2002 MAZDA PROTEGE Complaints

WHILE DRIVING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DIDN'T SHIFT PROPERLY, NONE OF THE GEARS WORKED. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM.*AK

WHILE MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKES VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND RAN INTO FRONT PORCH. *AK

I BOUGHT A NEW 2002 PROTG LX IN JUNE 2002 AND HAD NO PROBLEMS FOR 6 MONTHS. EARLY JANUARY 2003, BLOWER MOTOR WOULD NOT WORK ON SPEEDS 1, 2, AND 3. TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER AND THEIR REPORT WAS THAT BLOWER MOTOR AND RESISTOR WERE DEFECTIVE. IT HAPPENED AGAIN LESS THAN A WEEK LATER AND DEALER STATED AGAIN THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A DEFECTIVE BLOWER MOTOR AND RESISTOR. THE PROBLEM HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS ALL WITH THE DEALER STATING THAT THE BLOWER MOTOR AND RESISTOR WERE DEFECTIVE. THE PROBLEM DID NOT OCCUR AGAIN UNTIL OCTOBER 2003. SOMETIMES NONE OF THE SPEEDS WOULD WORK, AND SOMETIMES JUST THE 4TH SPEED. SOMETIMES THE PROBLEM WOULD HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING OR OVER NIGHT, AND SOMETIMES THE PROBLEM WOULD GO AWAY. THE BLOWER MOTOR AND RESISTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED 5 TIMES BY DEALER AND TO NO AVAIL. THIS CAR IS CLEARLY A LEMON AND A HAZARD TO DRIVE WHEN NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE THROUGH THE FRONT WINDSHIELD BECAUSE OF NO HEAT TO DEFROST OR DEFOGGER THE WINDSHIELD WHILE DRIVING. *LA

REAR DISC BRAKES WITH EBFD PREMATURE WEAR OF ONE PAD ON ONE SIDE OF DISC BRAKE TO 0% WHILE OPPOSITE SIDE AT 30% AND OPPOSITE BRAKE AT 50% *JB

PURCHASED A NEW 2002 MAZDA PROTEGE ON 2/20/02 FROM RAMSEY MAZDA, RAMSEY, NJ. OTHER THAN REGULAR OIL CHANGES, ONLY SERVICE TO VEHICLE DONE BY MAZDA DEALER ON 5/8/02 WHEN CAR STALLED AND DEALER INSTALLED NEW COMPUTER. ON 8/24/03, WHILE DRIVING CAR STALLED AND I SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. OPENED HOOD AND SAW ENGINE COMPARTMENT ENGULFED IN FLAMES. FIRE DEPARTMENT CALLED AND PUT OUT FIRE BUT NOT BEFORE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE DONE TO FRONT OF CAR. INSURANCE COMPANY HAS DEEMED CAR TOTALLED. MAZDA CLAIMS THEY HAVE NO INVESTIGATIVE TEAM TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF FIRE AND THAT MY INSURANCE COMPANY SHOULD HIRE AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR. INSURANCE COMPANY REFUSES TO HIRE INVESTIGATOR. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

DRIVER'S SEAT BELT CAN'T BE USED DUE A FAULTY RETRACTOR. DEALER NOTIFIED. CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE STILL UNDER WARRANTY, DEALER STATED SEAT BELT WAS WARRANTED ONLY 2 MONTHS. *AK

THERE IS A DISTINCT TRANSMISSION WHINE/SQUEAL THAT OCCURS WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATES BEYOND 50 MPH. THIS BEGAN TO OCCUR AFTER ABOUT 17000 MILES. IT WAS NOT PRESENT WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR. MAZDA CLAIMS THIS IS 'NORMAL' AND CAUSED BY THE RESONANCE OF PARTS WHICH OCCURS ONCE THE ENGINE HAS BEEN BROKEN IN. THIS INFORMATION WAS NEVER DISCLOSED TO ME WHEN PURCHASING THE VEHICLE AND I FEEL IT IS BIZARRE THAT A NEW CAR WOULD HAVE SUCH AN INHERENT FLAW THAT MAZDA FEELS IS NORMAL AND THAT CUSTOMERS ACCEPT THE NOISE FACTOR ONCE THE CAR IS 'BROKEN IN'.*AK

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ESPECAILLY HIGH, VEHICLE LETS OFF A VERY HIGH PITCH NOISE. NOISE IS VERY DESTRACTING WHILE DRIVING AND CONSUMER HAS GOTTEN HEADACHES AS A RESULT. *AK

METAL FACE PLATE OF IGNITION SWITCH HEATS UP WHILE KEY IS IN THE IGNITION ALSO NOTICE ACCUMULATION OF A STATIC CHARGE WHEN REMOVING IGNITION KEY. PROBLEM HAS PERSISTED SINCE PURCHASE OF VEHICLE. *JB