U.S. public vehicle records

2000 Mazda PROTEGE: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

101 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

45,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2000 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 41 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Power Train:Automatic Transmission is the most frequently named component, appearing in 24 of 101 complaints (23.8%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Transmission and shifting	27	26.7%
Braking behavior	15	14.9%
Steering behavior	3	3.0%
Electrical and battery issues	2	2.0%
Engine operation	1	1.0%

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.

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Air Bags:Frontal

Air Bags

Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner

Suspension

Vehicle Speed Control

Electrical System

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	24
Air Bags:Frontal	17
Air Bags	8
Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner	4
Suspension	4
Vehicle Speed Control	4
Electrical System	3
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	3

Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 24; Air Bags:Frontal: 17; Air Bags: 8; Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner: 4; Suspension: 4; Vehicle Speed Control: 4; Electrical System: 3; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 3

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: 6; 25,000 to 49,999: 16; 50,000 to 74,999: 10; 75,000 to 99,999: 4; 100,000 to 149,999: 2; 150,000 and above: 3

25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (16). 60 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.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2009

2010

2011

2012

2014

2017

2018

2019

2000: 14; 2001: 17; 2002: 13; 2003: 16; 2004: 10; 2005: 10; 2006: 8; 2009: 1; 2010: 2; 2011: 2; 2012: 2; 2014: 1; 2017: 1; 2018: 3; 2019: 1

Pattern summary

Power Train:Automatic Transmission leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 27 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 15 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 3 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.

Examples from the source records

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

Owner report 10000502 · 2003-01-03 (January 3, 2003)

BOUGHT CAR IN OCTOBER 2000 BRAND NEW AND TO DATE HAVE HAD 6 PROBLEMS. 1) MARCH 2001 MOTOR FOR DRIVER SIDE WINDOW HAD TO BE REPLACED. 2) DECEMBER 2001 CD PLAYER STOPPED WORKING TEMPORARILY. 3) 4/8/02 CHECK ENGINE LITE CAME ON, DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEM. 4) 4/30/02 CHECK ENGINE LITE CAME ON, THIS TIME DEALER HAD TO REPLACE IGNITION COIL. 5) 10/24/02 CHECK ENGINE LITE CAME ON, DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEM. 6) 12/27/02 CHECK ENGINE LITE CAME ON, DEALER HAS TO REPLACE CATALYTIC CONVERTER TS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10000502 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10004469 · 2003-01-23 (January 23, 2003)

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

Owner-reported narrative. 49,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10004469 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10005291 · 2003-02-04 (February 4, 2003)

OVER THE PAST YEAR, MY 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE ES MAKES A THUMPING NOISE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS. IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING IS HITTING THE FLOOR. I'VE HAD THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS SIX TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR. AFTER HAVING THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPLACES VARIOUS SUSPENSION PARTS, THE NOISE GOES AWAY...ONLY TO RETURN A MONTH OR TWO LATER. THE LAST TIME IT WAS AT THE DEALER WAS ON MONDAY (2/3/03). THE NOISE WAS GONE THEN. HOWEVER, AFTER DRIVING TO AND FROM WORK TODAY (2/4/03), I NOTICED THAT IT CAME BACK TONIGHT. I'M A LITTLE RELUCTANT TO D…

Owner-reported narrative. 44,347 miles reported. Look up ODI 10005291 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10006291 · 2003-02-04 (February 4, 2003)

WHILE DRIVING ABS LIGHT STAYED ON. PH. ALSO, DEALER REPLACED FAILED SPEED SENSOR. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10006291 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10007433 · 2002-10-02 (October 2, 2002)

I WAS IN A SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT. I HIT A GUARD RAIL, WENT THROUGH IT AND ROLLED DOWN A 30 FOOT EMBANKMENT. I SUFFERED NECK AND SHOULDER INJURIES AND BACK INJURIES. I HAVE NOT DRIVEN A CAR SINCE THIS ACCIDENT. IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM A NURSE SAID I HAD A POSSIBLE SPINAL COMPRESSION FRACTURE. I THOUGHT MY CAR WAS SUPPOSE TO HAVE AIR BAGS, I SAW THE CAR FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE ACCIDENT YESTERDAY. THE WHOLE CAR IS BEAT UP...THE ROOF, THE FRONT, THE BACK BOTH SIDES, AND NOT EVEN 1 OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. I AM SO GRATEFUL MY CAR HAD SUCH A HIG…

Owner-reported narrative. 37,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007433 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10008759 · 2003-02-19 (February 19, 2003)

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, AND THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10008759 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10016639 · 2003-04-28 (April 28, 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 MAZ…

Owner-reported narrative. 27,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10016639 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10016654 · 2003-04-28 (April 28, 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

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10016654 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

01V024000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings

Reported: 2001-02-01 (February 1, 2001)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME LEFT SIDE REAR BRAKE HOSES WERE DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY. BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE COULD OCCUR.

Consequence: BRAKE PERFORMANCE WOULD BE DEGRADED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BRAKE HOSE AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE HOSE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 20, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT MAZDA AT 1-800-222-5500.

NHTSA campaign record ↗