IllustrationTHE LEFT FRONT SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RELEASE. MY SPOUSE SPENT FIFTEEN MINUTES TRYING TO GET IT UNBUCKLED AND POPPED A BLOOD VESSEL IN HER THUMB TRYING TO RELEASE IT. GOING TO REPLACE IT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. WILL CONTACT DEALER TO SEE IF IT CAN BE WARRANTIED. THEY SHOULD, IT IS A SAFETY ITEM! *TR
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
Seat Belts complaints
8 reportsI WAS UNABLE TO RELEASE THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT. I CRAWLED OUT UNDER IT AND EVENTUALLY GOT IT TO RELEASE. IT SEEMS TO WORK OK NOW BUT I'M NOW LEERY OF IT. *JB
I OWN A 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE WHICH I PURCHASED IN APRIL OF 2000. WELL TWICE THE SEATBELT ON THE BACK SEAT RIGHT SIDE HAS STAYED JAMMED. I HAD FIXED BEFORE AT A MAZDA DEALERSHIP. HOWEVER WHEN I WENT BACK ON THE SECOND OCCASION I WAS TOLD THAT MY WARRANTY EXPIRED AND TO GET A NEW SEATBELT WOULD COST $500 . I FEEL THIS IS A MANUF…
Read full complaint
I OWN A 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE WHICH I PURCHASED IN APRIL OF 2000. WELL TWICE THE SEATBELT ON THE BACK SEAT RIGHT SIDE HAS STAYED JAMMED. I HAD FIXED BEFORE AT A MAZDA DEALERSHIP. HOWEVER WHEN I WENT BACK ON THE SECOND OCCASION I WAS TOLD THAT MY WARRANTY EXPIRED AND TO GET A NEW SEATBELT WOULD COST $500 . I FEEL THIS IS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECTED AND I SHOULDN'T BE CHARGED. WHEN I EXPRESSED THIS TO THE MANUFACTURER I WAS GIVEN THE RUNAROUND, OR TOLD TO SPEAK TO MAZDA OR TOLD TO GO BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE IT WASN'T THEIR PROBLEM. NEEDLESS TO IN THE END I GOT A "SO SUE US " STATEMENT. WHAT CAN I DO OR CAN YOU HELP?
DT: THE CONSUMER HAS A 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE. THE DRIVER'S LOWER SEAT BELT FELL APART. THE CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED SEVERAL DEALER WHO TOLD HER THE SHE COULDN'T GET A REPLACEMENT. ALL OF THE OTHER SEAT BELTS ARE FINE AND THERE ARE NO CRACKS IN THEM. THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. *NM
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
SEAT BELT LATCH ON THE RETRACTOR WILL NOT STAY IN PLACE. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS, BUT PROBLEM COMES BACK AND FORTH.*AK
SEALT BELT BROKE ON PASSENGER SEAT, BELT LATCH WAS LATCHED INTO THE CASE AND RELEASE BUTTON BROKE IMMEDIATLY, WHILE TRYING TO DISENGAGE THE BELT (BY PUSHING ON THE BUTTON) THE CASE BROKE INHALF, BUT REMAINED ENGAGED UNTIL COMPLETELY DISASSEMBLED.
PASSENGER SEAT BELT FAILED DURING FIRST USE BY JAMMING. PASSENGER UNABLE TO DISENGAGE SEATBELT WHICH CAUSED PASSENGER TO HAVE TO "SLITHER" OUT OF SEAT. PUSHING THE BUTTON MADE THE ASSEMBLY CRACK IN HALF AT THE SEAMS. INSIDE OF ASSEMBLY APPEARS TO BE MADE OF PLASTIC. *AK
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.