IllustrationENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON CONSTANTLY. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY CORRECTED PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
1995 Mazda Protege
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Protege years
Owner complaints for the 1995 Mazda Protege are substantially higher than 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: 12 of 165 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.
- Air Bags. Review the 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
29 crash reports4 fire reports31 injury reports
Unknown Or Other complaints
8 reportsI HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON AND OFF FOR SOME TIME NOW. IT WOULD COME ON FOR A WHILE THEN GO OUT THEN COME ON AGAIN THEN GO OUT AGAIN. IN JULY OF THIS YEAR I TOOK THE CAR FOR A DIAGNOSIS BECAUSE THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON BUT THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED A TUNEUP WHICH I GOT BUT THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON A WEE…
Read full complaint
I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON AND OFF FOR SOME TIME NOW. IT WOULD COME ON FOR A WHILE THEN GO OUT THEN COME ON AGAIN THEN GO OUT AGAIN. IN JULY OF THIS YEAR I TOOK THE CAR FOR A DIAGNOSIS BECAUSE THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON BUT THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED A TUNEUP WHICH I GOT BUT THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON A WEEK LATER. ALSO MY DASHBOARD LIGHT HAS BEEN GOING OUT AND COMING ON ALSO. IT STARTED BY GOING OUT WHEN I PUT MY SIGNALS ON TO TURN A CORNER IT WOULD GO OUT THEN COME BACK ON NOW IT GOES OUT AND SOMETIMES IT WONT COME ON AT ALL. I NOTICED IF I PUSHED THE LIGHT CONTROL SWITCH IN AND HOLD IT THATS THE ONLY TIME IT WILL STAY ON AS SOON AS I LET IT GO IT GOES OUT. THEN NOW MY TAILLIGHTS ARE OUT AND I TOOK IT TO A SHOP AND THEY LOOK AT THE FUSES AND TRY TO SEE WHY I DONT HAVE ANY LIGHTS BACK THERE AND THEY SAID THEY COULDNT SEE WHY THE LIGHTS WERE OUT. THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TO TAKE THE WHOLE THING APART TO SEE WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE CAR SO THATS WHEN I CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THERE IS SOME ELECTRICAL SHORTAGE OR SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THAT IS WRONG WITH THE CAR. I ALSO SEE THEY HAD A RECALL ON THE CAR A YEAR AGO WHICH I HAD NO IDEA ABOUT. *AK
SAME PROBLEM 6/2/99, 7/27/99, & PRESENT
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON, AND THERE IS VIRBRATION/ SHAKING WITHIN VEHICLE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FIVE TIMES, AND THE DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
COMPUTER REPLACED.
VEHICLE NOT DESIGNED WITH 'DOOR AJAR' WARNING LIGHT. *DSH
KEYLESS ENTRY MALFUNCTIONED. *AK
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. *SKD
Official recalls
415V674000 · 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.
00V118000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights:switch
Apr 21, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE HEADLIGHT LEAD WIRE RUNNING THROUGH THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER CAN FAIL AT THE SOLDERED CONNECTION TO THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE FAILURE OF THE WIRE CONNECTION CAN CAUSE A LOSS OF HEADLIGHTS WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH.
95V184000 · Air Bags
Oct 3, 1995
THE TIE DOWN HOOKS CAN CAUSE UNDERCARRIAGE IMPACTS THAT CAN RESULT IN UNNECESSARY AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT CAN CAUSE INJURY TO THE OCCUPANTS AND INCREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REMOVE AND REPLACE THE TIE DOWN HOOKS WITH MODIFIED TIE DOWN HOOKS.
95V033000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
Feb 21, 1995
THE WIRE ROD USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE ENGINE VALVE SPRINGS CAN DEVELOP MINUTE CRACKS CAUSING BREAKAGE OF THE SPRINGS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS BREAKAGE CAN CAUSE ENGINE CHATTER, DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE PISTONS, AND CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE ALL SIXTEEN (16) VALVE SPRINGS IN THE ENGINE OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES.
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
2EA99029 · Headlight Wire Breakage
Opened Sep 30, 1999 · Closed May 10, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility
IN ITS LETTER DATED APRIL 21, 2000, MAZDA STATED THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL OF APPROXIMATELY 79,000 MODEL YEAR 1995 AND 1996 MAZDA PROTEGE VEHICLES BUILT FROM JUNE 1994 THROUGH JULY 1995.MAZDA DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH ASSEMBLE
PE99038 · Loss Of Headlights
Opened May 20, 1999 · Closed Sep 30, 1999
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting
BASED ON THE REVIEW OF MAZDA'S INVESTIGATION AND TESTING, EXAMINATION OF TWO FAILED FIELD UNITS (A HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND A COMBINATION SWITCH), AND TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS OF SEVERAL COMPLAINANTS, IT APPEARS THAT THE HEADLIGHT LEAD WIRE WHICH IS ATTACHED TO AND LOCATED JUST BELOW THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER, CAN BE STRESSED FROM CYCLING THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER AND RESULT IN FATIGUE BREAKAGE OF THE WIRE.COMPLAINTS STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OFF DURINGOPERATION IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1995 PROTEGE VEHICLES WHEN USING THE TURN SIGNAL AND/OR WHILE JUST DRIVING (E.G., GOING OVER A SMALL BUMP).SEVERAL COMPLAINANTS CONTACTED BY ODI STATED THAT SOMETIMES THE HEADLIGHTS DID NOT COME BACK ON AFTER GOING OFF UNTIL THE DRIVER SUCCESSFULLY JIGGLED THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER OR THE HEADLIGHT WIRE HARNES (I.E., RE-MAKE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION OF A PARTIALLY BROKEN WIRE).PERMANENT LOSS OF HEADLIGHTS CAN OCCUR WHEN THE WIRE IS COMPLETELY BROKEN.IN JULY 1995, ABOUT THE START OF MY 1996 PRODUCTION, MAZDA CHANGED THE MATERIAL OF THE HEADLIGHT LEAD WIRE TO INCREASE DURABILITY.NO SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON MY 1996 PROTEGE VEHICLES HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO ODI OR MAZDA.