1994 Mazda MX-5 Miata Owner Complaints

In 2010, the air bag control module went out on my vehicle. There were no replacement units available, and I was forced to disconnect the system to prevent the dangerous possibility of a malfunction. I also had to build a dummy unit to turn the air bag status light on and off on the dashboard so that the vehicle would pass inspection. Several years later, I was able to buy what might have been the last new-old-stock control module in North America, and I was able to restore the functionality of the airbag system. However, even this module is old, and I do not know how long it will last. Manufacturers should be required to stock replacement parts for critical safety equipment for as long as their vehicles are on the road. Failing that, there should be some sort of exemption from state requirements that such safety equipment pass inspection if it is unserviceable (although this would be an inferior solution).

NHTSA ID

11555114

Incident

May 1, 2010

Car was in storage for 3.5 years and upon starting the engine fuel sprayed from the fuel rail/fuel injector interface (I would estimate 0.2 liters per minute). 10 mb file size limit, LOL. I zoomed my photo to about 5% of the original area to show a 1/2” picture of the fuel spray. Also, FWIW, this is a race car with original/OEM engine.

NHTSA ID

11469266

Incident

Jun 13, 2022

AIR BAG LIGHT FLASHES OFF AND ON NOW WITH CODE 52. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 80,000 ORIGINAL MILES. I AM DRIVING IT BUT NEED TO KNOW IF A RECALL WILL FIX THIS .

NHTSA ID

11402761

Incident

Mar 9, 2021

Mileage

80,000 mi

THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WILL FLASH IN A CODE OF 5-1 OR 5-2, MEANING "SYSTEM DOWN FUSE OPEN" (51) OR "DAMAGED BACKUP BATTERY" (52). THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE ON THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT MODULES, AFTER RESEARCHING FORMS I FOUND THAT MOST PEOPLE WILL TRY AND FIX IT THEMSELVES. IMPROPER REPAIR OF THIS COULD CAUSE IMPROPER DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAGS AND LEAVING IT ALONE WILL ALSO CAUSE IMPROPER DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAGS. AFTER SEEING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WITH SUCH A VITAL SAFETY FEATURE. IT IS ALMOST A DIRECT NECESSITY THAT THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT MODULE IS RECALLED ASAP. THIS EVENT OCCURS UPON START UP OF THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

11353381

Incident

Sep 4, 2020

Mileage

65,000 mi

AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE HAS NOT BEEN MADE AVAILABLE BY MAZDA. THESE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE INSPECTED AND/OR REPLACED EVERY 10 YEARS OR WHEN GO BAD TO ENSURE AIRBAG SYSTEM CONTINUES TO WORK. KNOWN FOR GOING BAD AFTER ABOUT 10-15 YEARS DUE TO INTERNAL AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE BATTERY GOING DEAD, OR CONTROL MODULE GOING BAD, THESE ARE BLUE IN COLOR AND FOUND UNDER DASH AREA USUALLY ON CENTRAL FIRE WALL. SINCE MAZDA HAS NOT CONTINUED TO MAKE THE SRS CONTROL MODULES AVAILABLE FOR 89-2005 CARS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP AIRBAG SRS SYSTEM FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. STILL OVER 400,000 OF THESE CARS ON ROAD NOW MAJORITY HAVE NO WAY TO KEEP SRS AIRBAG SYSTEM WORKING PROPERLY. MAZDA SHOULD BE MANUFACTURING OR AT LEAST FIXING THESE MODULES AS SRS AIRBAG SYSTEM IS SAFETY ITEM. SRS AIRBAG LIGHT WILL FLASH WHEN THESE GO BAD AND AIRBAG SYSTEM WILL NO LONGER WORK.

NHTSA ID

11266812

Incident

Jan 1, 2015

Mileage

60,000 mi

TAKATA RECALL (?) AIR BAG FAULT INDICATOR FLASHES CONTINUOUSLY. REPLACEMENT PART (CONTROL MODULE) IS NOT AVAILABLE, AND THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD AMONG ALL EARLY MIATA'S. MIATA BLOGGERS RECOMMEND "SNIPPING THE RED WIRE LEADING INTO THE MODULE (LOCATED NEAR STEERING COLUMN) TO ELIMINATE THE ANNOYING FLASHING LIGHT. NO WAY. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. THE AIR BAGS ON THESE CARS ARE INOPERABLE. ITS A FIRST GENERATION MIATA WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AND REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10953999

Incident

Jan 5, 2017

Mileage

65,000 mi

IN MARCH 2015 I STARTING RECEIVING A SERIES OF FLASHES ON THE AIRBAG LIGHT IN MY 1994 MIATA, WHICH INDICATED A PROBLEM. I TOOK MY CAR INTO BOB KING MAZDA IN WINSTON-SALEM, NC TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED. I WAS TOLD THAT MY CLOCKSPRING ASSEMBLY WAS DEFECTIVE. THEY ORDERED THE PART AND REPLACED IT. I PICKED THE CAR UP AND WAS TOLD THAT AFTER REPLACING THE CLOCKSPRING, THAT THEY GOTTEN ANOTHER FAILURE CODE AND THIS TIME IT WAS THE AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE THAT WAS NOT WORKING. THEY SPECULATED THAT THE CLOCKSPRING PROBLEM MAY HAVE SHORTED IT OUT. I WAS WAS TOLD THAT THIS PART WAS "DISCONTINUED" AND IT WAS NOTED ON MY SHOP WORK ORDER. I HAVE MADE NUMEROUS INTERNET SEARCHES TO TRY TO FIND A USED ONE. ONE AFTER MARKET SOURCE SAID THEY HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR SOME FOR QUITE AWHILE AND HAD MANY PEOPLE CONTACTING THEM TO OBTAIN ONE. I SPENT NEARLY $700 TO HAVE THE CLOCKSPRING REPAIRED ONLY TO STILL HAVE NON-FUNCTIONING AIR BAGS. THE DEALER WAS ABSOLUTELY NO HELP TO ME IN TRYING TO OBTAIN THE PART I NEED. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW A AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURER CAN SIMPLY "DISCONTINUE" A KEY SAFETY PART TO ONE OF THEIR VEHICLES. I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING IT NOW AND WITHOUT THE AIRBAGS WORKING I FEEL THAT THE VALUE OF MY CAR HAS BEEN VERY NEGATIVELY AFFECTED. I BELIEVE THAT THIS SITUATION NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AND ANY ONE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE MADE WHOLE.

NHTSA ID

10743329

Incident

Apr 14, 2015

Mileage

127,164 mi

A/B LIGHTS 5 TIMES THEN ONCE INDICATING FAILURE OF AIR BAG MODULE. I CONTACTED A DEALER AND THEN CONTACTED CORPORATE. THE MODULE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. THE AIR BAGS ARE INOPERATIVE WITHOUT A FUNCTIONING MODULE. THE SAFETY BELTS MAY ALSO BE AFFECTED. ALL 1994 MIATAS SHOULD BE RECALLED TO REPLACE THE MODULE AND IF NECESSARY THE AIR BAGS AND SAFETY BELTS. THE VIN CONTAINS AN O; IT MAY BE A NUMBER (ZERO) OR A LETTER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10628123

Incident

Aug 4, 2014

Mileage

63,000 mi

AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE FAILED. BLINKING AIRBAG LIGHT- CODE 12. *TR

NHTSA ID

10267939

Incident

May 4, 2009

Mileage

119,000 mi

VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHO FOUND THAT A CONNECTOR WIRE IN THE FUEL TANK MELTED. DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY CONNECTOR INSIDE OF THE FUEL TANK.*AK

NHTSA ID

10080155

Incident

Jun 10, 2004

Mileage

160,000 mi

PROBLEMS WITH DRIVER BEING HIT BY OBJECTS AND INSECTS WHILE DRIVING WITH THE WINDOW DOWN. *MR THE OBJECTS WERE BEING DEFLECTED BY THE MIRROR HOUSING. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10055889

TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER WAS TOLD SRS DIAGNOSTIC UNIT HAS FAILED NEEDS REPLACED ESTIMATE TO REPLACE WILL BE $245.00 MORE COST ME $68.00 JUST TO DIAGNOS I HAVE NOTICED FAILURE OF AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY ON 94 MIATA'S THIS SEAMS TO BE A PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

750958

Incident

Aug 20, 2001

AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER A PART NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, DID NOT STATE WHICH PART.*AK

NHTSA ID

892460

Incident

Jul 5, 2001

REAR END SPUN OUT WHEN TIRES HIT A WET PATCH ON ROAD. *AK

NHTSA ID

744161

JUST BEFORE APPLYING THE BRAKES AND REMOVING PRESSURE FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND THE BRAKES WERE NOT ABLE TO STOP IT AND CAUSED A CRASH.

NHTSA ID

541493

Incident

Sep 6, 1998

ABS, WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE THE ABS BRAKES CONTINUE TO STAY ON (YELLOW) RESTART, CONTINUE TO RESTART TO MAKE LIGHT GO OFF. *AK

NHTSA ID

987031

Incident

Jul 1, 1995

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND ENGINE CUT OFF. TT

NHTSA ID

966529

Incident

May 31, 1995

WINDSHIELD WIPER WORK PERIODICALLY, DUE TO ELECTRICIAL PROBLEM. TT

NHTSA ID

962615

Incident

Dec 30, 1994