Mazda Protege Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 138 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the Mazda Protege across 9 model years. The 2000 model year has the most (29). The words owners use most often: “automatic transmission” (11% of reports).
- 138power train complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 8mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $4,350typical repair cost reported by owners
- 30%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Automatic transmission: mentioned in 15 of 138 complaints (11%)
- Gear shift: mentioned in 7 of 138 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the Mazda Protege at $4,350, and half of them between $3,900 and $4,850.
Based on 8 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2003–2008), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 52 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 138 complaints, 8 mention a crash, 3 an injury.
Mazda Protege power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 Protege | 12 | 10% | 27,500 |
| 2002 Protege | 17 | 17% | 26,500 |
| 2001 Protege | 6 | 12% | 103,739 |
| 2000 Protege | 29 | 28% | 45,000 |
| 1999 Protege | 22 | 25% | 57,000 |
| 1998 Protege | 15 | 33% | 82,101 |
| 1997 Protege | 10 | 15% | — |
| 1996 Protege | 8 | 11% | — |
| 1995 Protege | 19 | 12% | 92,564 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the Mazda Protege. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
When engaging seat belt into locking mechanism, the mechanism broke into about seven pieces. It will no longer hold the seat belt. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 mazda protege. The contact stated that the vehicle engine took a long time to start up. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the power control module was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer…
The 2003-2003.5 mazdaspeed protege poorly designed limited-slip differential has seen a failure rate of over 125 documented cases online. When this part fails, the vehicle does not respond to acceleration causing a safety issue at highway speeds and residential speeds. When this part fails, it…
I purchased my 2001 mazda protege brand-new. At about 60,000 miles the overdrive light started blinking. Going from second gear into third, the transmission would buck. I took it to the dealership and was told that it needed a new transmission, so i had a new transmission installed. Now at 154,000…
Problem mazda transmission failure .mazda protege 1999 this car had a major engine overhaul recent about a year from now. One month after overhaul transmission failed. Mazda refused to be responsible for this failure. Transmission was replaced at owner expense exactly one year after that…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Mazda Proteges have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 138 owner complaints about power train for the Mazda Protege. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Mazda Protege power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the Mazda Protege?
Owners report a typical cost of $4,350 (half paid between $3,900 and $4,850), from 8 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the Mazda Protege?
The most frequent phrase is “automatic transmission”, in 15 of 138 complaints, followed by “gear shift” (7).
Other Mazda Protege problems
See all Mazda Protege problems.