1997 Mazda MX-5 Miata: common problems

Owners of the 1997 Mazda MX-5 Miata filed 11 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 11
involving a crash: 1

What fails most often

1 Air bags 18% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 18% of all complaints
3 Engine and cooling 9% of all complaints
4 Equipment 9% of all complaints
5 Exterior lighting 9% of all complaints
6 Fuel system 9% of all complaints
7 Steering 9% of all complaints
8 Structure 9% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Air bags: 2 complaints (18% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 2 complaints (18% of all).
Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (9% of all).
Equipment: 1 complaints (9% of all).
Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (9% 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 11 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

airbags did not deploy1 · 9%
warning lights, check engine1 · 9%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Air bags	2	1
Electrical system	2	0
Engine and cooling	1	0
Equipment	1	0
Exterior lighting	1	0
Fuel system	1	0
Steering	1	0
Structure	1	0
Other	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.

Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision at 35-40mph, and the airbags did not deploy, causing injuries.
Air bags · crash · 1999-12-13 · NHTSA complaint #854008
By the way, at this time I have no turn signals, tachometer, gauges or warning lights. This problem it driving me insane!!! I went through the manual and disconnected each component individually to test the circuit at which each time the fuse still failed.
Electrical system · 2003-08-13 · NHTSA complaint #10032778
We took the car in to sunnyvale mazda today because the steering column was loose and they said the safety clamps are broken and that the steering column needed to be replaced (plus the safety clamps) and that we must have run over a "bump" to cause the steering column to have to be replaced.
Steering · 2002-06-14 · NHTSA complaint #762945
At all timesthere is a strong gasoling odor in vehicle and in trunk which causes occupants to get sick. Dealer cannot determine the cause.
Engine and cooling · 2000-08-08 · NHTSA complaint #867197
Driver's floormat is constantly working way onto gas peddle causing accellorator to stay on floor, hook would solve problem, several near accidents
Equipment · 1999-07-27 · NHTSA complaint #709250
Convert able hard top flew off causing damage to vehicle (ohio state police report)
Structure · 1998-03-23 · NHTSA complaint #530977
The vehicle's gas tank is expanding, causing stress to the tank. Dealer put stress tabs on tank.
Fuel system · 1997-09-02 · NHTSA complaint #815905

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19971
19982
19994
20002
20021
20031

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 10,520 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 29% most complained about).

On average one model year of the MX-5 Miata has 21 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 11, below average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1997 Mazda MX-5 Miata?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 11. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (9%), warning lights, check engine (9%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 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 1997 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 1997 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.