2003 Mazda Protege

FLAT TIRE CAUSED ME TO USE JACK THAT CAME WITH MY CAR, AFTER PLACING IT CORRECTLY UNDER MY CAR AND LIFTING CAR THE JACK THEN BENT AND SENT MY CAR CRASHING DOWN ON ITS ROTOR NEARLY LANDING ON MY ARM. I STILL HAVE THE JACK AND I CONTACTED THE MAZDA COMPANY TO REPLACE THE JACK. THEY ARE SENDING GIFT CERTIFICATE AND LOOKING INTO THE MATTER. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30MPH, THERE WAS A RATTLING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FOLLOWED BY THE ENGINE STALLING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE SCREWS USED FOR MOUNTING THE INTAKE MANIFOLD SHUTTER VALVE BROKE AND FELL INTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AS WELL AS THE OIL PAN AND PISTONS. THE VEHICLE IS SCHEDULED FOR REPLACEMENT OF THOSE SCREWS. THERE IS AN EMISSION RECALL, #3005C, REGARDING THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

ON THE 2003 AND 2003.5 MAZDA MAZDASPEED PROTEGE, OF WHICH ONLY 4750 CARS WERE PRODUCED. THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST 46 WEB DOCUMENTED FAILURES OF THE DIFFERENTIAL BREAKING ON THESE CARS. THE 47TH KNOWN FAILURE WAS RECENTLY MY NEPHEW. SEE LINK FOR A LIST OF FAILURES. HTTP://WWW.MSPROTEGE.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=64821&HIGHLIGHT=LSD+FAILURE THIS IS A MAJOR SAFTEY ISSUE IF THIS DECIDES BREAK WHILE PULLING OUT IN FRONT OF A SEMI OR ANYTHING ELSE. AS AN OWNEROF ONE OF THESE CARS, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE, BEFORE MYSELF OR ANYONE ELSE IS HURT OR KILLED. *NM

I WAS TAKING A CORNER ON HWY 36 AND HIT GRAVEL ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR WENT OFF THE ROAD DID A NOSE DIVE INTO A DITCH FLIP FORWARD END OVER END, SLID AND ROLLED TWICE. NON OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. NEITHER DRIVER OR PASSENGER. I AM NOT POSITIVE BUT MY CAR SHOULD HAVE HAD SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS BUT THEY DID NOT DEPLOY EITHER. *JB

I HAVE HAD TWO OCCURRENCES OF SCREWS FROM THE BUTTERFLY VALVES ON THE VTCS SYSTEM FROM THE INTAKE OF MY 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE 5 COMING LOOSE AND BEING SUCKED INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER OF THE VEHICLE. EACH INSTANCE HAS CAUSED THE PISTON TO KNOCK THE SCREW INTO THE SPARK PLUG, THEREBY CAUSING FAILURE OF A SPARK PLUG, WHICH CAUSES THE ENGINE TO MISFIRE TO THE POINT WHERE IT IS UNDRIVABLE, THEREBY LEAVING ME STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS MISDIAGNOSED (SPARK PLUG REPLACED). THE SECOND WAS DIAGNOSED CORRECTLY AND THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH THE 2.0L FS-ZE MAZDA ENGINE. MANY OTHER OWNERS HAVE HAD THE PROBLEM. FOR MORE INFORMATION TO DEMONSTRATE THE PREVALENCE OF THE PROBLEM, PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.MSPROTEGE.COM AND SEARCH USING THE KEYWORDS "VCTS" AND "SCREW". YOU WILL SEE MANY THREADS WHERE PEOPLE ARE DISCUSSING THIS PROBLEM. *NM

ONE OF THE BUTTERFLY VALVES ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD FELL OFF COMPLETELY. THIS HAPPENED WHEN THE LAST OF THE TWO SCREWS HOLDING IT ON CAME LOOSE AND FELL-OFF AND WAS SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE. WHEN THE PART WAS DISMANTLED, THERE WERE ONLY FIVE OF THE ORIGINAL EIGHT SCREWS REMAINING. ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR VALVES WAS COMPLETELY CONNECTED WHEN THE UNIT WAS OPENED. I WAS DRIVING NORMALLY DOWN ROAD AND LUCKILY THIS HAPPENED AS I WAS PARKING MY CAR. THE EVENT HAPPENED ON 7/22/05 AND THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP STATED THAT ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE SEEN THIS OCCUR BEFORE, THERE IS NO TSB OR RECALL. I WILL NEED TO REPLACE THIS PART OF THE MANIFOLD AT A COST OF MORE THAT $1000 DOLLARS. ON A MAZDA ENTHUSIST WEBSITE THAT I FREQUENT, AT LEAST TEN OTHER MEMBERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH RESULTS VARYING FROM COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT, TO THE SAME SUPPOSED FIX AS I NEED. THAT INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT "WWW.PROTEGE5.COM" THE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE IN NUMEROUS PLACES IF YOU SEARCH THERE FOR "ENGINE NOISE." *JB