2014 Mazda MX-5 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 2014 Mazda MX-5, 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
- Body & structure233.3%
- Brakes233.3%
- Powertrain (other)116.7%
- Suspension116.7%
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
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
My car has less than 65,000 and is just 10 years old but the transmission cross member is shot .I have had cars with nearly 300,000 and this never happened the part is on backorder.
I AM NOT SURE WHEN THIS OCCURRED I NOTICED ABOUT (5) DAYS AFTER BRINGING MY CAR HOME TINY CHIPS IN THE PAINT. I DRIVE SAFELY HAVE TAKEN THE SAFE DRIVER COURSE AND IT HAS BEEN BEAUTIFUL WEATHER HERE I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO TOUCH UP THE PAINT WITH THE SAME MAZDA PAINT TOUCH UP PEN THAT THE DEALERSHIP DETAILER TRIED TO TOUCH UP THE PAINT WITH LITTLE SUCCESS . IF A PERSON CAN'T DRIVE ON A SUNNY DAY WITH OUT GETTING CHIPPED PAINT AT REASONABLE SPEED AND DISTANCE ( MY LAST CAR DIDN'T DEVELOP PAINT PROBLEMS UNTIL WELL OVER 200,000 MILES.) THEN WHEN CAN YOU DRIVE? BASICALLY THE CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE. UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS I DRIVE: THE SAME: ROADS ALLEYS AND HIGHWAYS I DID WITH MY LAST CAR AT THE SAME SPEED AND DISTANCE.
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
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 MAZDA MIATA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE AND THEN SHIFTING TO DRIVE WITH THE BRAKES APPLIED, AN ABNORMAL CLUNKING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO CONFIRMED THE NOISE FROM THE ABS BUT ADVISED THAT THE COMPONENT WAS FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED TO THE VEHICLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 800. UPDATED 5/22/14*CN
WHEN TRAVELING ABOUT 20 MPH, APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION, THE CAR BRAKE STOPPED WORKING. AS THE CAR SLOWED DOWN AND GOT OFF THE ROAD, IT WAS STOPPED BY SHIFTING TO PARK. THE BRAKE WORKED AGAIN AFTER STOPPING. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE BRAKE STOPPED WORKING. THE FIRST TIME WAS WITHIN A WEEK AFTER WE RECEIVED THE NEW CAR. WHEN BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE CAR COULD NOT BE STOPPED - UNTIL IT WAS SHIFTED TO DRIVE. AT THAT TIME, WE DID NOT KNOW FOR SURE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER REFUSED TO CHECK FOR AN INTERNAL BRAKE FLUID LEAK OR BRAKE FLUID CONTAMINATION UNDER WARRANTY. AS THERE WERE NO EXTERNAL SYMPTOMS. THE CONSUMER THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MIDAS, WHERE THEY DID A BRAKE FLUSH AND FOUND WHITE PARTICLES/DEBRIS IN THE BRAKE FLUID. UPDATED 07/30/14
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
WBAUGHT CAR WHEN IT WAS (2) AND HAD ABOUT 22K MILES IMMEDIATELY WINDSHILED FILLED WITH TINY CHIPS PAINT STARTED CHIPPING AT (6) HUGE SECTIONS OF PAINT GONE. AND CLUTCH FADES AT LIGHT ONLY 41K MILES.MAZDA IMPOSSABLE TO DEAL WITH.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
All four sway bar links went bad at once.
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 .