IllustrationTHE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. *JB
1999 Mazda Protege
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1999 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
10–25K
625–50K
1050–75K
575–100K
3100–150K
0150K+
25 reports with mileage · 63 unknown
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 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
21 crash reports1 fire reports15 injury reports
What owners actually said
88 reportsWHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE NOT TO ACCELERATE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *NLM
1999 MAZDA PROTEGE RECEIVED O/D OFF LIGHT, SPEEDOMETER DROPPED OUT AND SLIPPAGE IN GEARS, (O/D), BROUGHT TO SCHWARTZ MAZDA, SHREWSBURY, NJ, THEY SOLD ME A NEW TRANSMISSION, (76000 MILES ON ODOMETER), CAR STILL HAD SAME TROUBLE. ADVISED MAZDA THAT I FELT THIS IS A MISDIAGNOSIS, PER NHTSB TECH SERVICE BULLETIN OF SPEED SENSOR ON …
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1999 MAZDA PROTEGE RECEIVED O/D OFF LIGHT, SPEEDOMETER DROPPED OUT AND SLIPPAGE IN GEARS, (O/D), BROUGHT TO SCHWARTZ MAZDA, SHREWSBURY, NJ, THEY SOLD ME A NEW TRANSMISSION, (76000 MILES ON ODOMETER), CAR STILL HAD SAME TROUBLE. ADVISED MAZDA THAT I FELT THIS IS A MISDIAGNOSIS, PER NHTSB TECH SERVICE BULLETIN OF SPEED SENSOR ON TRANSMISSION WHICH PRESENTS SAME SYMPTOMS, THEY WOULD NOT CREDIT THE $2073 COST OF THE NEW TRANSMISSION, THE DEALER DID NOT SEE THIS TROUBLE WHICH IS WHAT I ORIGINALLY BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICE, AFTER 3 MORE RETURN VISITS TO SERVICE DEPT, THEY FINALLY REPLACE SPEED SENSOR, NOW PROBLEM IS GONE, BUT NOW I HAVE A NEW TRANSMISSION THAT I DID NOT NEED. THEY NEVER PRODUCED ANY DIAGNOSTIC BACK UP TO THE TRANSMISSION FAILING, I TOOK THEM AT THEIR WORD THAT THIS IS WHAT THE CAR NEEDED, WHEN ALL ALONG THE SPEED SENSOR FIXED THE TROUBLE. THEY WERE VERY UNCOOPERATIVE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE EXPERIENCE EXCEPT WHEN IT CAME TO TAKING OUR MONEY, AND AT ONE POINT WHEN I ASKED TO PLEASE LET ME TEST DRIVE WITH THE TECH, THE SERVICE MANAGER ADVISED ME, THEY HAD SPENT ENOUGH TIME ON THIS AND TO TAKE THE CAR AND LEAVE. NOT UNTIL I RESEARCHED OTHER DRIVERS COMPLAINTS ON THE TRANSMISSION ON THIS CAR GOING AT AROUND 70000 MILES. *JB
THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, THE DEALER SHIP REPLACED THE REAR STRUTS. *JB
ATTORNEY GENERAL OF NORTH CAROLINA'S LETTER TO MAZDA CORPORATION ASKED FOR AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TO CONSUMER'S COMPLAINT CONCERNING A CRASH DUE TO BRAKE FAILURE AND NON DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS WHICH RESULTED IN INJURIES. ADD TO 568358. *AK *JB
I BOUGHT A NEW MAZDA PROTEGE IN 1999. I HAVE TAKEN EVERY PRECAUTION TO MAKE SURE MY CAR WAS TAKEN CARE OF. I DID ALL THE MAINTENANCE THAT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE DONE WHEN THEY WERE DUE. AFTER ALL THE CARE I TOOK, MY CAR'S TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON DEC. 31, 2002 WITH ONLY 66,000 MILES ON THE CAR. THEY SAID IT WOULD BE $2200 TO REPLACE …
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I BOUGHT A NEW MAZDA PROTEGE IN 1999. I HAVE TAKEN EVERY PRECAUTION TO MAKE SURE MY CAR WAS TAKEN CARE OF. I DID ALL THE MAINTENANCE THAT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE DONE WHEN THEY WERE DUE. AFTER ALL THE CARE I TOOK, MY CAR'S TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON DEC. 31, 2002 WITH ONLY 66,000 MILES ON THE CAR. THEY SAID IT WOULD BE $2200 TO REPLACE A TRANSMISSION. I FEEL THE CAR SHOULD HAVE LASTED LONGER THAN 66,000 MILES. SHOULD THERE BE A RECALL ON THESE CARS? I ALSO FEEL THE MANUFACTURE SHOULD BE LIABLE.
THE CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, WHERE THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. TS SCC
BRAKES FAILED WHICH CAUSED CONSUMER TO HIT A STEEL BEAM POLE. THERE THERE WERE NO BRAKE INDICATORS PRIOR TO ACCIDENT, AFTER THE IMPACT AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND CONSUMER SUSTAINED MAJOR INJURIES. *TT CONSUMER HASN'T RECEIVED A RESPONSE FRON MAZDA NORTH AMERICA. SCC. *AK
THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAULTY WHICH CAUSED A HIGH PITCHED WHISTLE NOISE IN THE VEHICLE, THE DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, ON FOUR OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK INTO A LOWER GEAR WITHOUT WARNING, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED AND NO REPAIRS WERE MADE (VEHICLE WAS ST…
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THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAULTY WHICH CAUSED A HIGH PITCHED WHISTLE NOISE IN THE VEHICLE, THE DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, ON FOUR OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK INTO A LOWER GEAR WITHOUT WARNING, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED AND NO REPAIRS WERE MADE (VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY), ON ONE OCCASION THE VEHICLE WAS SLIPPING IN AND OUT OF GEAR AND IT STALLED AT WHICH TIME IT COULD NOT BE RESTARTED, THE DEALER THEN SUGGESTED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS THE PROBLEM BUT COULD NO GUARANTEE THAT THE SLIPPAGE WOULD NOT REOCCUR. NLM
WHILE DRIVING RADIATOR FAN RELAY BECAME INOPERABLE. CAUSING VEHICLE TO PULL OUT OF THE ROAD, DEALER WILL REPLACE FAN RELAY, BUT IT WILL COST $350.00. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS. *AK
Official recalls
100V301000 · Equipment:electrical:radio/tape Deck/cd Etc.
Oct 5, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A PARTICULAR FACTORY INSTALLED AUDIO UNIT. IF THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED AT LOW SPEED IN A HOT AND HUMID ENVIRONMENT WITH THE WINDOW OPEN, AIR CONDITIONER RUNNING, AND AUDIO ON, CONDENSED WATER ON THE A/C DUCT SURFACE COULD DROP AND ENTER INTO THE AUDIO UNIT, CAUSING A SHORT CIRCUIT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE SHORT CIRCUIT OCCURS AT ONE SPECIFIC SET OF TERMINALS, THE REAR RIGHT LOUDSPEAKER CAN OVERHEAT AND, IN SOME CASES, CATCH FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL AFFIX ALUMINUM TAPE OVER THE AUDIO UNIT TO PREVENT WATER FROM ENTERING.
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.