2023 Mazda MX-5 Problems

Manual transmission will not reliably shift from 2nd to 3rd gear without a grinding noise. Other owners are reporting similar issues that have required a full replacement of the transmission in MY2023 cars.

My vehicle has only 8700 miles. At around 2500 miles first gear refused to engage, and I had to start the car in second for a week. That week I scheduled for service but the problem was not reproducible, since then it has been intermittent by never prolonged like that full week. This is and was a safety risk because I have been stuck on a hill, stop signs, and green traffic lights etc. Because it was not reproducible, the claim was dismissed. At around 4000 miles and on, third gear became very inconsistent in shift action. Typically it won't allow me to shift into third at all, other times it will grind, or requires excessive force to engage gear. This happens both in motion and at a stop. In traffic, the sudden loss in speed and rpm from being unable to shift into third poses a risk, especially getting onto on ramps. The dealer still cannot reproduce the issue, and in fact I have a 2 minute long video of the fault - pending their response to the video. Mazda corporate claims this is not a known or common issue. No warning lights pick up this fault. I have since continued to come to a resolution, and will return to the dealership.

On [XXX] my [XXX] son was driving the vehicle and at low speed (30 mph or under) lost control of the vehicle in a turn. The vehicle hit a telephone pole that was rotted from termite infestation which shattered into three pieces (one piece landing on the cars windshield frame and driver roll bar hoop) . He impacted the airbags and had an unstable anterior fracture of the c5 vertebrae and a stable posterior fracture of the C5 vertebrae. He was graded an Asia B spinal cord injury and was paralyzed from the neck down. He spent 42 days in trauma ICU and then Neuro Rehab learning how to walk and use the bathroom. He has many lingering effects and still has loss of use of fingers on both hands as well as difficulties walking and gripping objects. His passenger did not hit the airbags and was uninjured. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Dear, I’m writing to address the delayed response to the recall for my Mazda MX-5, which began on September 18. It has been nearly two months without any remedy or guidance from the manufacturer. As I rely on this vehicle daily for business purposes, this prolonged delay has caused significant disruptions. I urge NHTSA to assist in expediting a resolution with Mazda to minimize further impact on my work. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Steering feels sticky at higher speeds, once the vehicle is at full operating temp. The steering requires some pressure to “break free” from whatever position it is in. If I’m continually moving the wheel, it steers normally. However, if I’m driving straight and need to initiate a turn or make minor steering corrections (like on the highway), I have to turn the wheel harder than normal, then it gives way and turns with regular force. This makes it difficult to control, causing the car the jerk around a lot. This is an issue many others have noticed on online forums, and there does not seem to be a known fix for this. The Mazda dealership near me could not duplicate the issue (since it takes 20-30 minutes of continuous driving for this steering issue to get worse to the point of concern), and therefore refused to look any further. This makes it unsafe to drive longer than 20-30 minutes. I am currently awaiting an appointment with an independent service center. There are no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms that I'm aware of