Air Bags. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Power Train. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

12 crash reports1 fire reports9 injury reports

What owners actually said

50 reports

20,000 miles · Jun 18, 2004

Engine And Engine Cooling

INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING 40 TO 50 MPH VEHICLE JERKED. VEHICLE WOULD NOT STALL, BUT WOULD LOSE SPEED AND POWER. DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE FOUR TIMES, AND INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10079472

50,000 miles · Jun 2, 2004

Air BagsCrashInjury

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A 3 CAR FRONTAL COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. DRIVER HEAD IMPACTED THE STEERING WHEEL, CAUSING SEVERE HEADACHES. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10075535

Mileage unknown · May 28, 2004

Electrical System

Read full complaint

LAST NOVEMBER THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON IN MY 2001 MAZDA PROTEGE. I IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT IT TO THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP, WHO SAID THAT THEIR WAS AN ERROR WITH THE CODE AND THEY CLEARED IT AND RECALIBRATED IT. THEY SAID IT HAD GONE OFF FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THREE MONTHS LATER (SHORTLY AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED) THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. THIS TIME THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THAT THE CODE SAID THAT THE GAS CAP WAS NOT SCREWED ON TIGHT. THIS WAS NOT TRUE! WHEN THAT LIGHT CAME ON I IMMEDIATELY CHECKED THE GAS CAP SINCE THE OWNERS MANUAL TOLD ME THAT WAS ALL I COULD DO MYSELF (IT WAS TIGHT AS A DRUM). THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED OTHERWISE-IT WAS MY WORD AGAINST THEIRS AND NATURALLY THEY WON. TWO WEEKS LATER THE LIGHT AGAIN CAME BACK ON. WHEN I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY TOLD ME THAT THE CODE THIS TIME SAID MY SOLENOID WAS BAD (THE CAR WAS RUNNING GREAT). THE CHARGED ME $427 TO REPLACE IT AND SAID I SHOULD HAVE NO MORE PROBLEMS. ANOTHER COUPLE OF WEEKS GOES BY AND THE LIGHT AGAIN GOES OFF. THIS TIME THEY KEPT IT IN THE SHOP FOR 3 DAYS. THEY CLAIMED THAT THE CODE INDICATED IT WAS THE SOLENOIND (HOW COULD THAT BE SINCE IT WAS A BRAND NEW ONE?) THEY CLEARED THE CODE AND TEST DROVE IT FOR 50 MILES, IT DID NOT COME BACK ON. I BELIEVE THAT THE COMPUTER CONTROLLING THAT LIGHT IS DEFECTIVE AND GIVING OUT ERRONEOUS CODES SINCE I KNOW THAT MY GAS CAP WAS SECURELY TIGHTENED, AND HOW CODE IT POINT TO THE SOLENOID AFTER IT HAD BEEN REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE. THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT REFUND THOSE REPAIR BILLS AND THE MAZDA CUSTOMER SERVICE WOULD ONLY REFER ME BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY DID NOT WANT TO HEAR ANY STATEMENTS FROM ME ABOUT A POSSIBLY DEFECTIVE PART. TOLD ME TO GET AN INDEPENDENT AUTO REPAIR PERSON'S ASSESSMENT. I CANNOT AFFORD THAT! PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS FOR ME. THE DEALERSHIP DID TELL ME THAT I'D NEVER BE ABLE TO GET MY CAR SMOGGED WITH THAT LIGHT ON AND I CAN'T LIVE WITH RUNNING BACK AND FORTH TO THE SHOP EVERY TIME IT GOES OFF. *LA

NHTSA ODI #10074444

35,011 miles · May 11, 2004

Air BagsCrashInjury

THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. *AK THE CONSUMER HAD RUN A STOP SIGN AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD-ON WHILE PASSING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. *SC *JB

NHTSA ODI #10067316

36,673 miles · Apr 29, 2004

Air Bags

THE VEHICLE'S AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT STAYS ON. THE DEALER STATES THEY ARE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. *NM *LA

NHTSA ODI #10065514

43,000 miles · Dec 17, 2003

SteeringCrashInjury

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND IMPACTED A TREE. DRIVER SUSTAINED KNEE AND NECK INJURIES. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10051694

15,300 miles · Sep 9, 2003

Engine And Engine Cooling

I HAVE A 2001 MAZDA PROTEGE LX 2.0 AND IT HAS HAD A VIRBRATION IN THE STERRING COLUMN AND THROUGH OUT THE CAR. IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR ON12-10-02. THE DEALER TELLS ME THAT IT IS NORMAL! IS IT?*AK

NHTSA ODI #10037572

13,500 miles · Jul 9, 2003

Service Brakes, HydraulicCrashInjury

BRAKE FAILURE ON MY 2001 MAZDA PROTEGE ES WHICH CAUSED ME TO REAR-END ANOTHER VEHICLE. BOTH VEHICLES ARE TOTAL LOSSES.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10025763

Mileage unknown · Jul 2, 2003

Steering

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVIING AND WITH NO WARNING STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP . DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10026417

Mileage unknown · Jun 25, 2003

Structure

FRONT OF BUMPER PAINT CHIPS. IT LOOKS AS LIKE VERY FINE PARTICLES OF CHIP ALL ALONG THE VERY FRONT PORTION OF THE BUMPER. I HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO MAZDA BOTH AT THE DEALERSHIP LEVEL AND WITH THE CORPORATE OFFICE. THE DEALERSHIPS DIAGNOSES WAS "OUTSIDE INFLUENCES", WHICH IS SO AMBIQUOUS AS TO MEAN NOTHING. *NLM

NHTSA ODI #10023735

Official recalls

01V024000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings

Feb 1, 2001

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME LEFT SIDE REAR BRAKE HOSES WERE DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY. BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE COULD OCCUR.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: BRAKE PERFORMANCE WOULD BE DEGRADED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BRAKE HOSE AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE HOSE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 20, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT MAZDA AT 1-800-222-5500.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.