1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Have the VIN?
Vehicles › Mazda › MX-5 Miata › 1990
These records cover every 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Owner complaints
28 complaints4 involved a crash1 involved a fire5 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Air bags
car has had multiple airbag lights come on I have fixed them all I cannot buy parts to fix my airbag new so I have to go and find used parts that just keep breaking I know many people with this problem almost every owner of one of these cars has this exact problem
- Seats · Service brakes · Vehicle speed control
Www.southbaymazda.com hawthorne blvd. X atresia blvd manhattan beach ca 91246-0762 3103235712 fax
- Unknown or other
I was driving to the gas station to get some tea and on my way back as I was shifting into 5TH gear I felt a pop and I finally got it into gear but I had to shift into neutral to stop I started to depress the clutch because of the pop I felt and with every push it lost more and more pressure and…
I was driving to the gas station to get some tea and on my way back as I was shifting into 5TH gear I felt a pop and I finally got it into gear but I had to shift into neutral to stop I started to depress the clutch because of the pop I felt and with every push it lost more and more pressure and eventually after the 4TH push there was no resistance at all two people helped push me to the side of the road and I had to drive home by shutting off the car and shifting into first gear and turning it over and pressing the gas pedal to start it and we had it towed to the mechanic and he said that a bolt came loose and fell into the slave cylinder damaging it which caused all my clutch fluid to leak out and these cars are known to cause some bolts to vibrate out and this problem could simply be fixed with a little loctite thread locker and that would have saved over 1,000 dollars in repairs if I didn't have green lights all the way home there could have been an accident.
- Power train › Manual transmission
Dt*: the contact stated while shifting from 5TH gear or reverse to neutral, the transmission would go into reverse. an independent repair shop determined the swing arm was bad on the vehicle and should be repaired.
- Seat belts › Front › Buckle assembly
Driver's side seat belt fails to latch it often takes multiple attempts to cause it to hold. *la
- Air bags
Consumer noticed that while traveling air bag indication light flashed . Dealer and manufacturer have been contacted. *Ak
- Seat belts › Front
Consumer noticed frontal seat belts will not lock in place. dealer and manufaturer had been contacted. *ak
- Exterior lighting › Brake lights · Exterior lighting › Tail lights
When pressing on brakes there be no difference in brake lights and tail lights. Consumer feels brake lights are not bright enough. *ak
- Power train › Automatic transmission › Gear position indication (prndl) · Vehicle speed control
Gear gets stuck in reverse. Also, vehicle IS placed in neutral and foot IS released from the accelerator pedal vehicle will roll backwards. *Ak
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc
When it rains enough to generate some standing water on the road, the brakes may not work at all for a couple seconds after applied.*ak
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Performed 60K mile service;failure due to torque applied to crank bolt or wrongful insertion of the woodruff key. *Ak
- Power train › Automatic transmission
Vehicle will lock into reverse while in neutral gear due to a mechanical problem in transmission. mazda sent out tsb, but defect still exists. Please provide further information.*ak
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Mfg recommended 60,000 mi timing belt was changed at 59,000 mi... All routine maintenance performed per mfg specs. Failure of crankshaft IS known mfg defect in 1990 and early 1991 models. Later models have modified crankshaft with no known failures. Repair estimate from local mazda dealership IS $3,700.00 for a new engine.*ak
- Seat belts › Front › Buckle assembly
Driver's seatbelt will no longer latch! dealer charged me for repair! *Ak
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine
60,000 timing belt replacement performed at 56K miles. cost to repair engine estimated to be $2,200. *ak
- Power train › Driveline › Differential unit
The pinion inside the differential came off causing total lock of rear wheels.
- Air bags › Frontal
While driving with seat belt oon consumer rear ended a vehicle that had stopped for another vehicle.consumer was traveling about 20 mph, and airbags did not deploy. *ak
- Air bags
Violent deployment of air bag resulting in severe injury to consumers. (Attorney for consumers).
- Seat belts › Front
Drivers side seatbelt latch operates intermittently, failing to operate 50% of the time.
- Power train › Manual transmission
Transmission locks up when switching gears and will lock up in reverse.
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Crankshaft failure. claims this problem IS common to miatas and 323 between years 1990-1991. *ak
- Seat belts › Front › Buckle assembly
Driver's side seat belt does not always latch; at times, it fails to click/hold. *ak
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components
Brakes perform poorly during rainy weather. *Sd
- Air bags › Frontal
Air bag module failed, no accident, air bag light came on indicating that there was a problem. *ak
- Air bags › Frontal
In a vehicle collision from the front and rear at high speeds the air bag did not deploy. tt
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10213425Speedometer replacement procedure
- 603891Conditions with steering wheel slightly off center.
- 54319Pre-painting preparations for front and rear bumpers.
- 52503Maintenance free battery - diagnostic and charging procedure.
- 52497Use of a/c tracer dye.
- 52492Wiper motor inoperative - circuit breaker activation.
- 43099Unknown
Every Mazda MX-5 Miata model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.