1998 MAZDA PROTEGE

Straight-on, front-end collision occurred, that destroyed radiator and folded hood. Air bag did not deploy.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 MAZDA PROTEGE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE IGNITION SWITCH ALONG WITH THE KEYS BECAME HOT TO THE TOUCH WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE DIAGNOSIS WAS UNKNOWN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ORDERED UNKNOWN PARTS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CALLED SKYLAND MAZDA AT (828) 667-52132 AND THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V674000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 200,000.

Mileage: 200,000

WHEN TURNING IN EITHER DIRECTION STEERING PRODUCES A GRINDING NOISE. AS A RESULT, THE STEERING RACK AND PINION HAS MALFUNCTIONED. MIDAS ASKING FOR $1400 AND SAYS THIS IS COMMON MAZDA PROTEGE 1998 PROBLEM. I FOUND SIMILAR ALREADY EXISTING COMPLAINT BY SOMEONE ELSE (REFERENCE NUMBER: 10083656). *TR

Mileage: 99,000

I WAS DRIVING ALONE MY 1998 MAZDA PROTEGE ALONG A LOCAL ROUTE IN TEWKSBURY MA IN LIGHT RAIN AT ABOUT 30-35 MPH WHEN A CAR A FEW CARS AHEAD OF ME MADE A QUICK STOP FOR A LEFT TURN. SEVERAL CAR BEHIND STOPPED WITHOUT PROBLEM, BUT I WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP AND SKID ALL THE WAY INTO THE CAR AT FRONT WHICH WAS A 2002 CAMRY. AT THE TIME THE CAR AT FRONT OF ME HIT THE BRAKE I TAPPED ON MY BRAKE ALMOST AT THE SAME TIME AND THERE WERE ABOUT 10 CAR LENGTH DISTANCE BETWEEN ME AND THE 2002 CAMRY THAT I HIT EVENTUALLY. THE TRACTION PROVIDED BY MY TIRES ARE EXTREMELY LOW ESPECIALLY IN WET. THE TIRES I WAS RIDING ON ARE 4 GOODYEAR INTEGRITY P175/70R13 THAT I INSTALLED IN MAY 2005 IN ALLIED TIRES AND SERVICE IN GAINESVILLE, FL 32607. I HAD ABOUT 40K MILES ON THEM AT THE TIME OF ACCIDENT. MY CAR PASSED THE MA STATE SAFETY INSPECTION IN JAN 2008, AND MY MOST RECENT VISUAL CHECK ON THE TIRES SHOWED THERE WERE ENOUGH TREAD LEFT. FROM DAY ONE I NOTICED THESE TIRES WERE EXTREMELY SLIPPERY COMPARED TO OTH

Mileage: 120,000

TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN VEHICLE WITH ONLY 65,800 MILES. *JB

Mileage: 65,800

VEHICLE FAILED EMISSIONS INSPECTION DUE TO A CRACK IN THE FRONT EXHAUST PIPE AND MID-PIPE. DEALER REPLACED BOTH AT MY EXPENSE. *JB

Mileage: 64,737

THE FRONT SEAT BELTS WERE LOOSE AND WILL NOT RETRACT BACK IN TO NORMAL POSITION. *JB

TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *BF THE VEHICLE IS ON ITS 4TH TRANSMISSION. *TC

NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH 1999 MAZDA PROTEGE LX.*MR DAYS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE SHE WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT MAZDA BECAUSE THEY WERE PRIMARILY A HONDA DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE STATION WHERE THEY SUGGESTED THE PROBLEM HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE GAS. THE TECHNICIAN RESET THE COMPUTER AND TOLD THE CONSUMER IF THE PROBLEM RECURRED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A MAZDA DEALER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE, BUT EVERY TIME THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO BE SERVICED THE LIGHT WOULD GO OFF. OVER THE COARSE OF A FEW MONTHS THE DEALER REPLACED SEVERAL COMPONENTS THAT THEY THOUGHT WOULD ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY DIDN'T. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT THE DRAIN PLUG WAS NOT PUT BACK PROPERLY AND FELL OUT WHILE DRIVING. *NM

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. VEHICLE DOWNSHIFTS FOR NO REASON. INTERMITTENT TIMES CAR WILL DOWNSHIFT TO LOWER GEAR WHEN FOOT REMOVED FROM ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHETHER ON STREETS OR FREEWAY. CAR IS RENDERD UNUSABLE BY WIFE.*AK

Mileage: 98,401

WHILE DRIVING, AN OBJECT APPEARED ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CONSUMER RAN OVER THE OBJECT WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE BUMBER AND UNDER THE VEHICLE. *LA *SC *JB

THE VEHICLE'S EXHAUST MANIFOLD DEVELOPED A CRACKED WHICH GREATLY REDUCED THE ENGINES PERFORMANCE AND POWER. *NLM

Mileage: 60,000

THE OVER DRIVE LIGHT MALFUNCTIONED WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO DROP INTO A LOWER GEAR, AN THE ENGINE ACTED AS THOUGH IT WOULD STALL AND THEN BUCKED ERRATICALLY. *TS *JB

EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACK IN 1998 MAZADA PROTEGE. RECENTLY THERE HAS BEEN A BURNING SMELL IN THE CABIN. MY MECHANIC FOUND THAT IT IS DUE TO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACK AND TOLD ME THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR 95-98 PROTEGE. HE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE IN THE BULLETIN. I TOOK HIS SUGGESTION AND CALLED THE DEALER, BUT THE ANSWER WAS NEGATIVE. I AM VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE THE MONOXIDE FROM THE EXHAUST COULD POTENTIALLY KILL A PERSON IN SILENCE. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR WITH THE WINDOW OPEN MOST TIME, JUST TO BE SAFE. I HOPE THAT MAZDA WILL PLACE A RECALL ON IT

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH , VEHICLE STARTED OVERHEATING. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE SERVICED BY A MECHANIC WHO INDICATED THAT THE HEATING CORE HAD RUSTED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS.

Mileage: 57,000

THE VEHICLE STALLS WHEN PUSHING IN THE CLUTCH. WHEN PUSHING IN THE CLUTCH, THE IDLE DROPS TO 0 AND THE CAR SHAKES BEFORE RETURNING TO IT'S NORMAL IDLE SPEED, APPROX. 500 RPM, OR IT JUST STALLS. THIS HAS CAUSED HARROWING MOMENTS WHEN PUSHING IN THE CLUTCH AND BRAKING AT HIGH SPEEDS ON EXIT RAMPS AND PULLING INTO PARKING SPOTS. IT HAS BEEN BACK TO (2) MAZDA DEALERS 3 TIMES AND EACH TIME I AM TOLD THAT IT IS THE GAS I USE, BUT THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR 40,000 MILES NOW AND IS GETTING WORSE. DT

THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REPLACED BACK IN 09/01. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE REPLACED FOR FREE! I LEFT PAYING $66.11 TO REPLACE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE A PORTION OF THE AC UNIT ON 05/23/02. ONE MONTH LATER APPROXIMATELY 6/25/02 I THEN HEARD A LOUD EXHUST NOISE. I HAD THE VEHICLE LOOKED AT BY A FRIEND WHO FOUND THAT THE MANIFOLD HAD A SIGINIFICANTLY LARGE CRACK. MOREOVER, THE SMELL WITHIN THE PASSENGER CAMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE IS EXTREME TO THE POINT WHEN WE GET OUT OF THE CAR WE HAVE THE SMELL OF EXHUST FUMES IN OUR HAIR AND CLOTHES. THE SMELL IN THE CAR IS VERY OVERWHELMING, THAT WE MUST RIDE WITH THE WINDOWS OPEN FOR FRESH AIR AND LETS JUST SAY WE ONLY GET RELIEF FOR JUST A SHORT WHILE WITH THE WINDOWS OPEN BECAUSE WE LIVE IN FLORIDA AND IT IS USUALLY TOO HOT & HUMID TO HAVE THE WINDOWS OPEN DURING THE DAYTIME. ON LONGER DRIVES IT TENDS TO MAKE ME SLEEPY ALSO MY 5 YEAR OLD RIDES IN THIS VEHICLE AND HAS A HISTORY OF ASTHMA. THIS TO ME IS A GREAT HAD

COVERINGS ON DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE KEY LOCKS THAT PREVENT MOISTURE FROM ENTERING THE LOCK WERE MADE FROM PLASTIC. THIS PLASTIC BECOMES BRITTLE AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF EXPOSURE AND USE AND CAN BREAK. WHEN THE PART BREAKS, PIECES FROM THE BROKEN COVER CAN EASILY BE LODGED IN THE LOCK RENDERING THE LOCK UNUSABLE (AS HAPPENED TO ME).

CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT SHIFTING RIGHT, IT WOULD REV HIGH AND NOT SHIFT BACK DOWN WHEN SHE STEPPED ON THE GAS, CONSUMER HAD TO TAKE HER FOOT OFF THE GAS TO GET IT TO COME BACK DOWN. TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER, DEALER SAID A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED AND THAT THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. VEHICLE WASTHEN TAKEN TO A NATIONALLY KNOWN SERVICE SHOP FOR A SECOND OPINION AND WAS TOLD THE HYDRAULIC CLUTCH HAD COME APART, CONSUMER LETTING THEM DO THE REPAIRS BECAUSE SHE WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH INITIAL SERVICE FROM DEALER. *YD

CAR WILL THRUST FORWARD, JERKING CAR & PASSENGERS - MANUFACTURER SAYS DETECTED IN 1996-1998 MODELS AS NORMAL.*AK