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Engine & cooling

Mazda Protege Engine problems by year

111 complaints filed with NHTSA about the Mazda Protege's engine & cooling. Stalling, loss of power, oil consumption, overheating, head gaskets, timing chains and engine failure.

Engine complaints by model year

YearEngine complaintsCrashesInjuriesRecalls
200340110
20028000
200110100
20009100
19999000
199810100
19979000
19964000
19950001
19933010
19922000
19912000
19904000
19891000

Engine recalls

Latest Protege engine complaints

2003 Mazda ProtegeEngine & cooling

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.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11318284
2003 Mazda ProtegeEngine & cooling

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

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11315728
2000 Mazda ProtegeEngine & coolingFire

After driving 2 miles or less the right underside of the engine caught on fire and now the engine is blown.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11084383
2000 Mazda ProtegeEngine & coolingFire

I drove the car for 2 miles and the left underside of the engine caught fire, now the engine is dead and in need of a new engine?

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11084381
2001 Mazda ProtegeBody, doors & structureWheels & tiresEngine & coolingCrash

Takata recall I bought by 2001 mazda protege a couple years ago and was never sent anything about any recalls. After pulling a car fax report there is 5 recalls all having to do with headlights. I've received a ticket for no headlights on when they were on and was recenctly in a car accident due to not seeing the other vehicle . The damage to my vehicle is on the front end including damaging my radiator which needs to replaced, bumber and grill. I had only liability insurance on my vehicle and they only would pay...

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for the other car that was hit. Why was I never informed of recall issues? I've already paid for the no headlight ticket at night and I'm frustrated because they were illuminated. Please do not tell me I have no recall issues because I have done my research and have 5 recalls all to do with lights which can result in a crash. My vehicle was in motion turning when the accident occured at night.

Filed Incident Structure · Wheels · EngineNHTSA 10954122
2003 Mazda ProtegeEngine & cooling

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.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 10549549
2002 Mazda ProtegeEngine & cooling

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 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 880. Updated 05/28/14*lj the consumer stated model year 2003 vehicles have been repaired for the same failure by the manufacturer. But the manufacturer...

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refuses to repair model years 2001-2002. The consumer stated this condition does not keep the engine from starting. It can and has caused catastrophic engine failure, which shuts down the power steering and brakes while the vehicle is moving. Updated 05/29/2014 *js

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 10549546
2001 Mazda ProtegeEngine & cooling

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 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 22,000. Updated 05/28/14 ma the consumer stated model year 2003 vehicles have been repaired for the same failure by the manufacturer. But the manufacturer...

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refuses to repair model years 2001-2002. The consumer stated this condition does not keep the engine from starting. It can and has caused catastrophic engine failure, which shuts down the power steering and brakes while the vehicle is moving. Updated 05/29/2014 *js

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 10549544
2003 Mazda ProtegeEngine & cooling

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

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 10542620
2003 Mazda ProtegeEngine & cooling

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.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 10526377
2003 Mazda ProtegeEngine & cooling

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

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 10508569
2003 Mazda ProtegeEngine & cooling

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

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 10450574
2002 Mazda ProtegeEngine & coolingFuel systemElectrical system

The car began to shutter and dropped from 50 to 25 in seconds. The check engine light (cil) starting flashing and the car began to stutter like it was going to die, I pulled to the side of the road and the car died. Started car again the cil continued to flash, it only would accelerate to 25 miles an hours even with my foot all the way down on the gas. I took it to the a mechanic and the codes were p0421, 171, 300. The mechanic did everything from engine flush, spark plugs, oil, air filters and installed a new catalytic converter but the problem persists. Its now a year later and the car is doing the exact same thing. *Tr

Filed Incident Engine and engine cooling · Fuel system, gasoline · Electrical systemNHTSA 10448859
2003 Mazda ProtegeEngine & cooling

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

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 10433610

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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