There are 5 stored owner reports matching the brakes leading-label group for the 2003 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 5 of 5 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA PROTG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING A LEFT TURN AT 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN SLIDING ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO SHIFT GEARS BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. THE CONTACT THEN ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BUT TO NO AVAIL AND CRASHED INTO A CURB. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE BRAKE SENSOR WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,000.
PREMATURE REAR BRAKE WEAR, BOTH SIDES. BOTH REAR ROTORS (AND THEIR PADS, OF COURSE) HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 20,240 MILES. I WAS CHARGED $378.45 FOR REPAIR. INTERNET DISCUSSION GROUPS REPORT THIS PROBLEM DUE TO CALIPER SLIDES STICKING. SOME DEALERS PERFORM THIS REPAIR FREE; MINE REFUSED.*AK
WHILE DRIVING A FLAT TIRE. CHANGED THE FLAT, AND PROCEEDED TO DRIVE. UPON COMING TO A STOP SIGN AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKES VEHICLE CONTINUED THROUGH THE STOP SIGN. THIS HAPPENED ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE ABS KICKED IN, MAKING A BUMMING NOISE. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT IT MAY BE THE ABS. *AK
VEHICLE WENT BACKWARDS EVEN AFTER CONSUMER PUT THE GEAR INTO PARK.*MR WHEN THE CONSUMER GOT BACK IN THE CAR AFTER LEAVING IT RUNNING SHE NOTICED THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT WAS ON, BUT THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT CAME TO REST ON ITS OWN AFTER ROLLING IN A DITCH. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *JB
I BELIEVE THAT THE 2003 MAZDA PROTOGE5 BRAKE DESIGN IS FLAWED AND DANGEROUS (5-SPEED MANUAL). I HAVE ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE WITH MY DEALER (CAPITAL MAZDA, CARY, NC) AND THEY REFUSE TO HELP.*AK THERE IS EXCESSIVE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL, SO MUCH SO THAT I CAN NEARLY PUSH THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. THE DEALER SAYS THIS IS NORMAL OPERATION. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL OCCASIONS THAT WHEN BRAKING, HAVE ACTUALLY PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AS WELL, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO RACE. ON AT LEAST ONE OCCASION, THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD UPON RELEASING THE BRAKE, DUE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BEING PRESSED AS WELL AS THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS IS A FUNDAMENTAL DESIGN FLAW IT SEEMS AND ONE THAT NEEDS IMMEDIATE ACTION FROM MAZDA. THIS IS A CONDITION THAT WILL LIKELY LEAD TO TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.
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.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.