Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Mazda MX-5 Miata submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 17 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
The contact owns a 1996 Mazda MX-5. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the failure was due to the Takata air bag module. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
The contact owns a 1996 MAZDA Miata. The contact stated that the air bag warning lights was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed but not yet repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
WHEN ENGINE IS STARTED, AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON
TAKATA RECALL. AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON CONTINUOUSLY AFTER TURNING ENGINE ON, NEVER GOES OFF. I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW, AND TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER. DEALER SAID THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED ON ANY RECALLS. I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE LATE 1995 MODELS, BUT NOT THE EARLY 1996 ONES. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT IT WOULD COST ME $900 TO $1000 TO FIX. AT THAT TIME, IT HAD TO REMAIN UNFIXED, AND THE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON CONTINUOUSLY SINCE. I AM STILL APPREHENSIVE WHEN I TURN THE KEY AND DRIVE IT.
AIR BAG COMES ON AND STAYS ON AFTER STARTING VEHICLE. DIAGNOSTIC CODE INDICATES SRS MODULE IS AT FAULT OR COULD BE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION PER DEALER. DEALER INDICATED SRS MODULE IS NOT AVAILABLE EVEN IF IT IS DETERMINED AS THE FAILURE AFTER REMOVING DASH TO ACCESS MODULE. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 64, 000 MILES. VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS SAFETY INSPECTION IN SOME STATES WHICH MAKES A MINT CAR WORTHLESS AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE.
WHEN I START MY CAR, ALL THE INDICATOR LIGHTS COME ON BRIEFLY AND THEN GO OUT - BRAKES, ABS, SEAT BELT, OIL, ETC. THE AIR BAG LIGHT ALSO COMES ON, AS IT SHOULD. BUT THEN IT STAYS ON AND DOES NOT GO OUT. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO A FAULTY AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE, WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. BUT THEY THEN TOLD ME THAT MAZDA NO LONGER MAKES THIS PART AND THAT IT IS NOT AVAILABLE. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THE AIR BAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY UNLESS THE MODULE IS REPLACED AND THAT IT WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION IN VIRGINIA.
THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AT START AND STAYS ON. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS THE BACK-UP BATTERY IN THE AIR BAG MODULE IS SHORTED OUT.
SITTING IN DRIVER SIDE OR CAR WHILE VEHICLE WAS IDLING WHILE IN DRIVEWAY. AIRBAG DEPLOYED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 MAZDA MIATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE IN PARK, THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.
AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON CONSTANTLY ALL OF THE TIME. VERY CONCERNED ABOUT AIRBAG FAILURE BUT NO RECALL INFO EXISTS. ALSO MY POP-UP HEADLIGHTS ARE RANDOMLY RETRACTING DOWN WHENEVER THEY FEEL LIKE IT. NO AMOUNT OF TWISTING ON AND OFF AT THE STEERING COLUMN SWITCH WILL MAKE THEM COME BACK UP AND I HAVE TO RESORT TO THE MANUAL POPUP BUTTON LOCATED UNDER THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS. THIS HAS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO CRASH SEVERAL TIMES WHEN DRIVING AFTER DARK!
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 MAZDA MIATA. HE STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 00V004000, AIR BAGS IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT RELATED TO THE RECALL. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAG WOULD NOT OPERATE CORRECTLY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 56,000.
THE AIRBAG COMPUTER FAILED, AS INDICATED BY THE "AIRBAG" LIGHT REMAINING ON CONSTANTLY. REPAIR COST OVER $1200. THOUGHT YOU MIGHT TRACK THE FAILURE HISTORY OF AIRBAGS. *TR
FOIA REQUEST ALL DOCUMENTS TO FROM MAZDA AND OR NHTSA RELATING TO RECALL CAMPAIGN NO 00V004000 RE MAZDA AIRBAG SYSTEMS AND INFO RE INADVERTENT AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT IN 1996 MAZDA MIATA.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR *NM
PERMISSION TO SWITCH OFF THE AIR BAG
AIRBAG LIGHT STAYED ON AT ALL TIMES. CONSUMER STATED THAT HE NEEDED A NEW AIRBAG MODULAR.*AK
I WENT THROUGH A DIP (SLOWER THAN USUALLY TAKEN) IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. I DON'T THINK THIS SHOULD HAVE OCCURED AND WAS DUE TO FAULTY AIR BAGS. THE DAMAGE TO MY CAR REACHED OVER $7000, INCLUDING INTERIOR REPAIRS CAUSED FROM THE AIR BAGS AND UNDERCARRIAGE/ALIGNMENT DAMAGE DUE TO HITTING A CURB AFTER MY TEMPORARY BLINDNESS AND SHOCK. THE CUTS AND BRUISES DEALT TO ME AND MY PASSENGER WERE MINIMAL AND DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. I THEN WENT FOR OVER A MONTH WITHOUT A CAR BECAUSE SPECIAL PARTS HAD TO BE ORDERED BY THE BODY SHOP. ALL OF THIS DUE TO FAULTY AIR BAGS IN MY 1996 MAZDA MIATA.
DUAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND ALSO LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT DURING THIS TIME. *AK
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.
Data on this page last refreshed .