10.0

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
$100
Average Mileage:
35,000 miles
Total Complaints:
1 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. not sure (1 reports)
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2002 Mazda Protege:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #1

Jan 012003

Protege MP5

  • Automatic transmission
  • 35,000 miles

I have had a number of flat tires in my time of owning this car. Because it is an odd size, they always have to special order it in. I have NEVER been able to buy one outright. Once I was stuck in South Dakota for 3 days while they ordered my tire. They could not order just one, they forced me into a whole set. I was at their mercy because I really needed that tire. Almost $500 later, I had brand new tires and a 3 day hotel bill. That is when I decided I needed to start looking at other cars.

Worse yet, this car is deadly in the snow. Even a half inch, the tires just spin. I was in Montana one year and had just bought "all weather tires" (the only thing they make in this size) and by the end of the week, it had snowed about 2 inches. I was rendered helpless. I have tried multiple other times and have never been able to find an adequate tire to work in the snow. Changing the rims proved fruitless too. I was told that this kind of car was only good in miami, where it rains little and snows never.

- Day C., Cortez, CO, US