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Comments
We haven't been satisfied with these cars compared to other recent purchases. The 1.6L has been decent, but still required a new throttle sensor ($350), a new oxygen sensor ($400), this is ridiculous on a three year old car. The 1.8L has been through three CD players and Mazda refused to accept that there was a problem, was disabled recently after a valve spring broke ($500) leaving the running on three cylinders, and has been cursed with rattles. I know that every car company has a few duds, but two in the same house is not promising. I'm re-evaluating my loyalty to Mazda after this experience, there's no doubt that Ford has cheapened the brand.
Take a good look at the Jaguar X-Type, there is no way that would pass for Jaguar when the British owned the company, just like the current and last generation Protege would not pass for a Mazda when the Japanese owned the company. I have very high expectations for Mazda products based on prior purchases, they just aren't meeting my expectations any more.
BTW, take a good look at how the Mazda3 was built. It has plastic exhaust headers and other unorthodox design features, that raises some alarms for me. Also, they are selling much more car at the same price point as the previous model, I would wait for a few years to see if these components age well.
Don't think I hate Mazda, I'm just disappointed with the way Ford has influenced the company. The only way its going to get better (and more in line with Mazda of the past) is if consumers honestly raise these issues.
sure, Ford has "cheapened" the brand, but they are also selling three times as many in this country as they did in the 80's.
i don't think it is bad or good that Ford is involved with Mazda or the Protege, i was just curious.
Usually this signals an electrical, gas cap or emissions problem.
The engine's running fine (maybe smoother than normal? ) and it's pretty much the same. It could be my imagination but I got shocked when getting out of the car.
I'll fire it up tomorrow and see if it's on. If it stays on tomorrow and through my 90 miles commute, I guess the ole dealer can troubleshoot it. Not sure if it matters, but the tools at my buying dealer finally got my key fobs for me (they lost the originals before I bought the car) and hooked them up this week. maybe one of them tweaked something electrically? Wouldn't put it past them...
Oh well if it's on by tomorrow night it'll give me a good excuse to skip work Friday. Heh, heh, heh...
Sometimes, its just more convenient than a long haul to a dealership.
This car is going to be sold in many forms (volvo,mercury,ford, etc.,) so get used to it.
I will agree that it doesnt compare to the quality of older gen proteges and 323's, but why on earth would ford want to build a car that lasts?
Recently, I have been noticing jerky motion
when coasting. Specifically, if I release
the gas pedal even lightly, the car pulls
back (like I stepped on the brake) and
surges forward when I push the pedal again.
This is quite annoying, especially when
you want to maintain constant speed (like
40 mph on a city street).
I notice the same problem when the cruise
is applied, and the road has ups and downs.
Whenever the system decelerates, there is
a jerk.
Anyone else has a similar problem, or
any idea what's going on here?
On a related note, the 5 speed was VERY
smooth in the beginning, and now I'm noticing
that it's getting a little harder to shift.
Wonder if these are related.
I think they use wood-chip panels in the upper parts of the rear door panels, which then distort with changing moisture content. This seems to cause the tops to straighten (when looking down the length of the door), which causes the top edge to lift up, which is more noticeable in the center, which is unsupported.
This is what I think happens, though I can only confirm that's how the front door trim panels are made. I removed them to install aftermarket speakers, and I was quite surprised to find my car had so much wood in it!
This doesn't seem to happen in my wife's '03 P5, but I don't know what the panels are made of. They may have gone away from using wood or they may have changed the molds for the panels or added supports in the center of the span to minimize the warping.
It should go away when the air isn't so dry. It is still rather annoying.
Are you refering to winter tires or just in general?
There are a number of 17" rims that will fit. The wheel offset is +55 although you can go as low as +45 depending on tire width. I am using 205/45/17's. When they wear out I want to change to 215/40/17's which is closer in diameter to the stock 195/50/16's.
When it happens it's often caused by a malfunction of the hand brake which stay partially (or completely) locked even if you released the handle properly.
Also, the protege handle is very sensitive and it has to be replaced very low when you disengage the hand brake otherwise it's not completely released and the rear brakes wear very fast.
1999 Protege ES 5-speed (1.8 liter)
Mileage: 92,000 miles
Current combined MPG: about 26 (we drive fast on Interstate!)
Issues (most are minor or typical):
(1) 5,000 miles - faulty water pump, replaced for free under warranty
(2) about 60,000 miles - alternator failed, replaced for about $200 (aftermarket part + labor)
(3) about 70,000 miles - replaced timing belt as dealer said it was an interference engine - found out later it is NOT. Oh well, now we won't have to mess with it for quite some time, I hope.
(3) 85,000 miles - spark plug wires needed to be replaced - aftermarket part for about $50.
Currently, the accelerator pedal is sticking, but just needs some lubrication.
Also, getting some hesitation at lower RPMs. Diagnostics (at Auto Zone) says that we may have a failed speed sensor, which is located near the transmission. Part costs about $200 from Mazda and cannot find aftermarket for this part. Doesn't really impact driving very much, so we'll probably wait before replacing that pricey part.
Clutch and transmission and rear brakes are all still original and feel excellent!
Overall the car still has NO rattles, squeaks, or other strange noises and the wife loves it. We plan on keeping it at least until it hits 150,000 miles.
Overall the 1999 Protege is a great car. But it looks like their quality may be coming down a bit in some of the later models. Naughty Ford!!!!
Enjoy! Zoom zoom and all that!
Why design with interference then? More compression = more power or more efficiency or some mixture thereof from the same amount of fuel. This has been one reason Mazda engines have been less efficient than say, Honda's (which are of the interfering type...so it's a good thing they've gone to chains as well...chains fail too, but less frequently...they stretch, but most folks don't keep their cars for that long, which is generally over 150k miles).
"Overall the 1999 Protege is a great car. But it looks like their quality may be coming down a bit in some of the later models. Naughty Ford!!!!"
How so? Please explain.
Dinu
compensate, I changed a throttle sensor six months ago, is that the same as your speed sensor? I was annoyed that Mazda wouldn't cover it under the powertrain warranty, its attached the engine as far as I'm concerned!!!
My 2003 Protege has a few minor squeaks (one in that little dimpled pad on the passenger side dash and one in the right rear door), but otherwise quality appears exceptional, far better than my last 2002 Mitsu Galant, 2001 Saturn L200, 98 and 97 Nissans and about the same as my last Mazda, a 94 323.
My 2003 Protege has panel gaps that look about the same as my friend's BMW, and the best seats I've ever tried in an economy car. I honestly don't see any evidence of Ford tampering or cost-cutting anywhere in the car.
Can't see it in the window sticker either, which indicates 97% Japanese parts content and Hiroshima/Hofu, Japan as the point of final assembly. Last I checked, Ford doesn't have any actual Ford factories in Japan.
The last few iterations of the 626 and the new 6 are made in the United States in joint venture factories with Ford, and the B-seires pickup and the Tribute are badge-engineered Ford products (Tribute had some Joint development, B-series didn't), but the Protege, and the new 3 are made in Japan.
Of course, the 3 is built on a new Ford platform, so that could be what the Ford reference comes from. I also wasn't impressed with the interior switchgear on the 3 as I am with the Protege, but those didn't seem like Ford parts, at least not from any Ford I've ever seen.
I would expect the same longevity out of my 03 Protege as the other poster's 99. Yes, the new one has a 2.0 instead of a 1.8 liter engine, but it is from the same family and both it and the transmission are real Mazda units, not transplanted Fords.
A space vehicle quality for the Yugo prices?
The compact car market in US is extremely competitive and commands lower, not higher prices with every new redesign (adjusted for inflation).
I doubt that there are any design tolerance adjustments.
On the other hand just about every manufacturer employs engineering teams whose whole purpose is to look for cost savings in the designs of just about every part without affecting its reliability expectations.
Also, you'll note on the 3 hatch that the latch release is at the very bottom of the hatch door, instead of placing it mid-way between the bottom edge and the edge of the rear glass. This eliminates a few parts but places the latch much lower than those on pretty much any other similar vehicle out there. I personally find it too low for comfort.
Also, despite increased numbers on paper, the cabin feels more cramped than the last Protege/P5 except in width. Ford excels at designing cars that feel smaller inside than their dimensions suggest (i.e. Tempo, Contour, Continental, Escort [based upon similar Protege platform, but feels much smaller inside]). The rear seat accomodations in the 3 suffer when compared against the last Protege/P5, especially headroom (and kneeroom to a small extent) in the sedan.
kaiserhead,
I'm not sure if the throttle sensor and speed sensor are the same part. All I know is that a local Mazda dealer told me it was located on my transmission (manual). It could very well be the same part, but I'm not sure.
The vehicle speed sensor, attached to the transmission/transaxle, is a permanent magnet AC signal generator which sends a signal to the controller relative to output shaft rpm or vehicle speed.
The Tribute on the other hand is more Fordish that I would have expected.
Ted
It can definitely be done if you have some mechanical apptitude and the time and garage space during this cold weather. I used the Haynes manual as a general guide. Be aware that the Haynes manual covers a range of model years and thus some of the info. will not be exactly as is on your '95 model. The section on strut replacement is pretty good though.
The only problem I had was removing the link connecting the rear stabilizer bar to the strut tower. The nuts were frozen and the bolt head could not be grabbed on to because it is located inside a sealed rubber housing (like a ball joint). I ended up cutting the links with a hack saw and taking off the rear stabilizer bar.
Best of luck.
The rotors should be resurfaced or at least checked. This can be done by a brake shop on the car if they are replacing the pads. If you are doing it, you should remove the discs and take them to a machine shop unless you have hte appropriate gauge to check for run-out and trust your visual inspection for excess grooving.
the 3 has a ford engine and this vehicle will also be a platform for many of fords divisions - including volvo etc.,
the 3 has a lot of domestic design to it, and lacks the clean/frugal design of most asian cars
If Mazda can benefit from Volvo safety engineering and Ford Europe's suspension design the way Ford & Volvo benefit from Mazda's quality manufacturing processes, I'd say the customer has as much to gain as the manufacturer.
If you haven't noticed, Mazda's design had been getting a bit flashier in the last few years. The RX-8, MS Protege, and 6 are good examples. Once they decided not to be Honda/Toyota clones, Mazda began selling more cars. If Ford brought about that design influence, then I am happier for it. I, for one, do not want to drive a staid/boring (or clean/frugal in your words) asian car. I want a fun/interesting/reliable car. IMHO, Mazda did this best in the past, and, now that they are back on track, they are doing it again.
Ted
Both of them have worked on their flwas and people no longer harp about Honda. Why should Ford be assaulted?
Ted
Ted
How about comparing the recent Honda automatic transmission failures? Still unrealistic?
Or sludging up Toyota engines? Definitely worth of a flashy headline:
Toyota acknowledged Wednesday that millions of its cars and trucks could develop a ruinous oil-sludge problem and said it would repay owners who have had to make repairs.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2002/04/04/toyota-sludge.htm
Unrealistic too?