Best Year to Buy a Mazda Protege
Reliability rankings across 4 model years, based on NHTSA owner complaints
Based on 4 model years of NHTSA complaint data, the 2001 Mazda Protege is the most reliable year to buy with a Klunk Score of 87/100 ("Smooth Ride") and only 51 owner complaints. The 2003 model year is the least reliable with 121 complaints and a score of 70/100 ("Solid Pick").