2000 Mazda Protege LX 1.6 DOHC

Summary:

The worst car I have ever owned

Faults:

Bought the car in June 2012.

I didn't have the car for a month, and the head gasket blew without heating up.

Two months after owning the car, the A/C compressor broke down.

Had to rebuild the transmission 6 months after I bought the car.

Has very poor handling.

General Comments:

My last car was a 89 Corolla, and it never gave me problems like this, just routine maintenance.

I can't wait to get rid of this car.

It's very disappointing that the car has given me so many problems, considering the year and the mileage it has.

The only things I like about the car are that it saves on gas and is comfortable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 4th March, 2013

6th Mar 2013, 06:12

Dang, thought Mazda was supposed to be reliable...

My 1999 Chevy Lumina with almost 160k miles has given me no trouble at all, besides the intake gasket once. Goes to show that the widespread belief that American cars are inferior to Japanese is off target. Frankly, I think this myth undermines our economy, and is insulting to a lot of hard-working Americans from our engineers to assembly line workers.

Who builds our police cruisers, and the majority of taxis with hundreds of thousands of miles? The fire trucks & ambulances we count on to save our lives? Our public buses? Haven't seen Honda or Toyota making any of those. Where's the pride?

I don't hate imports; my buddy's Integra is a blast to drive, and Audi's Quattro design, first introduced in the 80's, is STILL second to none. But at this point we've made such leaps and bounds in technology and quality, that anyone scared away by the paint-peeled Chrysler or tranny-fried Taurus from the 90's, should come back & take pride in this new, & much more competent generation of domestic products.

13th Mar 2013, 08:48

Having to replace the transmission is a bummer.

The A/C compressor may still be fine. When the refrigerant pressure is too low, the A/C does not turn on in order to prevent damage. Try if a recharge makes it go again.

These cars handle very well. Steering is easy and provides feedback, they corner well with some under-steer, and hold their line under braking. If they don't, they may need a wheel alignment, suspension work or brake work.

It is a good idea to have a used car inspected prior to buying.

1998 Mazda Protege LX 1.6L 4 cylinder

Summary:

Great car for the money

Faults:

One annoying problem it had was that it broke alternator belts on the first months of ownership. I diagnosed the problem and it was a faulty alternator. No more broken belts for over four years.

The other thing was the mass air flow sensor. It's mentioned on a TSB.

Other things that are bothersome are the silly front control arm bushings that are placed at the rear of the LCA VERTICALLY! They tend to break.

*note: I have lowering springs, so this may be a reason for that fault. Switching back to stockers.

General Comments:

Pretty comfortable front and rear seats. Great handling out of the box. Very pleased with it. The engine is a dog, but it gets the job done, and if you want more power, this thing can be turbocharged without fear of blowing it. It's built as tough as nails.

If you want a small, cheap and reliable car, and want to modify it to be different, or leave it as is, it's perfect for you.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 20th May, 2010

1999 Mazda Protege DX 1.6

Summary:

Very good

Faults:

I had to fix the flow meter. The igniton has been fixed 3 times. When I bought this car brand new I couldn't use regular gasoline it has to be premium gasoline because the pistons would start making a sound. I have had to change 2 times a sensor that is plugged next to the engine and I also changed the cars' original radio because one day it just decided to turn on. Now, I have a problem with the transmission. When I'm driving the car begins to slow down all of a sudden & the overdrive & check engine light up on the panel.

General Comments:

This is a very comfortable and spacious car. Economical in price when I purchased it in 1999.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 18th March, 2006

1994 Mazda Protege SE 1.8 SOHC

Summary:

A high performance, cheap priced, easy upgraded, car

Faults:

The only thing that went wrong with my car was the fuel pump. I changed it two times. The first time was when it has 50,000 miles, and when I went to th dealer to buy it, it was to expensive, so I just buy a replacement. The second time was at 105,000 miles and this time I get replacement, but with a lifetime warranty. The other thing was the crankshaft pulley, it's center rubber breaks and it was causing some electrical problems, but it was replaced and the car is still running like the first day.

General Comments:

I have to admit that this is a car that when it breaks you have to search a lot to get some cheap prices on the parts, but it's a great ride and have a lot of power to play with. To the persons that say that there's no after market parts for this car, I just buy Intrax springs, KYB lowering struts, custom made an intake system with HKS filter, underdrive crankshaft pulley and yesterday I receive an short shifter from B&M. To find this parts you have to go the the online catalogs or go to any performance shops and if they don't have it, hey order it to you. Search well.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th May, 2002