2003 Mazda Protege

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLES UNEXPECTEDLY DIED. DEALER DETERMINED THAT COMPUTER NEEDED REPROGRAMMING. TWO MONTHS LATER THE ENGINE DIED AGAIN. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR SECOND TIME WHERE THEY SERVICE DEALER COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. ON ONE OCCASION THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE WAS REPROGRAMMED DUE TO THE VEHICLE STALLING. *SC

I AM 6'0" WITH A TEMPERMENTAL BACK AND A 30" PANT INSEAM. IN PRACTICAL TERMS, I MUST HAVE THE SEAT CUSHION AT ITS LOWEST POSITION (FOR HEADROOM); THE SEAT BACK VERTICAL (TO PREVENT BACKACHE); AND THE SEAT MOVED RELATIVELY FORWARD (TO REACH THE PEDALS). MY 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE 5 IS ONE OF THE FEW CARS I CAN DRIVE COMFORTABLY. THAT'S HIGH PRAISE FOR SUCH A MODEST CAR. >>>>> MY PROBLEM WITH THE PROTEGE IS THE LEVER FOR THE FORE/AFT MOVEMENT OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THE LEVER IS BELOW THE FRONT EDGE OF THE SEAT CUSHION (INSTEAD OF ALONG THE LEFT SIDE); IT IS SHAPED ROUGHLY LIKE A CAPITAL LETTER "L" LAID HORIZONTALLY; THE INSIDE ANGLE IS ABOUT 120 DEGREES (SO THAT THE LONG SIDE POINTS FORWARD TOWARD THE ACCELERATOR); AND THE LEVER TIP IS "POINTY". >>>>> IF I WEAR "LONG" PANTS WITH BOTTOM CUFFS, THE CUFFS ARE PRONE TO CATCH ON THE SEAT LEVER AS I GET OUT OF THE CAR. BELIEVE ME, IT'S NOT EASY TO STOP 235 POUNDS WHEN I'VE BEEN THROWN OFF BALANCE. I'VE REPEATEDLY GOTTEN BRUISED AND/OR SCRAPED HANDS DURING UNGRACEFUL LANDINGS. >>>>> THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT IS SIMILAR. THESE LEVERS ARE A SAFETY HAZARD. I BELIEVE THAT THE 2003 PROTEGE (AND ANY OTHER RECENT VEHICLE USING THIS DESIGN) SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE SEAT LEVERS.*AK >>>>> A REPLACEMENT LEVER SHOULD BE SHAPED SO THAT ITS TIP TUCKS FAR ENOUGH UNDER THE SEAT CUSHION (A COUPLE OF INCHES) TO PREVENT IT FROM CATCHING A PANT CUFF OR PURSE STRAP. FOR AN EXAMPLE OF THE JOB DONE RIGHT, PLEASE SEE THE 2004 MAZDA 626. >>>>> THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM. YOUR STUPID WEB SITE DESIGN INSISTS ON A SPECIFIC MONTH/DAY/YEAR FOR THE INCIDENT DATE. I HAVE ENTERED MY DATE OF PURCHASE INSTEAD. *AK

I WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION IN MY 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE5 WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 10-20MPH. THE OTHER PARTY WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 20-25MPH. UPON IMPACT, THE SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER DIDN'T WORK (I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT) AND NONE OF THE AIRBAGS INFATED. THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR WAS MAINLY STRUCTURAL, ESTIMATES TO FIX THE CAR WERE APPROXIMATELY $13,000-$14,000, SUBSEQUENTLY THE CAR WAS 'TOTALED'. TO DESCRIBE THE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, THE FRAME WAS BENT, THE RIGHT FENDER AND STRUCTURAL PARTS UNDERNEATH WERE BUCKLED AT THE WINDSHIELD, AND QUITE A FEW ENGINE COMPONENTS DESTROYED AS WELL AS ALL OF THE 'COSMETIC' PARTS ON THE FRONT OF THE CAR. THE DAMAGE WAS CLASSIFIED BY THE REPORTING POLICE DEPARTMENT AS "MAJOR". IN THIS ACCIDENT, I RECEIVED A PATELLA (KNEECAP) FRACTURE THAT IS SEVERE ENOUGH TO KEEP ME OFF WORK FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE WEEKS. PHYSICAL THERAPY WILL CONTINUE FOR A TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 6-8 WEEKS. MEDICAL BILLS WILL BE APPROXIMATELY $8000 OR MORE. ON MARCH 19, 2004, I VISITED THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM ON JANUARY 4, 2004 (THE CAR HAD ONLY 1204 MILES ON IT AT TIME OF ACCIDENT). I INQUIRED FROM THE AVAILABLE SERVICE TECHNICIAN WHERE THE AIRBAG SENSOR WAS LOCATED. IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME THAT "THERE'S A BOX THAT SITS CLOSE TO THE DASH, IN FRONT OF THE RADIO/CD CHANGER. IN THIS BOX IS A CUP WITH A LITTLE BALL IN IT. AROUND THE CUP ARE THE SENSORS THAT, IF THE CUP AND BALL ARE JARRED ENOUGH IN A COLLISION, WILL SET OFF THE AIRBAGS." I HAVE BEEN ASKED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY (ESURANCE), BY THE OTHER PARTY'S INSURANCE COMPANY (AAA), AND THE COLLISION CENTER (1ST CLASS COLLISION) WHY THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T GO OFF. I SEE THE OTHER TWO COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS SAME EQUIPMENT FAILURE AND AM WONDERING WHEN THERE WILL BE SOMETHING DONE - DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED BEFORE AN INVESTIGATION IS STARTED? THIS AIRBAG SENSOR SYSTEM OBVIOUSLY SEEMS TO BE AN INADEQUATE FEATURE OF THIS MODEL OF MAZDA.*AK

MY TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED AT 18,000 MILES AND ONE MONTH SHY OF BEING A YEAR OLD. A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS INSTALLED. I HAD MY CAR BACK FOR ONE WEEK AND THE NEW TRANSMISSION WOULD DOWN SHIFT FOR NO REASON AS I WAS DOING 70 MPH DOWN THE INTERSTATE. AFTER REPLACING THE COMPUTER, THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR, THROTTLE RANGE SENSOR, AND THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS, MAZDA HAS NOW DECIDED TO REPLACE THE NEW TRANSMISSION. THIS WILL BE THE THIRD TRANSMISSION IN A YEAR OLD CAR. *JB

MY SON WAS INVOLVED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT AND NONE OF THE FRONT OR SIDE AIR BAGS WENT OFF. THOUGH HE OR THE OTHER DRIVER WAS NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED MY CONCERN WAS WHY DIDNT THE AIR BAGS GO OFF? EVERYONE I HAVE SPOKE TO ABOUT THIS FELT THERE MAY OF BEEN SOME DEFECT IN THIS CAR BECAUSE OF ALL THE DAMAGE INVOLVED MY SON WAS PULLING OUT OF A SIDE ROAD ONTO THE MAIN HIGHWAY HE NEVER SAW THE DRIVER AND HIT THE CAR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE MY SONS CAR WAS TOTALED. HE JUST PURCHASED THE CAR BRAND NEW IN APRIL 2003 HE HAD LESS THAN 15,000 MILES ON THE CAR THE TRANSMISSION WAS BUSTED AS WELL AS MANY OTHER PARTS I SPOKE TO SENATOR CORMAN REGARDING THIS ISSUE AND HE SAID TO FILE A COMPLAINT I ALSO SPOKE TO MAZDA REGARDING THIS HOWEVER THEY SAID THEY WERENT ALOUD TO INVESTIGATE IT THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO THIS OURSELVES THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER ALSO COMMENTED ON THE AIR BAGS NOT GOING OFF I HAVE PICTURES OF THE WRECKED CAR AND MY SON HAS THE POLICE REPORT IF YOU NEED ANY OTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL ME DOWN BELOW I LISTED 4 FAILURES THAT WAS ALL THE AIR BAGS AS FOR ANYOTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THIS I HAVE THE INSURANCE COPY OF THE DAMAGE ANY ASSISTANCE YOU CAN GIVE ME WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED