AI Damage1992 Mazda MX-5 Miata: common problems
Owners of the 1992 Mazda MX-5 Miata filed 22 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and seat belts. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 22
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 23% of all complaints
- 2 Seat belts 23% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 14% of all complaints
- 4 Visibility 14% of all complaints
- 5 Tires 9% of all complaints
- 6 Equipment 5% of all complaints
- 7 Exterior lighting 5% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- Air bags: 5 complaints (23% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Seat belts: 5 complaints (23% of all).
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (14% of all).
- Visibility: 3 complaints (14% of all).
- Tires: 2 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
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 22 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 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 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.
Takata recall my 1992 mazda miata's airbag light is flashing on the dash, and there is a soft beep heard,which is intermittent. The flashing starts as soon as the car is started, and it continues while in motion. There is a pause between a series of airbag light flashes.
I had my seatbelt fastened. My nose hit the steering wheel and started to bleed profusely. I went to emergency, and they advised me to see my doctor for a checkup. The doctor ordered an x-ray of my nose. I have a tiny fracture and contusion, which led to two very black eyes and swelling.
Consumer states while he was driving along about 45-50 mph dunlap tire s/p sport a2 size 185 60 14 completely separated from the inside of the sidewall all the way around the tire. This caused him to lose control, and run into a small ditch.
When car is started after not used for several hours, the air bag light displays continuously during start period but then changes to blinking. Continues blinking until car is stopped and ignition turned off.
Dt*: the contact stated the front driver's side seat belt unlatched suddenly without warning. The dealership was not notified, but the contact planned to notify them soon. Updated 10/4/2006 - replacement belt solved the problem.
I did not hit anything on the road the tire when it blew out made me lose control and I went into a small ditch. I changed to the mini spare and went home. I contacted dunlop about the tire and they said that since the tire had a patch on the inside of the tire that the side wall seperated because of the patch, the…
The outside rear view mirror assembly came off the drivers side door while driving, consumer noted that a metal washer or mounting was rusted through causing the mirror to come off. Nlm
Consumers heard a whinning sound. Took off at light in 1st gear & it started making a loud knocking noise, like grinding metal. Dealer determined differentials went out in the rear end.
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 7,904 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 22% most complained about).
On average one model year of the MX-5 Miata has 21 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 22, about average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Other years of this model
- MX-5 Miata 199028 sources
- MX-5 Miata 199121 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 1992 Mazda MX-5 Miata?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, seat belts, electrical system. Total complaints: 22. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (27%), airbag warning light (14%), knocking, grinding or other noise (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1992 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 1992 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 1992 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.