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Expensive Mazda Protege repairs by problem area

Engine (47%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (16%)

Brakes and Traction Control (8%)

Suspension and Steering (20%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (3%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (7%)

Other (0%)

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Chart based on 76 repairs.

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Mazda Protege repair cost distribution

$2500+ (16%)

$1000 - $2499 (84%)

$500 - $999 (0%)

$100 - $499 (0%)

< $100 (0%)

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Chart based on 55 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

80000 mi US $2500	replaced motor with one that has 20000 miles on it., it was a cracked head that led to all this.
82000 mi US $3300	Bought the car, found out that it had a blown head gasket. To replace the gasket was going to cost 1100 bucks. It also needed a new clutch and pressure plate. Which was going to be another 500 bucks plus parts on top of that leaving the totol cost around
84000 mi US $169	3 Blown motor mounts, replaced them with upgraded ones from AWR

152000 mi US $1200	rear calipers were seized and needed to be replaced coolant leak at thermostat induction cleaning to remove carbon build-up
161500 mi US $969	Right rear strut mount broke, needed to replace strut mounts, struts and sway bars links. Also repaired exhaust system hangers that had broken.
179000 mi US $552	Alternator stopped working, shredded belt, needed to be towed

116000 mi US $130	battery replacement
118300 mi US $250	Engine mount replaced
155800 mi US $200	replacement of door lock relay
155300 mi US $1200	Radiator was replaced after leak was detected
184000 mi US $200	Replaced window regulator
186000 mi US $800	Broken brake line (fluid leak). Caliper also replaced.
189000 mi US $600	Starter needed replacement

113500 mi US $400	Engine would temporarily cut out while driving. Took to shop where it was diagnosed as a bad cam positioning sensor. The faulty part was replaced.
114000 mi US $1800	Car overheated on road trip to CA, had it towed to local repair shop. Diagnosed blown head gasket and radiator. Upon replacing head gasket they discovered that head was warped. Replaced head with a refurbished one.
114700 mi US $738	Horrible engine noise, removed timing cover to investigate, tensioner pulley and springs were shot and cover was broken. Mechanic to replace pulley, springs and belt.
149000 mi US $250	Car began idling low, near-stalling at stops, overheating. Shop performed diagnostics & determined that both engine head & block had severe wear related to poor workmanship on prior head replacement, not fixable, must replace engine.

125000 mi

US $1900

Clutch was slipping, grinding gears when shifting. New clutch kit, master slave cylinder, flywheel and rear main seal. New gear oil.

102300 mi

C $4500

ABS sensor warning

130000 mi US $3600	Engine replacement. Timing belt broke, didn't change it when should have. Needs new engine. Was in shop for weeks. Don't know exact odometer reading.
132000 mi US $985	Small crack in radiator, probably present or cause of catastrophic failure in 2009. After engine replaced, radiator wasn't. Overheated once under extreme stress. Driven for weeks afterward, with no probs. Replaced rad, water pump, t-stat.

93000 mi US $2972	Engine overhaul. I must have dropped something into #4 cylinder as it began consuming oil after the 90K tuneup.
111000 mi US $460	Bracket on strut where stabilizer bar link connects broke. Replaced both struts and both links. Since one strut broke, I split the cost of parts. If you think we should consider both struts, cost of repair with parts and labor is $460
133000 mi US $247	Right front wheel bearing failing.
141400 mi US $550	Both Strut mounts and the passenger control arm with integrated ball joint was replaced.
150000 mi US $340	Alternator failure
161000 mi US $110	Replaced Lower Control Arm
169000 mi US $260	Wheel bearing
181300 mi US $600	Wheel bearing replaced again Control arm replaced again
173800 mi US $104	Short in fuel injection system
218617 mi US $190	Passenger rear caliper stuck. Replaced caliper, pads, rotor, brake hose, flushed fluid and bleed system.
223681 mi US $679	Replace A/C compressor

103540 mi R 900	Replaced ball joints and tie rod ends
108500 mi R 550	The car would cut out under load. We first cleaned the petrol filter situated in the tank as it was clogged. A week later it did the same thing. We then drained the petrol tank as it was full of rubbish. No parts replaced
109368 mi R 2150	Replaced clutch kit,slave cylinder and gearbox seal

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63240 mi C $300	check engine light came on. to the mechanic i go. read code: "front oxygen sensor" Replaced that sensor, reset code, nothing further to report.
67040 mi C $1100	centre bearing on passenger side driveshaft

85760 mi C $750	Spark plugs, cables, battery, ignition system
93620 mi C $1100	Too much play in tie rods. Had them replaced.
101680 mi C $1100	Front stabilisers replaced replaced water pump front exhaust

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50840 mi C $430	EGR valve kit needed to be replaced.
59520 mi C $1600	Required new battery and alternator. Car would not start. Taken to Garage x2 to have problems figured out. Required tow x2. Also had routine maintenace done: Alternator belt, serpentine belt, tire rotation.
68820 mi C $1350	Both front wheel bearings and stabilizer bars replaced. Rear right ABS sensor replaced.
69440 mi C $222	Front intermediate pipe from exhaust manifold was corroded and fell off. New pipe installled.

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57700 mi US $1000	LSD Welds broke. Replaced LSD.
92000 mi US $100	Muffler replaced.

72000 mi US $1800	differential repair
108000 mi US $250	Right side wheel bearing.

65000 mi

US $2000

Transmission LSD failed, replaced with aftermarket transmission and LSD to prevent this issue again in the future. Could have been repaired for 500 dollars.

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53000 mi

US $1300

humming noise; fixed by replacing front wheel bearings; it has failed again twice and repaired covered by warranty

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32569 mi

US $9000

the only thing that had to be repaired was the wheel bearings at like 50k. it now has 90 thousand miles and is going strong

99000 mi

US $1600

Both brake caliper assembly's were frozen - no front brakes. Front left and right wheel bearings req'd replacement - were severely worn out. Rear suspension knocking noise -- found that entire rear suspension needed replaced (strut mounts, struts, etc, etc,) estimated cost $3000 + labor. Declined repair and sold car.

92380 mi C $958	Two of the ignition coils burnt out and had to be replaced, along with spark plugs. Regular 140k maintenance was also performed.
109820 mi C $350	Rear sway bar links replaced. Coolant fluids flush done.
132060 mi C $1500	Gas tank had a leak, engine belt replaced. Front axle bar needed welding.
148900 mi C $1500	Rust treatment and new coat of paint.

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52500 mi US $225	Had loose front tie rod ends replaced because of noise.
55000 mi US $385	Replaced the EGR valve for the third time, first out of warranty. also diagnosed creaking noise in rear as worn/loose sway bar end links. Need to be replaced at next visit.
65000 mi US $300	Replaced broken rear sway bar end links. Also flushed power steering fluid system due to unknown contaminant. Regularly required brake service and lube also performed.
75000 mi US $475	Had scraping noise in rear of car after new pads and rotors installed in February. Mechanic discovered that the rear calipers were faulty and had to be replaced. Also had to replace the 3 month old rotors and pads because of premature deterioration.
75000 mi US $225	had to replace front pipe, completely rotted, needed new part, not just a welded repair
80000 mi US $1400	Front struts replaced - they were badly leaking and had lost most of their rebound capabilities. Was cause severe tire wear. Had car in for tire wear and 2 alignments over past year, but they didn't figure it out til now. Shop performed rear brake maintenance. The rear brake pad/caliper slides had frozen again. Probably top problem with this car. Significant thru the panel rust on both rear wheel arches, causing the rear bumper to lose its connection points to the body. The connector has rusted away, leaving bumper to rattle in the wind. Also other rust ie bottom of all doors
82000 mi US $500	egr valve problem is back,car stalling and running rough. Cel was egr flow insuficient. Cleared that then threw multiple cylinder misfire.
89000 mi US $350	Front outer tie rods replaced, were significantly loose. Also complained of loud whining/gear noise, was diagnosed as bad driver front wheel bearing. I think it is the gear box whining. also had rust check, alignment.

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143000 mi

US $1300

Shocks worn -- replaced.

106200 mi C $121	check engine light came on, and noticed some knocking. took car to dealer, who found a split intake tube. Tube was replaced, problems resolved.
110360 mi C $125	Rear struts completely shot, replaced. Nearly every bolt was seized, making the repair difficult. Save the hassle and take it to a shop.
112220 mi C $1100	Vehicle suddenly lost power. Towed to dealership. From the invoice: REPLACED T. BELT, WATERPUMP, W/P GASKET, COOLENT, T. BELT TENSIONER AND SPRING, ALT.BELT, V/C GASKET
116560 mi C $120	had the oil pressure sensor replaced
120280 mi C $700	brake pad fell off. rotor damaged. new rotor, rear pads, and a new caliper (leaking).

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93000 mi US $1050	Brought in for knocking noise that varied with rpm - turned out to be timing belt flopping around. Root cause was not fixing leaky valve cover gasket in a timely manner. Replaced timing belt/other belts, water pump, cam/oil seals, etc.
119000 mi US $575	Rattling noise over bumps and increased body lean that steadily got worse over a year - turned out to be bad strut and strut mount. Ended up getting 2 new rear struts and mounts
131500 mi US $147	Noticed temp gauge started going up so went to shop a few blocks away before car overheated. It was the thermostat like I thought - easy and quick repair.

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122300 mi US $350	wheel bearing and pads
80000 mi US $250	muffler failed, sounded like a world war 2 patton tank
97000 mi US $400	replaced rear struts
127000 mi US $1000	gas tank leak, on top of tank. brake failure. brake hoses.

154000 mi US $115	Replaced cracked air intake housing/shroud (was causing stalling and check-engine light).
175000 mi US $1700	blew a head gasket
176300 mi US $200	A/C valve went bad
192000 mi US $500	alternator died water pump died

197000 mi

US $6000

timing belt broke inside of the engine - engine is damaged - repair was not successful

94000 mi

US $2400

Water pump failed, resulting in a faulty head gasket. New engine or machined head gasket was required. Water pump, radiator, repaired head gasket and reservoir.

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74000 mi

US $1000

water pump and timing belt

89820 mi C $100	Car occasionally wouldn't start - see earlier report for this car. Replaced battery.
90000 mi C $300	Rear passenger side brake caliper needed replacement
96500 mi C $2000	Clutch was wearing out. It kept seizing up and couldn't shift. Problem was the worst on lower gears. Replaced clutch. 2002 Mazda + rust need I say more! HAD to deal with it because windshield busted by icicle falling from power line needed replacement. Had to fix rust first around windshield, so fixed all rust dents + did full repaint
99200 mi C $400	rust under the car with approx 2 inch hole near front passenger wheel. took it to a shop that sanded down some of the rust, welded metal plate under the car and did an all-over rust-proof spray
106020 mi C $500	Replace 2 brake calipers

75020 mi C $1500	Replace third gear, fork, busing and rebuild transmission
77500 mi C $1000	Replace front struts, front exhaust pipe, EGR valve, rear brake pads and rotors.

44629 mi US $383	Valve cover gasket replaced, light leaking noticed.
44680 mi US $123	Air conditioning recharged, dye added to find what I assume must be a pinhole leak somewhere.
56873 mi US $432	Replaced two of four motor mounts due to age of rubber parts (cracking, losing effectiveness).
64979 mi US $168	Thermostat stuck and caused an overheat. Replaced thermostat and flushed coolant, no problems since.
70127 mi US $1520	Replaced timing belt, water pump, camshaft seal, O2 sensor (pre-cat), transmission fork and pivot bearing.
75780 mi US $191	Replaced downstream O2 sensor.
88000 mi US $1939	A/C system failed. Parts replaced: A/C Compressor, receiver dryer, expansion block, evaporator. Also replaced driver's window motor and regulator (regulator broke) and both drive belts.
108000 mi US $800	Clutch spring broke, required replacement of entire clutch kit. Previous clutch kit lasted only 45,000 miles on mostly light highway commuter driving.

185900 mi US $1200	Leaking coolant. replaced water pump and timing belt.
182500 mi US $400	Car overheating and check engine light on. Replaced radiator. Replaced spark plugs and spark plug wires.
200000 mi US $100	check engine light on. found tears/holes in plastic air intake duct. part replaced

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114000 mi US $1285	Valve cover gasket replaced due to leaking oil. Timing belt covers failed due to oil leaking around valve cover gasket; causing plastic to become brittle, crack and hitting the water pump pulley.
120000 mi US $318	Replaced air mass meter boot.

135000 mi

US $3046

Engine Blew

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74000 mi

US $1050

Car was squealing when cold.

58280 mi C $1250	While on hoist, mech. reported ft struts leaking and rear sway bar loose...I reported this to Mazda yrs ago while vehicle still had warranty though they told me there was no problem. They fixed other little things that were a by-product of the struts Replace timing belt; replace coils/wires/plugs
63240 mi C $750	Replaced front struts

109000 mi US $160	Cracked intake hose, ~$60+$90 (1hr) labor+tax
110000 mi US $600	Car died in traffic. Replaced alternator.
115000 mi US $200	Temp gauge above nominal range, thermostat replaced
118000 mi US $279	Replace evaporator core and dryer, recharge A/C.
113000 mi US $250	Cracked exhaust pipe caused leak/noise. Pipe and two gaskets replaced.
119200 mi US $300	Seized (open) right rear brake caliper, replaced both calipers, both sets rotors and pads Blower motor switch failed (known problem where compressor shuts off on speeds 2/3), replaced corroded refrigerant line, evac/recharge AC system.
120000 mi US $1350	2nd catalytic converter and A pipe cracked (no code, only audible exhaust leak) ($900) VTCS solenoid failed resulting in P1569 code. Contacts cleaned prior to replacement, which helped, but problems still intermittent. Both replaced ($350).
123000 mi US $500	Leaking gasket; replaced. Still smell exhaust, so probably not successful. Valve cover gasket leaking; replaced AC not cold; recharged
123000 mi US $100	AC not cold, held vacuum and partial charge, recharged. Lost charge again within a week.

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162000 mi

US $1500

Replaced engine. Original engine was making loud noise due to bent valve or bearings.

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81000 mi

US $1100

The two front struts were replaced due to leakage in both.

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83080 mi

C $1400

5-speed, broken 3-4 shift fork. Car stuck in 4th gear. Required transmission drop and rebuild with new fork. New bearings installed as well.

167400 mi C $530	Corroded and leaking gas tank (at seam)
174840 mi C $300	Replace worn ball joint cracked intake tube/hose.
176700 mi C $250	worn stator in alternator, replaced alternator with an after market unit. replace parking brake cable and adjust rear brakes
212000 mi C $1500	Replaceemnt of rotted metal: hood, trunk, rear quarters and surface rust on various body parts. Front seats were replaced with second hand ones.
211420 mi C $240	Leaking oil pan weeping around flange area. Needed to be replaced Struts,shocks, idler arm worn due to age. coolant bypass line worn out due to age. exhaust manifold holed and leaking due to age/wear and tear. One front Caliper and rear drum brage spring set worn out/sticking/dragging parts replaced.
221960 mi C $250	Replace fuel rail and MAF sensor.
241800 mi C $140	leaking frost plug causing partial loss of coolant
241800 mi C $450	Replace worn clutch.

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120900 mi

C $1100

all 4 stabilizer links replaced. as well as unclog AC line

145000 mi US $160	Replaced the rear driver side brake caliper. About a month after I had to replace the passenger side rear caliper. I still need to solve a rough idle problem.
151000 mi US $1000	New engine.

143000 mi US $399	The high pressure AC hose was leaking freon. A replacement was not available locally. The high pressure hose was replaced and the system recharged. Left rear caliper was stuck causing noise and brake pad wear.
152500 mi US $600	The Overdrive light was flashing a code. Transmission cleaned and solenoids replaced.
161000 mi US $2100	Third gear was replaced and the trans rebuilt.

100720 mi C $1000	EGR valve replaced as car was stalling at idle and otherwise running roughly.
102300 mi C $400	Alternator failed and was replaced.
103540 mi C $2500	Shocks and springs x 4.
106020 mi C $1300	Full exhaust system replacement including catalytic converter.

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102000 mi US $150	Radiator failed. Replaced.
108000 mi US $1300	Automatic transmission would start in second gear when cold. First gear would engage only after a 5 minute warmup. Transmision was rebuilt.

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103700 mi US $250	Brake warning light. Was losing brake fluid, but no puddles outside car. Fluid leak found inside, behind clutch pedal. Replaced clutch master cylinder. Brake and clutch worked fine even with partial fluid loss.
114000 mi US $2100	All links were worn or damaged; replaced. Front lower arms, front stabilizer links, front struts
126000 mi US $1100	Front oil seal and valve cover gasket replaced due to oil leaks. Belts, coolant, and water pump replaced during this operation.

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134540 mi C $230	Left front door lock failed under electric actuating
138260 mi C $1200	Timing Belt replaced, Serpentine Belt replaced (2 belts), Water Pump replaced
143100 mi C $375	EGR valve had to be replaced after Check Engine light came on permanently.
145700 mi C $900	Front brakes repaired. Callipers and pads replaced, rotors machined. Un-related, exhaust pipe re-attached to clamp under floor.

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219000 mi

US $1000

Radiator was leaking a lot.

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106640 mi C $722	Alternator pulley replaced. Brake calipers seized. EGR valve frozen in open position.
110360 mi C $700	Clutch dropped a pad, jammed out of 4th. Boiled engine oil. Discovered leaking oil pan after it had been repaired. Discovered bad fuel pressure regulator has caused gas to mix with oil in crankcase, destroyed bearings. Fuel mixing with oil thanks to bad FP Regulator. Mazda Dealer had previously checked and said it was fine. Hard start persisted, caused fuel to be forced past piston rings. Destroyed rings, crank bearings and rear main seal.
110360 mi C $1200	Clutch replaced, but linkage is not responding. Clutch pedal will not release, possible issue with feed system between brake master cylinder and clutch master cylinder. It's definitely a Ford design.

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Expensive Mazda Protege repairs by problem area

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