Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  "Maybe this is just a bad one" - 1999 Mazda Protege
  By Ryan - November 18 - 3:03 am

  This car has been nothing but problems. Bad brakes, transmission, spark plug, speakers, and etc. It is the slowest car on the road! It also handles bad and shakes at high speeds.

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  Decent Car that needs tweaking - 2000 Mazda Protege
  By ptben - November 2 - 2:00 am

  Theres a factory defect in the way a front knuckle was put in in the steering column. took several attempts to finally get the dealership to fix it. Good little car. Its just be in the shop for a new catalytic converter, new starter, new fly wheel, wears brakes quickly even though we drive very conservatively.

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  never buy mazda - 2002 Mazda Protege
  By kipp - June 16 - 10:00 am

  two starters one alternator and still no fix for running rough. the vehicle has lost its value quicker than anything i have ever owned. its trade in value after one year of ownership has been cut in half. i would never buy another mazda.

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  Dont Get One - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By historiker33 - November 28 - 8:22 pm

  In 2 years, Ive gone through: 2 wheel bearings Front axle alternator Seat belt $900 valve job Heres the bad thing, and BE ADVISED: A valve job on these cars will often result in the piston rings going bad; this happened to me. There is no easy fix for this - the car needs a new engine and smokes like crazy. The newest versions of these cars are now 13 years old. Do not buy one

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  Mixed feelings - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By DJ - June 18 - 4:56 pm

  One one hand, I love the power and handling you get with such a small sticker price. The Protege killed the Civic and the Corolla in the test drive. Its been a lot of fun!! However, Ive had to throw a lot of money at it in the four years Ive owned it. Ive replaced both wheel bearings twice and the stabilizer links twice also. Very disappointing. The mileage isnt all that great either.

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  2003 protege nightmare - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By scott - May 14 - 1:16 pm

  I bought this car with 15 miles on it. Ive put alot of miles on it. currently i have just under 141, 000. Ive had to have the front bearing replaced 4 times! on each side. ive had the alternator replaced twice. ive changes the oil tank because it actually rusted through, as well as the front exhaust at the intake manifold. ive changed both the oxygen sensor and the speed sensor. Ive also changed the radiator twice. this is a car ive changed the oil and other scheduled maintained every 3-4k miles on it! I can;t believe it got this good of a reliability rating on Edmunds because mine has been a nightmare. plus mine is currently rusting to crap.....what happened?

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  gas tank leaking & rust - 2003 Mazda Protege
  By fuel tamk leaking - February 19 - 7:43 am

  This car Just over 5 years old, the gas tank was leaking, cost me $1400 to replace the pump, gas tank and etc. Complained to Mazda company, but they did not care. I will not buy any Mazda again. The Mazda company cut too much cost to build this Protege, not only the rust on the gas tank, but also other areas. I make a big mistake to buy this mazda protege. Gas tank leaking is a safety issue!! I can accept other problems, but not gas tank.

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  Mazda Lemon - 2000 Mazda Protege
  By No Zoom Zoom Here - February 17 - 10:00 am

  Some of these cars may have a manufacturing fault with wheelbase and castor settings. This causes the car to drift and wander, necessitating constant correction on the steering. This results in an exhausting drive over longer distances or in adverse conditions. I see another reviewer has had front end/steering problems and wouldnt be surprised to bet they are the same as on my car. Definitely my first and last Mazda.

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  Great car for the most part - 2001 Mazda Protege
  By bond_fanatic18 - December 9 - 7:31 am

  My dad bought a gold 01 Protege brand new when I was a kid. It was never driven much, mainly used as a backup car. When I got my licence it was my ride to high school and in general as I hated driving my mothers van. I drove it for a year before my dad traded it for a 2012 Honda CR-V. It did its job fine, got me to school and back without fuss, was fun to drive with the 5-speed and great on gas. The only problem I had was the alternator crapping out in the middle of the freeway and I had to have it towed. Apart from that it was pretty reliable. Id recommend it, just watch out for rust problems and keep it to a meticulous maintenance schedule. Also not the best car to learn stick on.

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  A car for an average driver to have fun! - 2001 Mazda Protege
  By Still Mazda fan... - June 5 - 3:56 am

  This car works marvelously. Steering and Breaks!!! are unseen in this class and up Altima/Solara level. As the car feels powerless, the above features are enhanced. However, the little things that makes a car luxurious lacks (3 speed wiper, no vanity lights, no arm rest etc.) If youre considering this car, you have to understand that youre paying the same or more than Carola/Sentra just for the steering and breaks. If you can live without power and the little things, you will love ES!!!