2000 Mazda Protege

AS I ACCELERATED TO 30 MPH, THE "O/D OFF" LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD FLASHED AND THE SPEEDOMETER STAYED AT ZERO, EVEN THOUGH I WAS DRIVING AS FAST AS THE OTHER CARS ON THE STREET. IT FELT LIKE NEUTRAL GEAR. THE MANUAL INDICATES THE FLASHING LIGHT IS DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. I REMEMBERED THAT WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OF PURCHASING THIS NEW CAR, THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED DUE TO PECULIAR SOUNDS, SO I WORRY ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THIS COMPONENT SINCE I DO NOT DRIVE MUCH. *JB

OWN A 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE DX W/AUTO & AIR, 41K MILES THAT WAS PURCHASED NEW. UPON DRIVING FOR 45 MINUTES ON THE HIGHWAY, THE O/D TRANSMISSION LIGHT STARTS BLINKING. WHEN I BRING TO THE CAR TO A STOP, TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTART, THE LIGHT IS NO LONGER FLASHING. I DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR FOR MORE THAN A FEW MINUTES AFTER THE O/D LIGHT STARTS FLASHING BEFORE LETTING THE CAR SIT FOR SEVERAL HOURS. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID ALSO GETS DIRTY AT AN ACCELERATED RATE VS. WHAT WOULD NORMALLY BE EXPECTED FOR A CAR. LAST FULL FLUSH AT 38K MILES, AND THE FLUID IS NOW BROWNISH-RED. TRANSMISSION SHOPS TELL ME I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION FOR $1,500, BUT I CAN IMAGINE I'D NEED THAT ON A WELL-MAINTAINED JAPANESE CAR WITH 41K MILES. AT THIS POINT I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR FOR FEAR THE TRANSMISSION WILL FAIL (FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD) AT ANY MOMENT. I'VE HEARD THIS PROBLEM IS PREVALENT IN THE 626, AND ALSO HAPPENS IN THE PROTEGE. PLEASE HELP IN CREATING A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE.*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 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?

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 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.

I TOOK MY 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE REAR BUMPER REPAIRED. I HAD BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND. WHILE THE CAR WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP I ASKED TO HAVE THE OIL CHANGED . THE SERVICE MAN CONTACTED ME, AND TOLD ME THE TRANSMISSION GASKET HAD A LEAK. I CALLED SEVERAL AUTOMOB ILE REPAIR SHOPS, AND FOUND THE COST OF REPAIRING THE GASKET CHEAPER THAN AT DEALERSHIP, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD BY THE REPAIRMAN THAT IT WAS NOT JUST THE GASKET, BUT THE PUMP - BASICALLY THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION. THE COST WAS OVER $2200 TO BE REPAIRED. I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW, AND IT ONLY HAD ABOUT 36,000 MILES ON IT NOW. THE CAR HAS RECEIVED REGULAR MAINTAINENCE. I THINK THERE WAS A MAJOR DEFECT FOR A CAR WITH SO FEW MILES ON IT TO HAVE AN ENTIRE TRANMISSION REPLACED.*AK