2003 MAZDA PROTEGE Complaints

I HAVE A 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE. WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR, I PAID EXTRA FOR A SIDE AIRBAGS AND ANTI-LOCK BRAKE PACKAGE. ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 20TH OF 2004, I WAS BROAD SIDED BY A 1990 HUGE CHEVY WORK PICK UP. I WAS GOING 40 MPH, I ESTIMATE THE TRUCK AT THE SAME. MY SIDE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. IF I HAD NOT SEEN THE TRUCK COMING AND OFFSET THE ANGLE OF IMPACT, MY BROTHER AND I WOULD MOST LIKELY BE IN THE HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW. WHEN I CONTACTED MAZDA CONSUMER AFFAIRS, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT GUARANTEED TO DEPLOY AND ?MADE A NOTE IN MY FILE THEY FAILED TO DEPLOY.? AT NO POINT DURING THE BUYING PROCESS WAS I TOLD THEY WERE NOT GUARANTEED. WHEN TALKING TO MAZDA?S CONSUMER AFFAIRS, I WAS ALSO TOLD THEY WOULD NOT LOOK INTO THE FAILURE UNLESS MY INSURANCE COMPANY CAME AFTER THEM. *NM

2003 MAZDA PROTEGE RADIO SEEMS TO BE DEFECTIVE. DEALER REPLACED RADIO THAT HAD A NONFUNCTIONAL VOLUME CONTROL WITH ONE THAT HAD SAME ISSUE. DEALER IS REORDERING PART. *JB

THE VEHICLE STALLED ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS. THE DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THERE WAS ALSO A NOISE IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR WAS APPLIED. *JB *SC

CLUTCH APPARENTLY FAILED TO ENGAGE TRANSMISSION AFTER BEING DRIVEN 15 MILES TO WORK WITH NO APPARENT SYMPTOMS THAT IT WAS GOING TO FAIL. VEHICLE HAS PREVIOUSLY HAD A MOTOR MOUNT BREAK THAT WAS COVERED UNDER THE TERMS OF THE WARRANTY. I BELIEVE THE MOTOR MOUNT FAILURE CAUSED A MISALIGNMENT OF THE DRIVE TRAIN WHICH RESULTED IN THE PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE CLUTCH. MAZDA HAS REFUSED TO COVER THE CLUTCH AS A WARRANTY REPAIR EVEN THOUGH THEY DID THE MOTOR MOUNT REPAIR. AT THE TIME THE MOTOR MOUNT FAILED THE MOTOR OR TRANSMISSION WAS MAKING AN AWFUL RACKET. THE CLUTCH SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS UNDER AN AWFUL STRAIN! *JB

ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE'S EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ENGAGED THE VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN A HILL. *NM CONSUMER PUT 2 MONTH OLD CHILD IN THE CAR SEAT AND PROCEEDED TO GET IN THE VEHICLE WHEN IT STARTED TO ROLL. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO GET SOMEONES ATTENTION TO GET THE BABY OUT OF THE VEHICLE. WHILE THE DOOR WAS OPEN IT HIT A PARKED VEHICLE CAUSING ONE OF THE HINGES ON THE DOOR TO BREAK AND DENTED THE DOOR QUITE A BIT. CONSUMER WAS INJURED WHILE TRYING TO GET THE VEHICLE TO STOP. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR OF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE.

AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. ON EACH OCCASION, WITHIN THREE WEEKS OR LESS , THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. *AK

OVERDRIVE LIGHT FLASHED ON AND OFF, AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON. TRANSMISSION SHIFTED HARD. DEALER DISCOVERED FOUR SOLENOIDS DEFECTIVE BECAUSE THEY WERE STEEL PLATED. MANUFACTURER STATED CONSUMER WILL HAVE TO REPAIR AT HIS OWN COST.*AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT 4 SOLEROIDS INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION ARE GOING BAD. STEEL PLATES IN TRANSMISSION SHOW THERMAL DAMAGE. REAR DOOR LOCKS NOT FUNCTIONING AND MAKING A SHORTING SOUND. *TC

WHILE DRIVING A FLAT TIRE. CHANGED THE FLAT, AND PROCEEDED TO DRIVE. UPON COMING TO A STOP SIGN AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKES VEHICLE CONTINUED THROUGH THE STOP SIGN. THIS HAPPENED ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE ABS KICKED IN, MAKING A BUMMING NOISE. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT IT MAY BE THE ABS. *AK

UNDER LOW ACCELERATION BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND AND BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEARS THERE IS A VERY LOW FREQUENCY NOISE THAT SOUNDS LIKE IT IS GENERATED BY A VIBRATION. THIS HAS HAPPENED SINCE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW. I HAVE HAD IT IN TWICE FOR REPAIR TO NO AVAIL AND THE DEALER REFUSES TO KEEP THE CAR OVERNIGHT TO INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE FURTHER.*AK

INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE STALLED. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED SIX TIMES SINCE DECEMBER OF 2003. DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE, AND COULD NOT FIND WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. *AK