Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 1998 Mazda Protege
NHTSA data on file today
The 1998 Mazda Protege has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns and 46 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #15V674000 Ignition Switch may Overheat NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #09E012000 FMVSS 108/AFTERMARKET COMBINATION LAMPS NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Power Train 15 complaints
- Engine and Engine Cooling 10 complaints
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic 5 complaints
- Air Bags 3 complaints
- Seat Belts 3 complaints
- Tires 3 complaints
Of the 46 complaints on file, 8 report a crash; across all 46 complaints, owners report 2 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Below average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $3,500–$6,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 1998 Mazda Protege has below-average reliability due to ignition switch issues potentially causing overheating and notable complaints about the power train and engine cooling systems.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| ignition switch | 40,000–80,000 miles | $150–$300 | very common |
| engine cooling system | 60,000–100,000 miles | $200–$500 | common |
| power train | 70,000–110,000 miles | $500–$1,500 | common |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Change oil every 5,000 miles
- Replace brake fluid every 2 years
- Inspect timing belt every 60,000 miles
- Check suspension annually
- Replace spark plugs every 30,000 miles
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Overheating issues
- Grinding noise from transmission
- Sluggish acceleration
- Ignition difficulties
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 1998 Mazda Protege at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.