Problems · NHTSA complaints

1997 Mazda Protege problems

Owners filed 68 complaints about the 1997 Mazda Protege with NHTSA between Jan 1997 and Nov 2010. The most-cited component is air bags (12).

Complaints
68
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
15
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
14
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Air bags12
  2. Service brakes, hydraulic11
  3. Engine and engine cooling9
  4. Power train9
  5. Vehicle speed control8
  6. Seat belts6
  7. Fuel system, gasoline5
  8. Electrical system5
  9. Visibility5
  10. Suspension4
  11. Structure4
  12. Equipment4
  13. Seats2
  14. Tires2

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19979
19989
199919
200011
20017
20026
20034
20042
20050
20060
20070
20080
20090
20101

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Air bags

12 reports10 crashes
“AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY ON BOTH SIDES AT 35MPH WHILE REAR ENDING A VAN. TORE OFF BUMPER WITH AIRBAG SENSORS CLEARLY IN VIEW AIRBAG LIGHT INSIDE OF VEHICLE WAS NOT ON EITHER. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 7, 2002Air bagsCrash reportedODI 765324

Service brakes, hydraulic

11 reports2 crashes
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MAZDA PROTG DX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER TAKING HIS VEHICLE IN FOR ROUTINE INSPECTION, THE MECHANIC INFORMED HIM THAT BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES WERE RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT ALL THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 99,000. UPDATED 02/11/11 *BF UPDATED 11/30/2011 *LN”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 22, 2010Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10367075

Engine and engine cooling

9 reports
“CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND ACCELERATION IS POOR.*MR ENCLOSED ARE COPIES OF THE RECEIPTS AND SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED IN REFERENCE TO THE DEFECTIVE VEHICLE. *CB THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS FINALLY IDENTIFIED AS A FAULTY VALVEIN CYLINDER #1. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 15, 2003Engine and engine coolingODI 10043933

Power train

9 reports2 crashes
“MY 1997 626 IS HAVING A SEVERE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. THERE IS ONLY 60000 MILES ON IT. CONSIDERING THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS FILES ON THIS ISSUE, I SINCERELY HOPE THAT MAZDA DOES SOMETHING ABOUT (RECALL OR BETTER GO OUT OF BUSINESS). *NLM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 19, 2003Power trainODI 10023421

Vehicle speed control

8 reports2 crashes
“ENGINE IDLED UP OR DOWN AT STOP WITH FOOT ON BRAKE CAR WOULD SOMETIMES RACE UP OVER 300 RPMS SHUT ENGINE OFF TO STOP IT FROM GOING HIGHER THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES ALMOST GOING THROUGH BACK OF MY GARAGE ALSO SURGED WHEN TRYING TO PARK AND CAUSING CAR TO JUMP FORWARD CAR HAS STALLED AT INTERSECTIONS TWICE THEY CHANGED NUMEROUS PARTS INCLUDING WIRE HARNESS UNDER HOOD GROUNDS ALTERNATOR VACUUM LINE ENGINE MOUNTS WHEN THIS FIRST STARTED TO BE WORSENING ON SURGING AND GOT A NUMBER FOR MAZDA TECH CENTER BY MISTAKE AND THE MAN I TALKED TO SAID HE FELT THIS SHOULD BE TAKEN UP WITH MAZDA REP FOR THIS AREA AND THEY SAID HE DID NOT FEEL IT WAS SERIOUS ENOUGH TO LOOK INTO ANY FURTHER HOLIDAY DEALER SERVICE REPS DID NOT HELP ME MUCH WITH ANYTHINGI WOULD HAVE TO ASK AROUND WITH FRIENDS TO FIND WHAT ELSE MIGHT BE CAUSING SURGES AND IDLING DOWN TO STALLING EACH HAD DIFFERENT IDEAS WHICH I WOULD TAKE TO HOLIDAY AND I WOULD BE PUT OFF AS THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD DIFFERENT MECHANICS SEE THE IDLE SURGES ANDCOULD NOT FIGURE WHAT CAUSED ITBESIDES THE THINGS I MENTIONED I HAD A ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH DOOR NOT UNLOCKING OR WINDOW GOING UP OR DOWN…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 10, 2001Engine and engine cooling, Electrical system, Vehicle speed controlODI 752047

Seat belts

6 reports2 crashes
“WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH THERE WAS A DIRECT FRONTAL COLLISION, AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSING INJURY TO DRIVER. *AK THE SEAT BELT FAILED DURING THE ACCIDENT. *YH”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 28, 2002Air bags, Seat beltsCrash reportedODI 8012946
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.