Home › Vehicles › Mazda › Mazda Protege
The short version
- One front number carries the whole run: the Protege wheel bearing up front is 510003 from 1990 to 2003.
- The rear splits by brake type: drum cars take the 513030 hub, disc cars take 512161 through 1999 and 512269 from 2000.
- The Protege5 wagon has rear discs, so it follows the disc listings.
- All fronts press in; all rears bolt on.
Look through the rear wheel spokes before ordering for a Protege. Drum or disc back there decides the part, and trim level is only a rough guide to which you have.
Thirteen years, one front
Every front Protege wheel bearing from 1990 through 2003 is the 510003 press-in, spanning the 323-derived cars to the last Protege5.
The number also serves other makes entirely, which keeps it permanently in stock everywhere.
Protege wheel bearing part numbers
| Years | Detail | Number |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 to 2003 | Front, press-in, all cars | 510003 check price |
| 2000 to 2003 | Rear hub, disc brakes | 512269 check price |
| 1995 to 1999 | Rear hub, disc brakes | 512161 check price |
| 1990 to 2003 | Rear hub, drum brakes | 513030 check price |
Every model year this chart resolves: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003.
Price links lead to Amazon searches for that number. As an Amazon Associate this site earns from qualifying purchases.
Lookups run through the cross reference page.
Drum or disc: look, do not assume
Rear discs came and went with trim and year in ways nobody remembers correctly twenty years later.
Look through the rear wheel. A solid drum means 513030; a rotor and caliper means the disc listing for your years.
The relatives
The early cars share hardware with the 323 and MX-3, and the platform fed the first Mazda3 that replaced it, covered on the Mazda3 page. The make overview is on the Mazda page.
Old economy car economics
Any Protege still driving has beaten the odds, and the parts prices respect that: hubs are cheap, and the pressed front costs mostly labor. The knuckle-out, press-only-at-a-shop route keeps the bill proportional.
That approach is on the press service page and the press-in bearing page.
Diagnosing a Protege wheel bearing
- Check the rear brake type before ordering a rear.
- Weave at speed and place the hum.
- Rule out tire drone on this light car.
- Rock each wheel at twelve and six.
- Plan the press for a front.
The routine is on the checking page and the tire noise page.
Common questions
Which Protege wheel bearing fits my front?
510003, every year, every trim, 1990 to 2003. Press-in.
Which rear do I need?
Drums: 513030. Discs: 512161 through 1999, 512269 from 2000.
Does the Protege5 differ?
It carries rear discs, so it takes 512269 like other 2000 onward disc cars.
Do I need a press?
For the front, yes. Rears bolt on.
Do 323 parts fit?
The early cars share the front and drum-rear listings. Match years.
Does the first Mazda3 share these?
No. The successor moved to its own numbers, on its own page.