2023 Mazda MX-5 Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 4about this part
- Share
- 57%of 7 total for the year
- Median mileage
- —not reported
- Trend
- Too newThis model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.
NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2023 Mazda MX-5, 57% of the 7 complaints for this model year.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“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 has been intermittent by never prolonged like that full week. This is and was a safety risk because I have been stuck on a hill, stop signs, and green traffic lights etc. Because it was not reproducible, the claim was dismissed. At around 4000 miles and on, third gear became very inconsistent in shift action. …”
NHTSA complaint #11639795, filed 2025-01“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11688791, filed 2025-09“The manual transmission has a synchronizer failure. Safety was put at risk due to inability to safely complete a gear change reliably. The problem has been reported to the dealer and the transmission has been replaced once and is scheduled to go in 9/23/24 for a possible second transmission replacement. There are no warning lights associated with the failure. The only symptom is the inability to complete a shift with no warnings of this failure prior to it first presenting itself.”
NHTSA complaint #11613520, filed 2024-09“Mazda Miata model years 2022-2024 with manual 6sp transmission are experiencing a large number of failures at low mileage. Some owners are reporting 2 failed transmissions at less than 10,000 miles. 3rd and 4th great become unusable without warning, increasing the potential for a crash. There have been over 50 reports of manual transmission failure from 2022-2024 Miata owners. Concern: When the transmission internals fail without warring the vehicle experiences loss of power and forward movement, substantially increasing the chance of an accident in a highway driving scenario. …”
NHTSA complaint #11599585, filed 2024-07Related service bulletins
- 11032103Apr 21, 2026This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA listed below: The changes are noted in Red. SA-011/24 02/12/24, 06/06/24, 07/29/24 DESCRIPTION Mazda has developed factory…
- 11026354Nov 27, 2025When inspected, the differential or PTO oil is dark or black. This is considered normal and NO repair should be performed. During production, differential ring and pinion gears…
- 11026350Nov 8, 2025Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) Diagnostic Guidelines Diagnostic Guidelines When diagnosing NVH concerns, it is essential to first classify the issue into one of three…
- 11026351Nov 6, 2025Some customer's might state that they notice fluid or oil leaking/dripping on the ground when the vehicle is parked. For this concern, inspect the vehicle for any trace of a…
- 11007010Aug 7, 2024Some customer's might state that they notice fluid or oil leaking/dripping on the ground when the vehicle is parked. For this concern, inspect the vehicle for any trace of a…
- 10252507Mar 6, 2024Due to limitations, certain vehicles from 2016 to current models might display an inaccurate transmission part number in the Global Electronic Parts Catalog (GEPC). To provide…
- 10251387Feb 12, 2024Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as…
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | 40% |
| 2023 | 4 | 57% |
| 2022 | 3 | 60% |
| 2019 | 2 | 18% |
| 2017 | 1 | 9% |
| 2016 | 11 | 32% |
| 2014 | 1 | 17% |
| 2008 | 1 | 14% |
| 2007 | 1 | 6% |
| 2006 | 3 | 12% |
Other parts of the 2023 Mazda MX-5
← All problems reported for the 2023 Mazda MX-5
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology