"How reliable is the 1990 Mazda Protege?"

"Based on 45 NHTSA complaints, the 1990 Mazda Protege has a median complaint mileage of 0 miles. The most common issue is SEAT BELTS."

"What are common problems with the 1990 Mazda Protege?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1990 Mazda Protege is SEAT BELTS, accounting for a significant portion of the 45 total complaints filed."

1990 Mazda Protege: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 45 complaints

Total Complaints

SEAT BELTS

Top Issue

Crash Reports

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

SEAT BELTS

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT

STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE

EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"LEFT FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE LOCKED IN PLACE AND HAD TO BE FORCED OPEN/RIGHT FRONT BELT BUCKLE OPERATES POORLY. *AK"

"VEHICLES RADIATOR CRACKED DUE TO METAL FATIGUE. TT"

"DRIVER SEATBELT BUCKLE WILL NOT BUCKLE, REPLACE BUCKLE. TT"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28