32 of the 391 complaints filed about the Mazda MX-5 Miata are about the transmission — 8% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 1999.
32
Complaints
8%
Share of all complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MAZDA MIATA. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD RATTLING NOISE NEAR THE ENGINE WHEN THE CLUTCH PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOR MORE THAN A YEAR WHEN THE VEHICLE BECAME HOT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.
NHTSA complaint #10597657 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
PURCHASED THIS USED 2005 MAZDA MIATA ABOUT A MONTH AGO. SERVICING MANY COMPONENTS SINCE PURCHASE AND LEARNING ABOUT THIS VEHICLE. FOUND BLOG ABOUT PREMATURE FRAME RAIL RUST ON MANY MIATA'S (SHOCKED TO FIND OUT MANY MIATA'S HAVE THIS, AND DISAPPOINTED THAT I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT PREMATURE FRAME RAIL FAILURE UNDER ENGINE OF VEHICLE. HERE IS THE LINK TO ONE OF THE BLOGS (ACCORDING TO THIS SITE, NATIONAL MAZDA HAS BEEN WILLING TO DO NOTHING FOR MAZDA OWNERS TO THIS POINT). HTTP://FORUM.MIATA.NET/VB/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=397790&PAGE=6 ANYWAY, AFTER READING 6 LONG PAGES OF PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM THIS, I WENT OUT THIS MORNING AND TOOK MY PLASTIC PANEL OFF, BELOW THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, AND I HAVE THE EARLY STAGES OF IT. THERE ARE LOTS OF MIATA'S ON THE ROAD, AND SOME OF THEM ARE DEATH TRAPS WAITING TO HAPPEN, IF THE RUSTY FRAME RAIL FAILS DURING DRIVING.
NHTSA complaint #10560303 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
BLINDNESS CAUSED BY AIRBAG. CRASH CAUSED BY THROTTLE STICKING OPEN. FULL BRAKING IMMEDIATE AS SHOWN BY SKID MARKS AND WHILE BRAKES SLOWED VEHICLE UNABLE TO STOP THE CAR OR TURN BEFORE IMPACT. VIDEO AND WITNESSES CONFIRM CAUSE MUST BE OPEN THROTTLE. BOTH BRAKING AND TURNING FAILED TO STOP OR TURN THE CAR. THROTTLE OPEN OR ACCELERATOR JAMMED FULL ON.
NHTSA complaint #10389908 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
BLINDNESS CAUSED BY AIRBAG. CRASH CAUSED BY THROTTLE STUCKING OPENG. FULL BRAKING WITH SKID MARKS SLOWED VEHICLE BUT DID NOT STOP THE CAR BEFORE IMPACT.
NHTSA complaint #10389907 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
THE LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL HAS FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 81,000 MILES. I'VE BEEN INFORMED THAT REPAIR PARTS ARE NOT MANUFACTURED AND THAT A NEW DIFFERENTIAL MUST BE INSTALLED. THERE ARE NONE IN STOCK IN THE UNITED STATES AND THEY ARE ON BACK ORDER INDEFINITELY. THERE IS NO TIME ESTIMATE OF ANY KIND TO GET THIS PART IN THE UNITED STATES. MY ONLY OPTION IS TO FIND AND INSTALL AN USED DIFFERENTIAL.
NHTSA complaint #10369707 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
PURCHASED A 2001 MAZDA MIATA NEW, TRANSMISSION WAS HARD SHIFTING FROM DAY 1 TAKEN IN FOR REPAIRS NUMEROUS TIMES, FINALLY RESULTED IN TRANS. LOCKING IN NEUTRAL AND CAR WOULD NOT MOVE RESULTING IN A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION. NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING THIS PERIOD AND MAZDA WOULD NOT REPAIR CAR BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AT THIS TIME. CAR WAS FIXING BY INDEPENDENT TRANS. SHOP AND PAID FOR BY ME.
NHTSA complaint #10251429 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MAZDA MIATA. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE SHUDDERS AND STALLS. THE VEHICLE HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND THE FAILURE ONLY OCCURS WHILE IN FIRST GEAR AND WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD. ONCE THE VEHICLE WARMS UP, THE FAILURE DOES NOT OCCUR AS OFTEN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE BEGAN WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS NEW AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS 60,400. UPDATED 06/03/08. *LJ UPDATED 05/30/08
NHTSA complaint #10227604 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
THIS INCIDENT CONCERNS A SAFETY VIOLATION CAUSED BY A NATIONALLY FRANCHISED TRANSMISSION SHOP IN CAMP HILL PA. I CANNOT ADEQUATELY DESCRIBE THIS SCENARIO IN 2000 CHARACTERS, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THE TRANSMISSION FACILITY DAMAGED MY CAR SO THAT IT WAS UNSAFE, AND RETURNED IT TO ME IN THAT CONDITION WITHOUT TELLING ME. THEY DAMAGED THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE VEHICLE TO THE POINT THAT IT COULD HAVE BOTH CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AND THE RESULTS OF THAT ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE AS A RESULT OF THAT CONDITION.
NHTSA complaint #10181731 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
I PURCHASED A USED 2005 MAZDA MIATA 5-SPEED IN APRIL 2006 WITH 7860 MILES ON THE ODOMETER FROM THE LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALER. I HAD NOT DRIVEN THE VEHICLE OUT OF TOWN UNTIL OCTOBER 2006. ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY I NOTICED THE VEHICLE HAD INADEQUATE POWER TO SAFELY DRIVE AT THE SPEED LIMIT (80 MPH). TOP SPEED IS ONLY 82 MPH @ 4200 RPM IN FIFTH GEAR (SHOULD BE 120 MPH PLUS) AND ACCELERATION UP A HILL IS BAD. I MUST DOWNSHIFT AND FLOOR THE ACCELERATOR TO MAINTAIN SPEED UP HILL AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL NOT HOLD THE SPEED. TRYING TO PASS A SLOW VEHICLE UPHILL IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. THE VEHICLE IS IN THE LOCAL MAZDA DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHERE THEY HAVE NOT FOUND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED AS REQUIRED AT THE MAZDA DEALER AND HAVE EVEN REPLACED THE AIR FILTER WHEN NOT REQUIRED. THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE OTHER THAN ON FLAT, LOW SPEED, CITY ROADS.
NHTSA complaint #10171700 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE SHIFTING FROM 5TH GEAR OR REVERSE TO NEUTRAL, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD GO INTO REVERSE. AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THE SWING ARM WAS BAD ON THE VEHICLE AND SHOULD BE REPAIRED.
NHTSA complaint #10168563 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
WHEN STARTING OUT COLD FROM AN INTERSECTION MY 2003 MAZDA MIATA LURCHES FORWARD POSSIBLY CAUSING STALLING IN THE INTERSECTION AND CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THIS COMPLAINT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED TO MY DEALER WHO SAYS THAT MAZDA WILL ONLY FIX THIS PROBLEM DURING THE FIRST 12 MONTHS./12,000 MILES OF OWNER SHIP. MAZDA HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE 2001 AS A RESULT OF A RE-DESIGN OF THE CLUTCH AND REFUSES TO FIX MY CAR BECAUSE IT IS BEYOND 12,000 MILES. THIS IS A LATENT DEFECT THAT ONLY MANIFESTS ITSELF I COLD WEATHER BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT SOMEONE MAY BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED AS A RESULT OF THIS DEFICIENT CLUTCH SYSTEM.
NHTSA complaint #10142899 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
TRANSMISSION/CLUTCH - CLUTCH SPRINGS OR PLATES STICK AFTER SHIFTING INTO GEAR. CLUTCH HAS BEEN REPLACED BY DEALER AFTER ONLY APROX. 30K. MILES AND PROBLEM HAS APPEARED AGAIN. DEALER CLAIMS THE SPRINGS ON CLUTCH STICK. PROBLEM SHIFTING INTO GEAR ESP. WHEN CAR IS FIRST STARTED, ALSO CLUTCH WEARS AT RAPID RATE.
NHTSA complaint #10106491 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
CLUTCH SHUDDER, ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE FOR THE FIRST TIME EACH DAY. THE WHOLE DRIVETRAIN/EXHAUST WILL SHAKE AS YOU ENGAGE THE CLUTCH. AS THE VEHICLE WARMS UP, THE PROBLEM IS LESS NOTICEABLE. STARTING AROUND 20K MILES. ALSO, "RINGING" NOISE IN 5TH GEAR (6 SPEED TRANSMISSION) UNDER LOAD SINCE NEW. RETAILER WILL NOT FIX, AND WAS TOLD THIS IS JUST A HARMONIC IN THE TRANSMISSION THAT IS DUE TO MACHINING TOLERANCES. INTERIOR OF VEHICLE GETS VERY HOT. THERE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ENOUGH INSULATION AROUND TRANSMISSION/EXHAUST AS FLOOR IS VERY WARM TO THE TOUCH.
NHTSA complaint #10095827 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
CLUTCH SHUDDER, ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE FOR THE FIRST TIME EACH DAY. THE WHOLE DRIVETRAIN/EXHAUST WILL SHAKE AS YOU ENGAGE THE CLUTCH. AS THE VEHICLE WARMS UP, THE PROBLEM IS LESS NOTICEABLE. STARTING AROUND 20K MILES. ALSO, "RINGING" NOISE IN 5TH GEAR (6 SPEED TRANSMISSION) UNDER LOAD SINCE NEW. RETAILER WILL NOT FIX, AND WAS TOLD THIS IS JUST A HARMONIC IN THE TRANSMISSION THAT IS DUE TO MACHINING TOLERANCES. INTERIOR OF VEHICLE GETS VERY HOT. THERE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ENOUGH INSULATION AROUND TRANSMISSION/EXHAUST AS FLOOR IS VERY WARM TO THE TOUCH.
NHTSA complaint #10095827 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
ON 11/10/03, MY 1999 MIATA STALLED WHEN CLUTCH IS PUSHED AT IDLE. I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 101 AT THAT TIME AND WOULD CREATE A DANGER ENVIRONMENT FOR THE SURROUNDING CARS. AFTER A CAR MECHANIC INSPECTED MY CAR, HE FOUND THAT THE CRANKSHAFT END PLAY WAS APPROXIMATELY .5" WIDE. THE MECHANIC SUSPECTED THAT THE PROBLEM MIGHT HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE FAILURE OF THE THRUST BEARING. MY CAR CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 70,000 MILES. MAZDA INSTALLED IMPROPER THRUST BEARING ON MANY 1999 MIATAS, CAUSING THE CAR TO STALL WHEN CLUTCH IS PUSHED AT IDLE. SO FAR, MAZDA HAS ONLY ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN CLAIMING THE PROBLEM WOULD ONLY MAKE NOISE BUT IGNORES THE POTENTIAL STALLING PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #10046899 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
UPON MORNING STARTS WHILE TURNING ON THE IGNITION THE CAR DOES NOT GO INTO REVERSE. THERE IS A SOUND METAL ROARING AND FEELS AS THOUGH THE EMERGENCY BREAK IS ON BUT IT IS NOT. CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN 4 TIMES TO AUTHORIZED REPAIR AT KONA MAZDA DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED AND THEY DENY ANY PROBLEMS. THEY SUGGESTED USING SYNTHETIC OIL AND TO WARM UP THE CAR IN THE MORNINGS WHICH I DO ALREADY. THERE ARE WITNESSES TO THIS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM BUT KONA MAZDA CANNOT DUPLICATED THE PROBLEM IN THEIR SERVICE PROBLEM. TS
NHTSA complaint #10000355 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
HARD SHIFTING BETWEEN 1ST, 2ND, AND 3RD GEAR. GEAR WILL SOMETIMES GRIND WHEN SHIFTING OR ENGINE SPEED MUST MUCH BEFORE ENGAGING. VERY STIFF SHIFTER AT NEUTRAL AND CAUSE GEAR HUNTING FROM 5TH TO 4TH. WHEN TRANSMISSION IS WARMED UP, A RATTLING SOUND CAN BE HEARD AT NEUTRAL BUT DISAPPEAR ONCE THE CLUTCH IS DEPRESSED.
NHTSA complaint #753339 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION CAN NOT BE SHIFTED SAFELY DURING NORMAL OPERATION. GRINDS, KICKS-OUT AND BLOCK SHIFTING INTO GEAR.
NHTSA complaint #751218 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
GEAR GETS STUCK IN REVERSE. ALSO, VEHICLE IS PLACED IN NEUTRAL AND FOOT IS RELEASED FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL VEHICLE WILL ROLL BACKWARDS.
NHTSA complaint #887176 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
CONSUMER HEARD A SHARP DISTINCT METALLIC SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE. NLM
NHTSA complaint #557363 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.