2002 Mazda Miata Mx-5

2002 Mazda Miata/MX-5 2-DR. Convertible

Overall

Not Rated

Front Crash

Not Rated

Side Crash

Not Rated

Rollover

Not Rated

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Campaign: 06E026000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:FOG LIGHTS

ON CERTAIN MINI VANS AND PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE SOCKET HOLDER IN THE FOG LIGHTS IS INSTALLED IN THE LAMP CASING USING PRESSURE. DURING OPERATION OF THE FOG LIGHT, THE HEAT FROM THE BULB CAN EXPAND THE SOCKET HOLDER. THE EXPANSION CAN FORCE THE SOCKET HOLDER REARWARD. AFTER REPEATEDLY BEING SUBJECT TO THIS EXPANSION, IF THE FOG LIGHT IS ALSO SUBJECTED TO VIBRATION DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, THE SOCKET HOLDER WITH THE BULB HOLDER AND THE WIRING HARNESS MAY SEPARATE FROM THE FOG LIGHT CASING.

Campaign: 03V206000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MAZDA MIATA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF AND COULD NOT BE IMMEDIATELY RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE IMMOBILIZER MODULE ERRONEOUSLY ACTIVATED AND DISABLED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 151,700.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

THIS CAR HAS A SAFETY IMMOBILIZER THAT PREVENTS CAR FROM RUNNING IF THE CORRECT TRANSPONDER KEY IS NOT USED. THIS CAR HAS ONLY 28,000 MILES, OF WHICH I HAVE DRIVEN THE LAST 10,000 MILES. THIS WEEK THE IMMOBILIZER CONTROL ELECTRONICS FAILED, RENDERING THE CAR TO STOP RUNNING AND WILL NOT RESTART. RESEARCHING ON THE WEB IT APPEARS THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH MANY 2001 AND SOME 2002 MODELS. FIRSTLY THIS FAILURE IS A SAFETY ISSUE. SECONDLY THE REPAIR REQUIRES REPLACING THIS IMMOBILIZER MODULE AS WELL AS THE MAIN ECU AND GETTING NEW TRANSPONDER KEYS, WHICH IS VERY COSTLY.

STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER

ONE OF TWO LATCHES FOR THE CONVERTIBLE SOFT TOP CAME UNFASTENED WHILE DRIVING CAUSING ONE SIDE OF THE TOP TO LIFT UPWARDS WITH GREAT VIOLENCE AND A VERY LOUD NOISE. NO ACCIDENT THIS TIME BUT IT WILL HAPPEN- E.G. SWERVING OUT OF LANE AND INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE, PEDESTRIAN, TREE, ETC. DUE TO 1) THE VIOLENCE AND NOISE AND/OR 2) THE DRIVER *ATTEMPTING* (ITS IMPOSSIBLE!) TO RE-LATCH AND RE-LOCK THE TOP. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE IS A VERY POOR DESIGN OF THE LATCH/LOCK AND THE LOCKS LEVER BEING MADE OF POT METAL. BOTH FACTORS COMBINE IN A SYNERGISTIC MANNER WHICH CAUSE VERY RAPID LOCK WEAR AND ABRUPT FAILURE. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL DUE TO RISK AND THE NUMBER OF NHTSA COMPLAINTS ON THIS DESIGN DEFECT- INCLUDING ONE WHERE BOTH LATCHES FAILED AND THE TOP BLEW OFF! DEFECTIVE PART NUMBERS ARE NA01R1310_ AND NA01R1320_.

STRUCTURE

MAZDA MIATA CONVERTIBLE TOP BLEW OFF WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON THE FREEWAY CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL AND ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE CHECKED REPORTS AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A REGULAR PROBLEM. MAZDA HAS EVEN ISSUED A BULLETIN ON THIS PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. *JB

SEAT BELTS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MAZDA MIATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, PUSHING THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE INTO THE NEXT LANE. THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUFFERED INTERNAL BLEEDING AND BRUISING TO THE HEAD, FACE, LEGS, AND ARMS. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT PRIOR TO THE CRASH, THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WOULD SPORADICALLY FAIL TO RESTRAIN HOWEVER, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 38,000.

STRUCTURE

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MAZDA MIATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CONVERTIBLE TOP LATCH DOES NOT LATCH PROPERLY AND CAUSED THE CONVERTIBLE TOP TO DETACH WHILE DRIVING. THE CONTACT HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE CONVERTIBLE TOP LATCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WAS A DESIGN DEFECT THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF AND THAT WARRANTS A RECALL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WAS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000. UPDATED 01/11/2011*LJ

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

THE SOFT TOP LOCK ASSEMBLY LATCH PART #NAO1-R1-310M IS DEFECTIVE. IT COMES UNLATCHED WHILE DRIVING. THIS LATCH WAS REPLACED TWICE WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. THE CAR NOW HAS APPROX 22,500 AND IS READY FOR A THIRD RT SOFT TOP LATCH REPLACEMENT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THESE LATCHES SHOULD BE RECALLED. ACCORDING TO MAZDA'S SERVICE BULLETIN NO: 09-009/03THIS PART IS DEFECTIVE WITH ALL VEHICLES WITH VIN # LOWER THAN JMI NB** **304036. MY VIN # IS JMINB353520 234528, CLEARLY FITS THIS REQUIREMENT.

STRUCTURE,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

2002 MAZDA MIATA HAVE DEFECTIVE TOP LATCHES. CONSUMER WANTS MAZDA TO REPAIR VEHICLE AT THEIR EXPENSE. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE CONVERTIBLE LATCH, UN-LATCHED ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING. *JB

STRUCTURE

CONVERTIBLE TOP LATCHES DO NOT STAY LATCHED. MAZDA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS ISSUED A TSB (09-009/03) TELLING THE TECH TO REPLACE THE LATCHES AND STRIKERS WITH A REVISED DESIGN. MAZDA REFUSES TO REPLACE THE UNITS FREE OF CHARGE EVEN THOUGH IT IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. TOPS FLYING OPEN ON THE HIGHWAY ARE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD NOT BE FIXED AT THE CUSTOMERS EXPENSE, ESPECIALLY ON A CAR WITH ONLY 28000 MILES. THE CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN DEALER MAINTAINED AND IS ACTUALLY IN BETTER CONDITION THAN WHEN I BOUGHT IT OFF THE SHOWROOM. MAZDA REFUSES TO REPLACE IT UNDER THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY, OR EVEN THE EXTENDED FACTORY WARRANTY. *TR

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MAZDA MIATA. AFTER PARKING HIS VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT HIS FOG LIGHTS WERE ON FIRE. HE WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. HE CALLED MAZDA AND THEY FAXED HIM A COPY OF RECALL NUMBER 03V206000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING:FOG LIGHTS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NEVER RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE AND MAZDA IS NOT OFFERING TO HELP CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY PARKED IN THE PARKING LOT AT HIS JOB. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 32,000.