1995 Mazda Protege: problems, recalls and reliability
5 recalls and 165 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is air bags (21% of complaints); the 1993 and 1994 and 1996 and 1997 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Oct 2015
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 165 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“I was out of the car & both air bags exploded , there was a recall on the air bags , but I was never informed by mazda corp ,I became aware of the recall after the air bags exploded. *js”Owner report · Air Bags · Apr 2014
“Tl* - the contact had a 1995 mazda protege which was in a head on crash. The contact stated that the car was traveling at 55 mph under dry conditions when the vehicle was struck by another head on. The contact stated that the driver side air bag did not deploy and as a result the driver was killed. That contact stated that there weren't any skid marks in the road to indicate that either vehicle tried to stop. The contact stated that she has a police report from the crash. The contact has the steering section of the vehicle with the air bag. *nm the decedents grandmother wrote in. Updated 02/26/07.*jb”Owner report · Air Bags · Sep 2006
“Driver was hit from behind while sitting at an intersection ,then pushed into a parked vehicle. Left front air bag did not deploy. Driver sustained minor injuries, and did not seek medical attention. Vehicle was towed, and totaled by the insurance company. *ak”Owner report · Air Bags · Mar 2005
Show 7 more owner reports
“This is a repeat of NHTSA campaign id number : 00v118000. I had the car repaired at the mazda dealership in year 2000 under the previous recall. 1 month ago the headlights stop working due to a broken wire in the headlight switch assembly. The ground wire broke its solder connection at the base of the switch. I have dissaembled the switch and connect a temporary ground wire to the base of the switch. There is something wrong with the engineering of this switch assembly if it happens again!”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Nov 2004
“1995 mazda protege. Both airbags deployed when my daughter hit a curb. No other damage was evident. Tires and rims had no damage. The bags should not have deployed. Recall 95v184000 describes problem with inadvertent air bag deployment on this vehicle. Mazda claims that my daughters vehicle was fixed in 1995. This undercarriage impact caused the bags to deploy hurting my daughter and the passenger side bag door cracked the windshield. Very expensive items to fix for no reason. *jb”Owner report · Air Bags · Sep 2003
“Rear defrost switch failed for the second time. Per my knowledge, this is a common problem with 1995 mazda protege and is a part of tsb. This causes poor visibility and might cause an accident while driving on freeway. *ak”Owner report · Visibility · Jul 2003
“Transmission failed at 60128 miles. This occurred while I was passing another vehicle which made it a safety issue. Luckily the vehicle that I was passing decided to speed up so that I could get back into my lane before another vehicle came along which would have ended up in a head on collision. *nlm”Owner report · Power Train · Jun 2003
“The consumer was driving with the cruise control engaged, he applied the brake pedal(3 times), but the cruise control failed to disengage, which resulted in the consumer's vehicle colliding with another vehicle. The dealer diagnosed the cause as a faulty cruise control motor. *ak *scc *jb”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Jun 2003
“1995 mazda protege >180000 mi. >during this time the dealer has installed (3) air conditioner compressors approximately one for every 60000 mi. At over $1000 apiece> it is now in the shop with an expected bill of $1200.00. *nlm”Owner report · Equipment · Apr 2003
“Engine failure as described in recall number 95 v 0 3 3000. Called mazda at 1-800-222-5500 on march 03, 2003, but was told that my vehicle identification number is not in their recall list. However, they were notified. *jb”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Mar 2003
When filing, owners marked a crash in 30 of these complaints and injuries in 53 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 5 campaigns
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.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. The recall began on December 17, 2015. Owners may contact Mazda Customer Experience Center at 1-800-222-5500, option#6. Mazda's number for this recall is 8715J.
THE TIE DOWN HOOKS CAN CAUSE UNDERCARRIAGE IMPACTS THAT CAN RESULT IN UNNECESSARY AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REMOVE AND REPLACE THE TIE DOWN HOOKS WITH MODIFIED TIE DOWN HOOKS.
THE WIRE ROD USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE ENGINE VALVE SPRINGS CAN DEVELOP MINUTE CRACKS CAUSING BREAKAGE OF THE SPRINGS.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE ALL SIXTEEN (16) VALVE SPRINGS IN THE ENGINE OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES.
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.
Remedy: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE HEADLIGHT LEAD WIRE RUNNING THROUGH THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER CAN FAIL AT THE SOLDERED CONNECTION TO THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 1995 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Protege by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 1995 Mazda Protege reliable?
NHTSA has 165 owner complaints and 5 recall campaigns on record for the 1995 Mazda Protege. The most complained-about area is air bags (21% of complaints).
At what mileage do 1995 Mazda Protege problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 79,000 miles or less.
Does the 1995 Mazda Protege have open recalls?
5 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning electrical system:ignition:switch. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.