2000 Mazda MX-5 Miata Recalls & Complaints

Incident: March 29, 2017 · Filed: November 13, 2017

THE TRUNK SMELLS LIKE GASOLINE. THE CABIN SMELLS LIKE GASOLINE. WHILE RESEARCHING ONLINE, THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT A GAS SMELL ON THESE CARS.

Incident: August 15, 2012 · Filed: September 16, 2015

ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING BADLY AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK TO MAZDA DEALER SHOP AND WAS TOLD A SPARK PLUG WIRE WAS DEFECTIVE AND BURNED UP. IN ACTUALITY, THE IGNITION COIL HAD FAILED AND CAUSED THE PROBLEMS. THE DEALER REPLACED SPARK PLUGS, IGNITION WIRES, AND COIL. TWO MONTHS LATER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS CLOGGED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC SAID IT WAS DUE TO THE POOR RUNNING DURING THE TIME WHEN THE IGNITION COIL HAD BEEN MISFIRING. SO THE DEFECTIVE COIL CAUSED A GREAT DEAL OF DAMAGE, AND MAZDA HAS TAKEN NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS OR THE DAMAGE THEY HAVE CAUSED. IF YOU READ COMPLAINTS FOR 1999 MODELS, YOU'LL SEE MANY FAILURES OF THE IGNITION COIL, SOME CAUSING DAMAGE TO OTHER PARTS COSTING A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY. APPARENTLY, SIMILAR COILS WERE USED ON 2000'S WITH SIMILAR FAILURES. BUT NO RECALL AND NO INVESTIGATION.

Incident: September 1, 2015 · Filed: September 7, 2015

I RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS CAR WITH ONLY 44,000 MILES ON IT. I RECEIVED THE COMPLETE SERVICE RECORD, AND IT HAD BEEN MAINTAINED THROUGH THE DEALERSHIP AND THROUGH A PRIVATE GARAGE AND BODY SHOP ON A REGULAR BASIS AND THOROUGHLY INSPECTED ON EVERY SERVICE AND BEFORE I BOUGHT IT. NO MENTION HAD EVER BEEN MADE OF RUST IN THE FRONT FRAME RAILS. I PULLED THE FRONT WHEELS TO CLEAN UP RUST AND ALL CONNECTIONS AND FOUND PATCHES OF RUST ON BOTH FRAME RAILS BETWEEN THE SWAY BAR BRACKET AND STRUT BRACKETS. I CAN PUNCH A SCREWDRIVER THROUGH THE RUST ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. I LOOKED INSIDE HOLES AND SAW RUST INSIDE THE FRAME RAILS. I FOUND MANY ONLINE COMPLAINTS CONCERNING SIMILAR RUST ON NB MODELS 1999-2005. THIS RUST WILL WEAKEN THE FRAME RAILS AND COULD CAUSE THEM TO BREAK DURING A FRONT END COLLISION, THUS COMPROMISING CRUMPLE ZONES. IT WILL ALSO COMPROMISE THE BRACKETS HOLDING SWAY BARS, STRUTS, AND OTHER VITAL SUSPENSION COMPONENTS. THIS COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. THE RUST BEGINS INSIDE FRAME RAILS SO CAN'T BE SEEN IN EARLY PHASES--UNTIL IT APPEARS ON OUTSIDE OF RAILS. SEEMS CLEAR THAT MAZDA KNOWS OF THESE PROBLEMS SINCE IT REDESIGNED THE FRAME IN 2006 AND SELLS REPAIR PARTS THAT DON'T INVOLVE THIN SANDWICHED SHEETS OF METAL WITH MATERIALS IN BETWEEN THAT HOLD MOISTURE, ROAD SALT, AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS. NUMEROUS HOLES IN THE FRAME RAILS ALSO SEEM TO TAKE IN WATER AND CONTAMINANTS. MIATAS ARE MADE TO PERFORM ON CURVES AND HAVE STIFF SUSPENSION, SO A LOT OF STRESS COMES ON THE FRAME AND BRACKETS. I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE MY MIATA LIKE A SPORTS CAR SINCE THAT WILL CAUSE FURTHER FRAME CRACKING. FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN ONLINE, REPAIRS ARE COMPLEX AND EXPENSIVE. DON'T KNOW WHY THIS SAFETY ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN THE SUBJECT OF INVESTIGATIONS AND RECALLS. THE PROBLEMS SEEM TO RESULT FROM POOR QUALITY FRAME MATERIALS AND INADEQUATE ENGINEERING DESIGN.

Incident: March 7, 2014 · Filed: March 7, 2014

AREA OF THE FRONT FRAME SUPPORT RAILS (CORE SUPPORT IS OFFICIAL NAME) RUSTS FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THE CONSTRUCTION METHOD IS A SANDWICHED MATERIAL WITH SOME SORT OF TARPAPER IN THE MIDDLE WHICH TRAPS MOISTURE WHICH, IN TURN, HASTENS FRAME RUSTING. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ESPECIALLY IN THE 1999 - 2005 YEARS AND USUALLY NOT EASILY IDENTIFIED UNTIL THE FRAME IS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. A GOOGLE SEARCH OF THE ISSUE RETURNS NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS. ONCE THE FRAME RUSTS THROUGH IT CAUSES A REAL SAFETY ISSUE FOR THE OCCUPANTS. *TR

Incident: July 20, 2013 · Filed: September 7, 2013

AFTER DRIVING AROUND IN HEATED CONDITIONS (ROUGHLY 80 DEGREES OR MORE) FOR ABOUT 10+ MILES, SOMETIMES LESS, THE CAR WILL NOT START. IT WILL CRANK AND ATTEMPT TO START BUT FAILS TO DO SO. IN ORDER TO GET IT TO START I HAVE TO POP THE HOOD OPEN AND LET IT SIT FOR 10-15 MINUTES. ONCE IT STARTS IT IS VERY ROUGH AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON. IF I STOP DRIVING IT FOR THE DAY, THE NEXT MORNING, THE LIGHT WILL BE OFF AND IT WILL DRIVE FINE, UNTIL I DRIVE DURING THE DAY, OR OVER A LONG DISTANCE. THRE HAS ALSO BEEN AN INSTANCE WHEN I WAS DRIVING AND STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT AND THE CAR JUST STALLED, HAD TO PERFORM THE SAME THING, POP THE HOOD AND WAIT, IT WAS BACK RUNNING. THIS ALSO HAPPEND AT A DRIVE THRU IN 100 DEGREE WEATHER, CAR STALLED AS SOON AS I GOT MY FOOD AND HELD UP THE ALREADY LONG LINE OF CARS BEHIND ME. I HAD TO PUSH IT TO A NEARBY PARKING LOT. I HAVE READ ON NUMEROUS FORUMS AND POSTS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS AND THAT IT'S EITHER A) IGNITION COIL B) SPARK PLUGS C) SPARK PLUG WIRES OR D) CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR.. WELL.. I CHANGED OUT THE FIRST 3 OPTIONS, WITH NO SUCCESS.. STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I RECENTLY BOUGHT A CPS AND WAITING FOR IT TO ARRIVE. IF THIS DOESN'T FIX THE PROBLEM I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL. I DRIVE CONSTANTLY ON HIGHWAYS TO GET AROUND AND IF IT STALLS THEN, I WILL BE IN A LOT OF TROUBLE. I DO NOT HAVE A WARRANTY SO I AM DOING ALL THESE REPAIRS MYSELF.

Incident: December 27, 2009 · Filed: December 28, 2009

1999 TO 2000 MAZDA MIATA THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE LOW/HIGH BEAM HAS BEEN SHOWN TO GENERATE HIGH TEMPERATURES AND ON ONE OCCASION, CAUSE A FIRE. I PERSONALLY HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS WITH MY 1999 MIATA WHICH PROMPTED ME TO REPLACE THE FORWARD SECTION OF THE H4 HEADLIGHT WIRING HARNESS. OTHERS ON THE MIATA.NET FORUM ( SEE HTTP://FORUM.MIATA.NET/VB/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=360101 HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS, AND ONE MEMBER WHO STARTED THE THREAD EXPERIENCED A FIRE AND DAMAGE. ) I URGE THE NHTSA TO LOOK INTO THIS FURTHER WITH MAZDA USA. *TR

Incident: January 7, 2008 · Filed: January 28, 2008

RATTLING SOUND FROM ENGINE BAY WITH A CHANGE IN TONE AND/OR PITCH WHEN THE CLUTCH WAS ENGAGED/DISENGAGED. RESULT: CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE NUMBER 4 CYLINDER CAUSING THE CONNECTING ROD (AMONG OTHER INTERNAL ENGINE PARTS) TO BE DRIVEN DIRECTLY THROUGH THE OIL PAN. RECOMMEND PROCEDURE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE: COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF $4,600 *CN

Incident: June 5, 2005 · Filed: June 20, 2005

DT: CONSUMER PURCHASED A USED 2000 MAZADA MIATA, THE FRONT LEFT FOG LIGHT CAUGHT ON FIRE, NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH FOG LIGHT. WHEN THE FOG LIGHT CAUGHT ON FIRE IT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE BUMPER TRIM, MARKER LIGHT, AND THE WIRING HARNESS, CONSUMER HAD TO USE A FIRE EXTINGUISH TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. *AK

Incident: May 11, 2004 · Filed: January 10, 2005

I PAID A TOTAL OF $835.03 IN REPAIRS DUE TO UNQUALIFIED MAZDA TECHNICIANS AND INFERIOR PARTS (IGNITION COIL) THAT MAZDA KNOWINGLY INSTALLED IN THE 1999 AND 2000 MIATA?S. IN MAY 2004 MY ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON. I HAD THE SPARK PLUGS AND SPARK PLUG WIRES CHECKED TO DETERMINE IF THAT WAS THE PROBLEM AND THEY WERE FINE. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND BROUGHT THE MIATA IN FOR SERVICE. I WAS INFORMED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THERE WAS A P0300 CODE (RANDOM MISFIRE ) AND THAT THE SPARK PLUGS AND SPARK PLUG WIRES NEEDED TO BE CHANGED. I TOLD THE SERVICE CONSULTANT THAT THE PLUGS AND WIRES WERE ALREADY VISUALLY INSPECTED AND DEEMED TO BE IN WORKING ORDER. HE INSISTED THE PLUGS AND WIRES WERE THE ISSUE AND PERFORMED A TUNE-UP FOR 322.24. I HAD TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN THREE MORE TIMES BECAUSE THE ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUED TO GO ON. FINALLY IN DECEMBER 2004 THEY CONCLUDED IT WAS THE IGNITION COIL AND I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL 512.79 TO CORRECT. WHEN I ASKED IF THEY CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE PRICE CONSIDERING THEY MISDIAGNOSED IT THE FIRST TIME, THEIR RESPONSE WAS ?YOU NEED A TUNE-UP AT 30,000 MILES ANY?. FIRST OF ALL WHEN I GOT THE TUNE-UP IN MAY THERE WERE ONLY 23K MILES ON THE CAR (I STILL DON?T HAVE 30K MILES ON IT). SECOND OF ALL IF I WAS TOLD A TUNE-UP WAS NOT GOING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM I NEVER WOULD HAVE AGREED TO GETTING ONE. I?VE RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT THE IGNITION COIL IS A KNOWN PROBLEM ON THE '99 AND '00 MIATA THAT MAZDA REFUSES TO ADDRESS. SINCE THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE, THE DEALERSHIP SHOULD HAVE INSPECTED THE IGNITION COIL WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS FIRST BROUGHT IN AND IT SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE. NO OLD PARTS ARE AVAILABLE.*AK

Incident: November 13, 2004 · Filed: November 23, 2004

1.ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN POORLY VEHICLE LOST SPEED. 2. HAD TO EXIT FREEWAY AND USE SIDE STREETS TO RETURN HOME 3. TOOK CAR TO DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS, SERVICE REPORT INDICATED THAT THE COIL/IGNITER WAS DEFECTIVE WHICH WAS THE CAUSE OF THE LOSS OF POWER. RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THE COIL/IGNITER FAILURE IS A PROBLEM ON THE 1999, 2000 MODELS.*JB