- The problem
- 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 number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- The risk
- An air bag that deploys with excessive force can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
- The fix
- 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.
Vehicle safety record
2018 Mazda MX-5 Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 3 complaints about the 2018 Mazda MX-5 with NHTSA, most often about the transmission & drivetrain (1) and the acceleration & cruise control (1). It is covered by 3 recalls, the latest in September 2024 for the software. For comparison, the 2017 has 11 and the 2019 has 11.
NHTSA data checked
CAbout as many problems as a typical MX-5 year, for its age
#266 most complained-about 2018 vehicle
- Complaints
- 3
- Recalls
- 3
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2018 Mazda MX-5 problems
Share of all 3 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2018 Mazda MX-5 recalls 3
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3, Mazda6, 2019 CX-3, 2018-2019 MX-5, CX-5, CX-9, and 2019-2020 Mazda2 vehicles. The impeller inside the low-pressure fuel pump may crack and deform, potentially causing the fuel pump to fail.
- The risk
- Fuel pump failure may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Dealers will replace the fuel pumps, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 18, 2022. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 5321K.
- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- If the vehicle abruptly downshifts, the driver may lose control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- 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.
What owners say
Be the first MX-5 owner to share.
Problems or none - your experience is exactly what the next buyer is looking for. Write it now
3 complaints about the 2018 Mazda MX-5
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.
2018 Mazda Miata MX-5 Club Sport, manual transmission Heading home from a friends house that evening, transmission started whirring/whining in 6th gear, then 5th, and so on through 2nd - 1st gear seems to be unaffected. I was forced to apply hazard flashers and travel well below the speed limit in the right lane of the PA turnpike until I made my way to local roads. As I got closer to home, there was also a slight crunch between gears. All of the symptoms above got worse until arriving home, where the vehicle was...
Read the full complaint
parked to await diagnosis/repair. 2016+ Mazda Miata MX-5 manual transmissions are infamous for being fragile, but I never expected my transmission to fail before I reached 20,000 miles on the odometer. Mazda also refused to refund it due to my car being just months out of warranty. I am now out $2000+ from sourcing a new transmission and having it installed on a relatively new car, which is unheard of.
I've owned my 2018 mazda mx-5 for about two years. The problems slow started arising. At first I hadn't noticed, but when going in and out of 'drive' the vehicle felt like it was either going to stall or accelerate. I had initially thought was because it's a 'sports car.' In august of 2020 the window regulator on the passenger side had malfunctioned. Fast forward to december 2020, the driver side window regulator has malfunction as well. I've been doing research as to why this would happen to a vehicle that's about...
Read the full complaint
2 years old. I've purchased the vehicle october of 2018. Internet forums suggested faults with the electrical wiring. I've informed the mazda official website of these issues and informed them of the inconvenience. Make note I have only made a complaint to the window regulators failing. I've provided them with my vin and yet to hear from them since. It didn't occur to me to do research on my vin, so I did and much to my chagrin after apologizing for possibly being rude, I find that my vehicle has had a serious recall since february 01st of 2019. A year and 10 months and no recall notice what so ever! Shouldn't the dealership know of the problems! Seriously I could have died! I quote, directly from nhtsa, 'the sudden unexpected downshift while driving may negatively affect the stability of the vehicle, and could lead to a loss of vehicle control, potentially resulting in a crash.' This is incredibly depressing, since this is my only means of transportation. They had close to 2 years to inform me of this recall and I had to find out myself.
Started from creak noise as car start to move, accelerate or stop. Now it developed to some ticking noise every time car accelerate or decelerate. The car is only at about 9700 mi went to spreen mazda loma linda ca to inspect the car. They said it is normal and come back when it gets worse
Mazda MX-5: every year compared
All MX-5 years2018 Mazda MX-5 vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Mazda MX-5 | 3 | 3 | C | |
| 2018 Dodge Charger | 122 | 6 | F | Compare |
| 2018 Chevrolet Camaro | 81 | 2 | F | Compare |
| 2018 Dodge Challenger | 75 | 4 | D | Compare |
| 2018 Subaru WRX | 43 | 2 | D | Compare |
| 2018 Volkswagen GTI | 17 | 3 | F | Compare |
| 2018 Nissan 370Z | 2 | 1 | C | Compare |
| 2018 Toyota 86 | 1 | 1 | B | Compare |
| 2018 Subaru BRZ | 1 | 2 | C | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2018 Mazda MX-5
Does the 2018 Mazda MX-5 have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2018 Mazda MX-5: software (September 2024); fuel pump (November 2021); control module (tcm / pcm / tecm) (February 2019). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Mazda MX-5?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the transmission & drivetrain (1), acceleration & cruise control (1), body, doors & structure (1).
How many complaints has the 2018 Mazda MX-5 had?
3 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on November 22, 2019 and the latest on June 19, 2024. Of these, 0 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 0 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2018 Mazda MX-5 a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 45 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as a typical Mazda MX-5 year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Mazda MX-5 years have the most complaints?
2016 (34), 2017 (11), 2019 (11). See every Mazda MX-5 year compared.
What should I do if my 2018 Mazda MX-5 has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data