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1994 Mazda ProtegeProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 74 owner complaints about the 1994 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.

53
CarFlaw IndexSolid year11% below the Protege median · #8 of 14 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Lowest repair rate 1%Owner complaints7411 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage95kSeat belts, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 24, 2017. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1994 Mazda Protege has problems

74 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 belts374
Power train70
Engine and engine cooling60
Electrical system50
Structure40
Fuel system, gasoline41
Seats31
Service brakes, hydraulic31
Suspension30
7 other systems81

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

1 recall

1994 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

1994 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
NHTSA crash tests

1994 Mazda Protege safety ratings

1994 Mazda Protege 4-DR in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1994 Mazda Protege, and the recalls they led to.

  1. AUTO RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAILEA94039 · closed Nov 26, 1997
    Led to recall 97V-211
In owners' words

What Protege owners report

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

AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT ON DRIVER SIDE DID NOT RETRACT COMPLETELY WHEN VEHICLE WAS OFF AND DOOR WAS OPENED. SEAT BELT ONLY RETRACTED 1/3 OF THE WAY AND STAYS THERE. SEAT BELT STILL RETRACTS BACK TO SHOULDER POSITION WHEN KEY IS TURNED.
Complaint 11039477 · Oct 24, 2017 · 93,000 miles
THE SEAT BELT SYSTEM HAS FAILED. HAD TO UNPLUG BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BELT MOTORS, BECAUSE THE SEATBELT LOCK WOULDN'T STOP TRYING TO MOVE WHILE IN DRIVE.
Complaint 11020193 · Aug 28, 2017
SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT WHEN CLOSING DOOR. APPEARS THAT SOME SORT OF CABLE IS JAMMED SO THAT SEAT BELT NO LONGER WORKS CORRECTLY. OPENED AND CLOSED DOOR SEVERAL TIMES TO TRY AND REMEDY ISSUE BUT PROBLEM PERSISTS. REPLACED SEAT BELT FUSE BUT THAT FAILED TO RESOLVE ISSUE. SEAT BELT IS NOW STUCK…
Complaint 10480043 · Oct 14, 2012 · 170,000 miles

Own a 1994 Protege?

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