Major Problems with Mazda MX-5 Derived from Complaints & Recalls

Learn about the common problems with a used Mazda MX-5 to avoid purchasing a bad year of the model.

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Best and Worst Years for Mazda MX-5

Explore the chart showing how many complaints have been filed for each year of Mazda MX-5.

Model Year	Complaints
2008 MX-5	4
2007 MX-5	9
2006 MX-5	16

Worst 3 Mazda MX-5 complaints

2007 Mazda MX-5 AIR BAGS Mileage: 54374 miles

2007 Mazda MX-5 AIR BAGS Mileage: 11752 miles

2006 Mazda MX-5 FRONT PASSENGER Mileage: 177000 miles

Browse Mazda MX-5 complaints by category

Problems with AIR BAGS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, STRUCTURE and CLUTCH ASSEMBLY are the most frequent issues recorded by the NHTSA from Mazda MX-5 owners.

Problem Category	Number of Problems
AIR BAGS the passenger airbag disabled dash light remains on when the passenger seat is pushed to the rear with no one...	5 ~ 57455 miles
UNKNOWN OR OTHER water accumulation in footwell/plugged soft top drains. mazda has a service bulletin of how their company can fix it but...	4 ~ 68425 miles
STRUCTURE approximately one month ago i began to experience water accumulation on the driver's side of my vehicle. this happened every...	4 ~ 14625 miles
BODY > STRUCTURE when it rains water will pool in passenger side floor board. mazda deals suggests adding drains and filters that are...	3 ~ 34167 miles
TIRES something is wrong with the tires or wheels. returned to dealership said it through a weight. still have the same...	3 ~ 28500 miles
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM the passenger airbag disabled dash light remains on when the passenger seat is pushed to the rear with no one...	3 ~ 24009 miles
SEATS the passenger airbag disabled dash light remains on when the passenger seat is pushed to the rear with no one...	3 ~ 22042 miles
CLUTCH ASSEMBLY > POWER TRAIN tl* the contact owns a 2008 mazda mx-5. while driving 5 mph an abnormal noise was detected under the steering...	2 ~ 46100 miles
SIDEWALL > TIRES mazda miata 2006 yokohama tire advana11a205/50r16 driving on i-10 on ramp about 45-50mph big pop and thud pulled over on...	2 ~ 22750 miles
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM check engine light comes on every few weeks various obd codes: p0455 p2402 p2407. this model has a know emission...	2 ~ 5993 miles
FLOOR SHIFT ASSEMBLY > MANUAL TRANSMISSION > POWER TRAIN i have a 2006 mazda mx 5 miata. it is an excellent solid and great handling car. the brakes are...	2 ~ 1450 miles
OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION > SENSOR > AIR BAGS passenger airbag seat sensor not detecting persons in seat. airbags remain turned off. passenger airbag off indicated code 48 flashes	1 ~ 177000 miles
FRONT PASSENGER > OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION > SENSOR passenger airbag seat sensor not detecting persons in seat. airbags remain turned off. passenger airbag off indicated code 48 flashes	1 ~ 177000 miles
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY same problem as many of the other people on this website. the drainage system for the canvas convertible is problematic....	1 ~ 100200 miles
FRONTAL > AIR BAGS airbag dashboard light flashing indicating system malfunction. have read online forums of others having same issue but various dealers have	1 ~ 2200 miles
MANUAL TRANSMISSION > POWER TRAIN transmission is very difficult and sometimes will not go into 2nd gear on the first few attempts. it has done...	1 ~ 100 miles
ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC the dynamic stability control (dsc) activated dash light stayed on while driving straight. i believe this is a safety issue...	1 ~ 4575 miles
POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS > VISIBILITY when the temperature drops to about 25 degrees or less the vehicle's power windows become inoperative. water/ice has never been...	1 ~ 1000 miles
HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM > STEERING dt: the contact complained about vehicle over steering. he must constantly move the steering wheel to keep the vehicle driving...	1 ~ 16 miles

FAQ

What year Mazda MX-5 is the most reliable?

Speaking of the models produced in the last 3 years, Mazda MX-5 models of 2008, 2007, 2006 year of manufacture have had the least number of complaints.

What year was a bad year for Mazda MX-5?

Mazda MX-5 models of 2006 and 2007 are probably the years to be avoided like the plague due to a higher than an average number of issues reported.

Torque wrench

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