2003 Mazda PROTEGE problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
120 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
67,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2003 model year. Data snapshot: . 89 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Seat Belts is the most frequently named component, appearing in 15 of 120 complaints (12.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Engine operation | 14 | 11.7% |
| Braking behavior | 9 | 7.5% |
| Transmission and shifting | 7 | 5.8% |
| Steering behavior | 6 | 5.0% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 3 | 2.5% |
| Fuel system concerns | 1 | 0.8% |
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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Seat Belts | 15 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 13 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 13 |
| Tires | 8 |
| Suspension | 7 |
| Engine | 6 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe | 6 |
| Steering | 6 |
Seat Belts: 15; Engine And Engine Cooling: 13; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 13; Tires: 8; Suspension: 7; Engine: 6; Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe: 6; Steering: 6
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 24 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 10 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 17 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 14 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 17 |
| 150,000 and above | 7 |
Under 25,000: 24; 25,000 to 49,999: 10; 50,000 to 74,999: 17; 75,000 to 99,999: 14; 100,000 to 149,999: 17; 150,000 and above: 7
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (24). 31 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2003 | 8 |
| 2004 | 27 |
| 2005 | 9 |
| 2006 | 9 |
| 2007 | 10 |
| 2008 | 11 |
| 2009 | 7 |
| 2010 | 8 |
| 2011 | 8 |
| 2012 | 5 |
| 2013 | 6 |
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 2 |
2002: 1; 2003: 8; 2004: 27; 2005: 9; 2006: 9; 2007: 10; 2008: 11; 2009: 7; 2010: 8; 2011: 8; 2012: 5; 2013: 6; 2014: 3; 2015: 3; 2016: 1; 2017: 1; 2019: 1; 2020: 2
Pattern summary
Seat Belts leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 14 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 9 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 7 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 10064365 · 2004-04-01 (April 1, 2004)
2003 MAZDA PROTEGE 5 STALLED WHEN TRYING TO ACCELARATE FROM A STOP LIGHT. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE ALREADY. BOTH TIMES I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR WITHOUT PROBLEMS. THE DEALER CAN'T DUPLICATE PROBLEM, AND CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT IS CAUSING THE THE PROBLEM.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. 3,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10064365 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10071833 · 2004-06-04 (June 4, 2004)
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLES UNEXPECTEDLY DIED. DEALER DETERMINED THAT COMPUTER NEEDED REPROGRAMMING. TWO MONTHS LATER THE ENGINE DIED AGAIN. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR SECOND TIME WHERE THEY SERVICE DEALER COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. ON ONE OCCASION THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE WAS REPROGRAMMED DUE TO THE VEHICLE STALLING. *SC
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10071833 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10005449 · 2003-02-07 (February 7, 2003)
RPM NEEDLE JUMPS FROM 700 RPMS TO 3000 RPMS WHEN STOPPED FOR NO REASON AND FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE OR WHEN COASTING. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY. PH
Owner-reported narrative. 4,071 miles reported. Look up ODI 10005449 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10037557 · 2003-09-09 (September 9, 2003)
I BELIEVE THAT THE 2003 MAZDA PROTOGE5 BRAKE DESIGN IS FLAWED AND DANGEROUS (5-SPEED MANUAL). I HAVE ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE WITH MY DEALER (CAPITAL MAZDA, CARY, NC) AND THEY REFUSE TO HELP.*AK THERE IS EXCESSIVE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL, SO MUCH SO THAT I CAN NEARLY PUSH THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. THE DEALER SAYS THIS IS NORMAL OPERATION. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL OCCASIONS THAT WHEN BRAKING, HAVE ACTUALLY PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AS WELL, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO RACE. ON AT LEAST ONE OCCASION, THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD UPON RELEASING THE BRAKE, …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10037557 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10057066 · 2004-02-12 (February 12, 2004)
MY SON WAS INVOLVED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT AND NONE OF THE FRONT OR SIDE AIR BAGS WENT OFF. THOUGH HE OR THE OTHER DRIVER WAS NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED MY CONCERN WAS WHY DIDNT THE AIR BAGS GO OFF? EVERYONE I HAVE SPOKE TO ABOUT THIS FELT THERE MAY OF BEEN SOME DEFECT IN THIS CAR BECAUSE OF ALL THE DAMAGE INVOLVED MY SON WAS PULLING OUT OF A SIDE ROAD ONTO THE MAIN HIGHWAY HE NEVER SAW THE DRIVER AND HIT THE CAR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE MY SONS CAR WAS TOTALED. HE JUST PURCHASED THE CAR BRAND NEW IN APRIL 2003 HE HAD LESS THAN 15,000 MILES ON THE CA…
Owner-reported narrative. 14,666 miles reported. Look up ODI 10057066 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10062733 · 2004-03-21 (March 21, 2004)
MY TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED AT 18,000 MILES AND ONE MONTH SHY OF BEING A YEAR OLD. A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS INSTALLED. I HAD MY CAR BACK FOR ONE WEEK AND THE NEW TRANSMISSION WOULD DOWN SHIFT FOR NO REASON AS I WAS DOING 70 MPH DOWN THE INTERSTATE. AFTER REPLACING THE COMPUTER, THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR, THROTTLE RANGE SENSOR, AND THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS, MAZDA HAS NOW DECIDED TO REPLACE THE NEW TRANSMISSION. THIS WILL BE THE THIRD TRANSMISSION IN A YEAR OLD CAR. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 18,157 miles reported. Look up ODI 10062733 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10032451 · 2003-07-22 (July 22, 2003)
WHILE MAKING A TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL FELT LOOSE, THE CONSUMER LOSS CONTROL OF VEHICLE WHICH JUMPED THE CURB AND HIT A POLE.*MR NO ONE WAS INJURED, BUT THE CONSUMER WOULD LIKE FOR MAZDA TO CORRECT ALL OF THE 2,000 MAZDA SPEED PROTEGE VEHICLES BEFORE SERIOUS INJURY OCCURS. *PH *JB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10032451 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10074465 · 2004-05-29 (May 29, 2004)
WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, THE ENGINE STALLED CAUSING THE BRAKES AND POWER STEERING NOT TO WORK. I WAS UNABLE TO STOP AT THE STOP SIGN AND RAN INTO THE EMBANKMENT ON THE OTHER SIDE. THIS CAR HAS HAD A HISTORY OF ENGINE STALLING WHILE RUNNING. *LA
Owner-reported narrative. 7,250 miles reported. Look up ODI 10074465 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10384300 · 2011-02-24 (February 24, 2011)
THE CURRENT ISSUES ( WHICH WE BELIEVE ARE MAZDA CORPORATE ISSUES) AND INHERENT TO THIS VEHICLE WHICH HAS LOW, LOW, LOW MILES HAVE CAUSED THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT AND HAVE RESULTED IN AN ENGINE FIRE, TWICE, ON THE FREEWAY: 1)FAULTY ELECTRICAL PARTS: THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD THE SAME ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS SINCE THE FIRST DAY WE BROUGHT IT AND HAS HAD MULTIPLE REPLACEMENTS OF THE ELECTRICAL MODULE, BATTERIES, ALARM SYSTEM, AND OTHER ITEMS, WHICH HAVE PROVEN FAULTY BY MAZDA. 2)SHUTTER VALVE RECALL: OURS WAS INSPECTED, BUT NOT REPLACED EVEN THOUGH TH…
Owner-reported narrative. 50,284 miles reported. Look up ODI 10384300 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10386568 · 2011-03-05 (March 5, 2011)
YEAR 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE LX, GAS TANK LEAKING TO THE TRUNK. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 698,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10386568 at NHTSA ↗