"How reliable is the 1996 Mazda Mx-5 Miata?"

"Based on 32 NHTSA complaints, the 1996 Mazda Mx-5 Miata has a median complaint mileage of 78000 miles. The most common issue is AIR BAGS."

"What are common problems with the 1996 Mazda Mx-5 Miata?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1996 Mazda Mx-5 Miata is AIR BAGS, accounting for a significant portion of the 32 total complaints filed."

1996 Mazda Mx-5 Miata: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 32 complaints

Total Complaints

78,000mi

Median Mileage

AIR BAGS

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

53,000 25th Percentile

78,000 Median Mileage

125,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

AIR BAGS

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

STRUCTURE:BODY

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS

WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"DUAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND ALSO LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT DURING THIS TIME. *AK"

"PASSENGER DOOR LATCH (AUTOMATIC ALARM) FAILED."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28