1998 Mazda Protege Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Protege years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 9th of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 46 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Mazda Protege. That ranks 9th out of 9 Protege model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (15 complaints, 33%), typically at around 82,101 miles. Complaints mention 8 crashes, 2 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
- 46owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 8complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 15 | 33% | 82,101 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 10 | 22% | 62,369 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 11% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 7% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 4% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 1 | 2% | 200,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 2% | 99,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 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.
Straight-on, front-end collision occurred, that destroyed radiator and folded hood. Air bag did not deploy.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mazda protege. While driving various speeds, the ignition switch along with the keys became hot to the touch without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the diagnosis was unknown. The contact stated that the independent mechanic ordered unknown…
When turning in either direction steering produces a grinding noise. As a result, the steering rack and pinion has malfunctioned. Midas asking for $1400 and says this is common mazda protege 1998 problem. I found similar already existing complaint by someone else (reference number: 10083656). *tr
I was driving alone my 1998 mazda protege along a local route in tewksbury ma in light rain at about 30-35 mph when a car a few cars ahead of me made a quick stop for a left turn. Several car behind stopped without problem, but i was not able to stop and skid all the way into the car at front which…
Transmission failure in vehicle with only 65,800 miles. *jb
Other Mazda Protege years
← 1997 Protege · 1999 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 | 46 | 1 |
| 1997 Protege | 66 | 1 |
| 1996 Protege | 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 1998 Mazda Protege?
Owners most often report power train, engine and engine cooling, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 15 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Mazda Protege?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 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 1998 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.