What breaks most · 2006 to 2017 model years
Mazda MX-5 problems by year
Owners have filed 76 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mazda MX-5 across model years 2006 to 2017. Three years stand out: 2006 for body and structure complaints, 2007 for air bags complaints and 2016 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 2009, 2011 and 2013.
- Years to check closely: 2006, 2007, 2016
- Fewest complaints: 2009, 2011, 2013
- Complaints on file
- 762006 to 2017, all trims
- Worst year
- 200623 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 40 fires · 3 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 16kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 6Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 1 | 1 | Body and structure (6) | |
| 15 | 1 | 0 | Air bags (5) | |
| 5 | 1 | 0 | Tires (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | Visibility (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Exterior lighting (1) | |
| 5 | 1 | 0 | Visibility (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Speed control and throttle (1) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (1) | |
| 12 | 0 | 3 | Unknown or other (4) | |
| 5 | 0 | 2 | Wipers and visibility (2) |
What fails on the 2006 Mazda MX-5
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 26% |
6 | 0 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 13% |
3 | 0 | — |
| Seat belts | 13% |
3 | 0 | Check recalls for seat belts on NHTSA.gov |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 13% |
3 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 9% |
2 | 1 | Shop steering parts for the 2006 Mazda MX-5 |
| Tires | 9% |
2 | 0 | — |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 9% |
2 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2006 Mazda MX-5 |
| Air bags | 4% |
1 | 0 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
When it rains, water leaks into and pools under seats and in the trunk. Just had the top replaced, so it is not due to an old top. Just recently purchased this car.
-
When accelerating from a traffic light the transmission stopped working and i lost acceleration in a busy road. This is the second time this has happened in a busy intersection.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Mazda MX-5 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2006, 2007, 2016 carry the most filings on the Mazda MX-5. The 2006 alone has 23 complaints, led by body and structure.
What is the most common Mazda MX-5 problem?
On the 2006 model year, the most-reported component is body and structure with 6 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mazda MX-5 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mazda MX-5 complaints that include mileage is about 16,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.