1996 Mazda Protege Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Protege years
- Fewer complaints than other years 6th of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 70 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Mazda Protege. That ranks 6th out of 9 Protege model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (24 complaints, 34%), typically at around 84,000 miles. Complaints mention 24 crashes, 1 fire, 24 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
- 70owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 24complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Mazda Protege problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 24 | 34% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 9 | 13% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 8 | 11% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 6 | 9% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 9% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 6% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 4 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 6% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 3 | 4% | 42,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Child Seat | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 3% | 42,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 1% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Mazda Protege recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:ignition:switch
Problem: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 1989-1998 MPV, 1990-1995 323, 1990-1998 Protege, 1992-1993 MX-3, 1993-1995 929, 1993-1997 MX-6, and 1993-1998 626 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, grease applied to the contact points inside the ignition switch may become conductive and overheat.
Risk: If the ignition switch overheats there would be an increased risk of a fire.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. The recall began on December 17, 2015. Owners may contact Mazda Customer Experience Center at 1-800-222-5500, option#6. Mazda's number for this recall is 8715J.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I have had a problem with my vehicle - the mazda protg mentioned under "subject" of this e-mail - accelerating without the gas pedal being touched on at least three occasions since i purchased it new in the fall of 1996. The vehicle also exhibited intense rumbling when in drive and waiting at idle…
My 1996 mazda protege lx (1.5 liter engine) suffers from such extreme engine vibration that the car has recently become practically undriveable despite its low mileage of 83,000k and a good maintenance history. The car shakes severely when starting, jerks severely when shifting gears and is surging…
Consumer's vehicle was rear ended while stopping at a traffic light, which caused a chain reaction with two other vehicles. Consumer's head impacted the steering wheel , the seat back, and then the steering wheel again. Upon impact, air bags failed to deploy. *ak
While driving consumer noticed that transmission failed to shift gears. After being inspected consumer concluded that transmission had failed and needed replacement. *ak
While driving car on highway air conditioner seized breaking belt and causing me to lose power steering
Other Mazda Protege years
← 1995 Protege · 1997 Protege →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 Protege | 120 | 0 |
| 2002 Protege | 98 | 0 |
| 2001 Protege | 50 | 1 |
| 2000 Protege | 102 | 1 |
| 1999 Protege | 88 | 1 |
| 1998 Protege | 46 | 1 |
| 1997 Protege | 66 | 1 |
| 1996 | 70 | 1 |
| 1995 Protege | 165 | 4 |
See all Mazda Protege problems by year, every Mazda model, or the Mazda VIN decoder.
Similar Mazda models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Mazda Protege?
Owners most often report air bags, service brakes, hydraulic, power train problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 24 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Mazda Protege?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Mazda Protege a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Protege model years, the 1996 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.