1999 MAZDA PROTEGE Complaints

1999 MAZDA PROTEGE WITH 40K MILES AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. CAR PURCHASED NEW AND CARED FOR, AT RECENT SERVICE VEHICLE WAS TESTED AND FOUND TO HAVE SLIPPAGE IN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR AND TRANS WILL NOT "LOCK UP". REBUILD STARTS AT $1700 AND GOES UP. MAZDA SEEMS TO HAVE PROBLEMS RELATING TO TRANSMISSIONS AND NOT STANDING BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS. TRANSMISSION SHOP INDICATES MAZDA'S TRANSMISSIONS ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR (AS MUCH AS LEXUS). *JB

THE CAR HESITATES BEFORE TAKING OFF AFTER STOPPING. WHEN IT DOES SWITCH INTO THE RIGHT GEAR AND MOVE FORWARD, IT IS AS IF YOU HAVE BEEN HIT IN THE REAR BECAUSE IT JERKS FORWARD HARD. THE CAR THEN DOES NOT ACCELERATE VERY WELL.*AK

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE TRANSMISSION.*MR THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED A 32600 MILES. THE VEHICLE'S WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AND THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT. THE CONSUMER REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT. *NM

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AND WITH NO WARNING RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL JERK FORWARD THAN STALL OUT WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALERSHIP HAS SERVICED VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES,PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK

YOUR RECENTLY ANNOUNCED INVESTIGATION INTO SLOW TIRE LEAKS DUE TO BAD STEEL WHEELS ON GM PRODUCTS PROMPTED ME TO WRITE ABOUT THE SAME EXPERIENCE WITH MY 99 MAZDA PROTEGE ALLOY WHEEL THAT I JUST REPLACED AT FULL COST. MAZDA TOLD ME THEY HAVE HAD NO COMPLAINTS ON THE TYPE OF DEFECT THAT I HAD--A PINHOLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WHEEL. OF ALL THE YEARS OF OWNING AN AUTOMOBILE, I WAS NEVER CONFRONTED WITH THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. ANY CORRELATION? ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THESE WHEELS? THANKS. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT 55MPH, SUDDENLY INTERMITTENTLY THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT WAS ON, ENGINE SLOWED DOWN TO 40MPH. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE THREE TIMES AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK

DUE TO COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE HIT A STEEL POLE AND DAMAGED THE FRONT SUSPENSION. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MR SCC *JB

WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE NOT TO ACCELERATE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *NLM

1999 MAZDA PROTEGE RECEIVED O/D OFF LIGHT, SPEEDOMETER DROPPED OUT AND SLIPPAGE IN GEARS, (O/D), BROUGHT TO SCHWARTZ MAZDA, SHREWSBURY, NJ, THEY SOLD ME A NEW TRANSMISSION, (76000 MILES ON ODOMETER), CAR STILL HAD SAME TROUBLE. ADVISED MAZDA THAT I FELT THIS IS A MISDIAGNOSIS, PER NHTSB TECH SERVICE BULLETIN OF SPEED SENSOR ON TRANSMISSION WHICH PRESENTS SAME SYMPTOMS, THEY WOULD NOT CREDIT THE $2073 COST OF THE NEW TRANSMISSION, THE DEALER DID NOT SEE THIS TROUBLE WHICH IS WHAT I ORIGINALLY BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICE, AFTER 3 MORE RETURN VISITS TO SERVICE DEPT, THEY FINALLY REPLACE SPEED SENSOR, NOW PROBLEM IS GONE, BUT NOW I HAVE A NEW TRANSMISSION THAT I DID NOT NEED. THEY NEVER PRODUCED ANY DIAGNOSTIC BACK UP TO THE TRANSMISSION FAILING, I TOOK THEM AT THEIR WORD THAT THIS IS WHAT THE CAR NEEDED, WHEN ALL ALONG THE SPEED SENSOR FIXED THE TROUBLE. THEY WERE VERY UNCOOPERATIVE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE EXPERIENCE EXCEPT WHEN IT CAME TO TAKING OUR MONEY, AND AT ONE POINT WHEN I ASKED TO PLEASE LET ME TEST DRIVE WITH THE TECH, THE SERVICE MANAGER ADVISED ME, THEY HAD SPENT ENOUGH TIME ON THIS AND TO TAKE THE CAR AND LEAVE. NOT UNTIL I RESEARCHED OTHER DRIVERS COMPLAINTS ON THE TRANSMISSION ON THIS CAR GOING AT AROUND 70000 MILES. *JB