NHTSA vehicle safety data

2006 Mazda MX-5 Recalls & Complaints

The 2006 Mazda MX-5 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 25 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Mazda dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2006 Mazda MX-5. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

Pre-purchase inspection checklist → Reliability & 5-year cost forecast →

2006 Mazda MX-5 owner complaints

Owners have filed 25 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Mazda MX-5, describing incidents dated November 18, 2005 to February 21, 2024.

Most-cited components

Structure 6 complaints
Seat Belts 4 complaints
Power Train 3 complaints
Unknown or Other 3 complaints
Air Bags 2 complaints
Electrical System 2 complaints

Of the 25 complaints on file, 1 reports a crash; across all 25 complaints, owners report 1 injury (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11575781 · Filed March 6, 2024
Started out as intermittent Air Bag/Seat Belt Pretensioner system warning light about 3 months ago. Over the last 2 weeks, the warning stayed on per the manual and required replacement. I had this service performed on 3/6/2024 at a cost of $811.43 by Sumter Tire and Auto using Preordered Mazda parts…
ODI #11480898 · Filed August 23, 2022
air bag warning light for passenger will not go off
ODI #11119348 · Filed August 11, 2018
WHEN IT RAINS, WATER LEAKS INTO AND POOLS UNDER SEATS AND IN THE TRUNK. JUST HAD THE TOP REPLACED, SO IT IS NOT DUE TO AN OLD TOP. JUST RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS CAR.

Read all 25 complaints

DRIVER-SIDE FRONT AIR BAG MODULE

NHTSA #06V103000 · Air Bags — Frontal · NHTSA notice

Reported April 5, 2006 · MAZDA MOTOR CORP

Potentially affected: 2,600 vehicles

Mazda campaign 3906C · Owners notified April 28, 2006 · Vehicles built December 22, 2005 – February 15, 2006 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE BOLT ATTACHING THE HORN ASSEMBLY TO THE STEERING WHEEL HUB MAY FAIL DURING A DRIVER SIDE FRONT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT IN EXTREMELY LOW AMBIENT TEMPERATURE.

Safety consequence

SHOULD THIS OCCUR, THE HORN ASSEMBLY MAY SEPARATE AND COULD INJURE THE DRIVER.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER-SIDE FRONTAL AIR BAG MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 28, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MAZDA AT 800-222-5500.

Notes

MAZDA RECALL NO.3906C.CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 2006 Mazda MX-5. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

25 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2006 Mazda MX-5.

Seat Belts

ODI #11575781

Incident: February 21, 2024 · Filed: March 6, 2024

Started out as intermittent Air Bag/Seat Belt Pretensioner system warning light about 3 months ago. Over the last 2 weeks, the warning stayed on per the manual and required replacement. I had this service performed on 3/6/2024 at a cost of $811.43 by Sumter Tire and Auto using Preordered Mazda parts invoiced on 3/1/2024.

Air Bags

ODI #11480898

Incident: August 22, 2022 · Filed: August 23, 2022

air bag warning light for passenger will not go off

Structure

ODI #11119348

Incident: August 9, 2018 · Filed: August 11, 2018

WHEN IT RAINS, WATER LEAKS INTO AND POOLS UNDER SEATS AND IN THE TRUNK. JUST HAD THE TOP REPLACED, SO IT IS NOT DUE TO AN OLD TOP. JUST RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS CAR.

Air Bags

ODI #11083584

Incident: April 3, 2018 · Filed: April 6, 2018

PASSENGER AIRBAG SEAT SENSOR NOT DETECTING PERSONS IN SEAT. AIRBAGS REMAIN TURNED OFF. PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF INDICATED, CODE 48 FLASHES ON DASH. COMMON PROBLEM. DOESN'T MATTER IF CAR IS MOVING OR NOT.

Unknown or Other

ODI #10724678

Incident: June 1, 2011 · Filed: June 11, 2015

THE MX-5 HAS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE ROOF DRAIN ON THE CANDACE CONVERTIBLE TOP. IT FLOODS YOUR CAR YOUR FLOORBOARDS AND YOUR TRUCK IS FILLED WITH WATER. IT IS VERY COSTLY TO HAVE THIS REPLACED AND CARPETS DRAINED OF WATER AND THEN CLEANED. I LOVE MY CAR BUT IF I HAD KNOWN OF THIS DEFECT I WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED IT.

Unknown or Other; Equipment Adaptive/Mobility

ODI #10659886

Incident: March 1, 2014 · Filed: November 20, 2014

SAME PROBLEM AS MANY OF THE OTHER PEOPLE ON THIS WEBSITE. THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM FOR THE CANVAS CONVERTIBLE IS PROBLEMATIC. HAVING WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE AS WELL AS IN THE TRUNK. COULD THIS CAUSE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM? NOT SURE. IT CAN CERTAINLY CAUSE BLACK MOLD , AND I HAVE RESPIRATORY DIFFICULTIES AS IT IS! IN MY CASE, THE INSIDE OF CAR WAS MUSTY FOR MANY MONTHS (6+). I PARK MY CAR UNDER COVER, SO IT DIDN'T GET ENOUGH WATER IN TO NOTICE THE WATER OTHER THAN BY THE SMELL.BUT EACH TIME I LOOKED FOR THE SOURCE AND COULD NOT FIND ANY MOISTURE...BUT THAT MUSTY SMELL PERSISTED, AND I DIDN'T EVEN THINK OF IT MORE, OTHER THAN TO GET AIRFRESHENERS, AND RIDE WITH TOP DOWN WHEN I COULD. LOOKING BACK, THIS WAS PROBABLY THE CAUSE CONSTANTLY AGGRAVATING MY BREATHING PROBLEMS. ONE DAY I VISITED MY BROTHER IN FLORIDA, I WAS UNABLE TO PARK UNDER COVER, SO I PARKED OUTSIDE ON DRIVEWAY. I CAME OUT THE NEXT DAY, THE ENTIRE INSIDE OF THE CAR HAD ABOUT 4-6 INCHES OF WATER IN IT (I WAS ON A SLIGHT INCLINE SO THE TRUNK FILLED ABOUT 6 AND THE INSIDE ABOUT 4) , MUCH OF MY STUFF IN THE TRUNK WAS RUINED! I DRIED UP AS MUCH AS I COULD, HAD IT SHAMPOOED AND WHEN I GOT BACK TO TEXAS, I BROUGHT THE CAR IN, AND THE PROBLEM WAS THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM.... AND OF COURSE MY CAR WAS INFESTED WITH BLACK MOLD WHICH IS A MAJOR HEALTH HAZARD TO PEOPLE WITH LUNG ISSUES, (AS WELL AS THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE LUNG ISSUES!) I HAD TO REPLACE ALL THE CARPET, ALL THE PADDING, HAVE ALL THE BLACK MOLD REMOVED, REPLACE ALL MY BELONGINGS THAT GOT RUINED, AND PAY TO HAVE THE LINES "FLUSHED" SO IT DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.....NOW I AM FINDING OUT ON HERE THEY KNEW ABOUT THIS AND HAVE DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT IT? I GUESS MY NEXT CAR WILL NOT BE A MAZDA. ALL THAT WORK WAS NOT CHEAP, AND I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO FIX IT OR IT WOULD CONTINUE TO BE A DETRIMENT TO MY HEALTH... I GUESS THE NEXT STEP WILL TO BE SPEAKING WITH AN ATTORNEY. *TR

Fuel/Propulsion System

ODI #10627097

Incident: August 6, 2014 · Filed: August 21, 2014

I HAVE A 2006 MX5 MIATA AND THERE IS A STRONG FUEL SMELL AND CAP WILL NOT STAY TIGHT ALSO GETTING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I CONTACTED MAZDA AND THEY SAID THERE IS A KNOWN DEFECT IN THE FILLER NECK AND CAP WILL COME OFF. FUEL SLOSHES OUT AND I REPLACED CAP WITH AN UPDATED ONE. STILL COMES LOOSE LEADING THE FILLER NECK ISSUE. THEY WILL NOT REPAIR AS ITS NOT A RECALL. MY CONCERN IS THAT IT IS A FIRE HAZARD AND THEY WILL NOT REPAIR A DEFECT THAT IS KNOWN TO HAPPEN. *TR

Seat Belts; Seats

ODI #10605600

Incident: June 1, 2012 · Filed: June 24, 2014

2ND REQUEST, NO RESPONSE RECEIVED FROM 1ST REQUEST I BOUGHT MY 2006 MAZDA MIATA FROM CARMAX (SANFORD, FL) IN 2011. MY CAR BEGAN FLOODING EVERY TIME IT RAINED. I HAVE HAD AT LEAST 50 FLOODS TO DATE. THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR HAS EXTENSIVE MOLD DAMAGE AND MILDEW. THE FLOORS ARE RUSTED. THE BOLTS THAT HOLD THE SEATS IN PLACE ARE SEVERELY RUSTED. ONE SEAT NO LONGER CAN BE MOVED ON ITS' TRACK. THE DRIVER'S SEAT SLIDES OUT OF PLACE WHILE DRIVING. THE SEATBELT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE NO LONGER RETRACTS. ROACHES ARE LIVING IN THE CAR. I CONTACTED CARMAX BUT THEY WERE UNWILLING TO TAKE THE CAR BACK. THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOWROOM AND NOT ON THE LOT. I'M GUESSING THEY KNEW OF THE PROBLEM. THE 2006 AND 2007 MIATAS HAVE FAULTY/DEFECTIVE DRAINS. MAZDA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT NEVER DID A RECALL. THEY ALSO EXPECT $1000.00 FROM ME TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I CONTINUE TO HAVE FLOODING EVERY TIME IT RAINS, SO IT'S THREE YEARS OF FLOODING AT THIS POINT IN TIME. THE VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED "SALVAGE" AT THIS POINT DUE TO THE YEARS OF EXTENSIVE WATER DAMAGE. *TR

Electrical System; Seat Belts; Structure; Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ODI #10585977

Incident: December 1, 2011 · Filed: May 1, 2014

MY CAR WAS PARKED AT WORK. IT WAS RAINING. WHEN I GOT INTO THE VEHICLE, IT WAS FLOODED ON THE INSIDE UP TO 6 INCHES. THE GAS PEDAL WAS SLIPPERY. IT SMELLED MUSTY, LIKE MILDEW AND MOLD. I CONTACTED THE DEALER BUT GOT NO RETURN PHONE CALLS. I WROTE THEM A LETTER AND RECEIVED A PHONE CALL THEN. THEY TOLD ME TO TRADE THE CAR IN IF I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS. I TOLD THEM THEY SOLD ME A FLOOD CAR AND WANTED TO RETURN IT. THEY REFUSED. THIS WAS CARMAX IN SANFORD, FL. SINCE THAT TIME, THE CAR HAS FLOODED OVER 25 TIMES. I AM NOW LIVING WITH ROACHES BREEDING IN MY CAR. IT SMELLS LIKE MOLD. THE WINDOWS ARE FOGGED FROM THE INSIDE DAILY. THE SEATS HAVE GOTTEN STUCK AND THEN SLIDE OUT OF PLACE WHILE I'M DRIVING. MY INSURANCE COMPANY, GEICO, REFUSED TO HELP ME, STATING THAT THIS DAMAGE PROBABLY OCCURRED BEFORE I OWNED THE CAR. I BELIEVE THE DEALER KNEW OF THESE PROBLEMS, THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOWROOM AND NOT OUT ON THE LOT. *TR

Structure

ODI #10585837

Incident: April 30, 2014 · Filed: May 1, 2014

THE MX-5 HAS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE ROOF DRAINS ON THE CANVAS CONVERTIBLE TOP. IT FLOODS CONSTANTLY. I AM REALLY GROWING TIRED OF VACUUMING UP WATER IN THIS CAR. IT EVEN FLOODS THE TRUNK. WET FEET IN STANDING WATER MAKES FOR A SAFETY ISSUE DRIVING THE CAR UNTIL YOU CAN GET TO A WET VAC TO EVACUATE STANDING WATER. *TR

Other Mazda MX-5 model years

Check your 2006 Mazda MX-5 VIN

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