2000 Mazda Protege

WHILE LIGHTLY ACCELERATING THE CAR SUDDENLY JERKED, MADE A LOUD NOISE, AND FELT AS THOUGH IT SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL. I PULLED MY FOOT OFF THE GAS AND THE CAR RECOVERED. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES WITHIN THE PAST YEAR, ALL INCIDENTS OCCURRED AROUND 40 MPH. I NOTICED THE CAR USUALLY DOWNSHIFTS AT THIS SPEED, BUT HAD NOT BEFORE EACH OF THESE INCIDENTS HAD OCCURRED. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 30K MILES. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND COULD NOT REPRODUCE. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS INDEPENDENTLY AND FOUND THAT 4 CYLINDER MAZDA'S HAVE HAD SIMILAR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS SINCE THE SWITCH TO FORD TRANSMISSIONS IN 1994/1995!! I FEEL MAZDA SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED THIS LONG AGO AND THAT THEIR DEALERSHIPS SHOULD BE WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *NLM

OVER THE PAST YEAR, MY 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE ES MAKES A THUMPING NOISE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS. IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING IS HITTING THE FLOOR. I'VE HAD THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS SIX TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR. AFTER HAVING THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPLACES VARIOUS SUSPENSION PARTS, THE NOISE GOES AWAY...ONLY TO RETURN A MONTH OR TWO LATER. THE LAST TIME IT WAS AT THE DEALER WAS ON MONDAY (2/3/03). THE NOISE WAS GONE THEN. HOWEVER, AFTER DRIVING TO AND FROM WORK TODAY (2/4/03), I NOTICED THAT IT CAME BACK TONIGHT. I'M A LITTLE RELUCTANT TO DRIVE THE CAR, SINCE I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW IT IS GOING TO BEHAVE. IF IT'S GOING TO DO THIS AFTER A FEW MILES, WHAT IS IT GOING TO DO ON LONGER TRIPS?

BOUGHT CAR IN OCTOBER 2000 BRAND NEW AND TO DATE HAVE HAD 6 PROBLEMS. 1) MARCH 2001 MOTOR FOR DRIVER SIDE WINDOW HAD TO BE REPLACED. 2) DECEMBER 2001 CD PLAYER STOPPED WORKING TEMPORARILY. 3) 4/8/02 CHECK ENGINE LITE CAME ON, DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEM. 4) 4/30/02 CHECK ENGINE LITE CAME ON, THIS TIME DEALER HAD TO REPLACE IGNITION COIL. 5) 10/24/02 CHECK ENGINE LITE CAME ON, DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEM. 6) 12/27/02 CHECK ENGINE LITE CAME ON, DEALER HAS TO REPLACE CATALYTIC CONVERTER TS

I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED FROM THE DEALER. ALSO WITH THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THE O/D LIGHT FLASHES. THE RPM'S INCREASE AND THE CAR WILL BOG DOWN LIKE IT CAN'T CATCH ANOTHER GEAR. WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO A MAZDA DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED. THEY TOLD US THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. WHILE WE WERE TALKING TO THE MAZDA TECH ABOUT THE PROBLEMS THE CAR WAS HAVING AND HE WAS TELLING US CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. THERE WAS A NISSAN TECH STANDING THERE LISTENING AND AFTER THE MAZDA TECH WENT TO GET OUR CAR. THE NISSAN TECH TOLD US THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING OUT ON THAT CAR JUST BY YOU TELLING WHAT THE PROBLEM IS YOUR HAVING WITH IT. HE SAID HE HAS REPLACED QUITE A FEW TRANSMISSIONS WITH THIS PROBLEM. HE ALSO TOLD US A FEW OTHER PEOPLE HAD THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND IT RAN OUT AND COST THEM TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. HE SAID AS SOON AS THE LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN BRING IT BACK TO THEM AGAIN AND AGAIN IF YOU HAVE TO. WELL TODAY IS 11/03/02 AND THE LIGHT HAS COME BACK ON AGAIN AND THE O/D LIGHT WAS FLASHING. WE WILL CALL MONDAY TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AGAIN FOR THIS PROBLEM. IS THERE ANY HELP OUT THERE FOR THIS PROBLEM. DT