1999 Mazda MX-5 Miata complaints

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.

WHEN DRIVING IN THE RAIN, BRAKES DID NOT SLOW CAR FOR UP TO 3 SECONDS AFTER APPLICATION OF BRAKE PEDAL (NO MATTER HOW HARD I PUSHED). ONCE THE BRAKES START WORKING, THEY FEEL NORMAL, BUT IF YOU DON'T USE THEM FOR A FEW MINUTES, THE BRAKES WILL DO THE SAME THING AGAIN, AND AGAIN. IT SEEMS THAT THE HARDER IT RAINS, THE MORE PRONOUNCED THE TEMPORARY LACK OF STOPPING POWER, AND THE LONGER THE DELAY UNTIL THE BRAKES ACHIEVE FRICTION.*AK

AFTER DRIVING IN RAIN, BRAKES WILL HAVE NO EFFECT UNTIL ROTOR IS DRY, WHICH COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE IN AN ACCIDENT HAPPENING OR NOT. THIS IS SIMPLY BY DRIVING IN RAIN, AND NOT GOING THROUGH ANY PUDDLES.*AK

THIS REPORT TO TO DOCUMENT A SAFETY CONCERN ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE BRAKES IN THE 1999 MIATA. ALTHOUGH THE MIATA HAS EXCELLENT BRAKING IN DRY CONDITIONS, IT HAS BEEN NOTED THAT WHEN DRIVING IN MODERATE RAIN IN FREEWAY TRAFFIC THE BRAKES ARE INEFFECTIVE FOR 2 TO 3 SECONDS UNTIL THEY BEGIN TO DRY OUT AND FUNCTION. THIS OCCURS WITH OUT THE PRESENCE OF STANDING WATER, JUST NORMAL SPRAY FROM TRAFFIC. THIS CONDITION WAS ALSO DOCUMENTED IN THE MIATA.NET WEB SITE AND IT WAS REPORTED THAT MAZDA HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS CONDITION IN EUROPE AND HAS ISSUED REPLACEMENT FRONT DISC SHEILDS AS IDENTIFIED HERE: RIGHT SIDE P/N NC8533260A LEFT SIDE P/N NC8533270A NUT P/N D06Y33042. LOCAL MAZDA DEALERSHIP CLAIM TO HAVE NO NOTICE OF THIS ISSUE OR REPLACEMENT PARTS. THIS CONDITION IS BEING EXPERIENCED BY MORE 1999 OWNERS AS DOCUMENTED ON THE MIATA.NET FORUM UNDER THE TOPIC "BRAKES IN THE WET" WHERE THIS PROBLEM WAS FIRST IDENTIFIED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING IN WET OR SNOWY CONDITIONS THERE IS A REPEATABLE TENDENCY FOR BRAKES TO NOT SUPPLY ADEQUATE BRAKING UNTIL REPEATED PUMPING OF THE BRAKES IS DONE. *AK

CENTER OF KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEEL CRACKED CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE CALIPER, ROTOR, AND DUSTSHIELD AND LIP OF THE FENDER. (ATTORNEY FOR CLIENT) *SLC

MY POINT IN WRITING THIS LETTER IS MY CONCERN OVER THE CARS PERFORMANCE ON WET ROADS. MIND YOU, IM NOT TALKING HEAVY RAINS OR ANYTHING CLOSE TO THAT. IM MERELY TALKING ABOUT THE TYPE OF WEATHER WHERE ONE MAY UTILIZE THE INTERMITTENT WIPER. AFTER A PERIOD OF DRIVING IN THIS TYPE OF WEATHER THE BRAKES ARE LACKING. I HAVE EXITED THE HIGHWAY ON OFF RAMPS AND THE BRAKES ARE NO WHERE TO BE FOUND. LUCKILY, I HAD TIME TO PUMP THE BRAKES AND THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC BACKUP AT THE END OF THE RAMP (3 TIMES). WE HAVE EXPERIENCED OTHER SIMILAR OCCURRENCES OVER THE PAST YEARS.

TIRES ARE ALMOST WORN OUT ANDD NEED TO BE REPLACED PREMATURELY (YOKOHAMA TIRES). NLM

WHINING NOISE ESPECIALLY IN 3RD GEAR AT 29-32 MPH THAT IS VERY IRRITATING. VERY LOUD WHIRRING NOISE AT 5900 RPM IN ANY GEAR. DEALERS ALTERNATELY SAY THEY CAN'T HEAR THE NOISES OR THAT THEY ARE NORMAL. ONE MECHANIC AT MORRIE'S SAID "I USED TO HAVE A TRUCK THAT SOUNDED LIKE THAT. MAYBE YOURS WILL GO AWAY IF YOU GET MORE MILES ON IT." THE 5900 RPM NOISE DECREASED BY 2/3 AFTER CHANGING TO SYNTHETIC TRANSMISSION AND DIFFERENTIAL FLUID BUT THERE IS DEFINITELY A PROBLEM. THE LAST DEALER I TOOK IT TO SAID HE'D CALL BACK IN A WEEK. THAT WAS THREE WEEKS AGO. MAZDA USA SAID THEY'D CALL BACK. THAT WAS A WEEK AGO. I'D LIKE TO GET THIS FIXED SO THAT I CAN ENJOY MAKING MY $450 A MONTH PAYMENTS FOR 5 YEARS A LITTLE MORE. *AK

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

WHILE PASSING ANOTHER CAR ON A TWO LANE ROAD, THE ACCELERATOR CABLE AND THE CABLE ADJUSTER ASSEMBLY DISENGAGED FROM THE HORSESHOE BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE CABLE. MY GAS PEDAL FELL TO THE FLOOR AND THE ENGINE WENT TO IDLE SPEED . I COULDN'T ACCELERATE AS THE PEDAL WAS LYING FLAT ON THE FLOOR. THERE ARE TWO RUBBER GROMMETS THAT HOLD THE CABLE TO THE HORSESHOE BRACKET ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE MANIFOLD. THEY SLIPPED OUT OF THE SLOT AND THE RESULTING SLACK IN THE CABLE DROPPED THE GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND THE ACCELERATOR WENT TO IDLE. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND I WAS ABLE TO GET BACK INTO THE RIGHT LANE WITHOUT BEING HIT BY THE CARS I HAD JUST PASSED. I COASTED TOT HE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOPPED. I WAS ABLE TO REINSERT THE ACCELERATOR CABLE BACK INTO THE BRACKET AND DRIVE UNTIL I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. THEY ADJUSTED THE CABLE AND RETIGHTENED THE NUTS. I'M NOT COMFORTABLE THAT THE CABLE WON'T SLIP OUT OF THE HORSESHOE BRACKET AGAIN!!! *AK

WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 60 MPH OR MORE VEHICLE WOULD RATTLE/SHAKE, AND HESITATE. ALSO, VEHICLE WOULD WANDER ACROSS THE ROAD. DEALER NOTIFIED AND AND UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK

LOUD NOISE FROM TRANSMISSION IN 4TH GEAR FROM 3500 - 4000 RPM AT FULL THROTTLE. MAZDA CLAIMS THIS IS NORMAL AND AFTER DRIVING 10 SEPERATE 99 MIATA'S THIS NOISE IS NOT NORMAL. THE NOISE IS PRESENT ON ALL 99 MIATA'S BUT THE LOUDNESS VARIES. ON MY MIATA THE NOISE IS 2 -3 TIMES AS LOUD AS ALL OTHER 99 MIATA'S I HAVE DRIVEN. *AK

WHEN DISENGAGING THE CLUTCH, THE RPMS FALL DOWN RAPIDLY, CAUSING THE CAR TO STALL, AND POWER STEERING AND BRAKES TO FAIL. *AK *ML

AFTER DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR, IF I STOP THE CAR, PUT IT IN NEUTRAL, AND TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE CLUTCH, I HEAR A LOUD RATTLING NOISE WHAT SOUNDS LIKE A BAD RELEASE BEARING. WHEN I PRESS THE CLUTCH PEDAL TO THE FLOOR, THE NOISE STOPS. *AK

DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. DEALER REPLACED WINDSHIELD. BUT PROBLEM IS REOCCURRING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

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.

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

MY MIATA WAS HIT IN THE FRONT LEFT SIDE BY A GMC PICKUP WHICH WAS TRAVELING AT LEAST 35 MPH. I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT, SO MY SPEED WAS MINIMAL. BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, AND THE STEERING WHEEL CAME COMPLETELY OFF THE COLUMN. THE CAR WAS DETERMINED TO BE A TOTAL LOSS. I HAVE NOT HEARD OF A STEERING WHEEL BREAKING AWAY FROM THE COLUMN WITH THE DEPLOYMENT OF AN AIRBAG. IS THIS A DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE?

THE GAS LINE VALVE FAILED CAUSING IT TO TAKE 20 MIN. FOR CONSUMER TO FILL GAS TANK AND CAUSE GAS TO SPLASH BACK FROM THE PUMP. ET

REAR DIFFERENTIAL SEAL FAILED CAUSING OIL TO LEAK FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. *ET

VEHICLE WAS IN TOW BEHIND MY RV, WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING BOTH REAR WHEELS TO LOCK UP.VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN TOW FOR 278 MILES AT THE TIME OF FAILURE.WHEN I WAS PURCHASING THE VEHICL, I MADE ALL CONCERNED AWARE THAT I WAS INTENDING TO TOW THE VEHICLE BEHIND MY MOTOR HOME. NOTHING WAS SAIS OF ANY SPECIAL CONDITIONS REGARDING THE TOWING. MAZDA REFUSES TO EVEN INVESTIGATE THE FAILURE, STATING THAT THEY FEEL IT WAS CAUSED BY THE TOWING. A TECNICAL REPRESENTATIVE ADMITTED HOWEVER, THAT THE SAME FAILRE COULD HAVE ACCURED IF THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN COASTING, WITH THE ENGINE OFF. SINCE I WAS IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE OF THE INTERSTATE. I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE UNIT TO A SAFE STOP. IF I HAD BEEN IN ANOTHER LANE, OR IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING LANES, THE RESULT COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTORUS.

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN 5 MPH MINOR COLLISION, VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM THE REAR, CAUSING CONSUMER TO HIT HIS HEAD ON THE STEEL BARS WHICH ARE A PART OF THE CONVERTIBLE TOP, RESULTING IN A CONCUSSION AND CHANGE IN EYE SIGHT. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

AFTER PURCHASING VEHICLE OWNER REPORTED BURNING SMELL AND SMOKE FROM UNDERNEATH CAR AND SAW FLUID DRIPPING AS WELL;