2000 Mazda Protege Transmission Problems

I JUST SPENT 2200 ON REPAIRS TO MY TRANSMISSION. MY VEHICLE HAD BEEN LUNGING FORWARD WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND THE REPAIR SHOP THOUGHT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION. THEY FOUND MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION. IT WAS FIXED AND NOW MY VEHICLE IS LUNGING FORWARD AGAIN. IT JUST STARTED AGAIN TODAY. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING TOO CLOSE TO SOMEONE, I WOULD HAVE HIT THEM. MAZDA NEEDS TO STEP UP AND FIX THIS AND DO A RECALL. NOW I HAVE TO GO AND LET THE SHOP TRY TO SEE WHY THIS IS GOING ON. I MAY BE OUT MORE MONEY. I HATE THIS CAR AND I WILL NEVER RECOMMEND MAZDA. AND JUST NOTE THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 59000 MILES. *JB

NHTSA ID

10170090

Incident

Oct 6, 2006

Mileage

59,000 mi

I FEEL THAT MY 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE DX WITH 56,000 MILES ON IT IS A VERY UNSAFE VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE HAS SUCH LOW MILES ON IT TO BE GIVING ME ANY TROUBLE. WHEN I AM DRIVING, THE VEHICLE FEELS AS IF IT IS GOING INTO OVERDRIVE BY ITSELF AND THEN RETURNS BACK TO NORMAL. MY OVERDRIVE LIGHT FLASHES ON AND OFF WHEN THIS HAPPENS. THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE BECAUSE WHEN IT DOES THIS, IT LUNGES YOUR VEHICLE FORWARD. I HAVE NOT BEEN GOING VERY FAST WHEN THIS HAS HAPPENED. I AM VERY AFRAID TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE IN FEAR THAT AT A HIGHER SPEED, THIS COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE READ MANY COMPLAINTS THAT ARE SIMILAR AS MINE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS. I HAVE NO WARRANTY ON MY VEHICLE AND REALLY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT, BUT IT HAS TO BE DONE. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET, MAZDA HAS PRODUCED A VERY POOR TRANSMISSION. I FEEL THAT THIS IS ONLY THE START. I AM HOPING THIS WILL NOT LEAD TO ME PUTTING IN A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION SHOP READ THE CODE AS SOLENOIDS. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE TRANSMISSION SHOP TO GET THE SOLENOIDS REPLACED. THIS WILL COST ABOUT 400.00. I AM HOPING THAT THIS WILL FIX MY VEHICLE AND GIVE ME PEACE OF MIND. *JB

NHTSA ID

10160172

Incident

May 20, 2006

Mileage

56,000 mi

2000 PROTEGE LX ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STUCK IN THE DEPRESSED POSITION. *TS AS A RESULT OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKING THE CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. ON FEB 21, 2000 THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE CONSUMER HEARD A HIGH PITCHED PING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE NOISE. THE LEFT REAR DOOR LOCK ASSEMBLY WAS DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATED AND JERK WHILE ACCELERATING.

NHTSA ID

10160511

Incident

May 26, 2006

Mileage

66,097 mi

AS I ACCELERATED TO 30 MPH, THE "O/D OFF" LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD FLASHED AND THE SPEEDOMETER STAYED AT ZERO, EVEN THOUGH I WAS DRIVING AS FAST AS THE OTHER CARS ON THE STREET. IT FELT LIKE NEUTRAL GEAR. THE MANUAL INDICATES THE FLASHING LIGHT IS DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. I REMEMBERED THAT WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OF PURCHASING THIS NEW CAR, THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED DUE TO PECULIAR SOUNDS, SO I WORRY ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THIS COMPONENT SINCE I DO NOT DRIVE MUCH. *JB

NHTSA ID

10147190

Incident

Jan 7, 2006

Mileage

31,127 mi

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT ABOUT A YEAR TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. NOW THE ENGINE LIGHT IS COMING ON. THE BRAKES ARE NOT TIGHT ENOUGH AND THEY ARE NOT WORKING. *AK

NHTSA ID

10140678

Incident

Oct 7, 2004

Mileage

45,000 mi

OWN A 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE DX W/AUTO & AIR, 41K MILES THAT WAS PURCHASED NEW. UPON DRIVING FOR 45 MINUTES ON THE HIGHWAY, THE O/D TRANSMISSION LIGHT STARTS BLINKING. WHEN I BRING TO THE CAR TO A STOP, TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTART, THE LIGHT IS NO LONGER FLASHING. I DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR FOR MORE THAN A FEW MINUTES AFTER THE O/D LIGHT STARTS FLASHING BEFORE LETTING THE CAR SIT FOR SEVERAL HOURS. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID ALSO GETS DIRTY AT AN ACCELERATED RATE VS. WHAT WOULD NORMALLY BE EXPECTED FOR A CAR. LAST FULL FLUSH AT 38K MILES, AND THE FLUID IS NOW BROWNISH-RED. TRANSMISSION SHOPS TELL ME I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION FOR $1,500, BUT I CAN IMAGINE I'D NEED THAT ON A WELL-MAINTAINED JAPANESE CAR WITH 41K MILES. AT THIS POINT I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR FOR FEAR THE TRANSMISSION WILL FAIL (FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD) AT ANY MOMENT. I'VE HEARD THIS PROBLEM IS PREVALENT IN THE 626, AND ALSO HAPPENS IN THE PROTEGE. PLEASE HELP IN CREATING A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE.*JB

NHTSA ID

10139045

Incident

May 1, 2005

Mileage

38,000 mi

I TOOK MY 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE REAR BUMPER REPAIRED. I HAD BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND. WHILE THE CAR WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP I ASKED TO HAVE THE OIL CHANGED . THE SERVICE MAN CONTACTED ME, AND TOLD ME THE TRANSMISSION GASKET HAD A LEAK. I CALLED SEVERAL AUTOMOB ILE REPAIR SHOPS, AND FOUND THE COST OF REPAIRING THE GASKET CHEAPER THAN AT DEALERSHIP, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD BY THE REPAIRMAN THAT IT WAS NOT JUST THE GASKET, BUT THE PUMP - BASICALLY THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION. THE COST WAS OVER $2200 TO BE REPAIRED. I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW, AND IT ONLY HAD ABOUT 36,000 MILES ON IT NOW. THE CAR HAS RECEIVED REGULAR MAINTAINENCE. I THINK THERE WAS A MAJOR DEFECT FOR A CAR WITH SO FEW MILES ON IT TO HAVE AN ENTIRE TRANMISSION REPLACED.*AK

NHTSA ID

10117905

Incident

Apr 13, 2005

Mileage

36,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. HOWEVER, CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND REPLACED THEM THREE TIMES. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK.....THE TRANSMISSION COST $1,800.00 TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A VEHICLE WITH NOT MUCH MILEAGE SHOULD NOT HAVE A MAJOR TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE CAR JERKED AND WAS SHIFTING GEARS WHILE DRIVING. IT WAS CLEARLY A DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. *AK

NHTSA ID

10095414

Incident

Sep 11, 2004

FAILED TRANSMISSION AT AROUND 37,000 MILES.*AK

NHTSA ID

10088598

Incident

Dec 20, 2003

Mileage

36,000 mi

VEHICLE RECENTLY REPAIRED FOR TRANSMISSION FAILURE, WHICH NECESSITATED REPAIRS IN EXCESS OF $2,500.00. *LA (NAR) *CB

NHTSA ID

10057917

Incident

Dec 1, 2003

Mileage

68,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HILL TRANSMISSION SEIZED, THROWING THE PASSENGERS FORWARD. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALERSHIP ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS; HOWEVER, DEALER WAS UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM .*AK

NHTSA ID

10048118

Incident

Oct 23, 2003

Mileage

36,000 mi

2000 MAZDA PROTEGE. AT 64000 MILES THE O/D OFF INDICATION STARTED BLINKING. AT 70000 THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY MAZDA AND TRANS SERVICE CO. TO REPLACE THE TRANS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10039122

Incident

Sep 14, 2003

ON SEVERAL NON-SUCCESSIVE OCCURRENCES, WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 35 - 40 MPH, I ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE SUDDEN DECELERATION WHICH FELT AS IF THE VEHICLE UNDERCARRIAGE SCRAPED AN INVISIBLE BUMP. THE DECELERATION IS SUDDEN, HARSH AND VERY UNSETTLING. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING UP EAST COAST MOUNTAINS, SUCH AS IN MD. VA. AND PA., THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO HAVE A VERY BAD SMELL AS IF HEATING UP TOO MUCH. EVENTUALLY THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. IT WAS REPLACED BY DEALER AT NO COST. NOW THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION IS DOING THE SAME THINGS AGAIN! IT LOOKS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS DUE TO FAIL AGAIN!! *JB

NHTSA ID

10021235

Incident

Jun 5, 2003

O/D LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY FLASHES ON AND OFF. DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. ALSO IS ACCOMPANIED BY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AT TIMES. LOW MILEAGE ON CAR - 50,000. MAZDA DEALER SAYS TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ANOTHER TRANSMISSION SHOP HAS SUGGESTED DEFECTIVE SOLENOIDS. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10016654

Incident

Apr 1, 2003

WHILE LIGHTLY ACCELERATING THE CAR SUDDENLY JERKED, MADE A LOUD NOISE, AND FELT AS THOUGH IT SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL. I PULLED MY FOOT OFF THE GAS AND THE CAR RECOVERED. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES WITHIN THE PAST YEAR, ALL INCIDENTS OCCURRED AROUND 40 MPH. I NOTICED THE CAR USUALLY DOWNSHIFTS AT THIS SPEED, BUT HAD NOT BEFORE EACH OF THESE INCIDENTS HAD OCCURRED. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 30K MILES. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND COULD NOT REPRODUCE. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS INDEPENDENTLY AND FOUND THAT 4 CYLINDER MAZDA'S HAVE HAD SIMILAR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS SINCE THE SWITCH TO FORD TRANSMISSIONS IN 1994/1995!! I FEEL MAZDA SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED THIS LONG AGO AND THAT THEIR DEALERSHIPS SHOULD BE WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10016639

Incident

Apr 2, 2003

Mileage

27,500 mi

WHILE DRIVING ENGINE AND OVERDRIVE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT VEHICLE REQUIRES NEW TRANSMISSION, RADIATOR AND OTHER ENGINE WORK. CONSUMER VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE VEHICLE MILEAGE WA SLOW AND MAINTAINED REGULARLY. TS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10004469

Incident

Jan 23, 2003

Mileage

49,800 mi

I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED FROM THE DEALER. ALSO WITH THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THE O/D LIGHT FLASHES. THE RPM'S INCREASE AND THE CAR WILL BOG DOWN LIKE IT CAN'T CATCH ANOTHER GEAR. WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO A MAZDA DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED. THEY TOLD US THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. WHILE WE WERE TALKING TO THE MAZDA TECH ABOUT THE PROBLEMS THE CAR WAS HAVING AND HE WAS TELLING US CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. THERE WAS A NISSAN TECH STANDING THERE LISTENING AND AFTER THE MAZDA TECH WENT TO GET OUR CAR. THE NISSAN TECH TOLD US THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING OUT ON THAT CAR JUST BY YOU TELLING WHAT THE PROBLEM IS YOUR HAVING WITH IT. HE SAID HE HAS REPLACED QUITE A FEW TRANSMISSIONS WITH THIS PROBLEM. HE ALSO TOLD US A FEW OTHER PEOPLE HAD THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND IT RAN OUT AND COST THEM TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. HE SAID AS SOON AS THE LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN BRING IT BACK TO THEM AGAIN AND AGAIN IF YOU HAVE TO. WELL TODAY IS 11/03/02 AND THE LIGHT HAS COME BACK ON AGAIN AND THE O/D LIGHT WAS FLASHING. WE WILL CALL MONDAY TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AGAIN FOR THIS PROBLEM. IS THERE ANY HELP OUT THERE FOR THIS PROBLEM. DT

NHTSA ID

769238

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING AT A 55 MPH VEHICLE WILL JERKS REALLY HARD. CONSUMER STATES IT FEELS LIKE TRANSMISSION IS NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. NLM

NHTSA ID

8019306

Incident

Mar 1, 2002

WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A LOUD METAL TO METAL NOISE AT THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, AND AT THE SAME TIME THE VEHICLE LUNGED FOWARD, CONSUMER STATED IT HAPPENED A SECOND TIME IN WHICH THE VEHICLE FELT AS THOUGH IT WENT INTO REVERSE AND THEN BACK INTO DRIVE, THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT THIS MAYBE TRANSMISION RELATED DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS UPGRADED.*JB

NHTSA ID

563721

Incident

Aug 1, 2001

SHIFT LEVER WILL NOT LOCK IN DRIVE OR NEUTRAL POSITION. JUST TOUCHING GEAR SHIFTER WITHOUT PRESSING BUTTON AND THE LEVER WILL SHIFT INTO GEARS. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALER, DEALER STATES THIS WAS NORMAL OPERATION.*AK *SLC

NHTSA ID

891771

Incident

Jun 1, 2001

FOR 5 NON-SUCCESSIVE OCCURRENCES NOW, WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 35 - 40 MPH, I ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE SUDDEN DECELERATION WHICH FELT AS IF THE VEHICLE UNDERCARRIAGE SCRAPED AN INVISIBLE BUMP. THE DECEL IS SUDDEN, HARSH AND VERY UNSETTLING. MY BEST GUESS IS THAT IT IS DUE TO A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I ALREADY CONTACTED THE DEALER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, AND THEY TOLD THAT NO ONE ELSE HAS EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE. I COULD NOT SHOW THE PROBLEM TO THE DEALER SINCE IT OCCURS IN HAPPENSTANCE.*AK

NHTSA ID

741745

WHEN DRIVING TRANSMISSION JUMPED OUT OF DRIVE AND WENT INTO NEUTRAL, CAUSING VEHICLE TO DECELERATE AND LOSE POWER. PRIOR TO INCIDENT, OVERDRIVE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATING ON THE DASH. POSSIBILITY, THAT THE PROBLEM WAS LINKED TO COMPUTER WHICH HAS MALFUNCTIONED. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE POSITION THROUGH, BUT WHEN THE DRIVER STEPPED ON ACCELETRATOR, ENGINE RACED UP IN RPM BUT WHEELS ACTED AS IN NEUTRAL. *YH

NHTSA ID

872443

Incident

Oct 1, 2000

I HAVE COMPLAINED CONTINUOUSLY TO DEALER AND MANUFACTURER SINCE CAR HAD APPROX 4,000 MILES. A "CLUNKING" NOISE WAS COMING FROM TRANSAXLE AREA. BOTH DEALER AND MAZDA REP, TOLD ME TO "WAIT AND SEE" OR "THATS A NORMAL SOUND, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT". YESTERDAY WHILE OPERATING MY 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE ES AT APPROX 60MPH ON INTERSTATE 93 N TRANSAXLE FAILED. CAR WAS FINE ONE SECOND, THE NEXT SECONF I WAS FREE WHEELING, NO POWER, ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN, BUT IT WAS IF I WAS IN NEUTRAL. MOST FORTUNATLY IT WAS DAYLIGHT, DRY CONDITIONS, AND A HIGHWAY EXIT WAS RIGHT THERE, I COASTED OFF THE HIGHWAY DOWN THE EXIT RAMP AND CALLED FOR HELP. HAD I BEEN IN THE PASSING LANE, OR IF CONDITIONS WERE POOR, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER.*AK

NHTSA ID

733164

Incident

Oct 1, 2000

WENT INTO OVERDRIVE BY ITS SELF WITH STRESSFUL JERK AND LOUD NOISE THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT CAME ON BY ITS SELF. VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY IF THIS HAPPENS AT HIGH SPEEDS ON THE INTERSTATES. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER WHO COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

730652

WHEN DRIVING SPEEDOMETER READING GOES FROM 60 TO 0 STILL WITH FORWARD MOVEMENT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO JERK FORWARD/ HESITATE ALSO, CONSUMER NOTED OVERDRIVE BUTTON FLASHES OFF AND ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER HAS REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AND ALSO A COMPUTER CHIP, PROBLEM STILL OCCUR. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

866299