1998 Ford Escort 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 | 1998 Ford Escort | 1998 Mazda Protege |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA complaints | 375 | 46 |
| Recall campaigns | 0 | 1 |
| Service bulletins (TSBs) | 125 | 79 |
| Investigations | 1 | 0 |
| Crash reports | 84 | 8 |
| Fire reports | 11 | 0 |
| NCAP overall rating | — | — |
| EPA MPG (combined) | 25–28 | 23–29 |
| Median reported incident mileage | 75,000 mi | — |
Reported problems side by side
| Component | Ford Escort | Mazda Protege |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 75 | 3 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 49 | 10 |
| Power Train | 43 | 15 |
| Suspension | 50 | 1 |
| Electrical System | 43 | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 32 | 5 |
| Seat Belts | 17 | 3 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 19 | 0 |
Symptoms owners describe
| Stalling | 25 | 0 |
| Vibration / shaking | 17 | 0 |
| Hesitation / surging | 13 | 5 |
| Shifting problems | 6 | 0 |
| Clunking / rattling | 6 | 0 |
1998 Ford Escort
1998 Mazda Protege
Compare all Ford Escort 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.