MAZDA MX-5 MIATA · model year

2003 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA

18 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2003MAZDAMX-5 MIATA carries 18 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 3 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2003 MX-5 MIATA is steering with 2 filings, followed by exterior lighting:headlights (1) and seats:front assembly:recliner (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 21 investigation files overlapping the 2003 MX-5 MIATA, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

18
Complaints
2
Crashes
3
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

18 filings

Crashes Reported

2 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
STEERING2
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS1
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL1
EQUIPMENT1
WHEELS:RIM1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
STRUCTURE:BODY1
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING1
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION1
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS1
TIRES1
SUSPENSION1

Recent Complaints

20160628FireUNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE PLASTIC BATTERY TRAY IN THE MAZDA MX5 IS QUITE FRAGILE AND OFTEN BREAKS UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE SEVERAL OF THESE TRAYS IN MY 2003 MX5. NOW, WITH YET ANOTHER BROKEN TRAY, I AM TOLD THAT THESE TRAYS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE. RECENTLY THIS CREATED A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IN WHICH MY BATTERY MOVED ENOUGH TO MAKE A CONTACT BETWEEN THE POSITIVE BATTERY POLE AND THE METAL PART THAT HOLDS DOWN THE BATTERY. THIS CONTACT CAUSED A SHORT CIRCUIT AND FIRE IN THE TRUNK THAT COULD HAVE DESTROYED THE CAR WHILE ALSO CAUSING A DANGEROUS ACCIDENT (BECAUSE THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHEN THE BATTERY IS SHORTED). THE INCIDENT WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET. MAZDA CORPORATION SHOULD MAKE THESE TRAYS AVAILABLE AGAIN BECAUSE MANY NB (2ND GENERATION) OWNERS COULD FIND THEMSELVES IN THIS SAME SITUATION. EVENTUALLY, FATALITIES COULD BE EXPECTED. I HAVE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONVINCE MAZDA TO MAKE THESE TRAYS AVAILABLE, BUT THEY REFUSE TO DO SO, WITHOUT PROVIDING JUSTIFICATI

Mileage: 42,516

20150508CrashSTEERING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA MIATA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, IT BECAME DIFFICULT FOR THE CONTACT TO STEER THE VEHICLE. WHILE TURNING LEFT, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO AN ELECTRICAL POLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A PRIVATE TOW LOT. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

Mileage: 75,000

20150508CrashAIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA MIATA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, IT BECAME DIFFICULT FOR THE CONTACT TO STEER THE VEHICLE. WHILE TURNING LEFT, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO AN ELECTRICAL POLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A PRIVATE TOW LOT. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

Mileage: 75,000

20150416SUSPENSION

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA MIATA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO SHAKE AND BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. AFTER STOPPING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WAS POSITIONED AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE. WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE CONTROL ARM WAS SEVERELY RUSTED AND FRACTURED. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE CONTROL ARM ALSO WAS SEVERELY RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000.

Mileage: 53,000

20150106TIRES

TREAD SEPARATION ON ALL 4 TIRES. CLEAR MANUFACTURER DEFECT.

Mileage: 35,000

20110419STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA MIATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME RAIL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED. HE NOTICED THE PROBLEM WHEN HE WAS REPAIRING THE SUSPENSION. THE SWAY BAR WAS ALSO DEFECTIVE BECAUSE OF THE RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 87,625. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,000.

Mileage: 68,000

20101208POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

THE LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL HAS FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 81,000 MILES. I'VE BEEN INFORMED THAT REPAIR PARTS ARE NOT MANUFACTURED AND THAT A NEW DIFFERENTIAL MUST BE INSTALLED. THERE ARE NONE IN STOCK IN THE UNITED STATES AND THEY ARE ON BACK ORDER INDEFINITELY. THERE IS NO TIME ESTIMATE OF ANY KIND TO GET THIS PART IN THE UNITED STATES. MY ONLY OPTION IS TO FIND AND INSTALL AN USED DIFFERENTIAL. *TR

Mileage: 81,000

20090211FireEXTERIOR LIGHTING

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA MIATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE FOG LIGHT CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED BOTH THE FOG LIGHT AND THE BUMPER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DESTROYED. SHE CALLED THE DEALER TO INQUIRE ABOUT ANY ISSUES WITH THE FOG LIGHTS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING ON RECORD. SHE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED BY THE ORIGINAL OWNER FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V206000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING:FOG LIGHTS). THE DEALER ADVISED HER TO CALL THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT SINCE THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED, THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE AGAIN. THE CONTACT HAS PHOTOS AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,850 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,000.

Mileage: 68,000

20051116POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY

WHEN STARTING OUT COLD FROM AN INTERSECTION MY 2003 MAZDA MIATA LURCHES FORWARD POSSIBLY CAUSING STALLING IN THE INTERSECTION AND CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THIS COMPLAINT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED TO MY DEALER WHO SAYS THAT MAZDA WILL ONLY FIX THIS PROBLEM DURING THE FIRST 12 MONTHS./12,000 MILES OF OWNER SHIP. MAZDA HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE 2001 AS A RESULT OF A RE-DESIGN OF THE CLUTCH AND REFUSES TO FIX MY CAR BECAUSE IT IS BEYOND 12,000 MILES. THIS IS A LATENT DEFECT THAT ONLY MANIFESTS ITSELF I COLD WEATHER BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT SOMEONE MAY BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED AS A RESULT OF THIS DEFICIENT CLUTCH SYSTEM. *JB

Mileage: 31

20050907STRUCTURE:BODY

DT: THIS IS A CONVERTIBLE CAR AND THE BOLTS KEEP FALLING OUT OF THE TOP WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE ARE TWO BOLTS THAT HAVE FALLEN OUT THREE OR FOUR TIMES. THE CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER AND AN APPOINTMENT WAS SET TO HAVE THE CAR LOOKED AT BECAUSE THERE IS A RATTLING SOUND COMING FROM THE CAR. THE CONSUMER THINKS THAT THE BOLTS ARE CAUSING THE NOISE. THIS PROBLEM STARTED IN JUNE 2005. *AK *MR

20050411WHEELS:RIM

EVERY SINCE I PURCHASED MY CAR ON 5/7/03, I HAVE BEEN HAVING HARD STARTS--MORE THAN 24 TIMES. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE CAR WAS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD, ANOTHER DEALER TOLD ME ALL 4 RIMS WERE BENT. I ALSO HAD A RACING ISSUE OCCUR 3 TIMES ON SAT. 3/12. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES FOR THE TWO INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS. RECENTLY, THEY FIXED THE HARD START BY REPLACING THE BATTERY BUT THEY CHARGED ME FOR IT. THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE CHARGED ME IF THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE HARD STARTS SINCE DAY ONE. I TOLD THEM THIS BUT THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T FIND THE BATTERY TO BE A PROBLEM THEN. THEY ALSO TOLD ME ALL 4 RIMS WERE BENT. WHEN THE FIRST DEALER MENTIONED THIS I THOUGHT THEY WERE MISTAKEN AS MY CAR WAS BRAND NEW AT THE TIME. I AM THE ONLY DRIVER, DO MOSTLY HIGHWAY DRIVING, AND HAVE NOT HIT ANY BIG POTHOLES OR GONE OFF ROAD WITH THE VEHICLE. I ASKED IMMEDIATELY AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR WHY IT WAS SO BOUNCY AND THEY SAID THAT IS THE WAY SPORTS CARS ARE. BASED ON MY LETTER, SAM AT M

Mileage: 650

20050411FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

EVERY SINCE I PURCHASED MY CAR ON 5/7/03, I HAVE BEEN HAVING HARD STARTS--MORE THAN 24 TIMES. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE CAR WAS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD, ANOTHER DEALER TOLD ME ALL 4 RIMS WERE BENT. I ALSO HAD A RACING ISSUE OCCUR 3 TIMES ON SAT. 3/12. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES FOR THE TWO INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS. RECENTLY, THEY FIXED THE HARD START BY REPLACING THE BATTERY BUT THEY CHARGED ME FOR IT. THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE CHARGED ME IF THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE HARD STARTS SINCE DAY ONE. I TOLD THEM THIS BUT THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T FIND THE BATTERY TO BE A PROBLEM THEN. THEY ALSO TOLD ME ALL 4 RIMS WERE BENT. WHEN THE FIRST DEALER MENTIONED THIS I THOUGHT THEY WERE MISTAKEN AS MY CAR WAS BRAND NEW AT THE TIME. I AM THE ONLY DRIVER, DO MOSTLY HIGHWAY DRIVING, AND HAVE NOT HIT ANY BIG POTHOLES OR GONE OFF ROAD WITH THE VEHICLE. I ASKED IMMEDIATELY AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR WHY IT WAS SO BOUNCY AND THEY SAID THAT IS THE WAY SPORTS CARS ARE. BASED ON MY LETTER, SAM AT M

Mileage: 650

20050411STEERING

EVERY SINCE I PURCHASED MY CAR ON 5/7/03, I HAVE BEEN HAVING HARD STARTS--MORE THAN 24 TIMES. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE CAR WAS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD, ANOTHER DEALER TOLD ME ALL 4 RIMS WERE BENT. I ALSO HAD A RACING ISSUE OCCUR 3 TIMES ON SAT. 3/12. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES FOR THE TWO INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS. RECENTLY, THEY FIXED THE HARD START BY REPLACING THE BATTERY BUT THEY CHARGED ME FOR IT. THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE CHARGED ME IF THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE HARD STARTS SINCE DAY ONE. I TOLD THEM THIS BUT THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T FIND THE BATTERY TO BE A PROBLEM THEN. THEY ALSO TOLD ME ALL 4 RIMS WERE BENT. WHEN THE FIRST DEALER MENTIONED THIS I THOUGHT THEY WERE MISTAKEN AS MY CAR WAS BRAND NEW AT THE TIME. I AM THE ONLY DRIVER, DO MOSTLY HIGHWAY DRIVING, AND HAVE NOT HIT ANY BIG POTHOLES OR GONE OFF ROAD WITH THE VEHICLE. I ASKED IMMEDIATELY AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR WHY IT WAS SO BOUNCY AND THEY SAID THAT IS THE WAY SPORTS CARS ARE. BASED ON MY LETTER, SAM AT M

Mileage: 650

20050411ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

EVERY SINCE I PURCHASED MY CAR ON 5/7/03, I HAVE BEEN HAVING HARD STARTS--MORE THAN 24 TIMES. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE CAR WAS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD, ANOTHER DEALER TOLD ME ALL 4 RIMS WERE BENT. I ALSO HAD A RACING ISSUE OCCUR 3 TIMES ON SAT. 3/12. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES FOR THE TWO INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS. RECENTLY, THEY FIXED THE HARD START BY REPLACING THE BATTERY BUT THEY CHARGED ME FOR IT. THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE CHARGED ME IF THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE HARD STARTS SINCE DAY ONE. I TOLD THEM THIS BUT THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T FIND THE BATTERY TO BE A PROBLEM THEN. THEY ALSO TOLD ME ALL 4 RIMS WERE BENT. WHEN THE FIRST DEALER MENTIONED THIS I THOUGHT THEY WERE MISTAKEN AS MY CAR WAS BRAND NEW AT THE TIME. I AM THE ONLY DRIVER, DO MOSTLY HIGHWAY DRIVING, AND HAVE NOT HIT ANY BIG POTHOLES OR GONE OFF ROAD WITH THE VEHICLE. I ASKED IMMEDIATELY AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR WHY IT WAS SO BOUNCY AND THEY SAID THAT IS THE WAY SPORTS CARS ARE. BASED ON MY LETTER, SAM AT M

Mileage: 650

20050215FireEQUIPMENT

ON THANKSGIVING DAY (NOV.25,2004) I LEFT MY HOME TO SPEND THE HOLIDAY WITH MY SON. WHILE I WAS AWAY, MY HOUSE BURNED DOWN.THANKFULLY NO ONE WAS HURT IN THE BLAZE AS NO ONE WAS HOME AT THE TIME, THE FIRE MARSHAL INVESTIGATING THE FIRE THOUGHT IT STARTED IN THE GARAGE BUT COULD NOT PINPOINT A CAUSE. THE ONLY CAR PARKED IN THE GARAGE WAS A FRIENDS 2003 MAZDA MIATA. IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT A MALFUNCTIONING CRUISE CONTROL ON THE MAZDA SIMILAR TO THE FORD RECALL (NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 05V017000) COULD HAVE CAUSED THE FIRE?

20041126VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SHEARED OFF IN HALF WHILE DRIVING. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO IDLE THE VEHICLE WITH THE GEARS ACCELERATING SPEEDS OF THREE TO FIVE MILES, AND THE EMERGENCY LIGHTS CAME ON. CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE HOME.*AK PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

20040903SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

I HELPING MY HUSBAND REMOVE THE TONEAU COVER FROM OUR 2003 MAZDZA MIATA. I WAS STANDING OUTSIDE THE CAR ON THE RIGHT SIDE WHEN I RELEASED THE SEAT BACK TO RETURN IT TO THE UPRIGHT POSITION. THE SEAT BACK HAS TO BE RECLINED ALL THE WAY FOR THE TONEAU COAVER TO FIT. THE SEAT BACK CAME FORWARD AND HIT ME IN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FACE , DRIVING MY HEAD INTO THE BRACKET ON THE WINDSHIELD THAT RECEIVES THE CONVERTABLE TOP. THE FORCE WAS SUCH THAT IN ADDITION TO BREAKING MY GLASSES, I SUFFERED HEAD TRAMUA, A TYPE 2 CONTUSION, AND A MILD CONCUSION. *AK

Mileage: 5,800

20030729EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

2003 MAZDA MIATA HEADLINES GIVE POOR, INADEQUATE, UNSETTLING ILLUMNATION WHEN DRIVING ON HILLY ROADS.*AK

Compare 2003MAZDAMX-5 MIATA to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2003 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA have?
The 2003 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA has 18 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 3 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA?
The most-complained component for the 2003 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA is STEERING with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS and SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER.
Is the 2003 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.