The Lemon IndexMazda Protege reliability.
Is it reliable? Yes. About two-thirds as many complaints as the average car.
Better than average · 2000–2003
What owners say on YouTube
Fewest complaints
2001.
Only 4 Mazda Protege years have enough complaints and sales to score, too few for best and worst lists. 2001 drew a bit under half as many complaints as the average car.
Every year. Lower is better. Tap a year for its full report.
Show 1 older years (1999–1999, YouTube reviews only, no complaint data)
Newest year first. Red = worse than average, gray = about average or too few complaints to score. #1, #2… = that year's YouTube rank among the 5 Mazda Protege years with enough videos (#1 = the year owners and reviewers talk about most positively). It is not a reliability rank.
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<iframe src="https://lemonindex.com/embed/cars/mazda-protege/" title="Mazda Protege reliability by model year (The Lemon Index)" width="100%" height="307" style="border:0;max-width:720px" loading="lazy"></iframe><p style="font-size:13px;margin:4px 0 0">Data: <a href="https://lemonindex.com/cars/mazda-protege/">Lemon Index</a> (Mazda Protege reliability by year)</p>Scores before 2010 are rough: fewer owners filed complaints back then.
YouTube rank: we read 198 YouTube videos about the Mazda Protege, 1999 to 2003, and ranked every year by how much they praise it vs. how much they talk about problems. YouTube's favorite: 2000. Old cars rank lower partly because most of their videos are repair and restoration videos. A gray dot means not enough data yet: under 10 videos, or a new year with no owner complaints to compare.
Compare the Mazda Protege.
Opens the compare tool with both cars, every year side by side. Compare with any car →
Quick answers.
Is the Mazda Protege reliable?
Yes. It draws about two-thirds as many complaints as the average car, and YouTube owners rate it about average for its age. Fewest complaints: 2001.
Is the Mazda Protege a good car?
Yes, it draws fewer complaints than the average car, by owner complaints to the government per car sold (2000-2003: Lemon Index 64; 100 is average). Some years are much better than others: 2001 drew the fewest complaints and 2000 the most.
What are the best Mazda Protege years to buy?
Only 4 Mazda Protege years have enough data to score, so we don't list best years. 2001 drew the fewest complaints (a bit under half as many complaints as the average car).
What Mazda Protege years should you stay away from?
Only 4 Mazda Protege years have enough data to score, too few to single out years to avoid.
How many recalls does the Mazda Protege have?
16 safety recalls across the 4 model years we track. Most: 2001 (5), 2002 (4), 2003 (4). Each year's page lists them.
What are the most common Mazda Protege problems?
Across every year, owners' complaints to the government name transmission & drivetrain, airbags and engine most. Some years are much worse than others: see the chart above.
Every year in one table
| Year | Index | Compared with average | Complaints | Top complaint | Recalls | Crash test | MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 88 | somewhat fewer complaints than the average car | 61 | airbags (33%) | 3 | — | 23–27 |
| 2001 | 38 | a bit under half as many complaints as the average car | 32 | airbags (25%) | 5 | — | 24–28 |
| 2002 | 53 | about half as many complaints as the average car | 45 | transmission & drivetrain (27%) | 4 | — | 24 |
| 2003 | 88 | somewhat fewer complaints than the average car | 54 | engine (28%) | 4 | — | 23–24 |
The Lemon Index counts owner complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model years (100 = average, lower is better). It measures complaints, not crash safety. U.S. sales source: goodcarbadcar.net. How it works
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Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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