IllustrationTHE VEHICLE STALLED, WHICH CAUSED CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *JB SCC
2002 Mazda MX-5 Miata
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2002 Mazda MX-5 Miata do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 20.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all MX-5 Miata years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 13 of 20 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Structure. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
2 crash reports1 fire reports2 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
2 reportsWHILE IN MOTION, THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE BECOMES HOT. CONSUMER MEASURED THE HOT AIR TEMPERATURE TO BE OVER 130 DEGREES. THIS OCCURS EVEN WHEN DRIVING ON A COOL NIGHT AND/OR WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER IS ON. THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE WITH THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND/OR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS TOO CLOSE TO THE CENTER CONSOLE WI…
Read full complaint
WHILE IN MOTION, THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE BECOMES HOT. CONSUMER MEASURED THE HOT AIR TEMPERATURE TO BE OVER 130 DEGREES. THIS OCCURS EVEN WHEN DRIVING ON A COOL NIGHT AND/OR WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER IS ON. THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE WITH THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND/OR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS TOO CLOSE TO THE CENTER CONSOLE WITHOUT SUFFICIENT VENTING OR INSULATION. *JG
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.