1996 Mazda Protege vs 1998 Mazda Protege
Complaints, recalls, TSBs, investigations and safety ratings side by side, from official federal data. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.
| Metric | 1996 Mazda Protege | 1998 Mazda Protege |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA complaints | 70 | 46 |
| Recall campaigns | 1 | 1 |
| Service bulletins (TSBs) | 47 | 79 |
| Investigations | 0 | 0 |
| Crash reports | 24 | 8 |
| Fire reports | 1 | 0 |
| NCAP overall rating | — | — |
| EPA MPG (combined) | 23–30 | 23–29 |
| Median reported incident mileage | — | — |
Reported problems side by side
| Component | Mazda Protege | Mazda Protege |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 24 | 3 |
| Power Train | 8 | 15 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 9 | 5 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 10 |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 3 |
| Equipment | 6 | 1 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 2 |
| Steering | 4 | 1 |
Symptoms owners describe
| Hesitation / surging | 0 | 5 |
1996 Mazda Protege
1998 Mazda Protege
Compare all Mazda Protege vs Mazda Protege years →
Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports. A vehicle that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — use shares and read the underlying reports before drawing conclusions.