Common problems · Mazda
Mazda MX-5 common problems and recalls
13 sourced problems across the MX-5's generations since 2012, plus 2 DVSA recalls. Enter a registration to see the ones that apply to your exact car.
Free · no signup · recalls, MOT data and researched problems
MX-5 (ND, incl. RF) (2015 on)
Acknowledged by the manufacturer
Recalls, extended warranties, compensation schemes, service actions and statements.
- Recall · MazdaElectrics
Recall: i-ELOOP charging fault can stall the engine or overheat
A fault in the charging-control logic of the i-ELOOP system could short-circuit the DC-DC converter, stalling the engine or overheating the converter, in extreme cases causing a fire. The i-ELOOP light comes on and the i-stop light flashes. Dealers reprogram the engine control module and replace the converter if a fault code is stored.
Applies to: MX-5 and CX-3 built 2015 – 13 April 2017
- Recall · MazdaGearbox
Recall: automatic gearbox may downshift unexpectedly
The automatic gearbox may change down unexpectedly. Dealers reprogram the transmission control module.
Applies to: MX-5 with the automatic gearbox, built 5 October 2016 – 22 November 2018
Automatic gearbox only; DVLA does not record the gearbox.
- Recall · MazdaFuel system
Recall: low-pressure fuel pump can fail
The impeller in the low-pressure fuel pump can deform and the pump can then fail. Dealers fit an improved pump. Build windows: Mazda2 Oct 2017 – Oct 2018; CX-3 Oct 2017 – Sep 2019; Mazda6 and CX-5 Apr – Oct 2018; Mazda3 Apr 2018 – Jan 2019; MX-5 Apr – Oct 2018.
Applies to: Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda6, CX-3, CX-5 and MX-5 built 2017–2019 (windows vary by model)
DVSA does not say which engine; only some cars built in the window are included.
- Recall · MazdaBody & corrosion
Recall: under-shield bracket can come away
The metal bracket that holds an under shield in place can separate from the car. Dealers fit a modified front under shield.
Applies to: MX-5 built 26 May – 6 July 2015
- Recall · MazdaFuel system
Recall: fuel pipe brackets can loosen and the pipe leak
The brackets holding the fuel pipes to the engine may not have been tightened enough. With repeated high-revving use, such as track days, the pipe can vibrate and leak fuel, raising the risk of fire. Dealers fit a modified fuel pipe.
Applies to: MX-5 built 14 May 2015 – 28 April 2018
- Recall · MazdaElectrics
Recall: parking sensors may miss obstructions when reversing
Software in the parking-assist unit may not detect obstructions correctly when reversing. Dealers reprogram the unit.
Applies to: MX-5 built 28 November 2023 – 20 September 2024
Only cars with parking sensors.
- Recall · MazdaBrakes
Recall: traction/stability warning light may not come on
A software error means the traction and stability control warning light may not come on when it should. DVSA says driveability and braking are not affected. Dealers replace the DSC hydraulic unit/control module.
Applies to: MX-5 built 28 November 2023 – 24 February 2025
Reported by owners and the motoring press
Problems at least two independent publishers report, that the maker has not acknowledged. They describe the model, not every car.
- Reported by 2 publishersGearbox
Six-speed manual gearbox: selection problems and failures
Some owners of this MX-5 have had trouble selecting gears — first to second, and second to third or third to second — and some gearboxes have failed outright. Track-driven cars are affected most, but gently driven low-mileage cars have been too. Mazda revised the gearbox several times and replaced a number of early ones under warranty. Check every gear change on a test drive and ask whether the car has been on track.
Applies to: MX-5 fourth generation (ND, 2015 on) with the manual gearbox, especially early cars
DVLA does not record the gearbox; this concerns the manual (the automatic is rare and has its own recall).
- Reported by 2 publishersBody & corrosion
Soft top: fabric chafing where it rubs on the roll hoops
When the hood is folded it can rub against the roll hoops, wearing the fabric and in time making holes in it. PistonHeads says it happens when the roof is not lowered exactly as the handbook describes, and that some dealers have replaced worn roofs. Inspect the hood fabric carefully, especially the front section.
Applies to: MX-5 fourth generation (ND, 2015 on) roadster — not the RF hard-top
Soft-top roadster only. DVLA usually records the RF as 'MX-5 RF …', which is excluded.
- Reported by 3 publishersScreen, sat-nav & audio
Infotainment screen freezing or not responding
The touchscreen infotainment system can freeze, stop responding or lose its phone connection. Early systems were the worst for it, and the software has been improved over time. Check the screen, sat-nav and phone connection all work on a test drive.
Applies to: MX-5 (ND, 2015 on); also reported on the Mazda2 (2015 on), Mazda3 (2019 on) and CX-30
6 sources
- What Car? — Used Mazda MX-5 2015-present review – reliability & common problems (owners' view)
- PistonHeads — Mazda MX-5 (ND) | PH Used Buying Guide
- Parkers — Used Mazda 2 Hatchback (2015 - 2025) mpg, costs & reliability
- Auto Express — Mazda 2 1.5 Sport Nav long-term test review
- What Car? — Used Mazda CX-30 2020-present review – reliability (owners' view)
- What Car? — Used Mazda 3 2019-present review – reliability (owners' view)
DVSA recalls for the MX-5 (ND, incl. RF)
Listed by DVSA for this model during these build years. Not every car is affected — check yours by VIN on GOV.UK.
- Affected vehicles cannot be driven due to an error within the on-board charger which causes the vehicle to wrongly detect it is connected to an EV charge cable.R/2023/159 · 30/05/2023
Affected vehicles cannot be driven due to an error within the on-board charger which causes the vehicle to wrongly detect it is connected to an EV charge cable.
Remedy: Reprogram the software of the on-board charger.
Listed for: MX-30 · built 2022–2023
- The front passenger main frontal air bag could split at the seam and may not deploy correctly when activated in a collisionR/2021/154 · 27/04/2021
The front passenger main frontal airbag could split at the seam and may not deploy correctly when the airbag is activated in a collision.
Remedy: Replace the airbag with an improved version
Listed for: MX-30 · built 2020
Measured at MOT: how a 2021 MX-5 fails more often
Based on 7,188 first MOT tests of this model at 5 years old (cars first used 2019–2020), compared against every car of the same age and fuel.
Nothing stands out. No category fails clearly more often on this model than on cars of the same age and fuel.
How to read this
These are MOT outcomes for other cars of the same model, age and fuel — not a prediction about this one, and not a fault diagnosis. A high rate means the category is worth checking, not that this car has a problem.
A comparison is only shown where it survives its own margin of error. Where a model is only slightly above average, both rates are shown and no multiple is given, because the data cannot tell the difference.
MOT results reflect how a car has been used and maintained as much as the model itself. High mileage, short journeys and deferred servicing all show up here.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Failure rates derived by FindServiceHistory from the DVSA anonymised MOT test and failure-item extracts.
MX-5 (NC, third generation) (2005–2015)
Acknowledged by the manufacturer
Recalls, extended warranties, compensation schemes, service actions and statements.
None that we hold for this generation.
Reported by owners and the motoring press
Problems at least two independent publishers report, that the maker has not acknowledged. They describe the model, not every car.
- Reported by 3 publishersBody & corrosion
Rust in the sills, rear arches and rear subframe
Corrosion is the main thing to check on this MX-5. It starts out of sight — at the rear of the double-skinned sills, behind the rear wheelarches, under the rear bumper where the crash bar mounts and on the rear subframe — so a few bubbles on the arch lip often mean more underneath. Sill repairs run to hundreds of pounds a side; clear drain holes and wax protection help keep it at bay.
Applies to: MX-5 third generation (NC, 2005–2015), roadster and folding hard-top
- Reported by 2 publishersBrakes
Front brake calipers seizing
The front brake calipers can seize, which makes the car pull to one side under braking.
Applies to: MX-5 third generation (NC, 2005–2015)
- Reported by 2 publishersSuspension
Anti-roll bar drop links wearing and knocking
The front and rear anti-roll bar drop links wear out and are a common source of knocks and rattles, typically lasting 30,000–40,000 miles. A set of replacements costs around £160.
Applies to: MX-5 third generation (NC, 2005–2015)
Measured at MOT: how a 2010 MX-5 fails more often
Based on 10,677 first MOT tests of this model at 16 years old (cars first used 2008–2009), compared against every car of the same age and fuel.
Nothing stands out. No category fails clearly more often on this model than on cars of the same age and fuel.
How to read this
These are MOT outcomes for other cars of the same model, age and fuel — not a prediction about this one, and not a fault diagnosis. A high rate means the category is worth checking, not that this car has a problem.
A comparison is only shown where it survives its own margin of error. Where a model is only slightly above average, both rates are shown and no multiple is given, because the data cannot tell the difference.
MOT results reflect how a car has been used and maintained as much as the model itself. High mileage, short journeys and deferred servicing all show up here.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Failure rates derived by FindServiceHistory from the DVSA anonymised MOT test and failure-item extracts.
MOT failure rate: the MX-5 against vehicles its age
In our analysis of DVSA's anonymised MOT data for 2024 and 2025, 25.7% of 181,097 initial MOT tests on the Mazda MX-5 failed at the first attempt — 24% less often than vehicles of the same ages and fuel types, which failed 34.0%.
MX-5Cars of the same age and fuel (all makes)
| Age | Tests | Bars | MX-5 | Same age & fuel | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3–5 years | 13,965 | 8.1% | 13.8% | 38% lower | |
| 6–9 years | 30,675 | 12.4% | 22.0% | 42% lower | |
| 10–14 years | 33,656 | 22.8% | 36.0% | 35% lower | |
| 15–19 years | 51,717 | 31.6% | 43.0% | 26% lower | |
| 20–40 years | 51,084 | 34.5% | 36.2% | About the same |
These describe the model, not one car: how vehicles are used and maintained shows up as much as how they were built. Differences are the conservative end of a 95% confidence interval.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Rates and comparisons are FindServiceHistory's own analysis, not DVSA figures.
These describe the model, not one car. Plenty of cars never have the problems their model is known for, and a recall may already have been done on yours. Every problem links to its sources; a reported problem needs two independent publishers before we list it.
Recalls are listed by DVSA for the model around its build date — check a specific car by VIN at GOV.UK. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Common questions
What are the most common MX-5 problems?
For cars built from 2012, the problems at least two independent publishers report include: Six-speed manual gearbox: selection problems and failures; Soft top: fabric chafing where it rubs on the roll hoops; Infotainment screen freezing or not responding; Rust in the sills, rear arches and rear subframe; Front brake calipers seizing. Which apply depends on the generation and engine — they are listed generation by generation above, each with its sources.
Has the MX-5 been recalled?
Yes. DVSA lists recalls for the MX-5 built from 2012, shown above by generation. A recall covers a range of chassis numbers, so not every car is affected — check a specific car by VIN on GOV.UK, or by registration with our checker.
Does my MX-5 have these problems?
Not necessarily. These describe the model; many cars never have them, and a well-maintained car is less likely to. Enter your registration above to see the problems for your exact generation and engine, and whether DVSA records an outstanding recall on it. Whether a known problem was fixed is what a service history check shows.
Has this MX-5 had the work done?
A known problem matters far less on a car whose dealer records show it was fixed. A service history check returns the manufacturer's own dealership records for a specific car — and there's no charge if we find nothing.
Check a Mazda service history