ISSUE. AND THERE ARE SUBSTANTIAL COMPLAINTS OF THIS LINE OF TIRES ON THE GRIP PERFORMANCE ON INTERNET. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED AT 1:30 PM, MAY 31, 2008, AT MAIN ST RT. 38 IN TEWKSBURY, MA 01876. SHOULD YOU REQUIRE MORE DETAILS YOU COULD CONTACT ME OR THE TEWKSBURY MA POLICE. I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR EFFORT ON THIS. THANK YOU, WING-HIN WONG *TR

NHTSA ID

10229940

Incident

May 31, 2008

Mileage

120,000 mi

TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN VEHICLE WITH ONLY 65,800 MILES. *JB

NHTSA ID

10110722

Incident

Feb 17, 2005

Mileage

65,800 mi

VEHICLE FAILED EMISSIONS INSPECTION DUE TO A CRACK IN THE FRONT EXHAUST PIPE AND MID-PIPE. DEALER REPLACED BOTH AT MY EXPENSE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10110380

Incident

May 31, 2002

Mileage

64,737 mi

THE FRONT SEAT BELTS WERE LOOSE AND WILL NOT RETRACT BACK IN TO NORMAL POSITION. *JB

NHTSA ID

10101556

Incident

Nov 22, 2003

TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *BF THE VEHICLE IS ON ITS 4TH TRANSMISSION. *TC

NHTSA ID

10096831

Incident

Oct 1, 2004

NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH 1999 MAZDA PROTEGE LX.*MR DAYS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE SHE WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT MAZDA BECAUSE THEY WERE PRIMARILY A HONDA DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE STATION WHERE THEY SUGGESTED THE PROBLEM HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE GAS. THE TECHNICIAN RESET THE COMPUTER AND TOLD THE CONSUMER IF THE PROBLEM RECURRED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A MAZDA DEALER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE, BUT EVERY TIME THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO BE SERVICED THE LIGHT WOULD GO OFF. OVER THE COARSE OF A FEW MONTHS THE DEALER REPLACED SEVERAL COMPONENTS THAT THEY THOUGHT WOULD ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY DIDN'T. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT THE DRAIN PLUG WAS NOT PUT BACK PROPERLY AND FELL OUT WHILE DRIVING. *NM

NHTSA ID

10083377

Incident

Jul 1, 2004

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. VEHICLE DOWNSHIFTS FOR NO REASON. INTERMITTENT TIMES CAR WILL DOWNSHIFT TO LOWER GEAR WHEN FOOT REMOVED FROM ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHETHER ON STREETS OR FREEWAY. CAR IS RENDERD UNUSABLE BY WIFE.*AK

NHTSA ID

10059969

Incident

Feb 25, 2004

Mileage

98,401 mi

WHILE DRIVING, AN OBJECT APPEARED ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CONSUMER RAN OVER THE OBJECT WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE BUMBER AND UNDER THE VEHICLE. *LA *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10051659

Incident

Sep 26, 2003

THE VEHICLE'S EXHAUST MANIFOLD DEVELOPED A CRACKED WHICH GREATLY REDUCED THE ENGINES PERFORMANCE AND POWER. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10017774

Incident

Jan 1, 2003

Mileage

60,000 mi

THE OVER DRIVE LIGHT MALFUNCTIONED WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO DROP INTO A LOWER GEAR, AN THE ENGINE ACTED AS THOUGH IT WOULD STALL AND THEN BUCKED ERRATICALLY. *TS *JB

NHTSA ID

10011635

Incident

Nov 1, 1999

EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACK IN 1998 MAZADA PROTEGE. RECENTLY THERE HAS BEEN A BURNING SMELL IN THE CABIN. MY MECHANIC FOUND THAT IT IS DUE TO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACK AND TOLD ME THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR 95-98 PROTEGE. HE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE IN THE BULLETIN. I TOOK HIS SUGGESTION AND CALLED THE DEALER, BUT THE ANSWER WAS NEGATIVE. I AM VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE THE MONOXIDE FROM THE EXHAUST COULD POTENTIALLY KILL A PERSON IN SILENCE. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR WITH THE WINDOW OPEN MOST TIME, JUST TO BE SAFE. I HOPE THAT MAZDA WILL PLACE A RECALL ON IT

NHTSA ID

10008470

Incident

Feb 5, 2003

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH , VEHICLE STARTED OVERHEATING. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE SERVICED BY A MECHANIC WHO INDICATED THAT THE HEATING CORE HAD RUSTED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS.

NHTSA ID

10001451

Incident

Dec 23, 2002

Mileage

57,000 mi

THE VEHICLE STALLS WHEN PUSHING IN THE CLUTCH. WHEN PUSHING IN THE CLUTCH, THE IDLE DROPS TO 0 AND THE CAR SHAKES BEFORE RETURNING TO IT'S NORMAL IDLE SPEED, APPROX. 500 RPM, OR IT JUST STALLS. THIS HAS CAUSED HARROWING MOMENTS WHEN PUSHING IN THE CLUTCH AND BRAKING AT HIGH SPEEDS ON EXIT RAMPS AND PULLING INTO PARKING SPOTS. IT HAS BEEN BACK TO (2) MAZDA DEALERS 3 TIMES AND EACH TIME I AM TOLD THAT IT IS THE GAS I USE, BUT THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR 40,000 MILES NOW AND IS GETTING WORSE. DT

NHTSA ID

768998

THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REPLACED BACK IN 09/01. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE REPLACED FOR FREE! I LEFT PAYING $66.11 TO REPLACE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE A PORTION OF THE AC UNIT ON 05/23/02. ONE MONTH LATER APPROXIMATELY 6/25/02 I THEN HEARD A LOUD EXHUST NOISE. I HAD THE VEHICLE LOOKED AT BY A FRIEND WHO FOUND THAT THE MANIFOLD HAD A SIGINIFICANTLY LARGE CRACK. MOREOVER, THE SMELL WITHIN THE PASSENGER CAMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE IS EXTREME TO THE POINT WHEN WE GET OUT OF THE CAR WE HAVE THE SMELL OF EXHUST FUMES IN OUR HAIR AND CLOTHES. THE SMELL IN THE CAR IS VERY OVERWHELMING, THAT WE MUST RIDE WITH THE WINDOWS OPEN FOR FRESH AIR AND LETS JUST SAY WE ONLY GET RELIEF FOR JUST A SHORT WHILE WITH THE WINDOWS OPEN BECAUSE WE LIVE IN FLORIDA AND IT IS USUALLY TOO HOT & HUMID TO HAVE THE WINDOWS OPEN DURING THE DAYTIME. ON LONGER DRIVES IT TENDS TO MAKE ME SLEEPY ALSO MY 5 YEAR OLD RIDES IN THIS VEHICLE AND HAS A HISTORY OF ASTHMA. THIS TO ME IS A GREAT HADZARD TO ALL OF OUR HEALTH ESPECIALLY TO HIS. I WONDER IF THIS IS ALL RELATED TO EACH OTHER. OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH? SINCERELY, [XXX]. *AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID

764373

Incident

Jul 1, 2002

COVERINGS ON DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE KEY LOCKS THAT PREVENT MOISTURE FROM ENTERING THE LOCK WERE MADE FROM PLASTIC. THIS PLASTIC BECOMES BRITTLE AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF EXPOSURE AND USE AND CAN BREAK. WHEN THE PART BREAKS, PIECES FROM THE BROKEN COVER CAN EASILY BE LODGED IN THE LOCK RENDERING THE LOCK UNUSABLE (AS HAPPENED TO ME).

NHTSA ID

762876

Incident

Jun 10, 2002

CAR WILL THRUST FORWARD, JERKING CAR & PASSENGERS - MANUFACTURER SAYS DETECTED IN 1996-1998 MODELS AS NORMAL.*AK

NHTSA ID

760413

Incident

Jun 14, 2001

CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT SHIFTING RIGHT, IT WOULD REV HIGH AND NOT SHIFT BACK DOWN WHEN SHE STEPPED ON THE GAS, CONSUMER HAD TO TAKE HER FOOT OFF THE GAS TO GET IT TO COME BACK DOWN. TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER, DEALER SAID A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED AND THAT THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. VEHICLE WASTHEN TAKEN TO A NATIONALLY KNOWN SERVICE SHOP FOR A SECOND OPINION AND WAS TOLD THE HYDRAULIC CLUTCH HAD COME APART, CONSUMER LETTING THEM DO THE REPAIRS BECAUSE SHE WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH INITIAL SERVICE FROM DEALER. *YD

NHTSA ID

785883

Incident

Jan 1, 2002

CALIPER AND ROTOR FAILED WITH LESS THAN 30,000 MILES, DEALER SAID IT IS TYPICAL AND SAID THE PARTS USED ARE POOR. OTHER VEHICLES I OWNED EXERIENCED THIS TYPE OF FAILURE MUCH LATER IN VEHICLE LIFE (75,000 MI +). *AK

NHTSA ID

757080

Incident

Dec 1, 2000

CALLED MAZDA DEALER IN REGARDS TO CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD BASICALLY TOLD ME THAT SINCE IT WASN'T UNDER WARRANTY ANYMORE THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I HAVE CALLED 25 DIFFERENT SALVAGE YARDS IN GEORGIA AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A HOT ITEM RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I CAN'T GET ONE. TO BUY ONE FROM THE DEALER WILL COST ME OVER $300.00 . I KNOW THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS.*AK

NHTSA ID

753984

Incident

Oct 1, 2001

RE:MANIFOLD. A CRACK BEGINS FROM THE ENGINE SIDE.DEALER STATED THE FIRST IT HAPPENED A STONE MUST HAVE COME UP & HIT IT. THIS IS AN IMPOSIBILITY. NOW AFTER REPLACING IT IT HAS OCCURRED AGAIN.CRACK IS IN THE SAME PLACE.BEGINNING FROM THE ENGINE SIDE. EVERY TIME THIS OCCURS, EXHAUST FUMES ENTER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT.RE: WINDSHIELD.WIPERS DO NOT CLEAN THE DRIVER SIDE & HAVE NEVER DONE SO SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR.WIPERS HAVE BEEN REPLACED & DOES NOT HELP.IN A DRIVING RAIN I HAVE TO SLOW DOWN TO 50 MPH TO WIPE CLEAN.*AK

NHTSA ID

742468

Incident

Sep 25, 1998

TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR WHEN IT HAS SET FOR LONG PERIODS. *AK

NHTSA ID

880470

PART WARRANTY 80,000, I LIVE 75 MILES FROM NEAREST DEALER. DEALER QUOTED 900.00 TO REPLACE PART AND REFUSED TO HONOR WARRANTY SINCE IT WAS 1,000 MILES OVER BY TIME VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SHOP. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER, MAZDA AMERICA AND THEY ENTERTAINED IDEA OF FIXING UNDER WARRANTY THEN CHANGED MIND BECAUSE DEALER TOLD THEM I HAD NOT HAD ROUTINE MAINTENANCE LIKE OILO CHANGES, TIRE REPLACEMENTS ETC. DONE AT DEALERSHIP. I THINK THIS IS. *AK

NHTSA ID

738255

Incident

Dec 1, 2000