AI Damage1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata: common problems
Owners of the 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata filed 28 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 28
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 21% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 21% of all complaints
- 3 Seat belts 21% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 14% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- 6 Seats 7% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 7% of all complaints
- 8 Exterior lighting 4% of all complaints
- Air bags: 6 complaints (21% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 6 complaints (21% of all).
- Seat belts: 6 complaints (21% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (14% of all).
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (11% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.6 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 28 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
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.
In a vehicle collision from the front and rear at high speeds the air bag did not deploy. Tt
Seat belt did not hold in one car accident, vehicle flipped over. Tt
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
Www.southbaymazda.com hawthorne blvd. X atresia blvd manhattan beach [ZIP]-0[phone]712 fax
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.
Driver's side seat belt fails to latch it often takes multiple attempts to cause it to hold.
Consumer noticed frontal seat belts will not lock in place. Dealer and manufaturer had been contacted.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 7,081 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 19% most complained about).
On average one model year of the MX-5 Miata has 21 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 28, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
- MX-5 Miata 199121 sources
- MX-5 Miata 199222 sources
- MX-5 Miata 19938 sources
- MX-5 Miata 199418 sources
- MX-5 Miata 199530 sources
- MX-5 Miata 199629 sources
- MX-5 Miata 199711 sources
- MX-5 Miata 199974 sources
- MX-5 Miata 200029 sources
- MX-5 Miata 200122 sources
- MX-5 Miata 200220 sources
- MX-5 Miata 200314 sources
- MX-5 Miata 20048 sources
- MX-5 Miata 20054 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, powertrain, seat belts. Total complaints: 28. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (29%), airbag warning light (7%), airbags did not deploy (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1990 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.