Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (buckles, retractors, anchors and pretensioners).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Mazda Protege owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I've owned my 2002 Mazda protege5 for 7 years now. It's always had a vibration while braking. Even after having out brand new brakes, rotors and calipers. I'm very anal on how my car looks and drives. If I feel something out of the ordinary, I know something is off. This has happened ever since I've had the car. It does cause me to drive more cautiously especially in the back roads along with wet pavement. The steering wheel shakes while braking as well. As for the body of the car, the paint is faiding fast. It's yellow, and I hand polish and wax it once before spring, summer, and winter. I use maguires wax and polish every time. And it's also got a rust spot along the back left wheel lip. I am the second owner of the vehicle. And when I took it to the dealership to be repainted after I played for the car. It was magically only 24 hours from the warranty covering it. …
On March 15, 2005 I was involved in a pile-up accident. The airbag did not deploy and the seat belt did not restrain me from hitting the steering wheel with my chest. I had a fractured rib. My car is a Mazda Protege 5 and the vin3 is: [redacted].
Myself, the driver, rear-ended another driver at a speed of 35-40mph. The driver slammed on his brakes and I had no time to react. The result is a totaled front end w/ $4000+ of repairs. The seat belt did not restrain me and the airbag did not deploy. The car will be totaled and I suffered extensive bruising because of this failure.
2002 Mazda Protege', in 2006 (under 60,000 miles) the driver side safety belt malfunctioned and began to stick. After a short time, it was no longer working at all. Mazda dealership replaced the safety latch at no cost. Just last week the same thing started happening to the rear driver's side safety belt. As this is where a 2-year old is buckled, I immediately went to the dealership. They found that is indeed beginning to malfunction. The car has just over 80,000 miles on it and it is "no longer under safety warranty". However, the seatbelt has only been used consistently on that side for just under a year. A new part has been ordered by the dealership and replacement cost will be approximately $100 including the labor. Updated 01/11/08. The dealership stated they would replace the part at no charge. Updated
2002 Mazda Protege was involved in a head on collision at 30 MPH yet the air bags did not deploy. The consumer sustained two slipped disk in her back. After the vehicle's body damage was repaired the vehicle was taken to the dealer to have the air bags tested but the dealer refused to test the air bag. The indicated that as long as the air bag light wasn't on that everything was fine. The radio switches stations on it's own. The seat belt light did not illuminate when the car was started. The transmission failed 9/7/2004, 40561 miles. The vehicle alignment wont hold. The brakes have been replaced three times due to noise.
At first the seat belt locked and I could not get out of it. After about 15 minutes I was able to get it released. Thank god I was in the garage at home. Then approx 6 weeks later I was latching the belt to the buckle and the darn thing fell apart. The right rear door handle broke last year but since no one sits back there I never worried about it. Now with the seat belt issue I was searching for the part and someone suggested I check the recall list for this car, because they are not supposed to do that. I found numerous complaints on line and then this site.
I was driving at about 35 MPH and hit a bump on the road that caused the driver seat belt buckle to come loose and it got in my way of the steering wheel. I was lucky to be driving on the left lane on one way street, I was able pull over, and to my surprise the buckle wouldn't latch to the female connector. It seems like the female connector pieces inside it had broken. Please check, this is a huge concern for anyone. If this would have happened on an interstate freeway I can't imagine taking my eyes of the road for even 1 sec. Please investigate!
The rear seat belt mechanism failed. While riding in the car my daughter fell asleep. When she sat upright the seat belt had twisted around her middle. She was able to release the latch but the seat belt was feeding back in and would not release. I tried to pull the seat belt and was unable to advance the belt. It would retract causing more constriction on her. I eventually had to cut the belt to free her.
Dt*: the contact stated the driver seat belt would not buckle at all. There was no click when the seat belt was inserted in the buckle, and the belt did not lock into the buckle. The vehicle was taken to a service dealer, where the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the problem. A new part was ordered. The manufacturer was also notified.
Seat belt failed to release upon pressing the release button. After about 10 minutes of trying it finally released itself. Once free the seat belt no longer would work. Had there been a fire I would not of been able to get out in time.
Seat Belt complaints in other Protege years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat belt problems on the 2002 Mazda Protege?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the seat belts of the 2002 Mazda Protege, 20% of the model year's 98 complaints. The component named most often is front › buckle assembly (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Mazda Protege seat belt problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seat belts recall for the 2002 Mazda Protege. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2002 Mazda Protege seat belt problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to seat belts problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.