IllustrationTODAY WE GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG DIDN'T COME OUT UNTIL AFTER MY GRANDAUGHTER'S FACE HIT THE WINDSHEILD.
2000 Mazda Protege
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2000 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
60–25K
1625–50K
1050–75K
475–100K
2100–150K
3150K+
41 reports with mileage · 61 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 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. 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.
25 crash reports3 fire reports18 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
25 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS MERGED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SAFELY AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NO…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS MERGED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SAFELY AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
FRONT END IMPACT OF AT LEAST 45 MPH WITHOUT APPLYING BRAKES. ALMOST DIRECT FULL CONTACT WITH FRONT END (SLIGHTLY MORE ON ONE SIDE). FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. SEAT BELT RESTRAINED FORWARD MOTION BUT INJURY WAS INCURRED TO NECK AND BACK DUE TO FORCE OF COLLISION. *NM
MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN COMING ON IN JUNE 2003 AND THEY REPLACED AN OXYGEN SENSOR. MY CAR WAS FINE UNTIL RECENTLY. I HAD AN OIL CHANGE IN APRIL AND THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, BUT IT ONLY LASTED A FEW DAYS. TWO WEEKS I HAD AN OIL CHANGE AND RIGHT AFTER THE SERVICE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I CALLED THE DEALERSHI…
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MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN COMING ON IN JUNE 2003 AND THEY REPLACED AN OXYGEN SENSOR. MY CAR WAS FINE UNTIL RECENTLY. I HAD AN OIL CHANGE IN APRIL AND THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, BUT IT ONLY LASTED A FEW DAYS. TWO WEEKS I HAD AN OIL CHANGE AND RIGHT AFTER THE SERVICE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND COMPLAINED THAT THE LIGHT CAME AGAIN AFTER THEY SERVICED IT. THIS MAKES IT TWICE THAT I HAD MY CAR SERVICED AND THE LIGHT COMES ON. ALSO, I WAS NEVER INFORMED ABOUT THE RECALL IN JANUARY 2001 ABOUT THE BREAKS. I HAD BRAKE SERVICE DONE LAST YEAR AND I WAS TOLD I NEEDED BRAKE SERVICE AGAIN.
I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT DATE OF FAILURE BUT IT WAS CLOSE TO THE DATE I PROVIDED. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND MY 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE STARTED BUCKING. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM THAT I THOUGHT THE TRANSMISSION WENT BAD THEY TREATED ME LIKE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. SURE ENOUGH I DROPPED IT OFF…
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I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT DATE OF FAILURE BUT IT WAS CLOSE TO THE DATE I PROVIDED. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND MY 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE STARTED BUCKING. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM THAT I THOUGHT THE TRANSMISSION WENT BAD THEY TREATED ME LIKE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. SURE ENOUGH I DROPPED IT OFF AND THEY DIANOSED IT WITH A BAD TRANSMISSION.IT WAS 2000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY. THANKFULLY MAZDA PAID FOR THE TRANSMISSION BEING SO RECENT OUT OF WARRANTY BUT I HAD TO PAY $700.00 IN LABOR. SINCE THEN I HAVE FOUND THAT THOSE VEHICLES WERE PLAGUED WITH THAT PROBLEM AND SINCE THEN THE CAR JUST HASN'T DRIVEN LIKE IT USED TOO. I AM SADLY DISSAPOINTED SINCE I USED TO WORK AT A MAZDA DEALERSHIP AND THE MAZDA B4000 I HAD ALSO PURCHASED HAS PROBLEMS TOO.
AFTER A 30 MPH VEHICLE FRONTAL COLLISION, THE FRONT AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONSUMER SUFFERED SKIN BURIES. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *JB
CONSUMER STATED THAT 2 MONTHS PRIOR TO VEHICLE BEING INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT SEAT BELT LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AND OFF. THEN, WHEN VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION, SEAT BELT DID NOT WORK, AND AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. CONSUMER SUSTAINED CERVICAL STRAIN/KNEE AND LOWER BACK INJURIES. *AK
WHILE DRIVING W. BOUND AT ABOUT 25 MPH, PASSENGER SIDE OF CAR WAS IMPACTED BY VEHICLE GOING S. BOUND AT ABOUT 40 MPH. CAR WAS FORCED SW THROUGH A CURB, A GAS SIGN, AND IMPACTED WITH THE REAR OF A PARKED CAR. ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK, BRAKES INEFFECTIVE AND FINALLY PARKED BY DRIVER. MAJOR PASSENGER SIDE AND FRONTAL DAMAGE. CAR …
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WHILE DRIVING W. BOUND AT ABOUT 25 MPH, PASSENGER SIDE OF CAR WAS IMPACTED BY VEHICLE GOING S. BOUND AT ABOUT 40 MPH. CAR WAS FORCED SW THROUGH A CURB, A GAS SIGN, AND IMPACTED WITH THE REAR OF A PARKED CAR. ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK, BRAKES INEFFECTIVE AND FINALLY PARKED BY DRIVER. MAJOR PASSENGER SIDE AND FRONTAL DAMAGE. CAR TOTALED. NEITHER PASSENGER NOR DRIVER SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, AND THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY.*JB
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN HIT AT 30MPH IN THE FRONT CENTER OF THE VEHICLE THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY CAUSING MINOR INJURIES TO THE CONSUMER. DEALER NOTIFIED TS
Official recalls
101V024000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
Feb 1, 2001
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME LEFT SIDE REAR BRAKE HOSES WERE DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY. BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE COULD OCCUR.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: BRAKE PERFORMANCE WOULD BE DEGRADED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BRAKE HOSE AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE HOSE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 20, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT MAZDA AT 1-800-222-5500.
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.