One problem related to overdrive light on has been reported for the 2001 Mazda Protege. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2001 Mazda Protege based on all problems reported for the 2001 Protege.
I purchased my 2001 Mazda Protege brand-new. At about 60,000 miles the overdrive light started blinking. Going from second gear into third, the transmission would buck. I took it to the dealership and was told that it needed a new transmission, so I had a new transmission installed. Now at 154,000 miles, it is happening again. I have read numerous complaints similar to mine. Mazda refuses to accept any responsibility for manufacturing faulty transmissions.