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1990 Mazda ProtegeProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 37 owner complaints about the 1990 Mazda Protege, most often about the seat belts. It is covered by 1 safety recall, and for recall 15V-674 the manufacturer reports only 1% of affected cars repaired.

67
CarFlaw IndexOne of the best years51% below the Protege median · #14 of 14 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Lowest repair rate 1%Owner complaints378 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage167kSeat belts, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 19, 2015. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1990 Mazda Protege has problems

37 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Seat belts212
Engine and engine cooling41
Visibility30
Steering30
Power train20
Equipment20
Seats11
Exterior lighting10
Electrical system10
2 other systems21

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

1990 Mazda Protege recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

1%repaired · 2017 Q1

Ignition: switch

Recall 15V-674 · Oct 19, 2015 · 1,368,500 vehicles · 8,332 repaired

Risk. If the ignition switch overheats there would be an increased risk of a fire.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Mazda.

Best & worst years

1990 vs. every other Protege year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Protege median. How we score

'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1990 Mazda Protege, and the recalls they led to.

  1. AUTO RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAILEA94039 · closed Nov 26, 1997
    Led to recall 97V-211
  2. AUTO RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAILPE94059 · closed Nov 30, 1994
    No recall
In owners' words

What Protege owners report

Recent seat belts complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

THE FRONT AUTOMATIC PASSIVE RESTRAINT SEAT BELTS SYSTEM IS INOPERATIVE BECAUSE THE RAIL IS BAD. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO REPLACE THE RAIL AS STATED IN THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT RAIL RECALL 97V211000. THERE IS CONFLICT BETWEEN THE DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURE CONCERNING WHAT PART IN THE PASSIVE…
Complaint 10074312 · Jun 23, 2004 · 128,000 miles
THE DRIVERS AND FRONT PASSENGERS AUTOMATIC SEATBELTS DO NOT WORK AT ALL/DRIVERS FAILS TO RETRACT AND PASSENGER'S LOCKS UP IN PISITION. *AK TT
Complaint 966885 · Jun 14, 1995
MOST OF THE TIME DURING COLD WEATHER PASSENGERS AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT AUTOMATIC RETRACTOR GETS STUCK IN BOTH FORWARD AND BACKWARD POSITION. TT
Complaint 964525 · Apr 28, 1995

Own a 1990 Protege?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.