The 2016 Mazda Mx-5 has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 94,516 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 42 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the power train. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
AIR BAGS24V6950002024-09-1877,670 affected
Defect
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016-2023 MX-5 Miata vehicles. A software error in the air bag control module may cause the front air bags to deploy with excessive force during a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard…
Consequence
An air bag that deploys with excessive force can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will update the Sophisticated Air Bag Sensor (SAS) control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 7, 2024. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 6924I.
STRUCTURE19V4960002019-06-272,476 affected
Defect
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016 Miata MX-5 vehicles. The skid plate and metal bracket may detach from underneath the vehicle.
Consequence
Parts that separate from the vehicle may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the skid plate, free of charge. The recall began August 2, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3619F.
POWER TRAIN19V0720002019-02-0114,370 affected
Defect
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016-2019 MX-5 (Miata) vehicles with automatic transmissions. Due to incorrect programming of the Transmission Control Module (TCM), certain conditions may cause the vehicle to unexpectedly downshift and abruptly decelerate.
Consequence
If the vehicle abruptly downshifts, the driver may lose control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the TCM with corrected software, free of charge. The recall began March 14, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3019A.
Complaints by component
POWER TRAIN
11
1crashes
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
7
AIR BAGS
5
2crashes2injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
4
STRUCTURE:BODY
4
ENGINE
2
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
2
STEERING
2
WHEELS
2
SUSPENSION
1
Total complaints42
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“2016 mazda mx5 club: in warmer weather(70 degree f or higher) and after driving for 5+ miles, the steering becomes less sensitive and gets “stuck/stickyâ€� and requires more force to turn. When applied more force the car over corrects and you swerve cause the amount of force you needed to apply.…”
“Contacted rohrich mazda 2690 w liberty ave, pittsburgh pa [REDACTED] regarding the airbag recall today. They have no knowledge of this recall and therefore I am unable to have it corrected. Is my car safe to drive? When will I be able to get it fixed? Thanks, bill”
“The contact owns a 2016 mazda mx-5. The contact received notification of the nhtsa campaign number: (air bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the…”
“6 speed manual transmission failure at 59,000 miles started not shifting into 3rd, then shortly after, the transmission locked up in a intersection. Which stalled the vehicle out. Was able to move the vehicle by hand, out of heavy traffic. Since this effects all nd1, nd2 and nd3 manual…”
“On december 7, 2023 at approximately 10:30pm, I was traveling west bound on [xxx] . Suddenly, there was a loud thumping noise from under the passenger seat. After about 10 seconds, it escalated to an extremely loud banging and the smell of oil. Not a single warning light appeared on my dashboard.…”
“Steering: at 55+ mph I feel a slight bind when I make a steering change. It then releases only after I've put in too much steering correction. This occurs when in a steady direction, or whether I'm in a steady, high speed turn. It feels like a snapping rubber band. You can read about other miata…”
“The contact owns a 2016 mazda mx-5. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 24v695000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The…”
“The top windshield trim piece popped off while on the highway. The windshield has never been replaced and this trim piece has never been removed. All but one of the clips failed.”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2016 Mazda Mx-5 as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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