2002 Mazda Protege Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 2002 Mazda Protege. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 133 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the seat belts. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Bulges on sidewalls of both passenger tires. Tires are 6 months old and only have approximately 3,000 miles.”
“Bulges on sidewalls of both passenger tires. Tires are 6 months old and only have approximately 3,000 miles.”
“Drivers side seat belt latch broke in the latched position. Necessitated taking the latch apart to release the belt.”
“Underneath the car is nothing but rust. It is affecting the undercarriage, the ball joints, the control arm, and the car's frame itself. I have replaced both ball joints both control arm shock and the car is still hard to steer”
“Underneath the car is nothing but rust. It is affecting the undercarriage, the ball joints, the control arm, and the car's frame itself. I have replaced both ball joints both control arm shock and the car is still hard to steer”
“Underneath the car is nothing but rust. It is affecting the undercarriage, the ball joints, the control arm, and the car's frame itself. I have replaced both ball joints both control arm shock and the car is still hard to steer”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda protege. The contact stated that while attempting to park, the brake pedal was applied and the vehicle lunged forward. The vehicle then accelerated up a hill and suddenly stopped. The contact had the vehicle towed to a tow yard. Later, the vehicle was driven to…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda protege. The contact stated that while attempting to park, the brake pedal was applied and the vehicle lunged forward. The vehicle then accelerated up a hill and suddenly stopped. The contact had the vehicle towed to a tow yard. Later, the vehicle was driven to…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2002 Mazda Protege as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.