1999 MAZDA PROTEGE Complaints

WHILE DRIVING AND SLOWING DOWN A TRUCK HIT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE AND PUSHED IT INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.*AK

INTERNAL LOCK SERVO GEAR FAILED ON THE INSIDER OF FRONT RIGHT PASSENGER DOOR. HAD TO TAKE CAR INTO DEALERSHIP TO FIX WHILE CAR WAS UNDER WARANTY. THEY HAD TO SPECIAL ORDER A NEW LOCK MECHNISIM. UNKOWN AMOUNT OF DAMAGE AS WAS COMPELTLY COVERED BY WARANTY.*AK

REAR LEFT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED, COMPLETLY SHREARD FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE TIRE ABOUT HALF WAY AROUND THE TIRE. WHEN TAKEN TO THE FIRESTONE DEALER COMPLAINED ABOUT TREAD SPERATION, WAS TOLD THAT I MUST HAVE HIT SOMETHING TO HAVE CAUSED SUCH DAMAGE TO THE TIRE. THERE WAS MINIMIAL TREAD WEAR ON THE TIRE AS IT WAS BRAND NEW AND HARDLY ANY MILEAGE DRIVEN ON IT. FIRESTONE DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE TIRE FOR FREE, STATED HE DID NOT HAVE ANY INSTOCK AND WOULD HAVE TO ORDER A TIRE TO REPLACE IT. TOLD THE FIRESTONE DEALER FORGET IT AND REPLACED THE TIRE WITH A NON FIRESTONE BRAND FROM A MORE REPUTIABLE TIRE MANUFACTURE. LUCKLY THERE WAS NOONE HURT AND THE CAR DID NOT LOSE CONTROL AFTER THE BLOW OUT. (TIRESIZE: R14)

WHENEVER CAR COMES TO A STOP AND TAKES OFF THERE'S A VIOLENT JOLT LIKE GETTING HIT IN REAR.*AK CONSUMER STATES WHEN TRAVELING AT 40 MPH THERE WILL BE A VIOLENT JOLT AS IF SOMEONE HIT YOU FROM BEHIND, IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE THE VEHICLE JOLTS FOWARD CONSUMER STATES THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED HE THOUGHT HE HAD BEEN REAR-ENDED.*JB

THE ENGINE MALFUNCTIONS WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING CAUSING THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE TO SUDDENLY DECREASES FROM HIGHWAY SPEED TO 0-5 MPH WHILE THE TACHOMETER MOVES WILDLY. NLM

I BOUGHT A FORMERLY WRECKED CAR WITH FRONTAL DAMAGE. THE AIRBAGS HAD NOT DEPLOYED. I NOTICED THE PROBLEM ON OTHER 99 PROTEGES AND THOUGHT I SHOULD REPORT IT. THERE SEEMS TO BE A POSSIBLE DEFECT IN THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT.*AK

GEAR CASING INSIDE STEERING WHEEL BROKE, CAUSING STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME VERY LOOSE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER STATED ENTIRE STEERING WHEEL NEEDED REPLACING. *AK ACCIDNET HAD OCCURED AT LESS THAN 5000 MILES, AND THE STEERING WHEEL BROKE 18,000 MILES LATER, BUT THE DEALER REFUSED REPLACING IT STATING THE PREVIOUS SALVAGE TITLE. *YH

STEERING WHEEL CAST AROUND PART WITH GEAR TO ATTACH TO STEERING COLUMN--CASTING FAILED. *AK

TOOK CAR INTO DEALERSHIP FOR INVESTIGATION OF 'HUMMING' NOISE COMING FROM FRONT RIGHT TIRE AND VIBRATION OF STEERING AT 65MPH. SERVICE DEPT STATED ALL FOUR TIRES ARE CUPPING IN CAUSING UNEVEN WEAR ON TREAD.ALSO STATED THAT THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL IS BENT. THEY RECOMMENDED REPLACING ALL FOUR TIRES, NEW WHEEL,AND ALIGNMENT.*AK (DOT NUMBER: H48N TIRESIZE: P195/55R15)

DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT AT 35MPH, WHEEL SLIGHTLLY BENT, DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE HAD BUBBLE IN THE SIDEWALL. FIRESTONE DEALER REPLACED TIRES AND GAVE ADJUSTED CREDIT. I SEE THAT OTHERS OWNERS ARE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES. PLEASE CONSIDER DANGER WHEN TRAVELING AT HIGHER RATE OF SPEED. *AK (DOT NUMBER: H406JDN239 TIRESIZE: 18565R14)