IllustrationI HAD A CAR ACCIDENT ON 13 NOV 2016 WHEREBY THE VEHICLE ROLLED SEVERAL TIMES DOWN A STEEP INCLINE. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED. MY SPINAL CORD WAS FRACTURED AND MY SKULL CRACKED.
2016 Mazda MX-5
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all MX-5 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
120–25K
525–50K
350–75K
275–100K
0100–150K
0150K+
22 reports with mileage · 12 unknown
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.
- Power Train. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
34 reportsWHEN ACCELERATING FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT THE TRANSMISSION STOPPED WORKING AND I LOST ACCELERATION IN A BUSY ROAD. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED IN A BUSY INTERSECTION.
WE BROUGHT THE MX-5 INTO THE DEALER FOR THE 5K OIL CHANGE AND CHECKUP WITH A COMPLAINT THAT THE INNER LINER COMES UNSNAPPED AND PARTIALLY BLOCKS VISIBILITY OF THE REAR WINDOW WHEN YOU PUT THE TOP DOWN AND LATER PUT IT UP. MAZDA SERVICE DID NOT MAKE NOTE OF THIS IN THE SERVICE AND DIDN'T FIX IT. I ASKED THE SERVICE ADVISOR ABOUT …
Read full complaint
WE BROUGHT THE MX-5 INTO THE DEALER FOR THE 5K OIL CHANGE AND CHECKUP WITH A COMPLAINT THAT THE INNER LINER COMES UNSNAPPED AND PARTIALLY BLOCKS VISIBILITY OF THE REAR WINDOW WHEN YOU PUT THE TOP DOWN AND LATER PUT IT UP. MAZDA SERVICE DID NOT MAKE NOTE OF THIS IN THE SERVICE AND DIDN'T FIX IT. I ASKED THE SERVICE ADVISOR ABOUT IT WHO THEN BROUGHT THE CAR BACK IN AND A TECH "FIXED" IT IN A FEW MINUTES. WHEN I GOT HOME'.SAME THING. ONCE YOU PUT THE TOP DOWN AND THEN LATER PUT IT UP THE INNER LINER UNSNAPS AND HANGS DOWN PARTIALLY BLOCKING YOUR REAR VIEW. I JUST BOOKED THE 10K OIL CHANGE AND RECEIVED NOTICE (EMAIL) BACK FROM MAZDA NOTING THE OIL CHANGE BUT NOT THE REAR WINDOW ISSUE, ONLY A NOTE SAYING CHECK SERVICE OTHER. THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON ISSUE. I HAVE FOUND SITES ON THE WEB INDICATING OTHERS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. IT SEEMS THERE MAY BE A TSB # 001166 (NOT SURE IF IT'S USA OR UK) RELATED TO THIS ISSUE WITH PARTS REPLACED : N247-R1-280 PROTECTOR-TOP, LH 1 LH AND N247-R1-230 PROTECTOR-TOP, RH 1 RH. IF THERE IS A TSB FOR THIS WHY ISN'T IT LISTED ON ANY FORMAL MAZDA SITES AND WHY IS THE MAZDA DEALER IGNORING IT? I EMAILED THE MAZDA DEALER BACK TO ASK THAT MY SPECIFIC COMPLAINT BE ADDED TO THE SERVICE NOTES. I DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR A NEW ROOF WHEN THE WARRANTY RUNS OUT AT 36K MILES !!!!
WHILE ACCELERATING MY TRANSMISSION GEARS HAVE DISINTEGRATED TWICE LEAVING CAR WITH NO WAY TO USE POWER. ONCE WAS A SIDE STREET, OTHER TIME I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN IN AN INTERSECTION.
Official recalls
324V695000 · Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module:software
Sep 18, 2024
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016-2023 MX-5 Miata vehicles. A software error in the air bag control module may cause the front air bags to deploy with excessive force during a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An air bag that deploys with excessive force can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the Sophisticated Air Bag Sensor (SAS) control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 7, 2024. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 6924I.
19V496000 · Structure:frame And Members:underbody Shields
Jun 27, 2019
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016 Miata MX-5 vehicles. The skid plate and metal bracket may detach from underneath the vehicle.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Parts that separate from the vehicle may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the skid plate, free of charge. The recall began August 2, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3619F.
19V072000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Feb 1, 2019
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016-2019 MX-5 (Miata) vehicles with automatic transmissions. Due to incorrect programming of the Transmission Control Module (TCM), certain conditions may cause the vehicle to unexpectedly downshift and abruptly decelerate.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the vehicle abruptly downshifts, the driver may lose control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the TCM with corrected software, free of charge. The recall began March 14, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3019A.
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.