2000 Mazda Protege LX from North America - Comments

Nothing major went wrong with the vehicle until approximately 45k miles. I did have to take the vehicle in at around 20k to have the power door locks fixed. This was under warranty. Also, the factory stereo was terrible and the CD player stopped working at around 25k. I had a non-factory stereo put in at that time.

Due to an incident with potholes/concrete I did have to have the entire radiator, undercarriage panels and parking break replaced/fixed. However, service at the Mazda dealer was great.

Now, the Check Engine light stays on most of the time, although some days it goes off. The car has now started to have some issues with stuttering/chugging when in 1st and 2nd gear. I am taking the car in next week to find out what the problem is. I have a feeling that it is a problem with the fuel system, which will be costly now that the warranty has expired.

Overall, I really like this car. It has been great on gas mileage and with the 5-speed it doesn't seem like a small 4-cylinder engine. The interior has kept up nicely and I haven't had any problems there. The lettering has worn off the shifter, but other than that the interior and exterior still look great.

I had the same issue with the stock stereo but we now use an iPod with an FM transmitter.

I've noticed throughout the forum most people have trouble with their standard transmissions. I used to be a sworn stick driver but my driving habits have mellowed. Modern automatics have come a long way. Our 2000 LX is an AT. No issues in 136,000 miles. Fuel economy is fine and engine performance has not deteriorated. Auto trans also retain higher re-sale. We also use cruise a lot which contributes to maintaining the correct idle.

It really seems the trim of this car makes a world of difference.

I also have a 2000 protege LX and I seem to have the same trouble with the chugging sounds when in 1st and 2nd gear. I find, if I shift at 3000rpm's it doesn't do that. Or if I give too much gas on the get go it does it. But, This car from what I've realized isn't meant to be a race car. It's more of a sunday drive kind of vehicle.