1999 Mazda MX-5 Miata engine problems

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I HAD BOUGHT THE CAR THE DAY BEFORE ON FEB 21 2008 AND ON FEB 22 2008 I WAS DRIVING AND DOING 60 AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR STALLS WOULDN'T LET ME SHIFT OR GEAR DOWN, AND AS TRYING TO DO SO THE BRAKES LOCK UP WHEN I LET GO OF THE CLUTCH. THEN COASTING INTO THE CLOSEST DRIVEWAY. NOW IT WONT START AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO BECAUSE I JUST GOT IT FROM A USED CAR LOT THE DAY BEFORE. AND ALSO MAKES ME WONDER, DID THEY KNOW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN OR SOMETHING SIMILAR WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. WHAT CAN I LEGALLY DO ABOUT THIS?

NHTSA complaint #10218949 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE. MY VEHICLE HAS 40K MILES AND HAS BEEN WELL TAKEN CARE OF. AFTER INVESTIGATION, MANY 99-00 MIATA'S HAVE IGNITION COIL FAILURES WHICH CAUSES UNBURNT FUEL TO CONTAMINATE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND ASSOCIATED O2 SENSORS. THIS SITUATION WAS RESOLVED AND IS NOT A PROBLEM ON POST 2000 MIATA'S, AND THEREFORE SHOULD BE COVERED BY A RECALL BY THE MANUFACTURER, SINCE IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10160044 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

1999 MAZDA MIATA HAD PROBLEM WITH IGNITION COILS. THE SENSORS INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AS WELL. CONSUMER IS REFERENCING COMPLAINT 10093484.*MR

NHTSA complaint #10117243 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

NHTSA complaint #10099973 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

1999-2000 MIATAS HAVE AN ESTABLISHED INTERMITTENT IGNITION COIL FAILURE PROBLEM PER SEVERAL OWNERS FORUMS. THE IGNITION COIL FAILS WHICH CAUSES A MISFIRE CONDITION, THIS RESULTS IN UNBURNED FUEL REACHING THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WHERE IT BURNS AND OVERHEATS THE CONVERTER. THIS OVERHEATING CAN DESTROY THE CONVERTER AND POTENTIALLY DESTROY THE OXYGEN SENSORS. THIS EXACT SCENARIO HAPPENED TO ME ON THE INDICATED DATE. MY VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 37K MILES ON IT BUT IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND NOW I MUST REPLACE THE COIL AND CONVERTER. I BELIEVE THIS SITUATION WARRANTS A RECALL.

NHTSA complaint #10054906 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)

NUSANCE FAILURES SETTING ECU LIGHT, CAUSED BY COMBUSTION RESIDUE COLLECTING IN INTAKE MANIFOLD. RESIDUE IS COMING THRU THE EGT SYSTEM. THIS IS TURNING OUT TO BE A FREQUENT FAILURE OF 99-2000+ MODELS. DISASSEMBLY AND CLEANING OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD IS THE ONLY CURRENTLY KNOWN REMEDY. THE PROCESS IS EXPENSIVE IN TERMS OF LABOR, AND SEEMS TO OCCUR MOST FREQUENTLY AFTER THE MFRS WARRENTY EXPIRES.

NHTSA complaint #10025471 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

MAZDA USA IS AWARE OF THRUST BEARING #4 BEING IMPROPERLY MACHINED , WHICH CAUSE THE CRANKSHAFT TO BECOME LOOSE INSIDE THE ENGINE BLOCK, RESULTING IN ENGINE FAILURE. MAZDA USA DECIDED NOT TO INFORM ANY OF THE AFFECTED OWNERS, MYSELF INCLUDED, ABOUT THIS DEFECT MENTIONED IN INTERNAL SERVICE BULLETIN # 3102 DATED 1-10-99. THEY HAVE REPLACED MANY ENGINES UNDER, AND OUT OF, WARRANTY, BUT SINCE THEY DID NOT NOTIFY ANY OWNERS, MANY 1999 MIATA ENGINES ARE FAILING WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THIS CAN HAPPEN AT ANY SPEED. MAZDA'S SERVICE BULLETIN INCLUDES A RANGE OF VIN NUMBERS AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM, MY NUMBER IS IN THAT RANGE, AND IT NEEDS A NEW ENGINE BECAUSE THE CRANKSHAFT HAS 4 THOUSANDS OF AN INCH OF PLAY, MAZDA DEALER ADVISES I NEED A NEW ENGINE. MAZDA USA REFUSES TO COVER THIS WORK AND REFUSES TO DISCLOSE HOW MANY 1999 MIATAS AND PROTEGES, THEY SHARE THE SAME ENGINE, HAVE HAD THEIR ENGINES REPLACED, BUT MIATA.NET HAS POSTED A PAGE WITH THE VIN NUMBERS OF SOME OF THE CARS THAT NEEDED THEIR ENGINES REPLACED. MAZDA CLAIMS MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, IT IS, BUT HAD THEY NOTIFIED ME ABOUT THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM WHEN THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY, I WOULD HAVE HAD THE CAR CHECKED AT THE DEALERSHIP, SO FAR THEY HAVE NOT NOTIFIED ANY 1999 MIATA OWNER ABOUT THIS POTENTIALLY UNSAFE PRODUCT. PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF THIS VEHICLE AND HAVE MAZDA USA CONTACT THE OWNERS OF THESE CARS SO THEY CAN CHECK IF THEY ARE AFFECTED BY THIS DESIGN FLAW.

NHTSA complaint #766757 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ENGINE LOST ALL OIL WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR. THE MAZADA DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT PREMATURE WEAR OF THRUST BEARING HAD CAUSED THE INITIAL PROBLEM WHICH RESULTED IN OIL PRESSURE PROBLEMS AND RESULTING ENGINE FAILURE.

NHTSA complaint #741611 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED UNEXPECTEDLY, AND HAD A LOSS OF POWER WHICH MAY CAUSE A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.

NHTSA complaint #860613 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

THE "SERVICE ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON THE FREEWAY. FROM THEN ON, THE CAR 'S POWER UPON ACCELERATION WAS MUCH LESS AND THE ENGINE HESITATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE DEPT. COULD NOT FIX PROBLEM. THE MAZA MIATA "EXPERT" FROM CA COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. WE MET WITH MAZDA GREAT LAKES CUST SERV REP AND DEALERSHIP GENL MGR AND NOTHING WAS DONE TO FIX THE CAR. THE "SERVICE ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN 8/20/99. HARMON ARENA DODGE, 1000 SHILOH SPRINGS RD, DAYTON DIAGNOSED AND FIXED THE PROBLEM IN 1 DAY BY REPLACING THE OXYGEN SENSOR.

NHTSA complaint #713827 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

THERES IS A STRONG OIL SMELL AFTER THE CAR HAS WARMED UP.

NHTSA complaint #848798 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.