AI Damage1995 Mazda MX-5 Miata: common problems
Owners of the 1995 Mazda MX-5 Miata filed 30 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and tires. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 30
- involving a crash
- 9
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 53% of all complaints
- 2 Tires 13% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 7% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 7% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 3% of all complaints
- 7 Exterior lighting 3% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 3% of all complaints
- Air bags: 16 complaints (53% of all), 7 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Tires: 4 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (10% of all).
- Steering: 2 complaints (7% of all).
- Structure: 2 complaints (7% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.8 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 30 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 | 16 | 7 | 0 |
| Tires | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Not sure if tires were original equipment. Tire blew on passengers side front resulting in car going into spin and eventually rolling. Have all tires and rims. Also have picture of vehicle after accident. Currently in process of repairing. (dot number: h46kcca444 tiresize: p195 50r15)
Upon impact, during frontal crash, at approx. 35mph, 12:00 on front bumper, dual airbags failed to deploy.
In a frontal collision the drivers air bag did not deploy. Tt
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.
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 tire also had chalk marks smeared off the side.
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 90,000.
This contact deployed both airbags which intern busted the windshield / knocked out my radio, vent louvers and rearview mirror. Research via the internet found this to be an issue with 95 miatas.
Our 1995 mazda miata has a rapid rhythmic pulsing in the power steering hydraulics when parallel parking, or other similar tight low speed turn. The dealership contacted mazda tech service and determined that the rack and pinion unit with hydraulic pump was faulty. They replaced the original unit.
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 6,848 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 30, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
- MX-5 Miata 199028 sources
- MX-5 Miata 199121 sources
- MX-5 Miata 199222 sources
- MX-5 Miata 19938 sources
- MX-5 Miata 199418 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 1995 Mazda MX-5 Miata?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, tires, electrical system. Total complaints: 30. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (10%), smoke, burning smell, fire (10%), knocking, grinding or other noise (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1995 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 1995 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 1995 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.