1. normal use of the vehicle. 2. the left front seat inside door handle (driver's side) broke off 1/28/09. only way out is to craw over center console and exit passenger side. 3. the left rear seat inside door handle broke off 8/22/09. child had to exit the opposite side of the car. 4. google (no quotes) "protege broke door handle" and see others with this defect. *tr
The hydraulic arm broke and snapped off at the metal ball joint suddenly slamming the hatch door on my 2002 mazda protege 5 closed. fortunately, my son and i had just stepped back from the rear of the vehicle when this happened. had either one of us still been retrieving items from the back of the car, i believe we would have been seriously injured. *tr