2023 Mazda MX-5 reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 7 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Mazda MX-5 over 4 years — 2 per year. That is more complaints per year than most MX-5 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 1. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Air bag control module, software.

2012 Mazda MX-5 — Photo by Chris Woodrich, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (4 of 7), then Air bags (1) and Seat belts (1). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2022 and 2024

The 2022 MX-5 has 5 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2024 has 5 complaints, 2 per year. The 2023 has more complaints per year than the 2022. The 2023 has more complaints per year than the 2024.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2023 Mazda MX-5. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (1)

Recall air bags, air bag control module, software 2024-09-18 · NHTSA campaign 24V695000

Summary 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."

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.

Complaints by component (7 total)

Powertrain

Air bags

Seat belts

Steering

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"Steering feels sticky at higher speeds, once the vehicle is at full operating temp. The steering requires some pressure to “break free” from whatever position it is in. If I’m continually moving the wheel, it steers…"
Steering · filed 2026-04-01
"Manual transmission will not reliably shift from 2nd to 3rd gear without a grinding noise. Other owners are reporting similar issues that have required a full replacement of the transmission in MY2023 cars."
Powertrain · filed 2025-09-22
"On [XXX] my [XXX] son was driving the vehicle and at low speed (30 mph or under) lost control of the vehicle in a turn. The vehicle hit a telephone pole that was rotted from termite infestation which shattered into…"
Air bags · filed 2025-06-06
"My vehicle has only 8700 miles. At around 2500 miles first gear refused to engage, and I had to start the car in second for a week. That week I scheduled for service but the problem was not reproducible, since then it…"
Powertrain · filed 2025-01-31
"Dear, I’m writing to address the delayed response to the recall for my Mazda MX-5, which began on September 18. It has been nearly two months without any remedy or guidance from the manufacturer. As I rely on this…"
Seat belts, Unknown or other · filed 2024-10-29

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2023 Mazda MX-5 C RWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
MX-5	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	26	35	30 MPG	$2650
MX-5	2L, 4-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Rear-wheel drive	26	34	29 MPG	$2750

Specs and fitment

4th generation (ND), 2016–2023

Body styles Roadster

Oil SAE 0W-20 (SKYACTIV-G 2.0L) , 4.5 qt capacity

Tire size 195/50R16, 205/45R17 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 24V695000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that 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.". 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.

Compare

Previous year 2022 Mazda MX-5 Next year 2024 Mazda MX-5 See every Mazda MX-5 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2023 Mazda MX-5 reliable?

What are common problems with a 2023 Mazda MX-5?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (4 of 7), then Air bags (1) and Seat belts (1). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2023 Mazda MX-5 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2022 MX-5 has 5 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2024 has 5 complaints, 2 per year. The 2023 has more complaints per year than the 2022. The 2023 has more complaints per year than the 2024.

Has the 2023 Mazda MX-5 been recalled?

The 2023 Mazda MX-5 has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2023 Mazda MX-5?

Owners have filed 7 complaints about the 2023 Mazda MX-5 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2023 Mazda MX-5 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2023 Mazda MX-5 is 29.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a Mazda MX-5 Miata use?

NC (2012-2015): SAE 5W-30 for the 2.0L MZR. ND/NE (2016-on): SAE 0W-20 for SKYACTIV-G 2.0L.

What does NHTSA recall 24V695000 cover on ND MX-5?

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.

What tire size does the NC MX-5 use?

205/45R17 on the NC generation listed here.