2023 Mazda MX-5
Gas Sports car
The 2023 Mazda MX-5 is sold in the U.S. as a gas sports car with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the MX-5, is EPA-rated at 30 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 7 complaints, most often about power train.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MX-5 | Gas | RWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 26 | 35 | 30 | $2,600 |
| MX-5 | Gas | RWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 26 | 34 | 29 | $2,650 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
Out of factory warranty soon?
The 2023 Mazda MX-5 is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.
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Recalls (1)
Air Bags
minorProblem: 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."
Risk: An air bag that deploys with excessive force can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: 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.
Owner complaints
7 complaints filed
1 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 1 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2024: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2026: 1
Most-cited components
- Power Train — 4
- Unknown Or Other — 1
- Seat Belts — 1
- Air Bags — 1
- Steering — 1
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.
Other MX-5 model years
2026 MX-5
0 recalls · 1 complaints
A2025 MX-5
1 recalls · 3 complaints
A2024 MX-5
1 recalls · 5 complaints
A2022 MX-5
1 recalls · 5 complaints
A2021 MX-5
1 recalls · 1 complaints
A2020 MX-5
1 recalls · 3 complaints
B2019 MX-5
3 recalls · 11 complaints
B2018 MX-5
3 recalls · 3 complaints
B2017 MX-5
2 recalls · 11 complaints
B2016 MX-5
3 recalls · 34 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 46334, 46333). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.