FaultScore

2001 Mazda Protege engine problems

11 of the 68 complaints about the 2001 Mazda Protege are about the engine — 16% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 26,741 miles.

C

11

Complaints

1

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Engine 2 18.2%
Catalytic Convertor 2 18.2%
Engine AND Engine Cooling 2 18.2%
Engine 2 18.2%
GAS Recirculation Valve (Egr Valve) 1 9.1%
Exhaust System 1 9.1%
Gasoline 1 9.1%

Engine & Cooling across every Mazda Protege year

1995 23 27.1%
1998 10 11.8%
2001 11 12.9%
2003 41 48.2%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 153,000 miles Gilbert, AZ Crash

ENGINE

TAKATA RECALL I BOUGHT BY 2001 MAZDA PROTEGE A COUPLE YEARS AGO AND WAS NEVER SENT ANYTHING ABOUT ANY RECALLS. AFTER PULLING A CAR FAX REPORT THERE IS 5 RECALLS ALL HAVING TO DO WITH HEADLIGHTS. I'VE RECEIVED A TICKET FOR NO HEADLIGHTS ON WHEN THEY WERE ON AND WAS RECENCTLY IN A CAR ACCIDENT DUE TO NOT SEEING THE OTHER VEHICLE . THE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE IS ON THE FRONT END INCLUDING DAMAGING MY RADIATOR WHICH NEEDS TO REPLACED, BUMBER AND GRILL. I HAD ONLY LIABILITY INSURANCE ON MY VEHICLE AND THEY ONLY WOULD PAY FOR THE OTHER CAR THAT WAS HIT. WHY WAS I NEVER INFORMED OF RECALL ISSUES? I'VE ALREADY PAID FOR THE NO HEADLIGHT TICKET AT NIGHT AND I'M FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THEY WERE ILLUMINATED. PLEASE DO NOT TELL ME I HAVE NO RECALL ISSUES BECAUSE I HAVE DONE MY RESEARCH AND HAVE 5 RECALLS ALL TO DO WITH LIGHTS WHICH CAN RESULT IN A CRASH. MY VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION TURNING WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURED AT NIGHT.

NHTSA complaint #10954122 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 22,000 miles Angier, NC

ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MAZDA PROTEGE. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE BUT THE ENGINE FAILED TO START ACCOMPANIED BY AN ABNORMAL KNOCKING FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED MORE OFTEN WHEN THE ENGINE WAS COLD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000. UPDATED 05/28/14 MA THE CONSUMER STATED MODEL YEAR 2003 VEHICLES HAVE BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE SAME FAILURE BY THE MANUFACTURER. BUT THE MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO REPAIR MODEL YEARS 2001-2002. THE CONSUMER STATED THIS CONDITION DOES NOT KEEP THE ENGINE FROM STARTING. IT CAN AND HAS CAUSED CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, WHICH SHUTS DOWN THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. UPDATED 05/29/2014

NHTSA complaint #10549544 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 40,666 miles Trophy Club, TX

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON FOR LAST YEAR. PROBLEM IS WITH ENGINE MISFIRE/CATALYTIC CONVERTER. WE HAVE REPLACED EVERYTHING SUGGESTED: SPARK PLUGS, WIRES, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, ENGINE TUNE UP, NEW TIRES, ETC. PROBLEM WORSENING. CAR RIDING ROUGHER, WORSENING GAS MILEAGE.

NHTSA complaint #10140948 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Minocqua, WI

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONE HOUR AFTER HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. HE HAD IT CHECKED BY A MECHANIC, AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED. IT WAS FIXED BECAUSE IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THE EGR VALVE NEEDED TO BE FIXED. THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP GAVE CONSUMER AN ESTIMATE FOR OVER $200.00, AND THEY WILL NOT FIX IT BECAUSE IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP WHERE HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE SAID THEY WOULD FIX IT UNDER THE WARRANTY BUT HE HAS TO TAKE THE TIME TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK THERE AGAIN.

NHTSA complaint #10129637 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Minocqua, WI

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONE HOUR AFTER HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. HE HAD IT CHECKED BY A MECHANIC, AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED. IT WAS FIXED BECAUSE IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THE EGR VALVE NEEDED TO BE FIXED. THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP GAVE CONSUMER AN ESTIMATE FOR OVER $200.00, AND THEY WILL NOT FIX IT BECAUSE IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP WHERE HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE SAID THEY WOULD FIX IT UNDER THE WARRANTY BUT HE HAS TO TAKE THE TIME TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK THERE AGAIN.

NHTSA complaint #10129637 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 31,483 miles Santa Rosa, CA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I HEARD A STRANGE SOUND EVERY TIME I STARTED TO ACCELERATE WHICH I FIRST THOUGHT TO BE THE CAR IN THE NEXT LANE. I DROVE ONE MORE BLOCK AND TURNED THE CORNER, BUT THE STEERING WAS LOCKING AND I HAD GREAT DIFFICULTY TURNING. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY MECHANIC, COMBUSTION GASES WERE IN THE COOLING SYSTEM AND THE ENGINE HAD A CRACKED CYLINDER. THE CAR IS FOUR YEARS OLD (JUST OUT OF WARRANTY) WITH ONLY 31,483 MILES ON IT. I'M A GOOD DRIVER, 73 YEARS OLD WITH A CLEAN DRIVING RECORD AND HAVE NEVER HAD PROBLEMS WITH ANY CAR AS A RESULT OF MY DRIVING HABITS. I'VE OWNED MAZDA'S SINCE 1987 AND LOVED THEM (EVEN THIS CAR) BUT THIS WILL PROBABLY BE MY LAST. THE REPAIR REQUIRED A REBUILT ENGINE AT A COST OF $ 3,223.14..

NHTSA complaint #10116367 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Brooklyn, NY

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH DRIVER HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD, AND VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

NHTSA complaint #10113267 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 20,000 miles Ypsilanti, MI

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING 40 TO 50 MPH VEHICLE JERKED. VEHICLE WOULD NOT STALL, BUT WOULD LOSE SPEED AND POWER. DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE FOUR TIMES, AND INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #10079472 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 15,300 miles Tulsa, OK

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

I HAVE A 2001 MAZDA PROTEGE LX 2.0 AND IT HAS HAD A VIRBRATION IN THE STERRING COLUMN AND THROUGH OUT THE CAR. IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR ON12-10-02. THE DEALER TELLS ME THAT IT IS NORMAL! IS IT?

NHTSA complaint #10037572 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Largo, MD

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

A LOUD TICKING NOISE CAN BE HEARD COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. CONSUMER FEELS SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM IS AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BECAUSE GEARS CAN BE HEARD CHANGING WHILE DRIVING AND VEHICLE STALLS ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS. DEALER HAS YET TO BE CONTACTED. *AK *SLC

NHTSA complaint #898682 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Gilbert, AZ

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

STRONG HEAVY FUMES ENTERED VEHICLE, CAUSING DRIVER AND PASSENGER TO BECOME NAUSEATED. CONSUMER HAS GOTTEN MIXED DIAGNOSIS OF WHAT THE CAUSE COULD BE. DEALER'S TECHNICAN BELIEVED SOME SUBSTANCE LEAKING FROM ENGINE AND DASHBOARD COMPARTMENT CAUSED FUMES TO ENTER VEHICLE WHILE AIR CONDITIONING WAS ON. CONSUMER LIVED IN A HOT CLIMATE AREA THAT REQUIRED AIR CONDITIONING TO RUN A LOT. MAZDA NEVER HEARD OF COMPLAINT, AND BELIEVED FUMES MIGHT COME FROM INTERIOR. MAZDA DIDN'T HAVE A REMEDY.*AK *SLC

NHTSA complaint #894445 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2001 Mazda Protege problems

← Full 2001 Mazda Protege report