Faults:

The first thing I had to replace was the CV joints at about 62,000 miles.

I've replaced the battery twice since I purchased my protege.

My seats have just now begun to show some cracks and tearing. I have always used seat covers.

I've done break jobs every 40,000 miles or so, but they've never been a problem.

The paint believe it or not has held up pretty well. Now it is showing some heavy fading. I kept up with regular washing and waxing, until about two years ago, when I went to just waxing once a year.

General Comments:

Mechanical problems in 9 years of ownership have been minimal.

Handling was never an issue with proper tires and alignment.

Gas mileage was as stated on sticker and sometimes even better. Take into consideration that I am consistent in my driving habits. I never pushed it.

Seats are as comfortable as they could of been.

I've enjoyed owning this vehicle and it has surpassed my expectations.

Faults:

Seat track broke.

Power Lock button came loose and a wire became disconnected.

Air conditioner is just starting to loose its ability to cool the car.

Belts squeal and adjusting them doesn't help.

Transmission starting to cause the car to jerk as RPM's increase.

Car starting to shake when at highway speeds. New tires, alignment, and balancing has not helped much.

Radio knobs don't work that well. When you try to increase the volume, it may decrease, etc...

General Comments:

Great gas mileage.

It has never left me stranded.

Highly reliable.

No real problems in over 100,000 miles.

Excellent value for the money.

I would feel comfortable with buying one of these cars for my daughter to drive. It is a car I feel wouldn't leave her somewhere.

Faults:

In 1999, my head gasket cracked and the original radio broke. In 2000, my front passenger power window decided to stop working. Every now and again it decides to work. In 2002, at 137,700 miles my air compressor is going bad. I had to replace the battery one time.

General Comments:

The car is great on gas.

It's reliable.

I have never been stranded.

I have only had 1 tune-up in 7 years.

It is a great car for small framed people.

I enjoy being able to lay the back seat down when needed.

I like the flexibility of being able to adjust the drivers seat.

The main thing that I don't like is that the power in the windows are going out.

The one thing that I do really like is the low maintenance the car requires. Just change the oil and rotate the tires every 3,000-4,000 miles.

Faults:

In six years, this car has NEVER left me stranded.

I average 36 mpg, replaced one clutch at 185,000 miles (it still worked well, but I changed it while I put new axles because they began clicking).

There is ONE defect. Plugs wires seem to burn up a lot. I've had to replace them 4 or 5 times now. Mazda dealerships says it's a common problem.

Oh, I replaced the battery once, too.

General Comments:

I have never been happier with a car. I've NEVER changed an alternator, starter, water pump, air compressor, any normal items in a car with this high a mileage.

I'm on my fifth set of tires (they last about 45-55K).

Brake pads last about 40-45K.

Oh, big plus: THE CAR BURNS NO OIL (I get regular oil changes/tires rotated every 5000 miles). I changed to synthetic oil at 200,000 miles (want to see how long this motor will really last!)