IllustrationPREMATURE REAR BRAKE WEAR, BOTH SIDES. BOTH REAR ROTORS (AND THEIR PADS, OF COURSE) HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 20,240 MILES. I WAS CHARGED $378.45 FOR REPAIR. INTERNET DISCUSSION GROUPS REPORT THIS PROBLEM DUE TO CALIPER SLIDES STICKING. SOME DEALERS PERFORM THIS REPAIR FREE; MINE REFUSED.*AK
2003 Mazda Protege
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2003 Mazda Protege do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 66.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Protege years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
240–25K
1025–50K
1750–75K
1475–100K
17100–150K
7150K+
89 reports with mileage · 31 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 34 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
16 crash reports2 fire reports10 injury reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
4 reportsWHILE DRIVING A FLAT TIRE. CHANGED THE FLAT, AND PROCEEDED TO DRIVE. UPON COMING TO A STOP SIGN AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKES VEHICLE CONTINUED THROUGH THE STOP SIGN. THIS HAPPENED ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE ABS KICKED IN, MAKING A BUMMING NOISE. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT IT MAY B…
Read full complaint
WHILE DRIVING A FLAT TIRE. CHANGED THE FLAT, AND PROCEEDED TO DRIVE. UPON COMING TO A STOP SIGN AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKES VEHICLE CONTINUED THROUGH THE STOP SIGN. THIS HAPPENED ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE ABS KICKED IN, MAKING A BUMMING NOISE. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT IT MAY BE THE ABS. *AK
VEHICLE WENT BACKWARDS EVEN AFTER CONSUMER PUT THE GEAR INTO PARK.*MR WHEN THE CONSUMER GOT BACK IN THE CAR AFTER LEAVING IT RUNNING SHE NOTICED THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT WAS ON, BUT THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT CAME TO REST ON ITS OWN AFTER ROLLING IN A DITCH. THE DEALER WAS…
Read full complaint
VEHICLE WENT BACKWARDS EVEN AFTER CONSUMER PUT THE GEAR INTO PARK.*MR WHEN THE CONSUMER GOT BACK IN THE CAR AFTER LEAVING IT RUNNING SHE NOTICED THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT WAS ON, BUT THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT CAME TO REST ON ITS OWN AFTER ROLLING IN A DITCH. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *JB
I BELIEVE THAT THE 2003 MAZDA PROTOGE5 BRAKE DESIGN IS FLAWED AND DANGEROUS (5-SPEED MANUAL). I HAVE ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE WITH MY DEALER (CAPITAL MAZDA, CARY, NC) AND THEY REFUSE TO HELP.*AK THERE IS EXCESSIVE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL, SO MUCH SO THAT I CAN NEARLY PUSH THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. THE DEALER SAYS THIS IS NORMAL OPERAT…
Read full complaint
I BELIEVE THAT THE 2003 MAZDA PROTOGE5 BRAKE DESIGN IS FLAWED AND DANGEROUS (5-SPEED MANUAL). I HAVE ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE WITH MY DEALER (CAPITAL MAZDA, CARY, NC) AND THEY REFUSE TO HELP.*AK THERE IS EXCESSIVE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL, SO MUCH SO THAT I CAN NEARLY PUSH THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. THE DEALER SAYS THIS IS NORMAL OPERATION. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL OCCASIONS THAT WHEN BRAKING, HAVE ACTUALLY PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AS WELL, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO RACE. ON AT LEAST ONE OCCASION, THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD UPON RELEASING THE BRAKE, DUE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BEING PRESSED AS WELL AS THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS IS A FUNDAMENTAL DESIGN FLAW IT SEEMS AND ONE THAT NEEDS IMMEDIATE ACTION FROM MAZDA. THIS IS A CONDITION THAT WILL LIKELY LEAD TO TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.