Reliability & cost of ownership
Mazda Protege Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Mazda Protege? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars where on file — then open the year you're shopping for its AI reliability outlook where NHTSA has enough data.
Mazda Protege problems by model year
33 recall entries and 805 owner complaints on file across 12 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 Protege | 1 | None on file at try.vin | No overall rating on file | Recalls & complaints → |
| 2005 Protege | 1 | None on file at try.vin | No overall rating on file | Recalls & complaints → |
| 2004 Protege | 1 | None on file at try.vin | No overall rating on file | Recalls & complaints → |
| 2003 Protege | 4 | 120 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2002 Protege | 4 | 98 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2001 Protege | 5 | 50 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2000 Protege | 3 | 102 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1999 Protege | 3 | 88 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1998 Protege | 2 | 46 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1997 Protege | 2 | 66 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1996 Protege | 2 | 70 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1995 Protege | 5 | 165 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Mazda Protege, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- air bags152 complaints
- power train134 complaints
- engine and engine cooling103 complaints
- seat belts76 complaints
- service brakes, hydraulic66 complaints
- electrical system50 complaints
- tires48 complaints
- vehicle speed control38 complaints