Seat belts
Filed May 26, 2015
THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT LATCH IS NO LONGER WORKING. THERE APPEARS TO BE BROKEN PARTS IN THE FEMALE PART.
- NHTSA ID
- 10721385
- Incident
- May 25, 2015
- Mileage
- 142,000 mi
2003 Mazda Protege Seat belts Problems
Owner-reported complaints naming the seat belt system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Seat belts 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.
19
Latest May 26, 2015
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.
16%
of 120 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.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
3
What this page shows
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Mazda Protege submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 19 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 seat belt
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Seat belts
Filed Mar 19, 2015
I WAS PULLING UP TO MY RESIDENCE WHEN THE SEAT BELT POPPED OUT OF THE RECEIVER BY ITSELF.. I TRIED TO RE-LATCH THE SEAT BELT AND IT WOULD NOT LATCH. I ATTEMPTED A FEW MORE TIMES AND THE SEAT BELT RECEIVER COMPLETELY FELL APART.. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10695508
- Incident
- Dec 2, 2014
- Mileage
- 131,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Sep 9, 2013
THE DRIVER SEAT BELT WILL NO LONGER WORK. THE MALE END WILL NOT CONNECT TO THE FEMALE END. I LOOKED WITH A FLASHLIGHT AND THERE WERE BROKEN PIECES INSIDE. IT LOOKS LIKE THE BUCKLE CAME APART. I NOW HAVE TO USE THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10542626
- Incident
- Mar 26, 2013
- Mileage
- 109,687 mi
Driver assistanceSeat beltsSteering
Filed May 29, 2013
Crash reported1 death reported
WHILE MY SON WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON A HILL CURVE TURN HE LOST CONTROL ON ICY WET ROAD AND HIT A TREE HE DIED ON 01/29/2013 HE WAS 18 YEARS OLD HE WAS GOING TO SCHOOL AND WORKING. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10513989
- Incident
- Jan 28, 2013
- Mileage
- 90,000 mi
Interior & seatsPowertrain (other)Seat belts
Filed Dec 19, 2012
WHEN ENGAGING SEAT BELT INTO LOCKING MECHANISM, THE MECHANISM BROKE INTO ABOUT SEVEN PIECES. IT WILL NO LONGER HOLD THE SEAT BELT. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10489215
- Incident
- Dec 18, 2012
- Mileage
- 203,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Jan 4, 2012
THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT RECEPTACLE (FEMALE) ON MY 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE5 WILL NOT LATCH, THE VEHICLE HAS 147,000 MILES ON IT NOW AND IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10442355
- Incident
- Jan 1, 2008
- Mileage
- 85,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Nov 29, 2011
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE COMPLETELY FRACTURED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO LATCH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO NOTIFY THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 151,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 10437651
- Incident
- Nov 5, 2011
- Mileage
- 151,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Aug 27, 2010
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
- NHTSA ID
- 10352276
- Incident
- Apr 15, 2010
- Mileage
- 90,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Apr 24, 2010
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
- NHTSA ID
- 10327260
- Incident
- Apr 20, 2010
- Mileage
- 52,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Feb 10, 2010
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
- NHTSA ID
- 10308505
- Incident
- Feb 10, 2010
Seat belts
Filed Jan 9, 2010
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
- NHTSA ID
- 10298841
- Incident
- Jan 6, 2010
Seat belts
Filed Dec 7, 2009
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE 5. WHENEVER THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO USE THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT SEAT BELT SHE NOTICED THAT THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WOULD NOT CONNECT WITH THE BASE LATCH. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT PRIOR TO THE FAILURE THE LATCH BECAME VERY DIFFICULT CLOSE. THE LATCH MECHANISM WAS REPLACED BY A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 89500. UPDATED 01/05/10. *LJ UPDATED 01/05/10.*JB
- NHTSA ID
- 10294716
- Incident
- Sep 17, 2009
- Mileage
- 89,500 mi
Seat belts
Filed Sep 9, 2008
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BECAME JAMMED IN THE LOCK MECHANISM. THE BUCKLE MECHANISM WOULD NOT RELEASE THE SEAT BELT HARNESS STRAP. THE CONTACT IS WAITING TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 70,300.
- NHTSA ID
- 10241574
- Incident
- Aug 9, 2008
- Mileage
- 70,300 mi
Seat belts
Filed Jul 27, 2008
THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BEGAN TO STICK WITHIN THE SECOND YEAR OF OWNERSHIP. CURRENTLY, IT WILL LATCH, BUT DURING DRIVING, IT WILL UNLATCH AND THE SEATBELT LIGHT WILL COME ON. IT FLUCTUATES BETWEEN STICKING TO THE POINT OF HAVING TO PULL QUITE VIOLENTLY TO UNLATCH IT, OR NOT LATCHING AT ALL. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10235896
- Incident
- Jan 1, 2004
Seat belts
Filed Jun 17, 2008
THE SEAT BELT NO LONGER BUCKLES. INITIALLY THE BUCKLE WOULD GO INTO THE RECEPTACLE BUT NOT LATCH UNLESS YOU PRESSED REAL HARD AND JIGGLED IT AROUND. AFTER ABOUT A WEEK, IT STOPPED WORKING ALL TOGETHER. THE BUCKLE GOES INTO THE RECEPTACLE BUT DOES NOT LATCH. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10231334
- Incident
- Jun 11, 2008
- Mileage
- 40,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Jul 9, 2007
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT LATCH AND THE SEAT BELT WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT NOT TO WORRY ABOUT THE LIGHT AS LONG AS THE BELT WOULD LATCH. HOWEVER, THE BELT NO LONGER LATCHES. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE LATCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 93,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 10195668
- Incident
- May 10, 2007
- Mileage
- 93,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Jun 2, 2006
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE INSTALLING THE INFANT CHILD SEAT THE ANGLE ADJUSTMENT ON THE BASE BROKE DUE TO THE ADJUSTMENT PEGS. THE EVENFLO MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN ALERTED. THE INFANT CHILD SEAT IS AN EVENFLO EMBRACE 5 MODEL NUMBER 5481586 BUILT ON AUGUST 5, 2005. THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE THE VEHICLE INFORMATION. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 10158867
- Incident
- Jun 2, 2006
Seat belts
Filed Mar 16, 2006
Crash reported2 injuries reported
I WAS INVOLVED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT WHILE DRIVING AN '03 MAZDA PROTEGE5. UPON IMPACT MY SEAT BELT FAILED. *JB
- NHTSA ID
- 10152845
- Incident
- Aug 3, 2005
- Mileage
- 33,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Feb 24, 2004
WHILE DRIVING HEAD REST ADJUSTED ON ITS OWN. THIS CAUSED THE HEAD REST NOT TO ADJUST PROPERLY TO HEIGHT OF THE HEAD. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR ANALYSIS, AND MECHANIC COULD NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK *NM
- NHTSA ID
- 10053483
- Incident
- Jan 6, 2004
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
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .