Reliability & cost of ownership
Mazda MX-5 Miata Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Mazda MX-5 Miata? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars where on file — then open the year you're shopping for its AI reliability outlook where NHTSA has enough data.
Mazda MX-5 Miata problems by model year
215 owner complaints on file across 11 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database. We couldn't confirm the NHTSA recall list for those years — check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 MX-5 Miata | Not confirmed | 2 | No overall rating on file | Recalls & complaints → |
| 2004 MX-5 Miata | Not confirmed | 6 | No overall rating on file | Recalls & complaints → |
| 2003 MX-5 Miata | Not confirmed | 12 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2002 MX-5 Miata | Not confirmed | 19 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2001 MX-5 Miata | Not confirmed | 21 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2000 MX-5 Miata | Not confirmed | 27 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1999 MX-5 Miata | Not confirmed | 67 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1998 MX-5 Miata | Not confirmed | 1 | No overall rating on file | Recalls & complaints → |
| 1997 MX-5 Miata | Not confirmed | 11 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1996 MX-5 Miata | Not confirmed | 21 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1995 MX-5 Miata | Not confirmed | 28 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Mazda MX-5 Miata, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- air bags38 complaints
- engine and engine cooling25 complaints
- electrical system24 complaints
- service brakes, hydraulic21 complaints
- power train20 complaints
- structure19 complaints
- fuel system, gasoline17 complaints
- exterior lighting11 complaints