- The problem
- Dope, inc. Is recalling 42,540 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." These lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors.
- The risk
- Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
- The fix
- Dope, inc. Will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on july 28, 2009. Owners may contact dope, inc. At 1-626-272-1798.
Vehicle safety record
2003 Mazda Protege Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 121 complaints about the 2003 Mazda Protege with NHTSA, most often about the engine & cooling (40) and the seats & seat belts (21). Those complaints describe 16 crashes, 2 fires, 11 injuries and 1 death. It is covered by 4 recalls, the latest in May 2009 for the headlights. For comparison, the 2002 has 100 and the 2004 has 0.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical Protege year, for its age
#100 most complained-about 2003 vehicle
- Complaints
- 121
- Recalls
- 4
- Crashes
- 16
- Fires
- 2
- Injuries
- 11
- Deaths
- 1
Most common 2003 Mazda Protege problems
Share of all 121 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2003 Mazda Protege recalls 4
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." These lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors.
- The risk
- Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
- The fix
- Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on may 11, 2009. Owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589.
- The problem
- Certain tradesonic combination lamps sold as replacement lamps for use on the above listed passenger vehicles. Combination lamps not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
- The risk
- Lack of amber side reflectors in the lamps will decrease lighting visibility to other drivers and may possibly result in a vehicle crash.
- The fix
- Tradesonic will notify owners and replace the lamps free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during july 2006. Owners may contact tradesonic at 626-934-8884.
- The problem
- Certain alfaotto combination headlamps sold as replacement lamps for use on the above listed passenger vehicles. Some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
- The risk
- Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
- The fix
- Alfaotto will notify owners and replace the headlamps free of charge. The recall began on may 10, 2006. Owners may contact alfaotto at 626-656-2992 or visit their website at www.Alfaotto.Com.
What owners say
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121 complaints about the 2003 Mazda Protege
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 5.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mazda protege. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine and timing belt needed to be replaced. The engine was taken apart and the mechanic found a screw inside of the intake valve. The vehicle was not repaired. An unknown dealer was contacted and informed of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 188,000.
Rough idle causing to stall while driving, check engine light on for cylinder misfire, found cylinder 4 with a bent spark plug with the gap closed. Replaced all 4 plugs car ran fine for a few months only to have the same issue cylinder misfire with cylinder 4 with another bent plug gap closed. Possible something loose inside cylinder 4 causing the misfire issues to the plug. Mileage 130,280
2003 Mazda protege would not pass 2019 virginia safety inspection due to defective passenger side airbag. Dealer cannot replace because mazda has discontinued that part. Under virginia law, car cannot be operated without valid inspection certificate. Inspection disclosed no other disqualifying conditions.
Excessive wear in the area inside and outside in tires ... Many several workshops can not correct the alignment fault ... The steering wheel go to the right and I have to force to the left ... All the front and rear suspension part are new , including the shock absorber is new and control arm and link rod and bushing ...The centric bolt not correct the failure ...I see over ethernet many people has the same fail in this car ..I buy this car new and never crashed or or mistreated ..I report this in this...
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year because people have told me it's a manufacturing fault..And I have had too much expenses and I can not solve ... Right now I need to buy other tires...Please I need a solution ...I send a ethernet photo and the car and color is same ...To remember the milleage valor and year presented in the next question in this form is approximated ...Thank you I wait you response
2003 Mazda protege 5 was traveling approximately 45mph and struck a moving vehicle in the rear quarter panel. No air bag was deployed in the mazda protege 5. The other vehicle's airbags deployed.
Severe rusting of left and right rear quarter panels leading into rear of rocker panels due to poor rust protection from factory.
The driver side seat belt latch is no longer working. There appears to be broken parts in the female part.
I was pulling up to my residence when the seat belt popped out of the receiver by itself.. I tried to re-latch the seat belt and it would not latch. I attempted a few more times and the seat belt receiver completely fell apart.. *Tr
Passenger side strut tower has rusted to the point that failure of the suspension is imminent. The rust inhibitor that was applied from mazda motor corp. During manufacturing, on the passenger front wheel well has failed and is allowing water, road salt etc to enter the engine bay and cause severe rusting on the top and side portion of the strut tower where the side motor mount and strut tower brace attach to the strut tower. The failure of the rust inhibitor has now caused the failure of the steel strut tower which in-turn could cause the engine and/or front passenger side suspension to become dislodged and cause a severe accident. Pictures can be provided upon request. *Tr
I bought the car from a smaller cheap dealership, I had no idea that the front end would be as bad as it got. My lower control arm / ball joint was so corroded every time I made a left turn it would make a loud noise in the left front wheel then would continue to happen over and over each time. This would happen often when it was dry and warm and sat for awhile. Living in buffalo, well you can not help but hit potholes in some places more than others. This would make the problem worse and throw my steering off...
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while travel at a high rate of speed. If I was doing the curves on route 33 or route 290 I would have to slow done to maintain steering ability. I have recently been told it was so bad I could lose my wheel and crash. So I went to a local repair shop and they fixed the problem; but with a slightly new problem one of the screws were so corroded they charged me $100.00 To make an access panel from my drivers side floor panel under my feet. The total for just those parts came to $350.00 Plus wheel alignment. *Tr
Passenger side inner fender where the strut is mounted is getting rusted badly making the car unsafe to drive. Car runs fine but I can push with the finger from the wheel side and see the body move. If car goes over a pot hole it might make the strut fall off and cause a major accident. This is structure issue. I cant replace anything. Mazda should buy it back just like nissan did on their pathfinder. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mazda protege. The contact attempted to start the vehicle but the engine failed to start accompanied by an abnormal knocking from the engine. The contact also mentioned that the failure occurred more often when the engine was cold. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 13,200.
The driver seat belt will no longer work. The male end will not connect to the female end. I looked with a flashlight and there were broken pieces inside. It looks like the buckle came apart. I now have to use the passenger side seat belt buckle. *Tr
I recently purchased a '03 mazda protege5. While driving down the road yesterday at 65 mph, I heard a loud bang and heard something hit the bottom of the car. The car exhaust suddenly became much louder. I immediately pulled off the road. I looked under the car, and the exhaust had come apart. The piece of the exhaust after the cat was hanging about 1 inch from the ground. This piece is after the catalytic converter, near one of the hanging points of the exhaust system. Two bolts, which hold this piece together, and the exhaust gasket were missing. Luckily, there was no damage whatsoever. This problem could have ended tragically. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mazda protege. The contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis where it was stated that the intake manifold needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 114,000.
While my son was driving to work on a hill curve turn he lost control on icy wet road and hit a tree he died on 01/29/2013 he was 18 years old he was going to school and working. *Tr
On at least 3-5 occasions this 2.0L engine has suffered the exact same fate as nhtsa id# 10422484. Check engine light on, misfiring, associated noise sounding like a bolt / screw bouncing around in the engine for maybe 15 seconds, then would return to normal. Each time there has been a different cylinder misfire, upon spark plug removal it was found the gap was closed causing no spark. Each time, a new plug was installed and corrected the immediate problem. After seeing these complaints and a recall regarding...
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this issue I realized I've had the same issue. Don't know if my vin # is in the effected range or not. Car now has 123105 miles. Would hope that mazda would cover any vehicle with this problem. *Tr
When engaging seat belt into locking mechanism, the mechanism broke into about seven pieces. It will no longer hold the seat belt. *Tr
My car does that as I am turning out the driveway and going over the bumps on roads. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mazda protg. The contact stated that while attempting a left turn at 10 mph, the vehicle began sliding abnormally. The contact applied the brakes in order to shift gears but the vehicle would not stop. The contact then attempted to engage the emergency brake but to no avail and crashed into a curb. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis. The dealer advised that the brake sensor would need replacing. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was repaired. The vin was not available.The failure mileage was 50,000 and the current mileage was 98,000.
My 03 protege has vics screws falling out and all issues that comes with it. My car has been parked in the driveway untouched because I cannot afford to pay for the repairs due to how many times my car has had issues and cannot pass emissions. So I have to turn my tags in within the month because mazda wont recognize the issue being their recall since my vin is out of their window for cars being defective. I don't understand why if so many people are having the same problem; why those months when we have the same...
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parts? Mazda claims its the torque but obviously its the screws falling out including the butterflies. Why was the torque different those 3 months? If mazda is saying the recall is due to the torque being wrong and the screws are falling out then why are so many vehicles that are in and out of the vin number needed to be required for free repair? Why are so many vehicles being checked and mechanics finding screws and butterflies in other areas other than where they should be? If the recall is due to torque, then why are you replacing the original screws? If torque is the case why not just use the correct torque usage, you know the torque that's in my car! Why are proteges with the vins out of the recall window having the same corrective action when they go to get the repair and get the same parts when they had the correct torque in the first place! Its clear this recall isn't about torque, this is about it the recall part being faulty no matter what torque was used. Wouldn't it have been more cost effective and easier for you just to use the required torque rather than new parts since you say. Mazda doesn't take this seriously and fix their faulty part. We need help! *Tr
The front driver side seat belt receptacle (female) on my 2003 mazda protege5 will not latch, the vehicle has 147,000 miles on it now and is no longer under warranty. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mazda protege. The contact stated that the front driver side seat belt buckle completely fractured when attempting to latch. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the seat belt buckle assembly was replaced. The contact planned to notify the manufacturer regarding the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 151,000.
The car suffered a failure of the intake manifold whereby the screws inside the intake had come loose and caused damage to the engine. It is unclear at this time if my car is covered under the current recall 3005 c. *Tr
The tightening torque of the screws used for mounting the intake manifold shutter valve loosened and fell out (1 into the spark plugs and caused damage to plugs and coils).Caused misfiring, affecting the exhaust emissions. There was a recall in 2006 but not for my car's vin - but my car had the exact problem from that recall. Waiting to see if mazda will honor this recall and pay for repairs/parts. *Tr
Mazda Protege: every year compared
All Protege years2003 Mazda Protege vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 Mazda Protege | 121 | 4 | F | |
| 2003 Mazda Tribute | 200 | 8 | D | Compare |
| 2003 Mazda MAZDA6 | 175 | 9 | D | Compare |
| 2003 Mazda MPV | 114 | 4 | F | Compare |
| 2003 Mazda B-Series | 22 | 0 | C | Compare |
| 2003 Mazda Miata MX-5 | 15 | 0 | C | Compare |
| 2003 Mazda 626 | 9 | 0 | A | Compare |
| 2003 Mazda Millenia | 1 | 0 | A | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2003 Mazda Protege
Does the 2003 Mazda Protege have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2003 Mazda Protege: headlights (May 2009); exterior lighting (April 2009); exterior lighting (July 2006); exterior lighting (May 2006). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Mazda Protege?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the engine & cooling (40), seats & seat belts (21), transmission & drivetrain (12).
How many complaints has the 2003 Mazda Protege had?
121 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on December 26, 2002 and the latest on March 16, 2020. Of these, 16 describe a crash and 2 a fire, and together they report 11 injuries and 1 death.
Is the 2003 Mazda Protege a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 19 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Mazda Protege year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Mazda Protege years have the most complaints?
2003 (121), 2000 (102), 2002 (100). See every Mazda Protege year compared.
What should I do if my 2003 Mazda Protege has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data