2002 Mazda Protege Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Protege years
- About as many complaints as other years 4th of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- None on file
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 98 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Mazda Protege. That ranks 4th out of 9 Protege model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is seat belts (20 complaints, 20%), typically at around 78,013 miles. Complaints mention 12 crashes, 2 fires, 14 injuries. There are no safety recalls on file for this model year.
- 98owner complaints
- 0safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 12complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts | 20 | 20% | 78,013 | — | — |
| Power Train | 17 | 17% | 26,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 9 | 9% | 42,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 9 | 9% | 134,793 | — | — |
| Structure | 9 | 9% | 83,562 | — | — |
| Tires | 9 | 9% | 103,248 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 8% | 19,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 7% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 7 | 7% | 75,736 | — | — |
| Equipment | 6 | 6% | 34,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 6% | 58,624 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 5% | 71,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 4% | 60,030 | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 3% | 79,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 3% | 118,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 2% | 78,562 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 2% | 113,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 1% | 880 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 1% | 118,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | 12,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Mazda Protege recalls (0)
No safety recalls are on file for the 2002 Mazda Protege.
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.
Bulges on sidewalls of both passenger tires. Tires are 6 months old and only have approximately 3,000 miles.
I've owned my 2002 mazda protege5 for 7 years now. It's always had a vibration while braking. Even after having out brand new brakes, rotors and calipers. I'm very anal on how my car looks and drives. If i feel something out of the ordinary, i know something is off. This has happened ever since…
Underneath the car is nothing but rust. It is affecting the undercarriage, the ball joints, the control arm, and the car's frame itself. I have replaced both ball joints both control arm shock and the car is still hard to steer
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda protege. The contact stated that while attempting to park, the brake pedal was applied and the vehicle lunged forward. The vehicle then accelerated up a hill and suddenly stopped. The contact had the vehicle towed to a tow yard. Later, the vehicle was driven to the…
Drivers side seat belt latch broke in the latched position. Necessitated taking the latch apart to release the belt.
Other Mazda Protege years
← 2001 Protege · 2003 Protege →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 Protege | 120 | 0 |
| 2002 | 98 | 0 |
| 2001 Protege | 50 | 1 |
| 2000 Protege | 102 | 1 |
| 1999 Protege | 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 2002 Mazda Protege?
Owners most often report seat belts, power train, air bags problems. The top one, seat belts, accounts for 20 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Mazda Protege?
No safety recalls are on file for this model year.
Was the 2002 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 2002 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.