2001 Mazda Protege: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 68 complaints
68
Total Complaints
50,925mi
Median Mileage
AIR BAGS
Top Issue
18
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

32,365 25th Percentile
50,925 Median Mileage
119,500 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

AIR BAGS
6
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
4
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
3
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
2
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
2
STEERING:COLUMN LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT DEVICE
2
SEAT BELTS
2

Severity Assessment

18
Crashes
1
Fires
16
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, CAME UPON A PATCH OF UNEVEN ROAD (SHAVED ROAD SURFACE IN PREPARATION FOR REPAVING) JUST BEFORE A STOPLIGHT. ROAD SURFACE WAS DRY. APPLIED BRAKES TO SLOW VEHICLE. VEHICLE RAN OVER AN EXPOSED MANHOLE COVER APPROXIMATELY 3 INCHES IN HEIGHT AND LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 50 F..."
"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 WA..."
"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 WA..."

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