1995 Mazda MX-5 Miata problems & reliability
30 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1995 Mazda MX-5 Miata. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
8 complaints report injuries (10 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags → | 16 | 53% |
| Tires | 4 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 10% |
| Steering | 2 | 7% |
| Structure | 2 | 7% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 3% |
| Unknown OR Other | 1 | 3% |
| Visibility | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Douglas tire I got to replace the one that had a bolt molded in the sidewall. This one had a large flat spot on half of the contact patch. It was easy to see with by eye and would not even sit correctly. I never mounted it cause it was clearly defective. Tire label was placed directly over the defective area leading…”
Tires · filed Nov 12, 2015
“I bought four douglas performance gt-h 185/60-14 dot pjf8 1ylr from wal-mart. These tires are made by goodyear in usa. When they put them on the rim a bolt was found molded in the sidewall after it was notice not to hold air. It's a good thing it did not hold air cause I'd hate to find that at interstate speed. The…”
Tires · filed Nov 4, 2015
“Tl* the contact owns a 1995 mazda miata. The contact stated while traveling 25 mph, the steering wheel column caught on fire. The contact sustained 2nd degree burns as a result and required medical attention. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The failure mileage was 90,000 and the current mileage was…”
Steering · filed May 12, 2014
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
9 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1995 Mazda MX-5 Miata.
Radio Unlocking Codes.
MT-002-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2022
Speedometer replacement procedure
0900716 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 17, 2016
Conditions with steering wheel slightly off center. *yc
00198 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 15, 1998
Pre-painting preparations for front and rear bumpers. *yc
97102302097 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 23, 1997
USE OF A/C TRACER DYE. *TW
008/97 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 19, 1997
Parts replacement after airbag deployment. *tw
007/97T · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 25, 1997
Maintenance free battery - diagnostic and charging procedure. *tw
001/97G · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 8, 1997
Wiper motor inoperative - circuit breaker activation. *tw
003/97G · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 19, 1997
UNKNOWN
H003/95 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 1995
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1995 Mazda MX-5 Miata in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1995 Mazda MX-5 Miata?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.