Mazda MX-5 Miata
Owners filed 339 complaints across 16 model years of the Mazda MX-5 Miata. The 1999 drew the most (74); the 1998 the fewest (1).
Model years16
Complaints339
Recalls0
Fires10
Deaths0
Every Mazda MX-5 Miata model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4 | 0 | — | — | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | Routine | |
| 2004 | 8 | 0 | — | — | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | Routine | |
| 2003 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 1 | Steering | Routine | |
| 2002 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 2 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2001 | 22 | 0 | — | 3 | Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump | Routine | |
| 2000 | 29 | 0 | 2 | 2 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 1999 | 74 | 0 | — | 10 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc | Routine | |
| 1998 | 1 | 0 | — | — | Air Bags › Frontal | Routine | |
| 1997 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly | Routine | |
| 1996 | 29 | 0 | — | 1 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 1995 | 30 | 0 | 2 | 9 | Air Bags › Frontal | Routine | |
| 1994 | 18 | 0 | — | 1 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 1993 | 8 | 0 | — | 2 | Air Bags › Frontal | Routine | |
| 1992 | 22 | 0 | — | 3 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 1991 | 21 | 0 | — | 2 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 1990 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 4 | Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly | Routine |
Which Mazda MX-5 Miata years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 1999 is the weakest year on record, with 74 complaints concentrated in the service brakes, hydraulic › foundation components › disc.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.