Are they really that bad?

[Easymac]

I have read over the forums and I have almost scared myself away from buying the MSP. Problems with the LSD, the turbo, ENGINES BLOWING UP! Bushing squeking every 15k. I have a friend that owns one with 14k bought brand new its a 03 yellow, and he enjoys the heck outta his car..and by reading this you guys do too...but with all the mechanical problems is it worth diving into this car that already has some age on it? I mean how soon does this stuff break, it sounds like some people have experienced major problems UNDER 20k mileage. Those aren't good numbers folks. So ...Try and sway me backinto buying this car, I know during my two test drives its been a very enjoyable experience...but i've scared myself right outta buying it....

[hoindawall]

I have read over the forums and I have almost scared myself away from buying the MSP. Problems with the LSD, the turbo, ENGINES BLOWING UP! Bushing squeking every 15k. I have a friend that owns one with 14k bought brand new its a 03 yellow, and he enjoys the heck outta his car..and by reading this you guys do too...but with all the mechanical problems is it worth diving into this car that already has some age on it? I mean how soon does this stuff break, it sounds like some people have experienced major problems UNDER 20k mileage. Those aren't good numbers folks. So ...Try and sway me backinto buying this car, I know during my two test drives its been a very enjoyable experience...but i've scared myself right outta buying it....

not everyone has those problems. the only problem i had was the sway bar clunk.

[jflo]

personally, i would probably try and look for another car nowadays...i'm getting more and more worried everyday about my car. it's a love/hate relationship at this point. it's fun, you don't see it everywhere you go, people ask you about it and are surprised how well it drives. but i fear the day that my engine will go.

[silverspeed03]

I have 40K miles on my car and have not had a single problem with it other than the bushings needing to be replaced. I think on the the these forums you are going to hear more about the bad than the good you know. People aren't going to talk about how their car operated as it should. Don't get me wrong I LOVE my MSP, but I think if I had to do it all over again I would have looked at SRT-4 or WRX, that is only because there is more potential for power. It really depends if you want to upgrade it at all. I think that if you would buy the MSP put a FMIC, Unichip, TBE, CAI and a EBC and run on the low boost setting you could have a well tuned car (No hesitation around 3500-4500 RPMs) that I think would prove to be pretty reliable.

[MSPRO]

I am at 99,300 on the car and I am still on the stock motor. I have run 10-12psi daily, and up to 15psi for track days. It has had higher boost since Jan 04 and it had only 6k miles then. I have had zero problems with it, I did have a Uni-chip when running the highest boost settings but I sold that about a year and a half ago now. I have broken the LSD, I think my 2nd clutch is starting to go out- Spec with 50k miles, that should explain it hehe, and I had to replace a wheel bearing but thats it.As far as the typical problems, I had the clunk, but I took care of that, I am flashed so thats ok, and yeah the radio wacks out sometimes but to me they are all bearable. Hell I just got done driving almost a 1500 mile road trip from Cincy to Chicago to Dallas in it and it feels great still . I have driven the car pretty hard from almost day one and I love it more and more each day.


BTW I know its not going to last forever, but I am very pleased with how well it has done for me so far. If it blew up tonight I would still be happy, a little pissed ,but I would understand. I have been waiting for like 50k miles for it to blow so I would have an excuse to build it lol

[Hughes412]

To many nicer new cars out that you can get for 5k more with more pwr and a warrenty. The MSP is a nice car but you are right, too many problems if you try to mod it. If you want to just drive it as is then it's a good car. I've got a few friends with them and on only had radio and motor mount problems, but he is stock. The other has all kinds of issuses, but he's alway fooling with it. I personally would go with the new si.

[Chiguy_2002]

I think any new car will have its fair share of problems, some less than others, and you will have to decide to live with it. I got mine Oct 2005, 63k on the clock, now at about 68k, no issues, granted it has never been modded. I hope I still don't have any issues, and I'm ready to push it a little further.

[jred321]

when i traded mine in at like 25,000 miles the only issues i had were the clunk, windshield cracking and my iac died. nothing really to worry about. mazda still has me listed as the owner of the car for some reason so i get stuff in the mail for it and i think the guy who bought it has had it in the shop 3 times already (since Sept 05). so i think a lot can be said for how the car is treated, but buying used you don't really get much say in how it was treated before you so it's a risk

[speedprotegewi]

i've got 44k on mine, I've fixed rear clunk, and now front clunk/crunch is developing. fixed hesitation with some ngk iridium plugs and a flash. one bad warranty o2 sensor. no lsd failure, been running mbc at 7psi since last year and 30k. all in all i've been fine because im not heavily modded.

edit: saw somebody else post and forgot that my sub blew too so i replaced that too lol. i replaced my deck the day i bought it cuz im big on xm radio and hate kenwood HU functionality

unichip otw to help me not go boom and safely increase boost to 8-10. unfortunately there is no guarantee with our cars that other problems will happen, but no car can guarantee that. i've come to accept that lol

[goku4658]

I am at 99,300 on the car and I am still on the stock motor. I have run 10-12psi daily, and up to 15psi for track days. It has had higher boost since Jan 04 and it had only 6k miles then. I have had zero problems with it, I did have a Uni-chip when running the highest boost settings but I sold that about a year and a half ago now. I have broken the LSD, I think my 2nd clutch is starting to go out- Spec with 50k miles, that should explain it hehe, and I had to replace a wheel bearing but thats it.As far as the typical problems, I had the clunk, but I took care of that, I am flashed so thats ok, and yeah the radio wacks out sometimes but to me they are all bearable. Hell I just got done driving almost a 1500 mile road trip from Cincy to Chicago to Dallas in it and it feels great still . I have driven the car pretty hard from almost day one and I love it more and more each day.


BTW I know its not going to last forever, but I am very pleased with how well it has done for me so far. If it blew up tonight I would still be happy, a little pissed ,but I would understand. I have been waiting for like 50k miles for it to blow so I would have an excuse to build it lol

good to hear i'm not the only one who still loves their car!

[ChopstickHero]

only problem i had with mine were a busted stereo (which happens to almost everyone), squeaky bushings (replaced by dealer), cracked windshield and that's it.

[Velocifero]

I love mine, got with 12k on it now I am in mid 20s, I looked at other cars, but one test drive in the speed and I knew I wanted it. there are better cars for power sure, but to me the MSP has a well balanced repertoire (n 1: the entire range of skills or aptitudes or devices used in a particular field or occupation). It is quick (different from retarded fast), handles superbly, stops great, and IMO looks beautiful, oh and I forgot to mention affordable. I love the power that SRT-4s make, but I can't get over the looks and the handling. I might be the first to put one of those engines into a protege! I can't afford a STi or Evolution as much as I would love to have one, at this time. I am thinking about an Evolution after the speed is paid for, but keeping the speed (it is limited edition btw). I had the clunk, just used polyurathane bushings, so no clunk now. I get the front end squeek form the bushings when it is cold only, I am flashed so no hesitation, been boosting 8-9 psi for over a year with the spring mod, I am hoovering around 190 hp with several things waiting to go in, after those I expect to be a touch over 200 until i get my Megasquirt and install these WRX injectors I have sitting here. this car is workable, you just have to do preventative mods to ensure that you don't seriously fubar anything. I know of other cars that are like that and I know there are ones you can slap everything under the sun on it and make great power and still not worry too much about it. I am a Mazda enthusist though so I think these cars are great. The have the sexiest lines besides the S2000 and FD RX7s. good luck with your chioce though, just want you to read about the good and the bad.


good to hear i'm not the only one who still loves their car!
(attn) I love mine and try to convince all my friends that are moving away from theirs that they need to STFU and stay with their one true love.

[smo0f]

for reliability, mediocreness, lack of ingenuity and uniquness, get a honda. for the complete opposite and a great sense of adventure, go with a msprotege

[speedprotegewi]

for reliability, mediocreness, lack of ingenuity and uniquness, get a honda. for the complete opposite and a great sense of adventure, go with a msprotege

(werd)(first)

[jflo]

yeah, especially if your "great sense of adventure" is finding out you spun a main bearing while cruising on the highway.

haha, nah, i'm just messing around. this car is great up until something in your mind snaps over the little things. i'll name a few things in my car: cracked windshield, grinding noise in engine bay, missing stud on turbo/s-pipe, warped rotors

[ChopstickHero]

for reliability, mediocreness, lack of ingenuity and uniquness, get a honda. for the complete opposite and a great sense of adventure, go with a msprotege

well said. :)

[03.5MSP]

If you dont over boost, and drive your car normally you should have no problems.

[Easymac]

well thanks for all your info, I am still looking at the car...but i am also looking into a 03 Tiburon GT....same price...same milage...no turbo...:shrug: We'll see...

[dirtysouth_msp]

What up easymac? Welcome to the forum. These cars are a lot of fun, but if you are a mechanical newbie, then the MSP may not be the best choice for you. That is, unless you get one with plenty of warranty left and leave it stock. If you have the knowledge and the means and like to tinker with your car, go for it.

I would not get the Tiburon. Hyundai has gotten much better in the last few years, but I doubt that you would be as satisfied. It weighs a couple of hundred lbs more and has a V6 that only makes 170 HP at the crank (seems like a waste of 2 cylinders to me). Also, they do not handle anything like the MSP. So, get the tiburon if you would like to regularly get outrun by 4 bangers, lol.

Really though, if you are too intimidated by the quirks you may experience with the MSP, look around at other makes and models. There are plenty of NA 4 clylinders around that make the same kind of power as the Tiburon.

Of course, this is just my opinion.

[Velocifero]

What up easymac? Welcome to the forum. These cars are a lot of fun, but if you are a mechanical newbie, then the MSP may not be the best choice for you. That is, unless you get one with plenty of warranty left and leave it stock. If you have the knowledge and the means and like to tinker with your car, go for it.

I would not get the Tiburon. Hyundai has gotten much better in the last few years, but I doubt that you would be as satisfied. It weighs a couple of hundred lbs more and has a V6 that only makes 170 HP at the crank (seems like a waste of 2 cylinders to me). Also, they do not handle anything like the MSP. So, get the tiburon if you would like to regularly get outrun by 4 bangers, lol.

Really though, if you are too intimidated by the quirks you may experience with the MSP, look around at other makes and models. There are plenty of NA 4 clylinders around that make the same kind of power as the Tiburon.

Of course, this is just my opinion.
I second a lot of what Rob said, the Tiburons look nice but IMO they aren't a good car, I'ver had two friends that had them and traded before a year was up.

[vcinsanity1523]

The MSP is an awesome car mine has 21,000 miles and I still absolutely love it since the first day i have purchased it (maybe more) there are not many cars that can put a smile on your face even when you drive it normally like the MSP does. The Handling on the cars from the factory are so good and they are such a well balanced car. It depends on what you want in a car if you don't mind not having the fastest car but enjoy auto x or club race events then the MSP is an awesome car. But if you want something to take to your local dragstrip and expect to be really fast then maybe you should buy a WRX and Mod.

Here is a passage from Sports Compact Car that pretty much sums up all of the reason i love the MSP......

Passage from Sports Compact Car:
"The Mazdaspeed Protegé gives up 73 hp and a 100 lb-ft of torque to the overendowed SRT-4, and yet it was surprisingly close to nudging the Dodge out of the top spot. The fact is, none of this car's test numbers, not even its winning handling numbers, do justice to the Protegé's true capabilities. This is an amazingly well-sorted car with surprisingly few compromises. This car lets you blend acceleration, handling and braking into one seamless and very fast dance. Hustling the Mazdaspeed Protegé down a twisty road elicits the same slack-jawed amazement once reserved for only the Integra Type R. A suspension with this kind of unflappable poise and consistent controllability is very rare. Add nearly perfect steering feel, well-balanced brakes and just enough power and you're almost there."

Thats why I love my Car

[mspdfreak]

Eh, I didn't really have any major problems, but due to many others who have, I traded mine in on a 2006 Mustang Gt...torch red w/red leather and a 5-speed. 13's stock is a very good feeling.

[Jackelope]

I havent had too many problems... just the lovely clunk... got about 83k on it, and it has spent alot of time in the 4.5k-5.5k range on the tach ;) (tail of the dragon, for example)

right now i'm flip flopping back/forth to sale or not to sale... (job changes, cant really afford it, NOTHING to do with the car, i love it..

[Hughes412]

Eh, I didn't really have any major problems, but due to many others who have, I traded mine in on a 2006 Mustang Gt...torch red w/red leather and a 5-speed. 13's stock is a very good feeling.

I want one in silver with the factory body kit on it. UMMMM sexy.

[Puckpimp71]

I've got almost 40k mile at 7-10 and occasionally 12 psi and aside from the crappy Kenwood going twice (replaced with an Alpine CDA-9855) and the front bushings getting noisy, the only problems I've had with my car are ones that I created in the first place. Considering all the mods I've done and how hard I've driven it, it's the most reliable car I've owned.

[Velocifero]

I want one in silver with the factory body kit on it. UMMMM sexy.
then you would want my sex machine, too bad it will never be for sale! Sunlight silver is the bomb and everything looks stock except I dropped it down about 1.5" lower, really good looking stance, tinted windows, tinted reverse section (none of the tinting/ lowering/ pin striping was done before the picture in my sig) and silver pinstripe (I know it sounds weird silver pinstripe on a silver car, but it looks great!), only other mod you can see is my exhaust tip, which happens to be the sexy Vibrant performance (#1 in my book) I painted my AWR rear sway black (not sure why, just liked it more that way) I have a silver/ black theme with the car, outside and under the hood. again, I love this car.

[Puckpimp71]

^you have a Mustang?

[spike blue]

i have 79k miles on it and have a lot promblems TURBO CHANGE,HESITATION,LSD FAILURE,CLUNK THATS ABOUT IT!!!!

Well i still love the msp i just put a quaife LSD and act clutch and feels awesome , soon i will put a FMIC, Unichip and Injen CAI. Good deal in tbk performance. I was about to sell it and get a Jetta GLI but i change my mind !!! i have a audi and the msp handles way better than the a4 2006 brand new!!!

[vinnie mack]

i'm pretty sure it comes down to how the car is driven.. if you beat the piss out of it daily.. side stepping the clutch and racing around your city like an idiot.. shit is going to blow up. I really don't know how things can blow up keeping it around 3 grand so some people are doing something wrong.

I love this car the only thing that i got is a little bushing squeek, it is only noticeable over larger bumps and potholes but who cares.

[NeverSober]

I would not buy a used one, you could and chances are good its been modded, who knows whats been done. Unless you have some money to burn Id stay away from one. Im not saying that is ddef will have problems but chances are good it will have problems. Just my opinion.


Chris

[BOOSTR]

No doubt how its used and maintained have a lot to do with the engine and drivetrain issues that many have experienced.

I am still on my original brake pads/rotors, clutch, LSD, etc at 55,000 miles. I still love the car and do not regret buying it. For what it cost, the car had a lot of value in my opinion.

[vinnie mack]

I would not buy a used one, you could and chances are good its been modded, who knows whats been done. Unless you have some money to burn Id stay away from one. Im not saying that is ddef will have problems but chances are good it will have problems. Just my opinion.


Chris

Very true, however there are some out there like mine which was owned by an older man (i know for a fact) and was not touched or modded in any way just daily driven since new and upgraded recently to an RX-8.

I think it's the same for any car though really like a Sentra Spec-V or Civic. You go buy a car.. the previous owner tells you yeah it's got this, this and this but it always gives me personally an eerie feeling that people did stuff wrong. My '53 was butchered with electrical stuff and other interior mods i don't even want to mention.

You just gotta have a good eye and be careful but i still do recommend it.

[Easymac]

You guys dont make this easy on me. Im debating...i want the car, but i don't want to risk the problems....So anyone know if i call mazda if i can extend the warranty of the warranty already on the car..i think its only the 3 yr/48000mi warranty...but think i can pay to get that extended? If so i don't think i would worry about it to much...I looked at the Tibby's, and well i wasn't that impressed...I looked online at the Civic Si's and their sweet, but Im not sure how they compare, and then of course the Tc's as well..but i hear their a heavy box with bad handling...so there goes that...i guess i just want an inexpensive sporty car that has a good reputation...I HATE SHOPPING for cars....HATE HATE HATE!~ and then last but not least...I had thought about buying a Mazda3 S Touring, with the 5speed.....or waiting on the MS3, when ever there is going to finally be released...

[vcinsanity1523]

You guys dont make this easy on me. Im debating...i want the car, but i don't want to risk the problems....So anyone know if i call mazda if i can extend the warranty of the warranty already on the car..i think its only the 3 yr/48000mi warranty...but think i can pay to get that extended? If so i don't think i would worry about it to much...I looked at the Tibby's, and well i wasn't that impressed...I looked online at the Civic Si's and their sweet, but Im not sure how they compare, and then of course the Tc's as well..but i hear their a heavy box with bad handling...so there goes that...i guess i just want an inexpensive sporty car that has a good reputation...I HATE SHOPPING for cars....HATE HATE HATE!~


TC's are nice cars and very reliable and what year SI are we talking about here?? If its not the brand new one then NO lol they aren't as nice. RSX Type S's are nice depending on how much you want to spend.. And Yes Mazda will extend you warranty but if you do any performance modding then good-bye warranty so its all up 2 you man good luck!!! I love the MSP but RSX's are also nice those would be my only 2 choices personally and those are the only two cars i looked at when i bought my MSP

[PerfectXtreme]

MS6... Go new! From all the reviews.. and having put 3500 miles so far on mine... The car is great. Spendy... but looks to be worth every penny. I think mazda learned from past mistakes and put top quality into their new line.

[Velocifero]

^you have a Mustang?
whoops thought he wanted a silver msp.

[nvmsp]

You gotta figure out what you want to do. The MSP is great but will cost you down the line, whether it's a clutch or LSD, or whether it's the big cheese and a whole new motor.

If I were you I don't know what I'd buy, but it sure as hell wouldnt be a used car.

MS6, Evo,Sti, Altima SER, Infiniti g35.... are my choices. But it's also great to wait lol, theres always a car that comes out after you buy one, and u say, damn I wish I woulda waited so I coulda got this car. Example: Dodge Challenger thats yet to come out...I think.


I wanna keep my car forever but when something breaks, you can be easily ready to trade that "POS" in.

[mspHtown]

you can get a used msp with decent mileage for about 13-14k. an evo,ms6, sti will be over 30k. that means if you were to buy the msp you will have that much extra cash to mod it or if need be fix it (replace a $300 clutch, etc.) the ms6 is brand new, so who knows what problems will occur in the future. sti is ass ugly. evo is awesome but i rather put a ton of money in a msp (obviously a personal opinion) because of its rarity.

[EmRidMSP]

My engine just blew up and I'm havin a helluva time with Mazda about warranty coverage... and I *still* do not regret buying mine. That car has far exceeded my expectations on the street and the track. I cannot stress how awesome it has been. Everyone is right, too. People ask you about it all the time. The most hilarious thing you'll ever see is the look on your friends face when you tell them your car has a stock appearance. Get one if you can get your hands on one.

[Easymac]

Well to tell you a little more about my situation. I had a 2005 Nissan Frontier LE Crew Cab with the works -leather. I didn't want to spend an extra 2200 for leather so....i didn't. I sold that for pay off and now i need to get something cheaper than a $25k vehicle. My friend who owns this car got me intrigued about it, hence why im looking at it. I wanted something sporty with a 5 or 6 speed manual, that could get on down the road. I had a 1993 Nx 2000 for 4 years, and that car was a blast to drive, im sad that i sold it when i did instead of spending like 1500 to get it back upto speed. So i was looking at cars in the $10k-$15k Ball part, and this happened to be one of them. I liked that fact that it was a 5speed, that it had a turbo, good handling, sleek lines, stock appearance (sp). I might call mazda on monday and ask how much the extended warranty will be, if its not a terrible amount of money, I possibly could go this route.

On a side note, I have definatly been researching the Mazda 3, test drove my friends, and like it...I of course would want the S model, which in all standards cost more than the i. It sucks not having a vehicle....well sorda, in the past couple days I have managed to put over 1k on my 05 Gsxr 750 (shocked) Which it by far my favorite past time. I appreciate all of your input, and i guess i will just have to justify to myself spending money in the long haul on this car. I know all vehicles will break eventually, it just seems this one does it more often than not (pissed)

[Easymac]

Also, could anyone be able to tell me so i don't have to spend 5 hours on the phone bouncing from mazda person to mazda person how much aded the extended warranty on a car would be? Im guessing a couple thousand...but *shrug*

[Alejo_NIN]

don't buy a msp, you'll regret it like everyone does at a point....i will never get rid of my car....but i've had 2 mazda 626 and 1 protege lx....i love mazdas...that's the only thing that keeps me atatched...

for power, buy SRT-4 which are much more cheaper than the wrx.....stay away of the UFO looking civics....they're disgusting...please!!!

[mspHtown]

don't buy a msp, you'll regret it like everyone does at a point....i will never get rid of my car....but i've had 2 mazda 626 and 1 protege lx....i love mazdas...that's the only thing that keeps me atatched...

for power, buy SRT-4 which are much more cheaper than the wrx.....stay away of the UFO looking civics....they're disgusting...please!!!


wrx is much better looking than the skittle...

[SLC-MSP]

My turn to beat this horse:

I bought my msp with 27K on the ticker last summer. It now has 37K and I have experienced NONE of the major problems that are common to this car. No head unit, no clunk, no LSD failure...nothing. I have a couple of squeaks, but like somebody before said, who cares. You know, when you start modding a car - any car - to me that says you're willing to take the risk of blowing shit up. I mean, we all know the weak points in the MSP but we push it anyway, finding every trick to squeeze out another horse. Seems to me we're all saying we're willing to take the risk.

But the point I wanted to make is this: You can buy a Civic and be one of 10,000 within a mile radius of anywhere you happen to be. My black '03 is one of 1750... in the world, man. Maybe I've been lucky to not have had problems yet, and maybe they are soon to come, but that uniqueness (is that even a word?) is worth a lot to me.

[Easymac]

Well thank you all for your input, and much to all of your dismay. I bought an 06 Civic Si tonight...Ill post pics tomorrow, so you can see this "UFO". They are also a limited production vehicle, so its not going to be around every corner. I got the gunmetal grey, 17" alloy, premium sound system...blah blah blah.....its quick, and handles like a charm....Yea, so i went over my budget, but I can already tell im going to love every minute with this car....

[Chiguy_2002]

You buy what will make you happy, like I said before all cars have their problems, and when getting used, you never know. I think I was lucky (knock on wood) with mine, because it appeared to be stock (motor-wise) when I picked her up, and I'm sure that added to her longevity. Now the modding bug has hit me, and so I will, but hopefully that won't affect long term reliablility...if I had a choice, I would have gone new, but I went used for budget reasons. My next car would probably be something bigger, like a Mazdaspeed6 or a Legacy GT...

[Alejo_NIN]

congrats, what's your production number out of how many??? like 100 out of 10,000 in the usa?

lol, j/k man....to eahc its own, i personally think is an ugly car, just like the Si before it.....the only civic i love is coupe '99, that's a beautiful civic....

anyways, keep it under 150...i hear those things move....and don't dare putting a wing on it or it will take off...lol...laters

[Easymac]

Nah, i heard production is actually very limited..the #1 dealer in the USA is only getting 50 of them total..and the place i bought rom Gwinnett Place Honda, is only getting 45..and they are the #3 dealer in the USA...The Dealership said they were only making around 2500 or so...SO...we'll see...and you rright, this mother with FLY!!!...Smooth ride, great handling, and it has a stock rear spoiler on it, only about 1 1/2" lift off the trunk, just enough to keep the back end down when im flying....cyall

[jred321]

http://www.k20civic.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74&highlight=production
15,000 for 2006. don't forget people actually want to buy this car unlike other limited production cars that don't sell well. it's tough for a business like honda to say they're not going to make a product that they can easily sell. don't ever believe what a dealer tells you

[Easymac]

just so you can see it.. :)
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a203/bbrantley1/IM000740.jpg

[Puckpimp71]

going shopping for performance mods already??? Target's got it all.

[Alejo_NIN]

gosh, that car is ugly....sorry dude...

but congrats...at least you can afford a brand new car :)

[dirtysouth_msp]

Hey Easymac, wanna race? (poke)

[Velocifero]

...and Easymac, you're still welcome to come out to our meets if you want to. Maybe go on some mountain runs with us.

[daonly1around]

the car itself looks good, but the color sucks... looks like a color of something a 70 grandma would drive, anyway, i do like the new SI's just wouldn't own one... good luck with it, atleast that car takes EXTREMELY well to bolt on mods... cai, exhaust and you'll be close to 200 at the wheels

[Micah]

I recommend a used WRX

tried and tested, I love mine and I have the 02's dreaded weak tranny yet have yet to have a problem.

The 26mpg isn't bad either.