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Mazda Protege Rust Problems

100 messages,  Last post on Dec 24, 2012 at 12:59 PM

You are in the Mazda Protege Forum.

What is this discussion about? Mazda Protege, Mazda Protege5, Auto Body, Paint, Sedan, Wagon

Messages Page 9 of 11

#73 of 100 Re: no guarantees [02mazda] by third_hand

Jul 15, 2012 (8:29 am)

Replying to: 02mazda (Jul 05, 2012 7:45 pm)
So disappointed. Just been told that our 2002 Mazda Protege 5, bought new by us in Sept 2001, 98000 km, has rust in the strut towers. Would cost about $1200 to repair. Not even able to be safetied! This is and has been a terrific little car. I had wanted another five or so years out of it - engine etc humming like a Swiss watch. However, rust everywhere. Shopping for a new car (EXCEPT AT MAZDA - husband says never, ever will we buy another MAZDA) and the dealer has offered us $500 for salvage. Ouch! Does anyone know about selling a car for parts?

#74 of 100 Re: no guarantees [third_hand] by 02mazda

Jul 15, 2012 (10:10 am)

Replying to: third_hand (Jul 15, 2012 8:29 am)
I do feel for you. Mine has only 61k miles on it. It is a nice car. Very few mechanical issues all. I would also like to keep mine. Good luck parting it out. I live in town w very little storage space. We do have a good scrap yard in my town, but $500 sounds about as good as you would get. That is a funny business. Those who own the yards do really well. I knew a guy who ran one. He always had a wad of cash like I'd never seen before. I am sure the US IRS saw about 20% of what he made. Also got some great deals on all sorts of vehicles. Very profitable. If you have the space perhaps you could do this and then sell whatever is left to a scrap yard. When I look Craigslist I do see all sorts of ads for engines, trannies, etc. Best of luck. No Mazda here again, either.

#75 of 100 Re: no guarantees [third_hand] by 02mazda

Jul 15, 2012 (2:31 pm)

Replying to: third_hand (Jul 15, 2012 8:29 am)
I am taking it you must be Canadian w the 98k km on the car. We bought ours brand new in May of '02. If I do my basic math right your car would have a little over 61k miles on it. That is what my car has. 61k miles. Ouch. I had to have some sort of sway bar attachment bracket replaced, but mechanic said otherwise it looked ok. Now I am very nervous. We live in MI, USA, and we use lots of salt on the roads in the winter here. And we drive it all year long.

#76 of 100 Rust on 2002 Protege by zoom_oh_2002p5

Jul 15, 2012 (2:43 pm)

Replying to: third_hand (Jul 15, 2012 8:29 am)
I had similar problem. I learned that the problem apparently was corrected at the Canadian plant in 2009.
So don't kill your consideration of a Mazda3 or CX-5 (2013).
Other models of Mazda do not rust (Miata we have had three).
But check if 2010 and up are rusting.
Good luck.
My vanity plate reads "Zoom OH)
Canton Ohio

#77 of 100 Re: Rust on 2002 Protege [zoom_oh_2002p5] by 02mazda

Jul 15, 2012 (4:43 pm)

Replying to: zoom_oh_2002p5 (Jul 15, 2012 2:43 pm)
You are welcome to Zoom around OH all you care to. In the meantime my made in Japan Mazda rusts in my MI driveway and has for quite a long time. Best of luck w yours. I also know the CX7 was considered a bad buy by Consumer Reports. I just love Subie. They did right by me when they had a problem. Mazda did not. I would also look a Toyota RAV 4. Not sooner than I have to, however. Both cars are paid off & it feels so very good, even if one is a rust bucket.

#78 of 100 Rust proofing [02mazda] by autonomous

Jul 17, 2012 (8:12 am)

Replying to: 02mazda (Jul 15, 2012 2:31 pm)
my car has. 61k miles. Ouch. I had to have some sort of sway bar attachment bracket replaced, but mechanic said otherwise it looked ok. Now I am very nervous. We live in MI, USA, and we use lots of salt on the roads in the winter here. And we drive it all year long.
Your car does not sound too bad. How much did your mechanic quote to replace the sway bar bracket? Considering the winters in MI, did you get your car rust proofed?
 
My 2002 Protege5 had 81K miles (or 132K km as we say in Canada) when I passed it on to my nephew last year. He is enjoying it and plans to drive it for several more years. Although there are rust issues, I would have to say they are fundamentally cosmetic (that is, they do not affect the vehicle's performance or safety) because the car was rust proofed from the start.

#79 of 100 Rust on Mazda Protege5 2002 by zoom_oh_2002p5

Jul 17, 2012 (8:41 am)

I did not report the strut rust.
My rust was limited to the rear wheel body panels.
It was pretty bad, and reached the point that one of the panels was barely hanging.
I put $ 2200 into replacing the inside and outside panels on both sides.
this 10 year old vehicle with 86k miles now looks as good as new.
Consider the cost to replace, the monthly payments, when you can keep a car,
dump a couple of grand into it every couple of years (major parts or maintenance, or body work) and have a car that is an absolute joy to drive. Nothing can beat it, for me. The design profile is a wonder to behold. The Lexus IS of the same year was so close in design that in photo you could not tell which was which.
 
A car that falters and bucks, sometimes doesn't start, has tires that won't deliver traction, can make life a bit of misery all day long. Fear you won't be able to start when you are a good distance from home, etc.
 
Keeping a car "whole" can be a boost to every minute of the day. The 2002 and 2003 Mazda Protege5 are "special". There are many makes in this car class in today's car market. Current years. But there isn't the same design edge. For example the Subaru has bling rear lights that just look tacky. Otherwise, the same basic design.
 
If you have a wind tunnel and a good design staff, you have to come to this body design.
We are the lucky ones that can own one without car payments and have the true ZOOM ZOOM experience. My vanity plate reads "ZOOM OH". My wife's vanity plate reads "ZZMIATA".
We have had three Miatas. Our current one is a 1999 and it runs like a top. 13 years old and looks showroom clean. My vanity plate showed up in the Canton Repository, the local paper in "Seen around town" which shows neat vanity plates each day.
 
Stick with your Protege5. It is a special car, and you won't find one to match it unless you are very, very lucky.

#80 of 100 Re: Rust on Mazda Protege5 2002 [zoom_oh_2002p5] by 02mazda

Jul 17, 2012 (5:12 pm)

Replying to: zoom_oh_2002p5 (Jul 17, 2012 8:41 am)
Brother, you have the right to drive whatever you want. It seems as if God has been very good to you financially. I congratulate you on that as well. I guess we just have different expectations in terms of quality and durability of motor vehicles. You drive your Mazdas and have a ball. Me, I choose not to. To each his own. We can agree to disagree on this one. To the other people who feel left down, as I do, do as you must. The beauty of our nations, USA and Canada, and the free market. Customer makes his/her own choices depending on his/her financial resources and life needs. It works.

#81 of 100 Design edge [zoom_oh_2002p5] by autonomous

Jul 18, 2012 (10:12 am)

Replying to: zoom_oh_2002p5 (Jul 17, 2012 8:41 am)
The 2002 and 2003 Mazda Protege5 are "special". There are many makes in this car class ... But there isn't the same design edge. For example the Subaru has bling rear lights that just look tacky. Otherwise, the same basic design.
 
Speaking of "edge", I imagine most Subaru drivers not caring too much for those comments!

#82 of 100 silver lining? by 02mazda

Jul 28, 2012 (4:49 pm)

Hey fellow rust owners, I do have some good news. I washed and waxed trusty rusty today and noticed that each time I do wash and wax the beast the time required is lessened. I knew there had to be a silver lining to this conundrum! Who knows, if it lasts long enough I should be able to finish the job in fifteen minutes or less. Sort of like my hair. I am now able to exit the shower, have the dog sneeze on my head two times and no longer require the use of a towel or blow dryer. Thank goodness for small miracles! Now all we have to do is convince our state/provincial legislators to charge us licensing fees based on weight. We would certainly pay less and less each year as our rust buckets oxidize in our driveways! I think FL here in the US used to charge based on weight! Our mileage must certainly be going up, too, as we have less metal for the wonderful 2 liter engines to haul around. The power of positive thinking! Oh, and Automobile mag did NOT, surprise x3, publish my letter to the editor about Mazda rust. Then again, if my well paying job relied on the largesse of said auto companies I would not publish such letters, either. Viva Mazda?

Messages Page 9 of 11

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