2000 MAZDA PROTEGE Complaints

ISSUE WITH A 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE ES, 5 SPD. WHEN DRIVING ENGINE WILL HESITATE, WHEN PRESSING ACCELERATOR, CAUSING "JERKING" OF THE CAR AFTER ACCELERATOR WAS PRESSED OR RELEASED. IT FEELS LIKE THE FUEL IS NOT DELIVERED PROPERLY. DEALER RAN THE DIAGNOSTICS NUMEROUS TIMES AND WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND OR FIX THE CAUSE. IT SEEMS THAT PROBKEM GOES AWAY WHEN ENGINE WARMS UP.*AK

THE KEYLESS ENTRY LOCKS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR HAVE STOPPED WORKING. INSTEAD OF LOCKING OR UNLOCKING WHEN THE BUTTON ON THE REMOTE IS PRESSED THE LOCKS REMAIN IN THE POSITION THAT THEY STARTED IN AND A HORRIBLE NOISE CAN BE HEARD COMING FROM INSIDE THE DOOR. THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR CAN BE UNLOCKED FROM THE OUTSIDE USING THE KEY BUT THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR MUST BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. *JB

WHILE DRIVING W. BOUND AT ABOUT 25 MPH, PASSENGER SIDE OF CAR WAS IMPACTED BY VEHICLE GOING S. BOUND AT ABOUT 40 MPH. CAR WAS FORCED SW THROUGH A CURB, A GAS SIGN, AND IMPACTED WITH THE REAR OF A PARKED CAR. ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK, BRAKES INEFFECTIVE AND FINALLY PARKED BY DRIVER. MAJOR PASSENGER SIDE AND FRONTAL DAMAGE. CAR TOTALED. NEITHER PASSENGER NOR DRIVER SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.

O/D LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY FLASHES ON AND OFF. DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. ALSO IS ACCOMPANIED BY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AT TIMES. LOW MILEAGE ON CAR - 50,000. MAZDA DEALER SAYS TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ANOTHER TRANSMISSION SHOP HAS SUGGESTED DEFECTIVE SOLENOIDS. *NLM

WHILE LIGHTLY ACCELERATING THE CAR SUDDENLY JERKED, MADE A LOUD NOISE, AND FELT AS THOUGH IT SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL. I PULLED MY FOOT OFF THE GAS AND THE CAR RECOVERED. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES WITHIN THE PAST YEAR, ALL INCIDENTS OCCURRED AROUND 40 MPH. I NOTICED THE CAR USUALLY DOWNSHIFTS AT THIS SPEED, BUT HAD NOT BEFORE EACH OF THESE INCIDENTS HAD OCCURRED. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 30K MILES. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND COULD NOT REPRODUCE. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS INDEPENDENTLY AND FOUND THAT 4 CYLINDER MAZDA'S HAVE HAD SIMILAR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS SINCE THE SWITCH TO FORD TRANSMISSIONS IN 1994/1995!! I FEEL MAZDA SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED THIS LONG AGO AND THAT THEIR DEALERSHIPS SHOULD BE WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *NLM

WHILE DRIVING ABS LIGHT STAYED ON. PH. ALSO, DEALER REPLACED FAILED SPEED SENSOR. *AK

OVER THE PAST YEAR, MY 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE ES MAKES A THUMPING NOISE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS. IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING IS HITTING THE FLOOR. I'VE HAD THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS SIX TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR. AFTER HAVING THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPLACES VARIOUS SUSPENSION PARTS, THE NOISE GOES AWAY...ONLY TO RETURN A MONTH OR TWO LATER. THE LAST TIME IT WAS AT THE DEALER WAS ON MONDAY (2/3/03). THE NOISE WAS GONE THEN. HOWEVER, AFTER DRIVING TO AND FROM WORK TODAY (2/4/03), I NOTICED THAT IT CAME BACK TONIGHT. I'M A LITTLE RELUCTANT TO DRIVE THE CAR, SINCE I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW IT IS GOING TO BEHAVE. IF IT'S GOING TO DO THIS AFTER A FEW MILES, WHAT IS IT GOING TO DO ON LONGER TRIPS?

WHILE DRIVING ENGINE AND OVERDRIVE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT VEHICLE REQUIRES NEW TRANSMISSION, RADIATOR AND OTHER ENGINE WORK. CONSUMER VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE VEHICLE MILEAGE WA SLOW AND MAINTAINED REGULARLY. TS. *AK

BOUGHT CAR IN OCTOBER 2000 BRAND NEW AND TO DATE HAVE HAD 6 PROBLEMS. 1) MARCH 2001 MOTOR FOR DRIVER SIDE WINDOW HAD TO BE REPLACED. 2) DECEMBER 2001 CD PLAYER STOPPED WORKING TEMPORARILY. 3) 4/8/02 CHECK ENGINE LITE CAME ON, DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEM. 4) 4/30/02 CHECK ENGINE LITE CAME ON, THIS TIME DEALER HAD TO REPLACE IGNITION COIL. 5) 10/24/02 CHECK ENGINE LITE CAME ON, DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEM. 6) 12/27/02 CHECK ENGINE LITE CAME ON, DEALER HAS TO REPLACE CATALYTIC CONVERTER TS

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN HIT AT 30MPH IN THE FRONT CENTER OF THE VEHICLE THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY CAUSING MINOR INJURIES TO THE CONSUMER. DEALER NOTIFIED TS