There are 25 stored owner reports matching the powertrain & transmission leading-label group for the 2000 Mazda Protege in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 25 of 25 matching reports. The list controls page through the loaded reports only.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ENGINE TOOK A LONG TIME TO START UP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER CONTROL MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 138,000.
I JUST SPENT 2200 ON REPAIRS TO MY TRANSMISSION. MY VEHICLE HAD BEEN LUNGING FORWARD WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND THE REPAIR SHOP THOUGHT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION. THEY FOUND MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION. IT WAS FIXED AND NOW MY VEHICLE IS LUNGING FORWARD AGAIN. IT JUST STARTED AGAIN TODAY. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING TOO CLOSE TO SOMEONE, I WOULD HAVE HIT THEM. MAZDA NEEDS TO STEP UP AND FIX THIS AND DO A RECALL. NOW I HAVE TO GO AND LET THE SHOP TRY TO SEE WHY THIS IS GOING ON. I MAY BE OUT MORE MONEY. I HATE THIS CAR AND I WILL NEVER RECOMMEND MAZDA. AND JUST NOTE THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 59000 MILES. *JB
I FEEL THAT MY 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE DX WITH 56,000 MILES ON IT IS A VERY UNSAFE VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE HAS SUCH LOW MILES ON IT TO BE GIVING ME ANY TROUBLE. WHEN I AM DRIVING, THE VEHICLE FEELS AS IF IT IS GOING INTO OVERDRIVE BY ITSELF AND THEN RETURNS BACK TO NORMAL. MY OVERDRIVE LIGHT FLASHES ON AND OFF WHEN THIS HAPPENS. THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE BECAUSE WHEN IT DOES THIS, IT LUNGES YOUR VEHICLE FORWARD. I HAVE NOT BEEN GOING VERY FAST WHEN THIS HAS HAPPENED. I AM VERY AFRAID TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE IN FEAR THAT AT A HIGHER SPEED, THIS COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE READ MANY COMPLAINTS THAT ARE SIMILAR AS MINE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS. I HAVE NO WARRANTY ON MY VEHICLE AND REALLY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT, BUT IT HAS TO BE DONE. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET, MAZDA HAS PRODUCED A VERY POOR TRANSMISSION. I FEEL THAT THIS IS ONLY THE START. I AM HOPING THIS WILL NOT LEAD TO ME PUTTING IN A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION SHOP READ THE CODE AS SOLENOIDS. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE TRANSMISSION SHOP TO GET THE SOLENOIDS REPLACED. THIS WILL COST ABOUT 400.00. I AM HOPING THAT THIS WILL FIX MY VEHICLE AND GIVE ME PEACE OF MIND. *JB
AS I ACCELERATED TO 30 MPH, THE "O/D OFF" LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD FLASHED AND THE SPEEDOMETER STAYED AT ZERO, EVEN THOUGH I WAS DRIVING AS FAST AS THE OTHER CARS ON THE STREET. IT FELT LIKE NEUTRAL GEAR. THE MANUAL INDICATES THE FLASHING LIGHT IS DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. I REMEMBERED THAT WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OF PURCHASING THIS NEW CAR, THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED DUE TO PECULIAR SOUNDS, SO I WORRY ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THIS COMPONENT SINCE I DO NOT DRIVE MUCH. *JB
OWN A 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE DX W/AUTO & AIR, 41K MILES THAT WAS PURCHASED NEW. UPON DRIVING FOR 45 MINUTES ON THE HIGHWAY, THE O/D TRANSMISSION LIGHT STARTS BLINKING. WHEN I BRING TO THE CAR TO A STOP, TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTART, THE LIGHT IS NO LONGER FLASHING. I DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR FOR MORE THAN A FEW MINUTES AFTER THE O/D LIGHT STARTS FLASHING BEFORE LETTING THE CAR SIT FOR SEVERAL HOURS. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID ALSO GETS DIRTY AT AN ACCELERATED RATE VS. WHAT WOULD NORMALLY BE EXPECTED FOR A CAR. LAST FULL FLUSH AT 38K MILES, AND THE FLUID IS NOW BROWNISH-RED. TRANSMISSION SHOPS TELL ME I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION FOR $1,500, BUT I CAN IMAGINE I'D NEED THAT ON A WELL-MAINTAINED JAPANESE CAR WITH 41K MILES. AT THIS POINT I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR FOR FEAR THE TRANSMISSION WILL FAIL (FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD) AT ANY MOMENT. I'VE HEARD THIS PROBLEM IS PREVALENT IN THE 626, AND ALSO HAPPENS IN THE PROTEGE. PLEASE HELP IN CREATING A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE.*JB
I TOOK MY 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE REAR BUMPER REPAIRED. I HAD BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND. WHILE THE CAR WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP I ASKED TO HAVE THE OIL CHANGED . THE SERVICE MAN CONTACTED ME, AND TOLD ME THE TRANSMISSION GASKET HAD A LEAK. I CALLED SEVERAL AUTOMOB ILE REPAIR SHOPS, AND FOUND THE COST OF REPAIRING THE GASKET CHEAPER THAN AT DEALERSHIP, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD BY THE REPAIRMAN THAT IT WAS NOT JUST THE GASKET, BUT THE PUMP - BASICALLY THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION. THE COST WAS OVER $2200 TO BE REPAIRED. I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW, AND IT ONLY HAD ABOUT 36,000 MILES ON IT NOW. THE CAR HAS RECEIVED REGULAR MAINTAINENCE. I THINK THERE WAS A MAJOR DEFECT FOR A CAR WITH SO FEW MILES ON IT TO HAVE AN ENTIRE TRANMISSION REPLACED.*AK
RE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION ON 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE, HAD TWO TRANSMISSIONS FAIL IN 71,000 MILES. *BF THIS WAS THE CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER'S VEHICLE. *SC
FAILED TRANSMISSION AT AROUND 37,000 MILES.*AK
VEHICLE RECENTLY REPAIRED FOR TRANSMISSION FAILURE, WHICH NECESSITATED REPAIRS IN EXCESS OF $2,500.00. *LA (NAR) *CB
WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HILL TRANSMISSION SEIZED, THROWING THE PASSENGERS FORWARD. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALERSHIP ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS; HOWEVER, DEALER WAS UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM .*AK
2000 MAZDA PROTEGE. AT 64000 MILES THE O/D OFF INDICATION STARTED BLINKING. AT 70000 THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY MAZDA AND TRANS SERVICE CO. TO REPLACE THE TRANS. *JB
ON SEVERAL NON-SUCCESSIVE OCCURRENCES, WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 35 - 40 MPH, I ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE SUDDEN DECELERATION WHICH FELT AS IF THE VEHICLE UNDERCARRIAGE SCRAPED AN INVISIBLE BUMP. THE DECELERATION IS SUDDEN, HARSH AND VERY UNSETTLING. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING UP EAST COAST MOUNTAINS, SUCH AS IN MD. VA. AND PA., THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO HAVE A VERY BAD SMELL AS IF HEATING UP TOO MUCH. EVENTUALLY THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. IT WAS REPLACED BY DEALER AT NO COST. NOW THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION IS DOING THE SAME THINGS AGAIN! IT LOOKS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS DUE TO FAIL AGAIN!! *JB
WHILE LIGHTLY ACCELERATING THE CAR SUDDENLY JERKED, MADE A LOUD NOISE, AND FELT AS THOUGH IT SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL. I PULLED MY FOOT OFF THE GAS AND THE CAR RECOVERED. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES WITHIN THE PAST YEAR, ALL INCIDENTS OCCURRED AROUND 40 MPH. I NOTICED THE CAR USUALLY DOWNSHIFTS AT THIS SPEED, BUT HAD NOT BEFORE EACH OF THESE INCIDENTS HAD OCCURRED. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 30K MILES. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND COULD NOT REPRODUCE. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS INDEPENDENTLY AND FOUND THAT 4 CYLINDER MAZDA'S HAVE HAD SIMILAR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS SINCE THE SWITCH TO FORD TRANSMISSIONS IN 1994/1995!! I FEEL MAZDA SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED THIS LONG AGO AND THAT THEIR DEALERSHIPS SHOULD BE WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *NLM
O/D LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY FLASHES ON AND OFF. DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. ALSO IS ACCOMPANIED BY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AT TIMES. LOW MILEAGE ON CAR - 50,000. MAZDA DEALER SAYS TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ANOTHER TRANSMISSION SHOP HAS SUGGESTED DEFECTIVE SOLENOIDS. *NLM
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING AT A 55 MPH VEHICLE WILL JERKS REALLY HARD. CONSUMER STATES IT FEELS LIKE TRANSMISSION IS NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. NLM
WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A LOUD METAL TO METAL NOISE AT THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, AND AT THE SAME TIME THE VEHICLE LUNGED FOWARD, CONSUMER STATED IT HAPPENED A SECOND TIME IN WHICH THE VEHICLE FELT AS THOUGH IT WENT INTO REVERSE AND THEN BACK INTO DRIVE, THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT THIS MAYBE TRANSMISION RELATED DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS UPGRADED.*JB
SHIFT LEVER WILL NOT LOCK IN DRIVE OR NEUTRAL POSITION. JUST TOUCHING GEAR SHIFTER WITHOUT PRESSING BUTTON AND THE LEVER WILL SHIFT INTO GEARS. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALER, DEALER STATES THIS WAS NORMAL OPERATION.*AK *SLC
WHEN DRIVING TRANSMISSION JUMPED OUT OF DRIVE AND WENT INTO NEUTRAL, CAUSING VEHICLE TO DECELERATE AND LOSE POWER. PRIOR TO INCIDENT, OVERDRIVE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATING ON THE DASH. POSSIBILITY, THAT THE PROBLEM WAS LINKED TO COMPUTER WHICH HAS MALFUNCTIONED. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE POSITION THROUGH, BUT WHEN THE DRIVER STEPPED ON ACCELETRATOR, ENGINE RACED UP IN RPM BUT WHEELS ACTED AS IN NEUTRAL. *YH
I HAVE COMPLAINED CONTINUOUSLY TO DEALER AND MANUFACTURER SINCE CAR HAD APPROX 4,000 MILES. A "CLUNKING" NOISE WAS COMING FROM TRANSAXLE AREA. BOTH DEALER AND MAZDA REP, TOLD ME TO "WAIT AND SEE" OR "THATS A NORMAL SOUND, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT". YESTERDAY WHILE OPERATING MY 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE ES AT APPROX 60MPH ON INTERSTATE 93 N TRANSAXLE FAILED. CAR WAS FINE ONE SECOND, THE NEXT SECONF I WAS FREE WHEELING, NO POWER, ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN, BUT IT WAS IF I WAS IN NEUTRAL. MOST FORTUNATLY IT WAS DAYLIGHT, DRY CONDITIONS, AND A HIGHWAY EXIT WAS RIGHT THERE, I COASTED OFF THE HIGHWAY DOWN THE EXIT RAMP AND CALLED FOR HELP. HAD I BEEN IN THE PASSING LANE, OR IF CONDITIONS WERE POOR, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER.*AK
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND O/D OFF LIGHT WERE BLINKING. TOOK CAR TO THE DEALER AND THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *AK
Showing 1-20 of 25 loaded complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
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Vehicle import recorded: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.