MAZDA MX-5 MIATA · model year

2004 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA

8 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2004MAZDAMX-5 MIATA carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, 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 2004 MX-5 MIATA is engine and engine cooling:engine with 2 filings, followed by wheels (1) and seat belts:front (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 2004 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.

8
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

8 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE2
WHEELS1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1
STRUCTURE:BODY1

Recent Complaints

20170611STRUCTURE:BODY

THE FORWARD FRAME RAILS ARE SEVERELY RUSTED, COMPROMISING THE FUNCTION OF THE BUMPERS GREATLY INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF INJURY IN THE EVENT OF A FRONT COLLISION. CORROSION IS NOT READILY APPARENT, SUGGESTING THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE UNAWARE THAT THEIR VEHICLE'S SAFETY HAS BEEN COMPROMISED.

Mileage: 142,000

20080806ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

THE CAR HAS A INTERMITTENT PROBLEM RUNNING, IT HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING. LAST TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS ALMOST RUN OVER BY A 18 WHEELER. I HAVE MENTIONED IT TO THE DEALER AND NO RECALL EXISTS THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD ON THIS MODEL AS NOTED BY MEMBERS OF MIAT ACAR CLUBS. BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT OWN UP TO THE PROBLEM EXTENSIVE TESTING HAS BEEN DONE BY OUR CAR FORUM. REPLACING THE MAP SENSOR CURES THE PROBLEM FOR ABOUT 90 DAYS BUT AT 100 DOLLARS A POP IT IS A LITTLE EXPENSIVE. CARS THAT HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM HAVE BEEN MODIFIED TO RUN WITHOUT A MAP SENSOR AND THIS HAS CURED THE PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY THE CURE IS 2000 BUCKS. I HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM FOR 2 YEARS NOW AND WOULD LIKE SOME HELP FIXING IT. *TR

Mileage: 20,000

20080801FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

DRIVING MY 2004 MAZDASPEED MIATA ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STALLS. THE PROBLEM WAS THE FUEL PUMP FAILURE. I BOUGHT MY CAR NEW AND IT HAS 4,400 MILES ON IT. I HAD THREE FUEL PUMP FAILURES SINCE 2004. I COMPLAINED TO THE MAZDA DEALER AS TO WHY THIS IS HAPPENING BUT THEY DON'T HAVE A CLUE. *TR

Mileage: 4,200

20080718ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. I CAME TO A STOP AT A TOLL BOOTH. WHEN I WENT TO PULL AWAY THE CAR WOULD HARDLY ACCELERATE. ANY AMOUNT OF THROTTLE WOULD CAUSE THE CAR TO BOG OUT. SEEMS VERY LIKELY A CRASH COULD OCCUR IF THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED AT THE WRONG TIME. THIS IS SPECIFICALLY A PROBLEM WITH THE MAZDASPEED MODEL OF THE MX-5. *TR

Mileage: 11,100

20070809ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA MIATA. WHEN THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AFTER A STOP, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO MOVE. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE FOUR TIMES, HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER REFUSED TO MAKE ANY REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 23,000.

Mileage: 8,000

20070525FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

I BOUGHT THE 04 MAZDASPEED MIATA NEW IN 2/05 AND HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH IT STARTING SINCE IT WAS NEW. MY LAST SERIES OF STARTING PROBLEMS WAS IN 2/07. MAZDA REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP IN 8/06 TO HOPEFULLY SOLVE THE PROBLEM BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED IN 9/06. I STILL HAVE THE ISSUE WITH THE CAR.

Mileage: 1,466

20040830SEAT BELTS:FRONT

NORMAL DRIVING. SEAT BELT LOCKS. SEAT BELT WILL NOT UNLOCK.*AK

Mileage: 700

20040608WHEELS

ON 4/24/2004 WHILE DRIVING SOUTHBOUND ON MIDDLEBELT ROAD IN LIVONIA, MI I HEARD A LOUD "POP" AND SHORTLY AFTER EXPIRIENCED A FLAT TIRE. THE TIRE HAD PICKED UP A BOLT AND THE FLAT WAS CAUSED BY THE BOLT PENATRATING THE WHEEL.*AK BOTH THE WHEEL AND THE TIRE WERE REPLACED. THE TIRE WAS SENT TO THE MANAFACTURE AND I HAVE POSSESSION OF THE WHEEL. THE AUTOMOBILE WAS LESS THAN ONE WEEK OLD.

Mileage: 286

Compare 2004MAZDAMX-5 MIATA to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2004 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA have?
The 2004 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2004 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA?
The most-complained component for the 2004 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include WHEELS and SEAT BELTS:FRONT.
Is the 2004 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.