Started out as intermittent Air Bag/Seat Belt Pretensioner system warning light about 3 months ago. Over the last 2 weeks, the warning stayed on per the manual and required replacement. I had this service performed on 3/6/2024 at a cost of $811.43 by Sumter Tire and Auto using Preordered Mazda parts invoiced on 3/1/2024.
The worst 2006 Mazda MX-5 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Body6
- Seat belts4
- Transmission3
- Airbags2
- Electrical2
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Body6
- Seat belts4
- Transmission3
- Airbags2
- Electrical2
- Steering2
- Tires2
- Brakes1
- Driver assistance1
- Fuel system1
- Lights1
- Seats1
- Suspension1
- Visibility1
Recalls 1
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles, the bolt attaching the horn assembly to the steering wheel hub may fail during a driver side front air bag deployment in extremely low ambient temperature.
- Risk
- Should this occur, the horn assembly may separate and could injure the driver.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the driver-side frontal air bag module free of charge. The recall began on april 28, 2006. Owners may contact mazda at 800‑222‑5500.
Recall number 06V103000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2006 Mazda MX-5 171
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This bulletin supersedes the previously issued bulletin(s) listed below
- Product Quality Information (PQI) DESCRIPTION Service Information MT-041/12 is no longer valid
- This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA listed below: The changes are noted in Red....
- A musty/mildew type odor may come from the vents when the air conditioning (A/C) system is operating
- Some vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage such (melted, separating, etc.) when parked near a...
- When replacing the SiriusXM satellite radio unit, a call must be made to inform SiriusXM of the existing...
- Some customers may complain about a noisy HVAC blower motor or odor after a cabin air filter replacement
- Some vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage such (melted, separating, etc.) when parked near a...
- In accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer
- Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems
2006 Mazda MX-5 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4‑cyl | RWD | 20-22 | 27-28 | 23-24 |
What 2006 Mazda MX-5 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
air bag warning light for passenger will not go off
When it rains, water leaks into and pools under seats and in the trunk. Just had the top replaced, so it is not due to an old top. Just recently purchased this car.
Passenger airbag seat sensor not detecting persons in seat. Airbags remain turned off. Passenger airbag off indicated, code 48 flashes on dash. Common problem. Doesn't matter if car is moving or not.
The mx-5 has a design flaw in the roof drain on the candace convertible top. It floods your car your floorboards and your truck is filled with water. It is very costly to have this replaced and carpets drained of water and then cleaned. I love my car but if I had known of this defect I would not have purchased it.
Same problem as many of the other people on this website. The drainage system for the canvas convertible is problematic. Having water in your vehicle as well as in the trunk. Could this cause electrical problem? Not sure. It can certainly cause black mold , and I have respiratory difficulties as it is! In my case, the inside of car was musty for many months (6+). I park my car under cover, so it didn't get enough water in to notice the water other than by the smell.but each time I looked for the source and could not find any moisture...but that musty smell persisted, and I didn't even think of it more, other than to get airfresheners, and ride with top down when I could. Looking back, this was probably the cause constantly aggravating my breathing problems. One day I visited my brother in florida, I was unable to park under cover, so I parked outside on driveway. I came out the next day, the entire inside of the car had about 4-6 inches of water in it (I was on a slight incline so the trunk filled about 6 and the inside about 4) , much of my stuff in the trunk was ruined! I dried up as much as I could, had it shampooed and when I got back to texas, I brought the car in, and the problem was the drainage system.... And of course my car was infested with black mold which is a major health hazard to people with lung issues, (as well as those who don't have lung issues!) I had to replace all the carpet, all the padding, have all the black mold removed, replace all my belongings that got ruined, and pay to have the lines "flushed" so it didn't happen again.....now I am finding out on here they knew about this and have done nothing to correct it? I guess my next car will not be a mazda. All that work was not cheap, and I had no choice but to fix it or it would continue to be a detriment to my health... I guess the next step will to be speaking with an attorney.
I have a 2006 mx5 miata and there is a strong fuel smell and cap will not stay tight also getting check engine light. I contacted mazda and they said there is a known defect in the filler neck and cap will come off. Fuel sloshes out and I replaced cap with an updated one. Still comes loose leading the filler neck issue. They will not repair as its not a recall. My concern is that it is a fire hazard and they will not repair a defect that is known to happen.
2nd request, no response received from 1st request I bought my 2006 mazda miata from carmax (sanford, fl) in 2011. My car began flooding every time it rained. I have had at least 50 floods to date. The interior of the car has extensive mold damage and mildew. The floors are rusted. The bolts that hold the seats in place are severely rusted. One seat no longer can be moved on its' track. The driver's seat slides out of place while driving. The seatbelt on the driver's side no longer retracts. Roaches are living in the car. I contacted carmax but they were unwilling to take the car back. The car was in the showroom and not on the lot. I'm guessing they knew of the problem. The 2006 and 2007 miatas have faulty/defective drains. Mazda is aware of the problem but never did a recall. They also expect $1000.00 from me to fix the problem. I continue to have flooding every time it rains, so it's three years of flooding at this point in time. The vehicle needs to be considered "salvage" at this point due to the years of extensive water damage.
My car was parked at work. It was raining. When I got into the vehicle, it was flooded on the inside up to 6 inches. The gas pedal was slippery. It smelled musty, like mildew and mold. I contacted the dealer but got no return phone calls. I wrote them a letter and received a phone call then. They told me to trade the car in if I was having problems. I told them they sold me a flood car and wanted to return it. They refused. This was carmax in sanford, fl. Since that time, the car has flooded over 25 times. I am now living with roaches breeding in my car. It smells like mold. The windows are fogged from the inside daily. The seats have gotten stuck and then slide out of place while I'm driving. My insurance company, geico, refused to help me, stating that this damage probably occurred before I owned the car. I believe the dealer knew of these problems, the car was in the showroom and not out on the lot.
The mx-5 has a design flaw in the roof drains on the canvas convertible top. It floods constantly. I am really growing tired of vacuuming up water in this car. It even floods the trunk. Wet feet in standing water makes for a safety issue driving the car until you can get to a wet vac to evacuate standing water.
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Questions about the 2006 Mazda MX-5
Is the 2006 Mazda MX-5 reliable?
Owners have filed 25 complaints about the 2006 Mazda MX-5, 5.0 times a typical MX-5 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2006 Mazda MX-5?
Body and structure, with 6 complaints, typically around 30,000 miles. Next is seat belts (4).
How many recalls does the 2006 Mazda MX-5 have?
1 recall, covering air bags.
What gas mileage does the 2006 Mazda MX-5 get?
Official estimates for the 2006 Mazda MX-5 range from 23 to 24 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.0L 4-cyl, RWD) gets 20-22 city and 27-28 highway.
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