Mazda MX-5 MiataYears to avoid, problems & recalls

Based on 339 NHTSA owner complaints across 16 model years, no Mazda MX-5 Miata year stands out as one to avoid, and the strongest years are 1990, 1996 and 2000.

Years to avoidNoneUse caution: 1995, 1999 Best years'90 '96 '00Fewest complaints for their age Owner complaints339Top: Air bags Safety recalls01990–2005 model years

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports. Updated daily. How we score years.

Best & worst years

Mazda MX-5 Miata years to avoid

Complaints by model year, colored by the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the MX-5 Miata median. Tap a year for its full report.

28 21 22 8 18 30 29 11 1 74 29 22 20 14 8 4

'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05

Avoid
Caution
Solid
Best
Not rated

Complaints by system

Most common Mazda MX-5 Miata problems

All model years combined: 339 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

80Air bags28 crash/fire/injury

33Engine and engine cooling

32Electrical system1 crash/fire/injury

30Power train2 crash/fire/injury

28Service brakes, hydraulic

25Structure3 crash/fire/injury

19Fuel system, gasoline

18Seat belts

17Tires

8013 other systems23 crash/fire/injury

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.

Complaints by system
System	Complaints	Crash, fire or injury
Air bags	80	28
Engine and engine cooling	33	0
Electrical system	32	1
Power train	30	2
Service brakes, hydraulic	28	0
Structure	25	3
Fuel system, gasoline	19	0
Seat belts	18	1
Tires	17	6
13 other systems	80	23

0 recalls

Mazda MX-5 Miata recalls

Newest first. The ring shows the share of affected vehicles repaired, from the manufacturer's latest report to NHTSA.