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Mazda Protege Rust Problems
After noticing rust on my 2003 Mazda Protege 5 I did some searching and discovered that rust is really a problem on these cars. I think we need to have a place that everyone can voice their disgust.
On my car, the paint has completely eroded and there's bare metal in front of both rear wheels just above the lower trim. There's a dime-sized bubble on my roof. And I've got rust bubbling on the window frames on both the passenger and drivers side rear windows. (Those spots were visible summer of 2007.)
Mazda needs to do something about this, a car built in 2003 shouldn't be rusting away after 5 years.
On my car, the paint has completely eroded and there's bare metal in front of both rear wheels just above the lower trim. There's a dime-sized bubble on my roof. And I've got rust bubbling on the window frames on both the passenger and drivers side rear windows. (Those spots were visible summer of 2007.)
Mazda needs to do something about this, a car built in 2003 shouldn't be rusting away after 5 years.
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At 60,000 miles I have rust on the passenger side above the panel that had rust before.
I have rust developing at the seams above the wheel well in the engine compartment.
I am very upset about this, because it could keep me from driving this engineering gem for 200,000 miles.
Toyota Camry's have a chronic and premature rust problem in the same place, just behind the rear wheels where the body panels come together.
Rust starts where the steel feathers to its thinnest edge anywhere in the car. Take the metal back so another part of the car has a thinner edge, and the rust will show up at the new location first.
Toyota did a classic quality deployment study to actually set quality specs for rust.
They did this by setting the specification for the thinnest dimension for steel on the lower part of the car. Look for areas in the sheet metal where the sheet metal is feathered to a knife edge and may have a ragged look. That's where the rust will usually start.
With the winning design and technical ZOOM team at Mazda I hope this rust issue gets addressed quickly, and if there is a technical solution for those owners who are disappointed with the performance (rust) of the vehicles they currently own, I hope the owners will be notified by Mazda of the solution.
There are specialized rust arrestors (not just a paint coverup) that actually convert rust to an inert compound and stop further rust. (Krylon-Duplicolor-"Rust Tough' -Sherwin-Williams). At one time I was marketing manager for Krylon Rust Tough from S-W, and handled marketing for Krylon and Duplicolor. You can find Duplicolor in most automotive departments and auto parts retailers. You can find Krylon in many parts stores as well as major hardware and building and lumber supply retailers.
Find the detail shop who does the touch up detailing for your local car auctions and you will find a shop that knows what they are doing with this problem. I was very happy with the work done by my body shop. I have not had a recurrence of rust in the 40,000 mile repair.
Good luck with the rust solution. I will continue to research and explore this issue, and report here what I end up doing with my second bout with rust, and with the rust problem on top of the wheel wells at the seams, in the engine compartment.
ZoomOH
2002 Protege5 started rusting at about 40000 miles in odd places with paint bubbles. Mazda would do nothing. Now with 100K miles on the car and years later it is rusting everywhere..
- In front of both rear wheel wells (the side molding worn down the paint and the rust has eatenthe entire panel away....both sides.
- The very top of both rear wheel wells...the paint has bubbled out and is eating vertically upward. Mazda says a stone must had it direectly there (both sides).
- Where the rear bumper meets the rear wheel well. Again, Mazda says a stone must have done it.. (both sides).
- Right under the word Protege 5 in the middle of the hatchback the rust has bubbled almost all the way up to the window.. Never a scratch or dent there..it started under the word/eblem.
-Under all 4 doors ..the weld seal of the door panel has failed and seperated and rust is visible.
- Entire undercarriage of the car. The undercoating has failed and there is rust visible everywhere. Car is 6 years old and we're afraid the floor boards may give out.
- All 4 alloy wheels..the paint on them bubbled/corroded up on all edges.
Except for the bearings and suspension the car has been quite reliable. Too bad because any savings are negated because the body is beyond repair. It's like we purchased an old Honda or Fiat from the 1970's and there is no galvanized metal anywhere on the car.
When I see those shiny new Mazdas and read the good reviews I get upset...to think that even all the new Mazda 3's will be rusting in the rear wheel wells in a few years. A real shame, the car has been reliable but we could never buy another one.
I hear you.
Actually I'm getting obsessed! As I walk by vehicles I glance at the state of the body and look for rust ... sure enough, I see other Proteges with the familiar pattern of rust around the rear wheel wells. This does not inspire confidence in the brand, especially if you know you have done everything reasonable to maintain the vehicle (e.g. rustproofing). I believe the problem partially involves the manufacturing process and partially customer relations. If auto manufacturers want to survive beyond the initial sale, they should recognize that they have a responsibility to their customers to maintain fair value in their investment.
In a related vein, Mazda had announced earlier this summer a new painting process to reduce the impact on the environment. Let's hope Mazda is looking for other ways of improving their processes to respond to customer issues.
where do I obtain this piece? or can I? I've searched all over hte web for this "part" or "piece". Ca anyone help?
My plate says Zoom Ohio
My wife's plate say ZZ Miata
We're Mazda nuts.
I also have a 2002 MP5.
The black rub strip wasn't factory original and if you remove it and clean up the bumper you will be fine.
However, it is a stocked part at the dealership.
You may be able to bring back the color with a tire treatment product like Armorall.
Ask a counterman at Autozone or Advance.
At this point in time, I'd suggest you remove it, clean up the bumper, and move on.
I added my strip AFTER I took delivery.
BruceKennedy@sssnet.com
Canton Ohio
70k 2002
I'll let ypu know.
much thanks!
It is a consistent problem.
Anyone know of any rust class actions that succeeded on other makes?
The Toyota pickup had a rust problem with the frame that became a structural problem.
Toyota gave trade ins on the the problem trucks and a good price on the replacement new truck.
My brother in law was a victim of this rust.
The problem with the Mazda Protege5 2002 and 2003 is in the same place as Hondas and Toyotas in the 90's rusted out.
Best check is to look at a car you are looking to buy, a model that is 7 years old.
We have had four Miatas, some 10 years old and never had the problem at this location.
I believe some of the problem Protege5's were made in Thailand.
Bruce Kennedy
Canton Ohio
That is simply not true. They were built in Japan.
I think you guys expect a little too much out of your cars. It is pretty normal for rust to be showing up on cars that are 7 or 8 eight years old in areas of the country where they dump profuse amounts of salt on the roads in the winters. I can tell you first hand that Honda has always had a problem with rust. Their cars show the same amount of rust and more than my P5. The leading edge of the hood on my VW was considerably rusted after 6 years. It is what it is.
I just wanted to post and say that I bought my Mazda Protege5 in July 2003, and have just started having rust problems in the last few months. Rust on the right rear door and my luck, the warranty ran out just right before we got in to see Mazda about all of this.
Of course, you know Mazda says they have nothing to do with this, and with no warranty for sure no help.
Well when we took it to 2 local car repairs, they said it was damaged sometime before I even bought the car, the panel inside the door wasn't affixed properly and the leaking caused the rusting. (the strip alongside the length of the car is also falling off at the rear)
The damage, they said, was most likely caused at the dealer they got the car from or when they got the car to the dealership where I actually signed & bought.
Of course, with this information, Mazda still will not budge. I'm really cheesed about this, and with seeing all of you having rust problems on 2003 Protege5's, it makes me mad. It might not be exactly the same situation in every case, but I think Mazda needs to be held accountable.
My car was serviced by Mazda for awhile and then by independent service businesses, and has never been in an accident, which my insurance can verify.
For anyone in a similar situation, it might be beneficial to take your car to a local shop and have them check it out and make sure it wasn't damaged like mine.
I really do wonder if enough people make a case for a suit against them... :mad:
Anyone who wants to do some more talking about this past this forum, you can email me at: devilishfallenangel@hotmail.com
Laura
Hmm, although this may be true, it would be difficult to prove six years after the fact. You may want to consider other options rather than taking on MazdaUSA as the rust will not stop in the meantime. For example, you may want to negotiate with the dealer a reduction in the cost of the repair. In my case, I had the rust on my 2002 P5 removed two years ago; the rear wheelwells and panels were repainted for about C$250 as part of a goodwill agreement with my dealership. Prior to this, I had received independent evaluations of the work required and therefore knew the costs would easily be twice those proposed by the dealership, so I went along with the agreement. Not ideal but this may be better than fighting windmills (with apologies to Cervantes).
p.s. my repairs have held back the rust for the most part, but it's just a matter of time before it re-emerges; I am counting on another 2 to 3 years before moving onto my next vehicle.
So, anyone have an actual hole thru a panel?
The dealers should be more articulate at presenting this case.
Perferation and industry norm was not mentioned in three meetings with the dealer and/or factory rep.
Only 62K on my 03 and the finish is in great condition except for the areas mentioned above. Car has been garaged since new.
Well, not much I can do living in the "rust belt" with so much salt used in the winter.
So my question is: (assuming Mazda has surely addressed this issue by now??)
What year was this finally addressed? Did they do it with a thicker coat of hot galvanizing? Or maybe they foolishly weren't using hot galvanizing?
Since the Mazda3 replaced the Proteges starting in 2004 the problem may be occurring there. I see you posted the question on the Mazda3 forum which is a good idea.
By "hot galvanizing" I suppose you are referring to hot-dip galvanizing. I would imagine they do use the process but frankly, I've never found a reference to it in the Mazda manual or brochures, so it would be interesting to hear one way or the other.
Looks like this thread is not too active though it seems, so I guess Mazda owners are a complacent bunch? lol
Thanks for your reply.
With my situation with Ford it was not complicated. It was a cut and dried scene in which they called my bluff of a lifetime boycott and they were totally out of line. It wasn't even a grey area call, so I lost permanent lifetime respect for them as a brand, a name, and a family. I have been burned by Ford, GM, Honda, and VW. I personally know many who have been burned by Chrysler. I have had Subaru, Toyota and Nissan all do the right thing. I guess they were born with a conscience.
I have found in most situations, it is not a grey area. Either the car co does the correct and proper thing or they stonewall and cause you to become so frustrated they hope (and it is their plan all along) that you simply give up.
I think it is extremely important that victims write a registered letter to the head of a co and inform them that their stonewalling cost them a customer for LIFE. And don't waiver from that. Furthermore, when you go to buy your next car, confirm who owns who so that you aren't still supporting their thieving butts only under a different nameplate.
I absolutely loved that you spread the word of unfair treatment. I do the same if the opportunity presents itself.
However, my P5 was totalled last Feb and the problem ceased to be a problem for me
I bought a 2007 Mazda 5 with the payoff from the insurance co. It started to show rust too though. I had 2-3 dime sized bubbly-rusty patches on the roof, rust around the wheel wells and some pin-sized marks on the sides. And then I was rear-ended and that car was totaled a month ago.
I bought an Accord with the cash and won't look at a Mazda until they figure out how to use water-based paints.
Did you mean a Mazda3? The last model year of the P5 was 2003.
I've also had brake problems, rotors, sway bar links, calipers, etc etc replaced so it seems to be a money pit. It's a shame, but I won't ever buy another Mazda.
Could you provide more details about the problems? For example, did you replace the rotors? At what point (XX miles, XX years)? Do you think this is more than normal wear and tear?
I am starting to get the same rust in the rear wheel wells. If I just spray wd-40 in there, will that stop it? I also agree with one of the previous posters in that I have had the car for a long time, and I like not having a payment (going on 4 years since the 5 year financing finished up) but I will not buy a Mazda again. No way.
I'm assuming that is 103K miles (or roughly 170K kilometres). To me, that does not sound bad although I am sure there are people out there that will say they have much better durability. Brakes are maintenance items; for example, they need to be cleaned regularly to extend their life.
starting to get the same rust in the rear wheel wells. If I just spray wd-40 in there, will that stop it?
I feel your pain but I'd be very surprised if WD-40 works effectively to inhibit rust on automobiles. As far as I know, the best rust prevention method is to have a rust inhibitor applied as early as possible to the vehicle and then to regularly (i.e. annually) have it inspected and reapplied as necessary. In my 2002 Protege5, I held back the rust by the annual application of the Krown from its first year. The car still looks good after 10 years. Honestly, there is rust on the car but it has been held in check to the point that it has not affected its mechanics or looks. I learned this the hard way on my previous car (a Toyota) which became a rust bucket after about 6 or 7 years.
The rear fender area near the wheels was rusted through to the point of having holes, which was covered in the warranty, and they refused to fix it. I am now buying my first new car and as much as I would LOVE a new Mazda 3, I am settling for a 2012 Ford focus hatch instead. I refuse to ever buy another Mazda because of how poorly they handled the rusting that was a result of a defect, not "outside conditions" as they called it. My protege 5 is SO fun to drive, I am really going to miss it... but now the rear brakes are shot, crack in the frame, hole in the rusted gas tank. So sad.
My 2002 Protege5 had rust in the places you note. In 2005 I had the rust removed and the affected areas repainted but not surprisingly the rust returned every subsequent year, so it was an ongoing battle. However, when I passed on the car this year to my nephew it actually did not look bad considering its age. My Corolla had a similar rust issue.
My 02 Subie has zero rust on it!
Kudos to Subaru!
Just in the last year I have had some rust spots popping the paint up on the rear fender wells. I noticed it several years ago, but it wasn't as obvious. I will take care of it myself, and I really don't fault Mazda that much considering the age of the car. This seems to be a weak spot with Honda sedans too.
For a 16 year old car that is impressive.