IllustrationSEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT AND ALARM ACTIVATE AT RANDOM TIMES, CAUSING OWNER TO QUESTION WHETHER SEAT BELT WILL FUNCTION PROPERLY IN A CRASH. *AK
1991 Mazda Protege
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1991 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
Limited mileage data: 3 of 51 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
- Seat Belts. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports2 fire reports7 injury reports
What owners actually said
51 reportsWHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ABOUT 65 MPH THE SEAT BELT WON'T RETRACT, LEAVING CONSUMER LOOSE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. *AK
DRIVER'S AUTOMATIC LAP AND SHOULDER BELT IS INOPERABLE DUE TO A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE MOTOR. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
THE BRAKE PEDAL STINKS, DEALER HAS BLED THEM AND REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER. NLM
AUTOMATIC PART OF THE SEAT BELT DOES NOT OPERATE PROPERLY. THE MOTOR RUNS, SHOULDER PART DOES NOT CONNTECT. VECHICLE DOES NOT COMPLY TO THE RECALL. DEALER CANNOT REPAIR, $500 AT OWNERS EXPENSE. *AK
THE DRIVER'S SIDE RESTRAINT BELT BROKE AND HAS A BEEPING NOISE. THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE RESTRAINT AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
NO MECHANISM TO HOLD TRUNK LID IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION.
THERE IS A CONTINUOUS BEEPING SOUND ACTIVATED WHEN THE SEAT BELT ARE NOT SECURED AND ENGINE STARTED. HOWEVER, CURRENTLY THIS ALARM ACTIVATES INTERMITTENTLY AND CONSTANTLY WHILE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN AND THE SEA TBELT IS SECURELY BUCKLED. *AK
LAP BELT FOR BOTH FRONT PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S SEAT IS HELD IN AN ACCESSIBLE LOCATION BY A PLASTIC BAR ON THE LOWER OUTBOARD HINGE. THE PLASTIC BAR BROKE TWICE, RESULTING IN LAP BELT RETRACTING ALL THE WAY TO THE REEL, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO ACCESS WHILE SITTING IN THE SEAT. *AK
VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE.
Official recalls
115V674000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch
Oct 19, 2015
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 1989-1998 MPV, 1990-1995 323, 1990-1998 Protege, 1992-1993 MX-3, 1993-1995 929, 1993-1997 MX-6, and 1993-1998 626 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, grease applied to the contact points inside the ignition switch may become conductive and overheat.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the ignition switch overheats there would be an increased risk of a fire.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. The recall began on December 17, 2015. Owners may contact Mazda Customer Experience Center at 1-800-222-5500, option#6. Mazda's number for this recall is 8715J.
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
2EA94039 · Auto Restraint System Fail
Opened Nov 30, 1994 · Closed Nov 26, 1997
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts
There is no summary currently available
PE94059 · Auto Restraint System Fail
Opened Jul 28, 1994 · Closed Nov 30, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts
There is no summary currently available