2002 Mazda Protege

I PURCHASED A USED 2002 MAZDA PROTEGE 5 ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO. THE 5TH GEAR STARTED POPPING OUT OF GEAR ABOUT A MONTH LATER, THEN ACTS LIKE IT IS IN NEUTRAL WHEN YOU PUT IT IN 5TH GEAR. I WAS TOLD I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION FOR ABOUT $2500. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING ON THIS NEW OF A CAR. I HAVE READ MANY OTHER REVIEWS AND COMPLAINTS, IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS A PRETTY COMMON OCCURRENCE, WHY ISN'T A RECALL BEING MADE?

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:THERE ARE TWO SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION WHICH ARE POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS. 1)WHEN SHIFTED INTO DRIVE THE TRANSMISSION FREQUENTLY FAILS TO ENGAGE. DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR FROM A STOP RESULTS IN A RACING ENGINE AND ALMOST NO FORWARD MOVEMENT. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN PULLING ONTO A HIGH-SPEED INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WITH OTHER CARS BEHIND AND AROUND YOU. DEALER MECHANICS OFFER EXPLANATIONS SUCH AS NOT REALLY A PROBLEM, DRIVE IT LIKE IT IS. THIS DEALER HAD THE CAR FOR OVER A WEEK. ANOTHER DEALER (SUGGESTED BY MAZDA AFTER CONTACTING THEM) SAYS WE NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT OUR EXPENSE. THIS PROBLEM IS WORSENING. 2)OVERDRIVE WARNING LIGHT ON DASH BLINKS ON WITH NO APPARENT REASON. WHILE THIS SITUATION EXISTS, THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS LOCKED IN HIGH GEAR. ACCELERATING FROM A STOP IS ONCE AGAIN A DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS EXPERIENCE. *JB

I HAVE A 2002 MAZDA PROTEGE LX WITH 61,000 MILES ON IT. RECENTLY MY TRANSMISSION FAILED AND HAD TO FIX IT WITH AAMOCO. TOTAL BILL, $2500. I REALIZED THE PROBLEM WHEN I DROVE THE CAR IT WOULDN'T SHIFT. IT ACTED LIKE I WAS DRIVING IN NEUTRAL. MAZDA REFUSED TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM AND NOW I'M STUCK WITH A HAVE SAFE HALF RELIABLE CAR. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IF YOUR DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AND YOU CAN'T ACCELERATE IT CREATES A VERY SCARY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. *JB

IF MY MAZDA PROTEGE 5 IS NOT DRIVEN FOR 2-3 DAYS, THE BATTERY IS DEAD THE NEXT TIME I TRY TO START IT. IT HAS BEEN TO MAZDA DEALERSHIPS ON AT LEAST 6 OCCASSIONS. I HAVE HAD THE CAR JUMPED ON 3 OTHER OCCASSIONS. THEY HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY 3 TIMES, REPLACED VARIOUES FUSES, AND FINALLY DECIDED THAT THE FACTORY STEREO SYSTEM WAS DRAINING THE BATTERY WHILE THE CAR WAS NOT RUNNING. THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE WAS 7/25, ALTHOUGH THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 9 OTHER TIMES SINCE LAST JUNE.

MY CAR STALLED WHILE I WAS DRIVING (ACTUALLY IN MOTION). I SLOWLY CAME TO A STOP AND TRIED TO RESTART CAR BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. I SAT ON THE SIDE OF A VERY NARROW ROAD FOR SEVERAL HOURS WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK TO TOW ME TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT MY BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DEAD AND THAT I NEEDED A NEW ONE. MY CAR BARELY HAD 20K MILES ON IT AT THAT POINT. I INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP THAT I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE BATTERY COULD JUST DIE WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION BUT THEY INSISTED THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AND A HALF LATER THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM OCCURRED. I HAD IT JUMP STARTED TO TEST THE BATTERY. WE DISCONNECTED THE PLUS CABLE FROM THE BATTERY WHILE THE CAR WAS ON AND IT REMAINED ON BUT AS SOON AS I TURNED MY LIGHTS ON IT DIED. WE WERE NOT ABLE TO JUMP START THE CAR AGAIN AFTER THAT. THE NEXT DAY MY FIANCE WENT OUT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE CAR AND IT STARTED RIGHT UP. HE BROUGHT IT TO A MECHANIC AND THEY RAN SEVERAL TESTS OVER THE ENGINE BUT FOUND NO PROBLEMS.

2002 MAZDA PROTEGE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION AT 30 MPH YET THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.*MR THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED TWO SLIPPED DISK IN HER BACK. AFTER THE VEHICLE'S BODY DAMAGE WAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE AIR BAGS TESTED BUT THE DEALER REFUSED TO TEST THE AIR BAG. THE INDICATED THAT AS LONG AS THE AIR BAG LIGHT WASN'T ON THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE. THE RADIO SWITCHES STATIONS ON IT'S OWN. THE SEAT BELT LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN THE CAR WAS STARTED. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED 9/7/2004, 40561 MILES. THE VEHICLE ALIGNMENT WONT HOLD. THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES DUE TO NOISE.

ON MARCH 15, 2005 I WAS INVOLVED IN A PILE-UP ACCIDENT. THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN ME FROM HITTING THE STEERING WHEEL WITH MY CHEST. I HAD A FRACTURED RIB. MY CAR IS A MAZDA PROTEGE 5 AND THE VIN3 IS: [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR