1997 Mazda Protege
Recalls, most-reported problems, crash-test ratings, fuel economy and what a 1997 Mazda Protege is worth — from official NHTSA and EPA data. 5 on record.
1997 Mazda Protege at a glance
Included: that car's specs and build sheet, model-year recall campaigns and a fair price.
1997 Mazda Protege recalls 2
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 1989-1998 MPV, 1990-1995 323, 1990-1998 Protege, 1992-1993 MX-3, 1993-1995 929, 1993-1997 MX-6, and 1993-1998 626 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, grease applied to the contact points inside the ignition switch may become conductive and overheat.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. The recall began on December 17, 2015. Owners may contact Mazda Customer Experience Center at 1-800-222-5500, option#6. Mazda's number for this recall is 8715J.
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.
Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
Source: U.S. NHTSA, checked 4 Nov 2026. A campaign covers the model year; to see whether a particular car still needs the repair, check its VIN on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer.
1997 Mazda Protege common problems
The most-reported problem areas across all 77 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.
1997 Mazda Protege safety ratings
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), tested as the 1997 Mazda Protege 4-DR.. Ratings can differ by body style and drivetrain.
1997 Mazda Protege MPG & running costs
Source: U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov. The EPA lists 4 versions of this model year; combined is shown as a range and the other figures are averages.
Estimated 5-year cost to own
A rough guide to what running a 1997 Mazda Protege costs over five years and 75,000 miles.
How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. There aren't enough comparable listings to estimate depreciation for this model, so it is left out. Not included: insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, registration and finance costs. Treat it as a comparison guide, not a quote.
Dimensions & weight
Manufacturer-reported figures for the 1997 Mazda Protege. Source: Transport Canada vehicle specifications via NHTSA.
Investigations & service bulletins
Manufacturer service bulletins 85
Technical notes the manufacturer sent to dealers about known issues and fixes. Useful to mention to a mechanic — they are not recalls and repairs may not be covered. Showing the 10 most recent of 85.
This service bulletin provides testing and charging procedures in order to promote proper battery maintenance, to deliver new vehicles with fully charged batteries, and to reduce unnecessary battery replacement cost. For new vehicles in stock at the dealer, in…
Bulletin 01-006-21-3779a · Electrical System, Engine And Engine Cooling · Aug 2021This service bulletin provides information regarding the proper use of the driverâÂÂs floor mat to avoid any potential interference with the foot pedals. The following are possible causes of floor mat interference, which can be avoided with proper usage.
Bulletin 09-025-21-3824 · Equipment · Aug 2021The Mazda DCA-8000PM is required for all warranty battery testing. If the Mazda DCA-8000PM is not used, incorrect battery testing may result in unnecessary battery replacement. Use the following test procedures in this Service Bulletin to test Mazda vehicle ba…
Bulletin 01-005-21-3778 · Electrical System · Feb 2021This service bulletin provides testing and charging procedures in order to promote proper battery maintenance, to deliver new vehicles with fully charged batteries, and to reduce unnecessary battery replacement cost. For new vehicles in stock at the dealer, in…
Bulletin 01-006-21-3779 · Electrical System · Feb 2021In accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer
Bulletin 09-002-21-3770 · Vehicle Speed Control, Electrical System, Equipment · Jan 2021In accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer. NOTE: Tampering with a motor vehicle odometer is strictly prohibited by Federal, and State laws. It is the dealerâÂÂs responsibility to comply with Feder…
Bulletin 09-003-20-3671 · Equipment, Electrical System · Jan 2020In support of the new MRT distribution, Mazda will ship to dealers a new Dual Purpose Diagnostic Leak Detector beginning March, 2019. Training videos will be posted to MGSS shortly and Workshop Manual procedures will be revised gradually.
Bulletin 00-003-19-3583 · Engine And Engine Cooling, Fuel System, Gasoline, Fuel System, Diesel · Mar 2019In accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer. NOTE: Tampering with a motor vehicle odometer is strictly prohibited by Federal, and State laws. It is the dealer's responsibility to comply with Federal, S…
Bulletin 09-009-19-3566 · Electrical System · Jan 2019On some vehicles, a sulfur smell or 'rotten egg' odor may be noticed coming from the exhaust system. The odor is usually noticed after a cold start, fast idle, extended periods of idling and full throttle acceleration. Sulfur smell is not an indication of an e…
Bulletin 01-004-19-3558 · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jan 2019This service bulletin provides information regarding the proper use of the driver's floor mat to avoid anypotential interference with the foot pedals. The following are possible causes of floor mat interference,which can be avoided with proper usage. Floor mat…
Bulletin 09-002-19-3554 · Equipment Adaptive/mobility · Jan 2019Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, listed for the PROTEGE. Model-year data, not specific to one car.
About the Mazda Protege
The Mazda Familia , also marketed prominently as the Mazda 323, Mazda Protegé and Mazda Allegro, is a small family car that was manufactured by Mazda between 1963 and 2003. The Familia line was replaced by the Mazda3/Axela for 2004.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Describes the model line in general, not this model year specifically.