1993 Mazda MX-5 Miata Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1993 Mazda MX-5 Miata, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags450.0%
- Seat belts225.0%
- Body & structure112.5%
- Brakes112.5%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT FOR THE 1993 MAZDA MIATA FLASHED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY REPLACED THE MAIN CRASH SENSOR. THE CONTACT STATED THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHTS CONTINUED TO FLASH. THE DEALERSHIP THEN RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE AIRBAG WIRING HARNESS. THIS HAS YET TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT SINCE THE CRASH SENSORS WERE NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY,THE AIRBAGS COULD DEPLOY AT ANY TIME WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAD 78100 MILES. *AK THE DEALER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A BAD CRASH SENSOR AND FIXED BUT THE WARNING LIGHT CONTINUED TO FLASH. THE DEALER IMPROPERLY DIAGNOSED THE CAR AND AWARDED THE CONSUMER A CHECK $531.78. UPDATE *4/12TR
WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE AIR BAG SUDDENLY DEPLOYED. *NLM *TS
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 MAZDA MIATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WOULD UNLATCH INDEPENDENTLY WHILE DRIVING. THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE IF THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE BUCKLE OR THE RETRACTOR SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 245,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS. 252,000.
FALSE SEATBELT ENGAGEMENT. SEATBELT 'CLICKS', THEN 1, 2, 5 MINUTES LATER, BELT SPONTANEOUSLY DISENGAGES.I HAVE OWNED MULTIPLE MIATAS; I HAD TO REPLACE BELTS IN MY 1992 MIATA FOR THE SAME REASON. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE WENT OUT OF CONTROL, ROLLED DOWN AN EMBANKMENT, NO ROLL BAR, OCCUPANTS PARALYZED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN APPLYING THE HYDRAULIC BRAKES IN WET WEATHER, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, AND BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .