"How reliable is the 1991 Mazda Protege?"

"Based on 60 NHTSA complaints, the 1991 Mazda Protege has a median complaint mileage of 0 miles. The most common issue is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR."

"What are common problems with the 1991 Mazda Protege?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1991 Mazda Protege is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR, accounting for a significant portion of the 60 total complaints filed."

1991 Mazda Protege: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 60 complaints

Total Complaints

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

Top Issue

Crash Reports

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

SEAT BELTS

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WARNING LIGHT/DEVICES

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID

SEAT BELTS:FRONT

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"REAR WHEELS INTERMITTENTLY LOCKS UP WHILE DRIVING; BURNING LIKE SMELL AFTER WHEELS LOCK UP. TT"

"FRONT PASSENGER AND DRIVER SEAT LAP/SHOULDER BELT WILL NOT RETRACT EA94-039 ACTIVE. TT"

"WHEN ACCELERATING ABOVE 30MPH, ACCELERATOR STICKS, RESULTING IN LOW IDLING. TT"

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

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

PA: 8 AL: 7 CA: 6 TX: 5 VA: 4 RI: 3 NY: 3 OR: 2 MD: 2 AZ: 2

Who Files Complaints?

23.3%

Original Owners

76.7%

Second+ Owners

Mazda Protege — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1990	45	-	SEAT BELTS	5
1992	72	-	SEAT BELTS	6
1993	56	-	SEAT BELTS	1
1994	89	95,000	SEAT BELTS	6
1995	232	70,000	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL	42
1996	91	42,000	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL	31
1997	103	108,000	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL	20
1998	53	82,100	POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION	11
1999	102	60,500	POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION	26
2000	126	49,800	POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION	33
2001	68	50,925	AIR BAGS	18
2002	133	65,000	SEAT BELTS	19
2003	145	69,800	SEAT BELTS	18

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