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1996 Mazda Protege

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1996 Mazda Protege do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 66.

About this comparison →
70Owner complaints

Model-year median: 66

1Recall campaigns

View recall details →

0Investigations

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
44
199374
1994165
199570
199666
199746
199888
1999
Compare all Protege years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Air Bags
24Service Brakes, Hydraulic
9Power Train
8Equipment
6Seat Belts
6
All reported categories
Engine And Engine Cooling
4Steering
4Suspension
4Vehicle Speed Control
4Electrical System
3Seats
3Visibility
3Child Seat
2Interior Lighting
2Unknown Or Other
2Latches/locks/linkages
1Service Brakes, Air
1Structure
1Tires
1

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: 5 of 70 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 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

24 crash reports1 fire reports17 injury reports

Suspension complaints

4 reports
Clear category filter
Mileage unknown · Sep 27, 2001
Suspension

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE WILL MAKE NOISE WHILE MAKING A TURN. ALSO, IT FEELS UNBALANCED. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. *AK

NHTSA ODI #896953

Mileage unknown · Nov 8, 1999
Suspension

CONSUMER HAS BROUGHT VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIRS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS DUE TO SUSPENSION POPPING NOISE THAT IS IN THE FRONT AND REAR OF THE VEHICLE, THE NOISE IS STILL PRESENT AFTER REPLACEMENTS AND REPAIRS OF VARIOUS SUSPENSION COMPONENTS. *MJS

NHTSA ODI #784294

Mileage unknown · Oct 20, 1998
Power TrainService Brakes, HydraulicSuspension

VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT/FRONT BRAKE ROTORS/PADS AND CALIPERS WORE OUT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO VIBRATE UPON BRAKING/DEFECTIVE CV JOINTS, AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON.

NHTSA ODI #781481

Mileage unknown · Jan 12, 1998
Suspension

WHEN TURNING 90 DEGREES OR MORE AND GOING UP HILL, THE NON-LOAD BEARING SUSPENSION WHEEL, DEPENDING ON DIRECTION OF TURN, BOTTOMS OUT AND A LOUD THUMP OCCURS.

NHTSA ODI #528274

Official recalls

1

15V674000 · 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.