Worst 1997 Mazda Protege Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 1997 Mazda Protege.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 11 | 9 | — | — | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 5 | — | — | 83,068 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 5 | 2 | — | — | |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 4 | — | — | — | |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 4 | 2 | — | — | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 4 | 1 | — | — | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL | 4 | 1 | — | — | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 3 | — | 1 | — | |
| SUSPENSION:REAR | 3 | — | — | — | |
| TIRES | 3 | — | — | — | |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 | — | — | 108,000 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 2 | — | 1 | — | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 2 | — | — | — | |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH | 2 | — | — | — | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 2 | — | — | 99,000 mi | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | 2 | — | — | — | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER | 2 | — | — | — | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 2 | — | — | — | |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 2 | — | — | — | |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM | 2 | — | — | — | |
| AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 | — | — | — | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 | — | — | — | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | 1 | — | — | — | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 1 | — | — | — | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 | — | — | — | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 | — | — | — | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 | — | — | 108,000 mi |
Recalls for 1997 Mazda Protege
1 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~1,368,500 vehicles.
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.
Other Mazda Protege Years
Wider context: See the full Mazda Protege reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
Check Your Specific 1997 Mazda Protege
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud.
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