Model year record

1996 Mazda Protege

1 recall campaign on file for this model year. 91 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 15V674000

Electrical system: ignition: switch

Component: Electrical system: ignition: switch
Manufacturer: Mazda North American Operations
Vehicles affected: 1,368,500
Reported to NHTSA: 2015-10-19
Owners notified: 2015-12-17

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

If the ignition switch overheats there would be an increased risk of a fire.

Manufacturer remedy

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.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

Component	Complaints	Median mileage
Air bags: frontal	18	—
Air bags	5	84,000 mi
Equipment: appliance: air conditioner	5	—
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip	4	—
Vehicle speed control	4	30,000 mi
Power train: automatic transmission	3	—
Power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (PRNDL)	3	—
Seat belts: front: buckle assembly	3	—
Seat belts: front: retractor	3	—
Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline	2	—
Interior lighting	2	—
Power train: driveline: constant velocity joint	2	—
Seats: front assembly: recliner	2	—
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components	2	—
Steering: steering wheel/handle bar	2	—
Suspension: front	2	—
Unknown or other	2	42,000 mi
Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module	1	—
Air bags: side/window	1	—
Child seat: shield assembly	1	—
Child seat: tether: strap/webbing	1	—
Electrical system: ignition: module	1	—
Electrical system: wiring	1	—
Electrical system: wiring: front underhood	1	42,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling	1	—
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: emission control	1	—
Equipment: mechanical: accessory scissor/screw/bottle jack/lift	1	—
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch	1	—
Seat belts: front: anchorage	1	—
Seats	1	—
Service brakes, air: disc: rotor	1	—
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc	1	—
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: caliper	1	—
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder	1	—
Steering: hydraulic power assist system	1	75,000 mi
Steering: linkages: tie rod assembly	1	—
Structure: body	1	35,000 mi
Suspension	1	—
Suspension: rear: shock absorber	1	—
Tires	1	—
Visibility: defroster/defogger/hvac system	1	—
Visibility: defroster/defogger/hvac system: fan/motor	1	—
Visibility: power window devices and controls	1	—
Visibility: rearview mirrors/devices: interior	1	—

The 1995 model has about a third as many complaints as this one. The 1997 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.