U.S. public vehicle records

2002 Mazda PROTEGE problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

98 owner complaints analyzed

0 distinct recall campaigns

61,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2002 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 65 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Seat Belts is the most frequently named component, appearing in 14 of 98 complaints (14.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	17	17.3%
Transmission and shifting	16	16.3%
Steering behavior	8	8.2%
Electrical and battery issues	4	4.1%
Fuel system concerns	4	4.1%
Engine operation	3	3.1%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Seat Belts

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Tires

Electrical System

Air Bags:Frontal

Vehicle Speed Control

Engine And Engine Cooling

Fuel System, Gasoline

Seat Belts: 14; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 13; Tires: 8; Electrical System: 6; Air Bags:Frontal: 5; Vehicle Speed Control: 5; Engine And Engine Cooling: 4; Fuel System, Gasoline: 4

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 16; 25,000 to 49,999: 8; 50,000 to 74,999: 15; 75,000 to 99,999: 11; 100,000 to 149,999: 12; 150,000 and above: 3

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (16). 33 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2019

2002: 9; 2003: 16; 2004: 11; 2005: 9; 2006: 4; 2007: 12; 2008: 9; 2009: 5; 2010: 6; 2011: 4; 2012: 4; 2013: 3; 2014: 1; 2015: 3; 2016: 1; 2019: 1

Pattern summary

Seat Belts leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 17 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 16 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 8 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10006910 · 2003-02-10 (February 10, 2003)

THE DISC BRAKE DID NOT HOLD, WHEN IT WAS APPLIED.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. 12,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10006910 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10041221 · 2003-10-04 (October 4, 2003)

REAR DISC BRAKES WITH EBFD PREMATURE WEAR OF ONE PAD ON ONE SIDE OF DISC BRAKE TO 0% WHILE OPPOSITE SIDE AT 30% AND OPPOSITE BRAKE AT 50% *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 25,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10041221 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10012242 · 2003-03-21 (March 21, 2003)

CONSUMER CONCERNED ABOUT THE NOISE THAT THE VEHICLES TRANSMISSION MADE. HE STATED THAT THE NOISE WAS SO LOUD THAT IT GAVE HIM AND ANYONE THAT RODE WITH HIM A HEADACHE. HE ALSO SAYS THAT THE DEALER DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO STOP THE NOISE. HE STATED HE WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH TRYING TO GET IT FIXED SINCE THERE WAS NO RECALL. *NLM THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE NOISE IS MOSTLY NOTICEABLE AT THE SPEED OF 45 MPH AND HIGHER. THE MAZDA REPAIR INFORMATION STATED THAT THE WHINE NOISE IS A RESULT OF A RESONANCE THE IS GENERATED AT VARYING LEVELS BETWEEN…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10012242 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10014468 · 2003-04-16 (April 16, 2003)

WE PURCHASED A NEW 2002 MAZDA PROTEGE LX IN 08/2002. WITHIN DAYS WE WERE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. SOMETIMES JUST HESITATION IN ACCELERATION AND SHIFTING. FREQUENT FAILURE TO SHIFT AT ALL OR FAILURE TO SHIFT FOR PROLONGED INTERVALS (SOMETIMES MILES). OCCASIONAL SLAMMING INTO GEAR AND CAR LURCHING FORWARD. WE HAVE HAD 3 INCIDENTS THAT ALMOST LEAD TO ACCIDENTS. WE HAVE HAD CAR IN FOR REPAIRS ON 5 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, BUT DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. LETTER OF NOTIFICATION OF DEFECT TO MANUFACTURER SENT TO MAZ…

Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10014468 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10065500 · 2004-05-11 (May 11, 2004)

THE CONSUMER REAR ENDED ANOTHER MOTORIST WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH. THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES WHEN HE HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES WHEN SHE/HE HIT THE DASHBOARD. BOTH VEHICLES INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT WERE TOTALED. *JB *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 16,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10065500 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10066580 · 2004-04-20 (April 20, 2004)

MY 80 YEAR OLD MOTHER WAS DRIVING THE CAR EASTBOUND ON SW 104 STREET WHEN AT THE INTERSECTION OF 127 AVE. THE STEERING WHEEL STOPPED RESPONDING AND FELT UNATTACHED TO THE WHEELS. I WAS INFORMED TODAY, BY THE MAZDA SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, THAT IT WAS IN FACT THE GEERING BOX THAT HAD FAILED. THERE WERE NO FATALITIES BUT THERE COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN IF IT WAS NOT FOR THE GOOD SAMARITAN THAT USED HIS/HER OWN VEHICLE TO FORCIBLY BRING THE CAR TO A STOP. YESTERDAY MY MOTHER WAS DRIVING THE CAR BUT IF IT HAD BEEN ANOTHER DRIVER, A YOUNGER, FASTER D…

Owner-reported narrative. 16,652 miles reported. Look up ODI 10066580 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10082150 · 2004-12-21 (December 21, 2004)

CONSUMER STATES THAT HE WAS WONDERING WHY HE WAS GETTING SUCH POOR GAS MILEAGE. HE THEN TOOK HIS VEHICLE TO HIS PRIVATE MECHANIC SINCE HE LIVES ABOUT 65-70 FROM THE NEAREST MAZDA DEALER. HE THINKS THAT THIS IS A DEFECT, BECAUSE HE ALSO THINKS THAT IT IS BECAUSE OF SOME MIS-WIRING. AIR COMPRESSOR RUNS WHEN IT IS NOT TURNED ON. OVERDRIVE BUTTON IS INOPPERABLE.*TS *TC

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10082150 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10127734 · 2005-07-07 (July 7, 2005)

MY CAR STALLED WHILE I WAS DRIVING (ACTUALLY IN MOTION). I SLOWLY CAME TO A STOP AND TRIED TO RESTART CAR BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. I SAT ON THE SIDE OF A VERY NARROW ROAD FOR SEVERAL HOURS WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK TO TOW ME TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT MY BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DEAD AND THAT I NEEDED A NEW ONE. MY CAR BARELY HAD 20K MILES ON IT AT THAT POINT. I INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP THAT I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE BATTERY COULD JUST DIE WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION BUT THEY INSISTED THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. APPROXIMATELY…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10127734 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10011005 · 2003-03-25 (March 25, 2003)

GAS STREAMING FROM LEAKING GAS TANK FROM 2002 MAZDA PROTEGE5. SECOND INCIDENT, FIRST OCCURRED ONE DAY AFTER INITIAL DELIVERY ON NOV 2, 2001.

Owner-reported narrative. 8,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10011005 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10201156 · 2007-08-29 (August 29, 2007)

FUEL IS LEAKING FROM THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK/SENDER UNIT INTO THE BACK SEAT OF MY MAZDA PROTEGE5. GIVEN AN IGNITION SOURCE, THIS IS A FIRE HAZARD. THIS FAILURE RESULTED IN A RECALL IN THE MAZDA6, 2003 MODEL YEAR. MAZDA REFUSES TO FIX UNDER WARRANTY IN MY VEHICLE. COST TO REPAIR IS OVER $900. I AM LOOKING FOR A USED REPLACEMENT TANK. I FEEL MAZDA SHOULD REPLACE THE TANK UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND A KNOWN PROBLEM. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 88,472 miles reported. Look up ODI 10201156 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10037136 · 2003-09-03 (September 3, 2003)

PURCHASED A NEW 2002 MAZDA PROTEGE ON 2/20/02 FROM RAMSEY MAZDA, RAMSEY, NJ. OTHER THAN REGULAR OIL CHANGES, ONLY SERVICE TO VEHICLE DONE BY MAZDA DEALER ON 5/8/02 WHEN CAR STALLED AND DEALER INSTALLED NEW COMPUTER. ON 8/24/03, WHILE DRIVING CAR STALLED AND I SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. OPENED HOOD AND SAW ENGINE COMPARTMENT ENGULFED IN FLAMES. FIRE DEPARTMENT CALLED AND PUT OUT FIRE BUT NOT BEFORE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE DONE TO FRONT OF CAR. INSURANCE COMPANY HAS DEEMED CAR TOTALLED. MAZDA CLAIMS THEY HAVE NO INVESTIGATIVE TEAM TO DE…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10037136 at NHTSA ↗