IllustrationWARNING LIGHT FOR DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG HAS ILLUMINATED TWICE AND THE UNIT HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE.
1997 Mazda Protege
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 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 66 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 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
15 crash reports2 fire reports10 injury reports
What owners actually said
66 reportsDEPRESSIONS ARE PRESENT IN THE SHEET METAL ALONG THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROOF ABOVE THE DOORS.
CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT TURN OFF AND KEPT GAINING SPEED.
INTERMITTENTLY WHEN DECELERATING THE VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN A\BLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
THE SLIGHTEST ASH FROM CIGARETTES CAN MELT THE SEAT EVEN IF THE BUTT IS OUT. OWNER IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE QUICKNESS THE SEAT CAN MELT. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
THE REAR OUTER SEAT BELTS, WHEN USED WITH A CHILD SAFETY SEAT ARE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO USE. WHEN TRYING TO LATCH THE SEAT BELT, THE FEMALE PART HAS NOTHING TO KEEP IT ABOVE THE SEAT WHILE PUSHING ON IT TO THE THE MALE PART IN. THIS MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO PUSH THE BELT IN MAKING IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MAKE IT CLICK.
REAR SEAT BELT FAILED.
SHOULD BELT TWIST AND BINDS IN GUIDE, REQUIRING IT TO BE FREED MANUALLY
CONSUMER DRIVING AND SUDDENLY VEHICLE IS OUT OF CONTROL, FELL INTO A HOLE HEAD-ON AND ROLLED 3-4 TIMES, ALL OCCUPANTS WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS. NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. *AK
TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR, CAUSING ACCIDENT.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.