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1998 Mazda Protege

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1998 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

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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: 8 of 46 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.

  • Power Train. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

8 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

What owners actually said

46 reports
Mileage unknown · Jan 19, 2002
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

CALIPER AND ROTOR FAILED WITH LESS THAN 30,000 MILES, DEALER SAID IT IS TYPICAL AND SAID THE PARTS USED ARE POOR. OTHER VEHICLES I OWNED EXERIENCED THIS TYPE OF FAILURE MUCH LATER IN VEHICLE LIFE (75,000 MI +). *AK

NHTSA ODI #757080

Mileage unknown · Nov 1, 2001
Engine And Engine Cooling

CALLED MAZDA DEALER IN REGARDS TO CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD BASICALLY TOLD ME THAT SINCE IT WASN'T UNDER WARRANTY ANYMORE THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I HAVE CALLED 25 DIFFERENT SALVAGE YARDS IN GEORGIA AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A HOT ITEM RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I CAN'T GET ONE. TO BUY ONE FROM THE DEALER WILL COST ME OVER $300.00 . …

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CALLED MAZDA DEALER IN REGARDS TO CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD BASICALLY TOLD ME THAT SINCE IT WASN'T UNDER WARRANTY ANYMORE THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I HAVE CALLED 25 DIFFERENT SALVAGE YARDS IN GEORGIA AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A HOT ITEM RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I CAN'T GET ONE. TO BUY ONE FROM THE DEALER WILL COST ME OVER $300.00 . I KNOW THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS.*AK

NHTSA ODI #753984

Mileage unknown · Mar 15, 2001
Engine And Engine CoolingVisibility

RE:MANIFOLD. A CRACK BEGINS FROM THE ENGINE SIDE.DEALER STATED THE FIRST IT HAPPENED A STONE MUST HAVE COME UP & HIT IT. THIS IS AN IMPOSIBILITY. NOW AFTER REPLACING IT IT HAS OCCURRED AGAIN.CRACK IS IN THE SAME PLACE.BEGINNING FROM THE ENGINE SIDE. EVERY TIME THIS OCCURS, EXHAUST FUMES ENTER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT.RE: WINDSH…

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RE:MANIFOLD. A CRACK BEGINS FROM THE ENGINE SIDE.DEALER STATED THE FIRST IT HAPPENED A STONE MUST HAVE COME UP & HIT IT. THIS IS AN IMPOSIBILITY. NOW AFTER REPLACING IT IT HAS OCCURRED AGAIN.CRACK IS IN THE SAME PLACE.BEGINNING FROM THE ENGINE SIDE. EVERY TIME THIS OCCURS, EXHAUST FUMES ENTER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT.RE: WINDSHIELD.WIPERS DO NOT CLEAN THE DRIVER SIDE & HAVE NEVER DONE SO SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR.WIPERS HAVE BEEN REPLACED & DOES NOT HELP.IN A DRIVING RAIN I HAVE TO SLOW DOWN TO 50 MPH TO WIPE CLEAN.*AK

NHTSA ODI #742468

Mileage unknown · Feb 13, 2001
Power Train

TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR WHEN IT HAS SET FOR LONG PERIODS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #880470

Mileage unknown · Dec 26, 2000
Engine And Engine Cooling

PART WARRANTY 80,000, I LIVE 75 MILES FROM NEAREST DEALER. DEALER QUOTED 900.00 TO REPLACE PART AND REFUSED TO HONOR WARRANTY SINCE IT WAS 1,000 MILES OVER BY TIME VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SHOP. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER, MAZDA AMERICA AND THEY ENTERTAINED IDEA OF FIXING UNDER WARRANTY THEN CHANGED MIND BECAUSE DEALER TOLD THEM I HAD …

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PART WARRANTY 80,000, I LIVE 75 MILES FROM NEAREST DEALER. DEALER QUOTED 900.00 TO REPLACE PART AND REFUSED TO HONOR WARRANTY SINCE IT WAS 1,000 MILES OVER BY TIME VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SHOP. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER, MAZDA AMERICA AND THEY ENTERTAINED IDEA OF FIXING UNDER WARRANTY THEN CHANGED MIND BECAUSE DEALER TOLD THEM I HAD NOT HAD ROUTINE MAINTENANCE LIKE OILO CHANGES, TIRE REPLACEMENTS ETC. DONE AT DEALERSHIP. I THINK THIS IS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #738255

Mileage unknown · Nov 6, 2000
Air BagsSeat BeltsCrashInjury

CONSUMER HAD A REAR COLLISION, AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PASSENGER HIT HEAD ON WINDSHIELD. *AK THE SEAT BELT FAILED DURING THE COLLISION *YH

NHTSA ODI #874524

Mileage unknown · Aug 22, 2000
Tires

VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN BRIDGESTONE TIRE SIZE P18565R/14, AND WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL FOR A MOMENT. BRIDGESTONE WAS CONTACTED.*AK

NHTSA ODI #868261

Mileage unknown · Jul 3, 2000
Suspension

CONSUMER HAD STATE INSPECTION DONE. THEY FOUND THAT LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS CRACKED.VEHICLE HAD TO BE REPAIRED AT THE DEALER, AND EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS TO BE HONORED. DEALER FOUND NO STRESS TO THE AREA & DIDN'T KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED. DEALER CONTACTED CONSUMER STATING THAT BECAUSE NO STRESS WAS FOUND EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS …

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CONSUMER HAD STATE INSPECTION DONE. THEY FOUND THAT LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS CRACKED.VEHICLE HAD TO BE REPAIRED AT THE DEALER, AND EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS TO BE HONORED. DEALER FOUND NO STRESS TO THE AREA & DIDN'T KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED. DEALER CONTACTED CONSUMER STATING THAT BECAUSE NO STRESS WAS FOUND EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS NO GOOD. *AK

NHTSA ODI #864652

Mileage unknown · Jun 9, 2000
Service Brakes, HydraulicCrash

AFTER MANY TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP AND ONCE TO A LOCAL BRAKE SHOP, I CONTINUE TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH EXTREMELY SOFT BRAKES. THIS IS MOST PROBLEMATIC WHEN IT RAINS. I'VE HAD THE DEALERSHIP "TIGHTEN" THEM AND REPLACE PADS THREE TIMES, BUT WITHIN A COUPLE OF

NHTSA ODI #723805

Mileage unknown · Feb 24, 2000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

THIS PROBLEM DIDN'T RESULT IN ANY TYPE OF ACCIDENT OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. THE PROBLEM I AM HAVE IS THAT MY CAR IS MAKING A VERY BAD KNOCKING NOISE EVERYTIME I APPLY THE BRAKES BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BY TO DENNIS EAKIN MAZDA ABOUT TWO WEEK AFTER I PURCHASE IT. THEY INFORMED ME IT WERE THE…

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THIS PROBLEM DIDN'T RESULT IN ANY TYPE OF ACCIDENT OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. THE PROBLEM I AM HAVE IS THAT MY CAR IS MAKING A VERY BAD KNOCKING NOISE EVERYTIME I APPLY THE BRAKES BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BY TO DENNIS EAKIN MAZDA ABOUT TWO WEEK AFTER I PURCHASE IT. THEY INFORMED ME IT WERE THE BRAKE CALIPERS SLIDES. THEY HAD TO ORDER THE SLIDES. THE SLIDES CAN IN AND WERE REPLACED. THE NOISE STOPPED FOR ABOUT TWO OR THREE WEEKS AND STARTED BACK. I RETURNED THE VEHICLE AGAIN TO DENNIS EAKIN AND THIS TIME THEY INSTALLED A NEW AND IMPROVED CALIPERS SLIDES. THE NOISE STOPPED FOR ABOUT 5 WEEKS AND IS NOW MAKING THE SAME KNOCKING, KNOCKING NOISES EVERYTIME I APPLY THE BRAKES. THIS NOISE WORRY ME BECAUSE IT DEALING WITH THE BRAKES OF THE CAR AND AS YOU KNOW THE BRAKES ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT COULD CAUSE ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT, POSSIBLE KILLING MYSELF, OR SOMEONE ELSE. THEREFORE, I AM REQUESTING YOU INVESTIGATE THIS SITUATIION WITH THE BRAKE CALIPERS SLIDES ON THE MADZA PROTEGE, BECAUSE I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE PERSON THAT THIS VEHICLE IS GOING TO MAKE SOME NOISE S AND THAT THEY WOULDN'T REPLACED THE CALIPERS. THIS COULD TURN OUT TO BE A SERIOUS PROBLEMS, AGAIN I REMIND YOU THAT WE ALL TALKING ABOUT THE BRAKES ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. PLEASE HELP ME IF POSSIBLE ON THIS DANGEROUS MATTER. I AM CONTACTING THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM, BUT I THINK THEY JUST WANT TO SAVE SOME MONEY AND NOT HAVE TOREPLACE THE CALIPERS ON THIS VEHICLE. THIS SAVING COULD COST ME, MY FAMILY OR SOMEONE ELSE THEIR LIFE. HELP, HELP. *AK

NHTSA ODI #719197

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.