2016 Mazda MX-5

2016 Mazda MX5 club: In warmer weather(70 degree F or higher) and after driving for 5+ miles, the steering becomes less sensitive and gets “stuck/sticky” and requires more force to turn. When applied more force the car over corrects and you swerve cause the amount of force you needed to apply. Seems like something in the steering rack expands with heat which then creates friction which you have to overcome to continue driving. Seems like it’s becoming more of a issues the more people drive

NHTSA ID

11734925

Incident

Apr 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Mazda MX-5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V695000 (AIR BAGS); however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving at 5 MPH, the bumper of a parked 2001 Lexus LS400 was crashed into and the vehicle came to a stop. There was damage to the contact's license plate holder and the other vehicle bumper. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver’s and passenger’s side air bags deployed in the minor collision. No police report was filed. The contact did not sustain any injuries. No one else was injured. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer did not want to repair the recall per the contact. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11653763

Incident

Jan 16, 2023

Mileage

60,000 mi

Contacted Rohrich Mazda 2690 W Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh Pa 412.344.3600 regarding the airbag recall today. They have no knowledge of this recall and therefore I am unable to have it corrected. Is my car safe to drive? When will I be able to get it fixed? Thanks, Bill

NHTSA ID

11624787

Incident

Nov 12, 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Mazda MX-5. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11616237

Incident

Sep 24, 2024

6 speed manual transmission failure at 59,000 miles Started not shifting into 3rd, then shortly after, the transmission locked up in a intersection. Which stalled the vehicle out. Was able to move the vehicle by hand, out of heavy traffic. Since this effects all ND1, ND2 and ND3 manual transmissions. I dropped and changed it for a used one. While I rebuild the original. As I am also outside of warranty.

NHTSA ID

11595214

Incident

Mar 15, 2024

On December 7, 2023 at approximately 10:30pm, I was traveling west bound on [XXX] . Suddenly, there was a loud thumping noise from under the passenger seat. After about 10 seconds, it escalated to an extremely loud banging and the smell of oil. Not a single warning light appeared on my dashboard. I immediately attempted to pull off the road. This area is in the middle of a mesa with no streetlights and a speed of a 65mph road. I immediately put on my hazard lights and was stranded. The dangerousness of this situation was insurmountable. I was in a 2 seated convertible, partially on the road with no streetlights as cars and trucks flew by me at speeds above 65mph. Had I been hit from behind; I would have been killed instantaneously. I contacted AAA for emergency towing. The tow truck was deployed. In the meantime, I sat there helplessly. A passerby stopped to try to help but was unable to get the car to roll to a safe area off the road. Time passed. About an hour later, I called AAA again stating the dire need for assistance and the call was elevated to emergency. At this time a police officer drove by. I explained the situation and he parked behind me with lights on, potentially stopping a fatal situation. The tow truck finally arrived, and my car was towed to the address on my warranty above. I contacted Southern Automotive in Rio Rancho and was placed on a wait list for the car to be seen. I contacted CareGuard and they stated I could take the car to any automotive place for repair that was qualified to work on a Mazda. I confirmed this with Southern Automotive. They are AAA qualified, and service qualified for Mazda. They were not able to get the car in until 12/18/23. The car sat in my garage. On 12/18/23, Southern Automotive sent a tow truck to pick up the car. On Tuesday, 12/19/23, I received a call from Cody at Southern Automotive. The car had had a “catastrophic event in the rear differential” INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552

NHTSA ID

11563848

Incident

Dec 7, 2023

I recently bought a used 2016 Mazda Miata convertible, and when the convertible top is up, the inner liner droops down and obscures about 1/4 to 1/3 of the rear window. I looked online for this problem and found that there are lots of 2016 Mazda Convertible Owners with the same problem. There are some fixes posted online about the problem, but many of the folks doing the fixes report that the problem reoccurs after the fix. Is there a NTSB bulleting about this problem? The rear window in a 2016 Mazda convertible is small enough to start with, let alone having a goodly portion of it obscured by the drooping headliner.

NHTSA ID

11533115

Incident

Jul 1, 2017

Steering: At 55+ MPH I feel a slight bind when I make a steering change. It then releases only after I've put in too much steering correction. This occurs when in a steady direction, or whether I'm in a steady, high speed turn. It feels like a snapping rubber band. You can read about other Miata drivers who have the same issue at: miata.net in the forum. The link: https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=714849&highlight=steering+stick

NHTSA ID

11516406

Incident

Apr 10, 2023

This SA supersedes the previously issued SA(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red. SA-061/25 12/17/25 DESCRIPTION If you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, DTC(s) stored...), interview the customer before proceeding with normal MGSS diagnosis by asking if any aftermarket devices have been installed. Aftermarket devices may be the cause of the electrical concern. Below are a few examples of unusual electrical concerns caused by aftermarket devices. Examples: 1. Devices connected to the DLC-2 (battery discharge/DTC stored) 2. Devices plugged into the 12V outlet 3. GPS tracking device (engine no start/battery discharge) 4. Dash cam (DTC stored) 5. Non-certified USB cable (Apple Carplay™/ Android Auto™ will not connect) 6. Over-sized wheels/tires (incorrect GPS location) 7. DTC C0023:14 8. Decorative trim and/or cover on the START/STOP ENGINE button Example 1: Some electrical devices connected to the DLC-2 connector by insurance or mobile phone companies may cause: Battery discharge. The device may disrupt the CAN system battery saver mode. • IDS/MMDS will not communicate with the vehicle due to poor DLC-2 connection. The aftermarket device may cause DLC-2 female terminals to spread open.

DESCRIPTION Some vehicles may exhibit scratches (1) on the rear of the seat back bar garnish (2) from contact with the convertible top (3). Due to assembly variations, the clearance between the seat back bar garnish and the convertible top is too small on some vehicles. REPAIR PROCEDURE 6. Install the seat back crossmember assembly from the vehicle according to the instructions on MGSS online or the Workshop Manual (section 09-10 SEAT BACK CROSSMEMBER ASSEMBLY REMOVAL/INSTALLATION). 7. Reinstall the rear seat back bar garnish while twisting the garnish so that the garnish can be kept closer to the seat back bar and away from the convertible top (for both left and right sides).

This bulletin supersedes the previously issued bulletin(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red. 01-008/23 06/05/23 Some vehicles may exhibit rattling noises from the engine compartment and oil leakage from the drive belt auto tensioner. This may be caused by insufficient sealing at the drive belt auto tensioner damper when the auto tensioner fully operates under both high ambient temperature and high load conditions. To eliminate this concern, the shape of the drive belt auto tensioner damper has been changed. REPAIR PROCEDURE If the tensioner is found to be "No Good" after completing the Drive Belt Auto Tensioner Inspection, replace it with a modified part according to the instructions on MGSS online:

DESCRIPTION Some vehicles may require the replacement of a damaged VIN plate or vehicle certification label. To obtain a replacement VIN plate (bulkhead-mounted and visible through the lower-left area of the windshield), contact DAG (Dealer Assistance Group) using VIN Plate Request Form available on One Mazda. To obtain a replacement vehicle certification label (located on the B􀀀pillar or front door), contact your assigned DSM (District Service Manager) to place the order. If DSM contact information is not available, refer to the Dealer & Field Contact Directory.

This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA listed below: The changes are noted in Red. SA-011/24 02/12/24, 06/06/24, 07/29/24 DESCRIPTION Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle-specific workshop manual or owner's manual. Services performed outside of Mazda's factory scheduled maintenance are not recommended. These services are unnecessary and create unneeded expenses for your customers. SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE Refer to the applicable Workshop Manual or Owner's Manual for vehicle -specific manufacturer scheduled maintenance. Workshop Manual - Refer to section 00-00 SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. Owner's Manual - Refer to section 8 Maintenance and Care. b. Note: Please refer to the information below outlining the services not included in Mazda's Factory Scheduled Maintenance: IMPORTANT: Recommending fluid flushes when not necessary can lead to customer confusion and dissatisfaction. Fluid flushing for preventive maintenance purposes is strongly discouraged, unless otherwise specified in a published procedure (Owner’s Manual, Workshop Manual, Technical Service Bulletin, etc.).

This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued M-Tip(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. MT-002/19 09/30/19 and 12/19/19 DESCRIPTION If an engine assembly is replaced after a catastrophic internal mechanical failure, clean the intake manifold internally before installing a replacement engine assembly. If the intake manifold is not cleaned properly, the replacement engine may fail prematurely. Metallic debris from the old engine (with catastrophic internal mechanical failure) may rest inside the intake manifold. When the new engine assembly is installed, debris in the intake manifold will be ingested into the new engine and cause internal damage. Clean the intake manifold internally to remove any debris from old engine before installing the new replacement engine assembly. If the intake manifold cannot be properly cleaned internally, replace it.