Worst 1998 Mazda Protege Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 1998 Mazda Protege.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 12 | — | — | 82,100 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 5 | — | — | 62,368 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | 3 | — | — | — | |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 2 | 2 | — | — | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | 2 | — | — | — | |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 2 | — | — | — | |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 2 | — | — | — | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
| TIRES | 2 | 1 | — | 120,000 mi | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
| AIR BAGS | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | — | — | 200,000 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 | — | — | — | |
| EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. | 1 | — | — | — | |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 | — | — | — | |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | 1 | — | — | — | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER | 1 | — | — | — | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
| STEERING | 1 | — | — | 99,000 mi | |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM | 1 | — | — | — | |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 | — | — | — | |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | — | — | — | |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE | 1 | — | — | 57,000 mi | |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | 1 | — | — | — |
Recalls for 1998 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 1998 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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