My rear passenger side door lock failed twice, luckily they happened within the warranty.
When I first got the car, it pulled to the right for no reason. They had everything checked, but it was still pulling like hell. Then about 20K, the tires were almost shot. Can you believe it?
The worst thing was, the key barrel locked my key suddenly. They ended up changing the whole lock under warranty.
Around 40k, I started hearing squeaking and clunking noises underneath. They were so annoying. It was actually about the premature worn sway bar and end links bushings. You either replace them, (cost you about $200), or to live with it.
Remember to do the brake service at the recommended interval. The brakes on this car (sticky piston and messy caliper) easily fail and seize without any warning. I ended up paying $460 to do the rotor and new brake pads.
Very good looking inside outside; classy and sporty. Handled like a true sports car before the sway bar bushing failed. That is it!
It was probably an alignment issue, if the car was pulling and wearing out tires fast. I've owned 2 older Protege's, and both have had their share of quirks, but they are bulletproof where it counts (engine & tranny). In a minor accident I curbed one hard enough to blow up the tire and make a huge dent in the rim, and I never even needed an alignment after. If you keep up with maintenance, the car should last you a long time, if you've got the patience to deal with things like suspension, cv joints, and exhaust if and when they all need replacing.
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