1999 Mazda Protege Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Protege years
- About as many complaints as other years 5th of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 88 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 Mazda Protege. That ranks 5th out of 9 Protege model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (22 complaints, 25%), typically at around 57,000 miles. Complaints mention 21 crashes, 1 fire, 16 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
- 88owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 21complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1999 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 | 22 | 25% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 21 | 24% | 75,834 | — | — |
| Tires | 12 | 14% | 66,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 9% | 64,033 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 6 | 7% | 66,994 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 7% | 47,899 | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 4 | 5% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 2% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 2% | 140,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | 33,818 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | 52,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1999 Mazda Protege recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Equipment:electrical:radio/tape deck/cd etc.
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with a particular factory installed audio unit. If the vehicle is operated at low speed in a hot and humid environment with the window open, air conditioner running, and audio on, condensed water on the a/c duct surface could drop and enter into the audio unit, causing a short circuit.
Risk: If the short circuit occurs at one specific set of terminals, the rear right loudspeaker can overheat and, in some cases, catch fire.
Fix: Dealers will affix aluminum tape over the audio unit to prevent water from entering.
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.
The plastic dip stick to check oil snapped off
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 mazda protege. The contact stated that while driving at any speed, the instrument panel lights started to flicker and failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the there was an electrical wiring failure that needed…
Check engine light on no matter what the reading says change all parts will go off but back on and fail inspection mass air flow sensor has been change three times and cayli. Converter twice. *tr
The headlights no longer work on low beam. The high beams still work. Upon removing the steering column cover and unplugging the wiring harness i found that the connector is literally burned and melted at the point of connection in the harness. Mazda no longer makes the part and i cannot have it…
Passenger side rear seat belt automatic locking retractor does not stay locked, making it impossible to safely install a child safety seat. The seat belt was rarely if ever used until the car seat was installed. *tr
Other Mazda Protege years
← 1998 Protege · 2000 Protege →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 Protege | 120 | 0 |
| 2002 Protege | 98 | 0 |
| 2001 Protege | 50 | 1 |
| 2000 Protege | 102 | 1 |
| 1999 | 88 | 1 |
| 1998 Protege | 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 1999 Mazda Protege?
Owners most often report power train, air bags, tires problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 22 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1999 Mazda Protege?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1999 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 1999 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.