AI Damage2017 Mazda MX-5: common problems
Owners of the 2017 Mazda MX-5 filed 11 complaints with NHTSA, most often about visibility and steering. The maker issued 248 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 11
- involving a crash
- 1
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 248
What fails most often
- 1 Visibility 36% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 18% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 9% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 9% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 9% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 9% of all complaints
- 7 Tires 9% of all complaints
- 8 Electronic stability control 9% of all complaints
- Visibility: 4 complaints (36% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 10.
- Steering: 2 complaints (18% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 6.
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 85.
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (9% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 21.
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (9% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 10.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 6-speed
- manual, 6-speednamed in 1 complaints
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).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 4 | 0 | 10 |
| Steering | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 1 | 85 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 21 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 92 |
| Structure | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| Engine and cooling | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Engine | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Wheels | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Exterior lighting | 0 | 0 | 7 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
“Power Steering Malfunction” light came on, then suddenly after 1 second, the car’s steering went stiff and suddenly braked while at freeway speed flow of traffic. Car then sharply veered left into center divider due to automatic sudden braking with no control of the steering wheel
I am filing this complaint regarding a manual transmission failure on my 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata (VIN: [XXX] ) at 55,000 miles. The failure occurred without warning while driving, causing immediate and significant transmission malfunction.
Driving on the highway, the tpms light came on and the handling was instantly strange. I pulled over and checked the tire, the sidewall was blown out on the passenger rear. I had it replaced. Now about 2 months later, the right rear went flat after a trip.
Vehicles rear windshield spontaneously shattered. Vehicle was idle and upon starting the vehicle a cracking sound was heard in the cabin and the rear view mirror was unusable as the rear windshield was entirely shattered into <1 inch pieces.
Airbag recall mail received from Mazda, when trying to book online mazdausa.com service depart denies vehicle has a recall and refused to schedule appointment
The windshield cracked while the vehicle was parked in a lot. The crack appears to have started on the passenger side edge of the windshield and rapidly propogated horizontally along the center of the windshield to roughly the center of the glass. The car had 12000 miles on it when the windshield cracked.
Front brembo brakes locked after car is parked overnight. It unlocked after I force the car forward. It releases with a loud snap. This occurs 2 or 3 times a month. Car drives fine. Dealer has no solution. Dealer requests overnight assessment unfortunately this occurs without predictability.
"power steering malfunction" warning light appeared, then steering returned. "dsc malfunction" warning light remained on and "tpms malfunction" warning light remained on. If there was a car in opposite lane, would have ran into. Once car was restarted, all warnings disappeared. Bringing into dealer 5/11.
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 1,457 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (among the 31% least complained about).
On average one model year of the MX-5 has 8 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 11, above average.
What to check before buying
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- If you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, DTC(s) stored...),…
If you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, DTC(s) stored...), interview the customer before proceeding with normal MGSS diagnosis by asking if any aftermarket devices have been…
- Some vehicles may exhibit scratches (1) on the rear of the seat back bar garnish (2) from contact with the…
Some vehicles may exhibit scratches (1) on the rear of the seat back bar garnish (2) from contact with the convertible top (3). Due to assembly variations, the clearance between the seat back bar garnish and the…
- Some vehicles may require the replacement of a damaged VIN plate or vehicle certification label
To obtain a replacement VIN plate (bulkhead-mounted and visible through the lower-left area of the windshield), contact DAG (Dealer Assistance Group) using VIN Plate Request Form available on One Mazda. To obtain a…
- Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems
Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle-specific workshop manual or owner's manual. Services performed outside of Mazda's factory scheduled maintenance are not…
- If an engine assembly is replaced after a catastrophic internal mechanical failure, clean the intake…
If an engine assembly is replaced after a catastrophic internal mechanical failure, clean the intake manifold internally before installing a replacement engine assembly. If the intake manifold is not cleaned properly…
- Some customers may complain that the front passenger seat belt warning light flashes and the seat belt…
Some customers may complain that the front passenger seat belt warning light flashes and the seat belt warning beep is activated, even though there is no occupant in the front passenger seat. When a passenger seat…
- Some vehicles may exhibit rattling noises from the engine compartment and oil leakage from the drive belt…
Some vehicles may exhibit rattling noises from the engine compartment and oil leakage from the drive belt auto tensioner. This may be caused by insufficient sealing at the drive belt auto tensioner damper when the auto…
- There are currently 2 methods for cutting a new auxiliary key blank
A. Auxiliary Key Trace Cut Method • B. Auxiliary Key Code Cut Method 2019 and newer models require a 10-digit key code to accurately cut keys • 5-digit codes CANNOT be provided for 2019 and newer vehicles (the…
- Some customers may report an odor or water in the HVAC system and upon inspection, the cabin air filter…
Some customers may report an odor or water in the HVAC system and upon inspection, the cabin air filter may be found to be wet.
- Some vehicles may exhibit the power window(s) not working properly (window does not move or has fallen…
Some vehicles may exhibit the power window(s) not working properly (window does not move or has fallen into the door) and/or making an abnormal noise while operating the power window switch. This may be caused by the…
- If the right-side Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) control module is replaced for any reason, it is also…
If the right-side Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) control module is replaced for any reason, it is also necessary to replace the left-side BSM control module in order to complete the radar aiming procedure. If the…
- A musty/mildew type odor may come from the vents when the air conditioning (A/C) system is operating
It is most noticeable when the A/C is first turned ON. This odor is the result of mold growth in the A/C evaporator/cooling unit which is caused by condensation, dust, and pollen within the cooling unit. This condition…
NHTSA lists 248 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2017 Mazda MX-5?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: visibility, steering, electrical system. Total complaints: 11. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (27%), steering or power steering problems (18%), knocking, grinding or other noise (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2017 Mazda MX-5?
NHTSA lists 248 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 2017 Mazda MX-5 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 2017 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 2026-11-04.