The Mazda Protege has 11 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 1990–2003. On average a defect was admitted 9.83 years after the car was built, the slowest took 25 years. The most recalled system is Exterior Lighting (6 campaigns). Owners also filed 787 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Mazda Protege
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Exterior Lighting 6 Read
What's wrong. Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors
Risk. Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash
Fix. Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on may 11, 2009. Owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589
What's wrong. Dope, inc. Is recalling 42,540 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors
Risk. Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash
Fix. Dope, inc. Will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on july 28, 2009. Owners may contact dope, inc. At 1-626-272-1798
What's wrong. Certain alfaotto combination headlamps sold as replacement lamps for use on the above listed passenger vehicles. Some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment
Risk. Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning
Fix. Alfaotto will notify owners and replace the headlamps free of charge. The recall began on may 10, 2006. Owners may contact alfaotto at 626-656-2992 or visit their website at www.alfaotto.com
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 1 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Some left side rear brake hoses were damaged during assembly. Brake fluid leakage could occur
Risk. Brake performance would be degraded, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Dealers will inspect the brake hose and, if necessary, replace the hose. Owner notification began february 20, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact mazda at 1-800-222-5500
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Some left side rear brake hoses were damaged during assembly. Brake fluid leakage could occur
Risk. Brake performance would be degraded, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Dealers will inspect the brake hose and, if necessary, replace the hose. Owner notification began february 20, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact mazda at 1-800-222-5500
Equipment 1 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with a particular factory installed audio unit. If the vehicle is operated at low speed in a hot and humid environment with the window open, air conditioner running, and audio on, condensed water on the a/c duct surface could drop and enter into the audio unit, causing a short circuit
Risk. If the short circuit occurs at one specific set of terminals, the rear right loudspeaker can overheat and, in some cases, catch fire
Fix. Dealers will affix aluminum tape over the audio unit to prevent water from entering
Electrical System 1 Read
What's wrong. Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 1989-1998 MPV, 1990-1995 323, 1990-1998 Protege, 1992-1993 MX-3, 1993-1995 929, 1993-1997 MX-6, and 1993-1998 626 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, grease applied to the contact points inside the ignition switch may become conductive and overheat
Risk. If the ignition switch overheats there would be an increased risk of a fire
Fix. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. The recall began on December 17, 2015. Owners may contact Mazda Customer Experience Center at 1-800-222-5500, option#6. Mazda's number for this recall is 8715J
What's wrong. Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 1989-1998 MPV, 1990-1995 323, 1990-1998 Protege, 1992-1993 MX-3, 1993-1995 929, 1993-1997 MX-6, and 1993-1998 626 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, grease applied to the contact points inside the ignition switch may become conductive and overheat
Risk. If the ignition switch overheats there would be an increased risk of a fire
Fix. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. The recall began on December 17, 2015. Owners may contact Mazda Customer Experience Center at 1-800-222-5500, option#6. Mazda's number for this recall is 8715J
What's wrong. Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 1989-1998 MPV, 1990-1995 323, 1990-1998 Protege, 1992-1993 MX-3, 1993-1995 929, 1993-1997 MX-6, and 1993-1998 626 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, grease applied to the contact points inside the ignition switch may become conductive and overheat
Risk. If the ignition switch overheats there would be an increased risk of a fire
Fix. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. The recall began on December 17, 2015. Owners may contact Mazda Customer Experience Center at 1-800-222-5500, option#6. Mazda's number for this recall is 8715J
Engine And Engine Cooling 1 Read
What's wrong. The wire rod used in the manufacture of the engine valve springs can develop minute cracks causing breakage of the springs
Risk. This breakage can cause engine chatter, damage to the engine pistons, and cause the engine to stall increasing the potential for an accident
Fix. Dealers will replace all sixteen (16) valve springs in the engine of the affected vehicles
Air Bags 1 Read
What's wrong. The tie down hooks can cause undercarriage impacts that can result in unnecessary air bag deployments
Risk. Inadvertent air bag deployment can cause injury to the occupants and increase the potential for a vehicle accident
Fix. Dealers will remove and replace the tie down hooks with modified tie down hooks
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 9.83 years |
| Slowest campaign | 25 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 74.3% |
| Campaigns on record | 11 |
Which Protege years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 2002 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 2001 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 2000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 1999 | Equipment | |
| 1998 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1997 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1996 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1995 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1994 | Electrical System | |
| 1993 | Electrical System | |
| 1992 | Electrical System | |
| 1991 | Electrical System | |
| 1990 | Electrical System |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Go deeper
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Mazda Protege have?
11 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 1990–2003. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my Protege still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 9.83 years, and the slowest campaign came 25 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.