Looking to buy a Protege5.

T

Tressly

Member
:
2003 Mazda Protege5
Hey, I'm a 20 year old college student looking at buying a P5. I'm looking for several opinions from people who own the car.

My uncle's auto shop has a used 2003 Mazda Protege5 on their lot and they have it listed at $4500 (I can definitely negotiate down from that price, what would you suggest is a fair selling price?). The car has 144k miles on it. New brakes, suspension, and radiator have just been installed on it. No major accidents, just a small dent on the driver's side door.

The car has been sitting on the lot for a few months. The radiator went on the hottest day of the year, likely because the car had sat for a while.

What are some issues to be concerned with a P5 that has high mileage? The car has passed all inspections, but I want to know if it's going to end up being a money pit. I'm a college student on a tight budget so I want to know if it's worth buying.
 
check everywhere very closely for rust mostly around the fenders
other than that dont forget it is a 10 year old car with high miles
if its your uncle's auto shop i don't see that it would have hidden problems, thus resulting in a money pit
 
I checked for rust. Doesn't appear to have anything significant. I'm taking it to a Mazda dealership tomorrow to make sure it looks alright.
 
Took it to a Mazda dealership for a second opinion, they said it looks great. They didn't charge me a dime and were extremely helpful.

There is a brand new timing belt on the car. I'm pretty set on purchasing it. I'm hoping I can negotiate down to $3500.
 
3500 would be about right, maybe slightly less. You might use the timing belt needing to be done in the near(ish) future as leverage.
 
Coils, EGR valve and VTCS butterfly valves are common issues with this car. You might want to familiarize yourself with those issues. Wheel bearings might be on your horizon too.

You might want to treat your new best friend to coils, wires and plugs for good measure when your finances allow (keep your old coils,... in the trunk). A new air filter is a good idea.

Getting your car undercoated is a great idea (assuming you're from Virginia or Connecticut not Texas or Australia),... these cars will rust if given the opportunity.

You might consider replacing your fuel filter too:
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/show...How-To-Change-Your-Fuel-Filter-(lots-of-pics)

If you already have an Android phone,... the Torque App and Bluetooth reader are an inexpensive idea, and kinda fun.

Hope you love your car as much as I love mine,... good luck with it.
 
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Earlier this week I was on my way to work, I work on a military base and we have to show ID before they let us on. As I was in line at the gate, the engine light flashed on, and the engine immediately cut off. I put the car in park and started it back up. No problems since then.

I drive an automatic, so I was confused and I'm worried that this will continue. Anyone know what causes this?
 
I'm in the same boat. I went and looked at the 2003 Mazda Protege5 yesterday, the guy is asking for $3500 and it only has 120,000 km's on it. However, the ABS and Emergency Brake light are always on and he can't get them to turn off. Could be a sensor issue, and he took it to his mechanic friend and was quoted about $800 to fix the problem. I took a look at the brake pads and they seemed to be a bit rusty. This guy is the second owner and it doesn't look like the brakes have been replaced at all. Also, the tires currently on the vehicle had a bit of wear to them so they would probably need to be replaced. I would be fine with doing that, however don't want problems with the brakes to occur as I know it would be an expensive fix. Any thoughts on this vehicle??
 
I would do all the regular maint items

spark plugs, coils, timing belt, water pump, all belts, brake fluid, PS fluid. air filter, Trans fluid. engine.
clean the EGR,

anytime you buy a car over 100k, all fluid should be done , always add the price of all the above when buying any used car.
 
I'm probably going to do my coils/plugs/wires next weekend. I'm on RockAuto.com, but there are so many different options on parts. Suggestions?
 
Coils, I went with Airtex Wells. Just use a good brand and you should be fine. Wires, use a similar brand for stock replacement. NGK on plugs without a doubt. Copper if you don't mind replacing them often (if you're OCD on plugs and reading them) or Iridium if you want long service life. They usually come pre-gapped, but be sure to verify the gap before installing them. Use a feeler gauge and not one of the round coin things.
 
I am over at the PNT - bring it over & I could bring my code reader & point out a wealth of other information on the car (from my experience)... Let me know.

Tressly said:
Earlier this week I was on my way to work, I work on a military base and we have to show ID before they let us on. As I was in line at the gate, the engine light flashed on, and the engine immediately cut off. I put the car in park and started it back up. No problems since then.

I drive an automatic, so I was confused and I'm worried that this will continue. Anyone know what causes this?
Click to expand...
 
Just saw you are from NOVA. you go to nvcc? Would be awesome to see some more P5s in the lot at Annandale/Manassas campus
 
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