1999 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA Power Train Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MAZDA MIATA. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD RATTLING NOISE NEAR THE ENGINE WHEN THE CLUTCH PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOR MORE THAN A YEAR WHEN THE VEHICLE BECAME HOT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

Mileage: 25,000

BLINDNESS CAUSED BY AIRBAG. CRASH CAUSED BY THROTTLE STICKING OPEN. FULL BRAKING IMMEDIATE AS SHOWN BY SKID MARKS AND WHILE BRAKES SLOWED VEHICLE UNABLE TO STOP THE CAR OR TURN BEFORE IMPACT. VIDEO AND WITNESSES CONFIRM CAUSE MUST BE OPEN THROTTLE. BOTH BRAKING AND TURNING FAILED TO STOP OR TURN THE CAR. THROTTLE OPEN OR ACCELERATOR JAMMED FULL ON. *TR

Mileage: 52,000

BLINDNESS CAUSED BY AIRBAG. CRASH CAUSED BY THROTTLE STUCKING OPENG. FULL BRAKING WITH SKID MARKS SLOWED VEHICLE BUT DID NOT STOP THE CAR BEFORE IMPACT. *TR

Mileage: 52,000

ON 11/10/03, MY 1999 MIATA STALLED WHEN CLUTCH IS PUSHED AT IDLE. I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 101 AT THAT TIME AND WOULD CREATE A DANGER ENVIRONMENT FOR THE SURROUNDING CARS. AFTER A CAR MECHANIC INSPECTED MY CAR, HE FOUND THAT THE CRANKSHAFT END PLAY WAS APPROXIMATELY .5" WIDE. THE MECHANIC SUSPECTED THAT THE PROBLEM MIGHT HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE FAILURE OF THE THRUST BEARING. MY CAR CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 70,000 MILES. MAZDA INSTALLED IMPROPER THRUST BEARING ON MANY 1999 MIATAS, CAUSING THE CAR TO STALL WHEN CLUTCH IS PUSHED AT IDLE. SO FAR, MAZDA HAS ONLY ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN CLAIMING THE PROBLEM WOULD ONLY MAKE NOISE BUT IGNORES THE POTENTIAL STALLING PROBLEM. *LA

Mileage: 69,500

WHINING NOISE ESPECIALLY IN 3RD GEAR AT 29-32 MPH THAT IS VERY IRRITATING. VERY LOUD WHIRRING NOISE AT 5900 RPM IN ANY GEAR. DEALERS ALTERNATELY SAY THEY CAN'T HEAR THE NOISES OR THAT THEY ARE NORMAL. ONE MECHANIC AT MORRIE'S SAID "I USED TO HAVE A TRUCK THAT SOUNDED LIKE THAT. MAYBE YOURS WILL GO AWAY IF YOU GET MORE MILES ON IT." THE 5900 RPM NOISE DECREASED BY 2/3 AFTER CHANGING TO SYNTHETIC TRANSMISSION AND DIFFERENTIAL FLUID BUT THERE IS DEFINITELY A PROBLEM. THE LAST DEALER I TOOK IT TO SAID HE'D CALL BACK IN A WEEK. THAT WAS THREE WEEKS AGO. MAZDA USA SAID THEY'D CALL BACK. THAT WAS A WEEK AGO. I'D LIKE TO GET THIS FIXED SO THAT I CAN ENJOY MAKING MY $450 A MONTH PAYMENTS FOR 5 YEARS A LITTLE MORE. *AK

WHINING NOISE ESPECIALLY IN 3RD GEAR AT 29-32 MPH THAT IS VERY IRRITATING. VERY LOUD WHIRRING NOISE AT 5900 RPM IN ANY GEAR. DEALERS ALTERNATELY SAY THEY CAN'T HEAR THE NOISES OR THAT THEY ARE NORMAL. ONE MECHANIC AT MORRIE'S SAID "I USED TO HAVE A TRUCK THAT SOUNDED LIKE THAT. MAYBE YOURS WILL GO AWAY IF YOU GET MORE MILES ON IT." THE 5900 RPM NOISE DECREASED BY 2/3 AFTER CHANGING TO SYNTHETIC TRANSMISSION AND DIFFERENTIAL FLUID BUT THERE IS DEFINITELY A PROBLEM. THE LAST DEALER I TOOK IT TO SAID HE'D CALL BACK IN A WEEK. THAT WAS THREE WEEKS AGO. MAZDA USA SAID THEY'D CALL BACK. THAT WAS A WEEK AGO. I'D LIKE TO GET THIS FIXED SO THAT I CAN ENJOY MAKING MY $450 A MONTH PAYMENTS FOR 5 YEARS A LITTLE MORE. *AK

LOUD NOISE FROM TRANSMISSION IN 4TH GEAR FROM 3500 - 4000 RPM AT FULL THROTTLE. MAZDA CLAIMS THIS IS NORMAL AND AFTER DRIVING 10 SEPERATE 99 MIATA'S THIS NOISE IS NOT NORMAL. THE NOISE IS PRESENT ON ALL 99 MIATA'S BUT THE LOUDNESS VARIES. ON MY MIATA THE NOISE IS 2 -3 TIMES AS LOUD AS ALL OTHER 99 MIATA'S I HAVE DRIVEN. *AK

WHEN DISENGAGING THE CLUTCH, THE RPMS FALL DOWN RAPIDLY, CAUSING THE CAR TO STALL, AND POWER STEERING AND BRAKES TO FAIL. *AK *ML

AFTER DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR, IF I STOP THE CAR, PUT IT IN NEUTRAL, AND TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE CLUTCH, I HEAR A LOUD RATTLING NOISE WHAT SOUNDS LIKE A BAD RELEASE BEARING. WHEN I PRESS THE CLUTCH PEDAL TO THE FLOOR, THE NOISE STOPS. *AK

REAR DIFFERENTIAL SEAL FAILED CAUSING OIL TO LEAK FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. *ET

VEHICLE WAS IN TOW BEHIND MY RV, WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING BOTH REAR WHEELS TO LOCK UP.VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN TOW FOR 278 MILES AT THE TIME OF FAILURE.WHEN I WAS PURCHASING THE VEHICL, I MADE ALL CONCERNED AWARE THAT I WAS INTENDING TO TOW THE VEHICLE BEHIND MY MOTOR HOME. NOTHING WAS SAIS OF ANY SPECIAL CONDITIONS REGARDING THE TOWING. MAZDA REFUSES TO EVEN INVESTIGATE THE FAILURE, STATING THAT THEY FEEL IT WAS CAUSED BY THE TOWING. A TECNICAL REPRESENTATIVE ADMITTED HOWEVER, THAT THE SAME FAILRE COULD HAVE ACCURED IF THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN COASTING, WITH THE ENGINE OFF. SINCE I WAS IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE OF THE INTERSTATE. I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE UNIT TO A SAFE STOP. IF I HAD BEEN IN ANOTHER LANE, OR IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING LANES, THE RESULT COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTORUS.