2003 Mazda Protege: trims, real prices & how to pick yours
9 builds left the factory as a 2003 Protege, each a different combination of engine, transmission and body identified by the first eight characters of its VIN.
- 5 main configurations
- 3,335 vehicles built
- 9 for sale right now
Which Protege is yours?
Enter a VIN — the 17 characters on the windshield or the title — and we’ll match it to its exact factory configuration, typical price and equipment.
Works with any VIN — a different year or model takes you straight to its own page.
Pick your Protege
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Most common — 45% of 2003 Proteges
Base configuration JM1BJ225-32L 4-cyl, 117 hp. 1,509 built.
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Base configuration JM1BJ245-32L 4-cyl, 117 hp. 1,052 built.
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What actually differs
| Base configuration JM1BJ225-3 | Base configuration JM1BJ245-3 | Base configuration JM1BJ246-3 | Base configuration JM1BJ226-3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body | Sedan | Hatchback | Hatchback | Sedan |
| Doors | 4-door | 5-door | 5-door | 4-door |
| For sale right now | 6 | 2 | 1 | — |
| Vehicles built | 1,509 | 1,052 | 414 | 259 |
Same on every 2003 Protege
- Engine 2L 4-cyl
- Power 117 hp
- Fuel Gasoline
- Typical price today $3,450
Safety, in plain English
What JM1BJ246-3 means
JM1
BJ246
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3
- JM1
- the World Manufacturer Identifier Mazda registered — assembled in Japan
- BJ246
- together encode the Protege line — Hatchback, 2L 4cyl — as Mazda filed it, these five characters are read as one block, not letter by letter
- 3
- in position 10 — model year 2003
- 9, 11–17
- differ on every car: check digit, plant code and the serial number
4 rare configurations — mostly fleet, export or irregular VIN patterns. Fewer than 20 known vehicles each.
Already looking at a specific Protege?
Paste its VIN — we’ll open that exact car’s page: its configuration, market position and every listing we’ve tracked.