2003 MAZDA PROTEGE Complaints

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT 2003 MAZDA TRIBUTE HAS BEEN IDLING AT A HIGH RPM. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN EXXON STATION AND THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AS NEEDING A NEW SPEED CONTROL CABLE. THE CONTACT RESEARCHED, AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED FOR THE SPEED CONTROL. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MAZDA DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALL, BUT THEY DID NOT DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HIGH IDLING HAPPENED FREQUENTLY, BUT NOT EVERY TIME SHE STARTED THE CAR. IT ALSO HAPPENSED WHEN SHE STOPPED AT A LIGHT. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS SIGNS OR INDICATOR LIGHTS PRESENT AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. *AK

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING ON 12/27/06 AT 35 MPH, HAD HIGH BEAM HEAD LIGHTS ON ,AND HE TRIED TO TOGGLE THE HIGH BEAM TO LOW BEAM AND ALL THE LIGHTS TURNED OFF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE PLAYED WITH THE TOGGLE SWITCH AND THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON SECONDS LATER. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP ON 12/29/06. THE MECHANIC LOOKED AT VEHICLE, AND TOLD THE CONTACT THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HASN'T HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE, BUT DID FIND A RECALL #06E038000.*AK UPDATED 03/07/07. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN HESITATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, WHO DETERMINED THE COMPUTER GAVE A CODE STATING A MISFIRE IN THE FIRST CYLINDER. THE SPARK PLUG WAS TAKEN OFF AND THE GAP WAS CLOSED. THE AIR INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS THEN TAKEN OFF AND THE SCREW HAD COME OFF, THIS CLOSED THE GAP ON THE SPARK PLUG. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS BEING REPLACED.

I HAVE TROUBLE WITH THE TIRES ON MY 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE. FIRST THEY TOLD ME I HAD TO GET USED TO THE LOW-RISE TIRES. I DIDN'T DRIVE IN ANY SNOW THAT FIRST WINTER, BUT THE WINTER OF 2004-2005 I WAS DOING DOUGHNUTS ON OVERPASSES & STREETS. THE DEALER GAVE ME THE CUSTOMER CARE PHONE # BECAUSE "THEY DON'T HANDLE TIRES". CUSTOMER CARE SAID, "I CAN'T HELP IF YOU LIVE IN EXTREME CONDITIONS." ALL HE COULD OFFER ME FOR A SOLUTION WAS TO BUY WINTER TIRES & RIMS (AS THEY AREN'T INTERCHANGEABLE) FOR ABOUT $2,000. A MAN IN MY OFFICE SAID HIS FAMILY WAS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIRS. I TRIED TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM WITH MAZDA TO NO AVAIL. I THOUGHT I DIDN'T HAVE ANY RECOURSE, BUT RECENTLY I WAS IN FOR SERVICE TWICE & A SERVICE REP TOLD ME HE HAS THE SAME MODEL CAR & IT IS SO UNSAFE HE WON'T LET HIS WIFE DRIVE IT. HE ENDED UP PUTTING ON OVERSIZED TIRES TO MAKE IT SAFER. SHORTLY THEREAFTER A SALESPERSON WHO SAID HE WAS IN SERVICE PRIOR TO SALES SAID THAT THEY KNEW THEY PUT THREE-SEASON TIRES ON THAT MODEL. HE ALSO RECOMMENDED BUYING A SET OF WINTER TIRES/RIMS AS THEY DON'T MAKE ALL-SEASON TIRES FOR THAT CAR. BOTH OF THESE MEN SAID I SHOULD CALL THE CUST CARE LINE AGAIN & NOTIFY YOU IF THEY WOULDN'T HELP. THE DEALER WOULD NOT GIVE ME THE CC #. I AM A GOOD DRIVER MY DAD TAUGHT DRIVING SCHOOL & LEARNED TO DRIVE FROM HIM. THESE TIRES ARE DANGEROUS. I SHAKE EVERY TIME I HAVE TO DRIVE IN THE SNOW & AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS. I HAVE LEARNED TO PROTECT MYSELF IN THE RAIN (THE CAR SLIPS); I WATCH THAT NO CARS ARE CLOSE WHEN I PULL OUT OF A STOP SO I DON'T SLIDE INTO THEM. I ALSO HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE RUN AROUND ABOUT OTHER DEFECTS (IT'S VERY HARD TO PUT THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION INTO REVERSE; THEY TOLD ME TO JUST PLAY WITH IT, TRY PUTTING IT IN 1ST GEAR, THEN TRY REVERSE. THEY SAID IT WOULD LOOSEN IN TIME, BUT IT HAS ONLY GOTTEN HARDER). PLEASE HELP ME. I AM A WOMAN ALONE & NEED ASSISTANCE IN THIS. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE INSTALLING THE INFANT CHILD SEAT THE ANGLE ADJUSTMENT ON THE BASE BROKE DUE TO THE ADJUSTMENT PEGS. THE EVENFLO MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN ALERTED. THE INFANT CHILD SEAT IS AN EVENFLO EMBRACE 5 MODEL NUMBER 5481586 BUILT ON AUGUST 5, 2005. THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE THE VEHICLE INFORMATION. *AK

MY ENGINE FAILED CAUSING A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY. MY CAR REQUIRED ABOUT $1,000 WORTH OF REPAIRS, USING USED PARTS, AND I HAVE PERMANENT ENGINE DAMAGE THAT WILL ULTIMATELY SHORTEN THE LIFE OF MY ENGINE. THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS DUE TO LOOSE SCREWS LOCATED IN THE AIR INTAKE MANIFOLD, THAT ALLOWED FOR A BAFFLE OR BUTTERFLY VALVE TO BREAK AND ENTER MY ENGINE. THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM WAS RECALLED BY MAZDA FOR VEHICLES MADE FROM MARCH OF 2003 TO JULY OF 2003, MINE WAS MANUFACTURED IN FEBRUARY OF 2003, AND THEREFORE WAS NOT RECALLED. I KNOW OF AT LEAST THREE OTHER PEOPLE WHO ALSO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS VERY SAME ISSUE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I HAVE HAD TWO SEPARATE MAZDA SERVICE MANAGERS CONFIRM THIS WAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE RECALL - LOOSE SCREWS IN AIR INTAKE MANIFOLD. I NEED THIS INVESTIGATED TO DETERMINE IF MORE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED. *JB

FLAT TIRE CAUSED ME TO USE JACK THAT CAME WITH MY CAR, AFTER PLACING IT CORRECTLY UNDER MY CAR AND LIFTING CAR THE JACK THEN BENT AND SENT MY CAR CRASHING DOWN ON ITS ROTOR NEARLY LANDING ON MY ARM. I STILL HAVE THE JACK AND I CONTACTED THE MAZDA COMPANY TO REPLACE THE JACK. THEY ARE SENDING GIFT CERTIFICATE AND LOOKING INTO THE MATTER. *JB

I WAS INVOLVED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT WHILE DRIVING AN '03 MAZDA PROTEGE5. UPON IMPACT MY SEAT BELT FAILED. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30MPH, THERE WAS A RATTLING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FOLLOWED BY THE ENGINE STALLING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE SCREWS USED FOR MOUNTING THE INTAKE MANIFOLD SHUTTER VALVE BROKE AND FELL INTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AS WELL AS THE OIL PAN AND PISTONS. THE VEHICLE IS SCHEDULED FOR REPLACEMENT OF THOSE SCREWS. THERE IS AN EMISSION RECALL, #3005C, REGARDING THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

ON THE 2003 AND 2003.5 MAZDA MAZDASPEED PROTEGE, OF WHICH ONLY 4750 CARS WERE PRODUCED. THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST 46 WEB DOCUMENTED FAILURES OF THE DIFFERENTIAL BREAKING ON THESE CARS. THE 47TH KNOWN FAILURE WAS RECENTLY MY NEPHEW. SEE LINK FOR A LIST OF FAILURES. HTTP://WWW.MSPROTEGE.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=64821&HIGHLIGHT=LSD+FAILURE THIS IS A MAJOR SAFTEY ISSUE IF THIS DECIDES BREAK WHILE PULLING OUT IN FRONT OF A SEMI OR ANYTHING ELSE. AS AN OWNEROF ONE OF THESE CARS, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE, BEFORE MYSELF OR ANYONE ELSE IS HURT OR KILLED. *NM