1999 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

When I filled the gas tank the next day there was the smell of gas inside the vehicle which persisted as I drove. I took it to my Fiat dealership which maintains the vehicle and they have been unable to identify the source of the gas smell. They have been working with Madza for six weeks and no solution can be established. There was a recall on the 1999 models for a similar problem, however my VIN number was not part of the recall.

I AM WRITING THIS TO BRING UP AN ISSUE REGARDING OF A FLAWED DESIGN OUT OF THE FACTORY FROM MAZDA. IF YOU SIMPLY SEARCH "MAZDA MIATA FRONT FRAME RAIL RUST" YOU WILL SEE THAT IT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND/OR EVEN FATAL PROBLEM, THAT PROBABLY MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS YEAR (1998-2005) ARE UNAWARE OF. MANY HAVE HAD THE SITUATION CHECKED OUT AND IT SEEMS THE WAY THE SHEETS OF METAL WERE PUT TO TOGETHER HOLDS MOISTURE AND SUCH AND ROTS THE CHASSIS FROM INSIDE OUT. THIS IS COMING FROM PEOPLE NOT ONLY WHO LIVES IN AN AREA THAT SNOWS, BUT EVEN DRY CLIMATES, AND EVEN FROM OWNERS THAT GARAGE KEEP AND USE THEIR CAR PURELY AS A SUMMER CAR, WHICH NEVER SEES A WINTER IN ITS LIFE. I'VE HAD MY CAR AT THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP TO GET A RECALL DONE REGARDING THE FUEL PUMP, AND THEY NEVER EVEN MENTIONED THIS PROBLEM TO ME, WHEN THEY TOLD ME THEY THOROUGHLY DO AN INSPECTION AROUND AND UNDER THE CAR. I EVEN GOT A STAT SHEET FROM THEM, AS TO WHAT THEY CHECKED. I HAD TO FIND THIS OUT WITH MY MECHANIC, WHEN HE WENT TO DO AN OIL CHANGE, WE DECIDED TO INSPECT THE CAR. NOW FOR THESE CARS (MIATAS AT ANY YEAR) ROCKER PANEL RUST IS A COMMON ISSUE, HOWEVER THIS PARTICULAR FRAME RAIL ISSUE IS NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING, BECAUSE IT WEAKENS THE STRUCTURE OF THE UNIBODY AND IT CAN POTENTIALLY BE FATAL WITH A FRONT END COLLISION CAUSING THE RAILS TO CRUMBLE. SOME OWNERS DO EVEN SEE ANY SIGNS OF WEAR, BUT WHEN THEY HOLD A SCREW DRIVER OR ANY TOOL TO POKE AT THAT SPECIFIC AREA, IT GOES RIGHT THROUGH THE METAL, TO ONLY FIND OUT ITS ROTTED FROM WITHIN. THIS SHOULD BE BROUGHT UP TO MORE OWNERS OF THIS SPECIFIC MODEL OF THE CAR SO THEY KNOW TO CHECK THIS AREA, BECAUSE GOD FORBID THEY GET INTO AN ACCIDENT AND THE STRUCTURE CRUMBLES ALMOST INSTANTANEOUSLY, WHEN IT OBVIOUSLY SHOULDN'T. MAZDA CLEARLY DIDN'T DO ANY QUALITY CONTROL AND FAILED TO INSPECT SUCH DESIGN FLAWS OUT OF FACTORY. *TR

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.

11/7/2010; ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK IN CARPET AT LOW RPM IN 2ND GEAR. I PUSHED IN THE CLUTCH, AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. I FOUND THE LOWER EDGE OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK IN THE CARPET. I GLUED A METAL PLATE TO THE CARPET TO PREVENT THE PEDAL FROM STICKING AGAIN. 3/6/2011; ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK IN CARPET AT HIGH RPM IN FIRST GEAR. THE METAL PLATE I GLUED TO THE CARPET HAD COME LOOSE. I HAD THE WHEELS TURNED AND THE BRAKES FULLY ENGAGED. THE FRONT WHEELS WERE LOCKED AS THEY SKIDDED ACROSS A PARKING LOT. I HIT A CURB AND A SET OF CONCRETE STAIRS. THE CAR STOPPED ACCELERATING ON IMPACT. THE SHOCK OF THE IMPACT, FLEX OF THE CHASSIS, OR POSSIBLY MY FOOT THROWN FORWARD BY THE IMPACT POPPED THE PEDAL OUT OF THE CARPET. AN AMBULANCE WAS CALLED, THERE IS AN ACCIDENT REPORT WITH PHOTOS, AND EYE WITNESS TESTIMONY. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED FACIAL ABRASIONS FROM THE AIRBAG, HAD NECK AND BACK PAIN, LOST VISION IN THE LEFT EYE TOTALLY FOR THREE DAYS, VISION RETURNED ALTHOUGH THE PRESCRIPTION HAS CHANGED. DRIVER HAD AIRBAG SCRAPES, AND BURNS, AND NECK PAIN. IF ONE OF THESE CARS IS IN AN ACCIDENT THAT KILLS THE DRIVER, AND THE PEDAL POPPED OUT OF THE CARPET ON IMPACT LIKE MINE DID, THEN NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW THE TRUE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. A GOOGLE SEARCH WILL TURN UP A DOZEN STUCK THROTTLE REPORTS FOR THIS CAR, MOSTLY FROM MIATA.NET. THE REPORTS ARE SPREAD OUT OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AND CONTINUE TO BE POSTED. THEY DISCUSS THE BEST WAYS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY THOSE REPORTS ARE NOT ON THIS SITE WHERE THEY WOULD BENEFIT THE GREATEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. IT WAS PUT ON A TRAILER, AND HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE THE INCIDENT. WOULD THERE BE A WAY TO HAVE A QUALIFIED ACCIDENT INVESTIGATOR DOCUMENT WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS CAR? I MADE THE CAR AVAILABLE TO MAZDA BUT THEY HAD NO INTEREST. THE CAR IS AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO INSPECT. I CAN DELIVER. *TR

11/7/2010; ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK IN CARPET AT LOW RPM IN 2ND GEAR. I PUSHED IN THE CLUTCH, AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. I FOUND THE LOWER EDGE OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK IN THE CARPET. I GLUED A METAL PLATE TO THE CARPET TO PREVENT THE PEDAL FROM STICKING AGAIN. 3/6/2011; ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK IN CARPET AT HIGH RPM IN FIRST GEAR. THE METAL PLATE I GLUED TO THE CARPET HAD COME LOOSE. I HAD THE WHEELS TURNED AND THE BRAKES FULLY ENGAGED. THE FRONT WHEELS WERE LOCKED AS THEY SKIDDED ACROSS A PARKING LOT. I HIT A CURB AND A SET OF CONCRETE STAIRS. THE CAR STOPPED ACCELERATING ON IMPACT. THE SHOCK OF THE IMPACT, FLEX OF THE CHASSIS, OR POSSIBLY MY FOOT THROWN FORWARD BY THE IMPACT POPPED THE PEDAL OUT OF THE CARPET. AN AMBULANCE WAS CALLED, THERE IS AN ACCIDENT REPORT WITH PHOTOS, AND EYE WITNESS TESTIMONY. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED FACIAL ABRASIONS FROM THE AIRBAG, HAD NECK AND BACK PAIN, LOST VISION IN THE LEFT EYE TOTALLY FOR THREE DAYS, VISION RETURNED ALTHOUGH THE PRESCRIPTION HAS CHANGED. DRIVER HAD AIRBAG SCRAPES, AND BURNS, AND NECK PAIN. IF ONE OF THESE CARS IS IN AN ACCIDENT THAT KILLS THE DRIVER, AND THE PEDAL POPPED OUT OF THE CARPET ON IMPACT LIKE MINE DID, THEN NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW THE TRUE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. A GOOGLE SEARCH WILL TURN UP A DOZEN STUCK THROTTLE REPORTS FOR THIS CAR, MOSTLY FROM MIATA.NET. THE REPORTS ARE SPREAD OUT OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AND CONTINUE TO BE POSTED. THEY DISCUSS THE BEST WAYS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY THOSE REPORTS ARE NOT ON THIS SITE WHERE THEY WOULD BENEFIT THE GREATEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. IT WAS PUT ON A TRAILER, AND HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE THE INCIDENT. WOULD THERE BE A WAY TO HAVE A QUALIFIED ACCIDENT INVESTIGATOR DOCUMENT WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS CAR? I MADE THE CAR AVAILABLE TO MAZDA BUT THEY HAD NO INTEREST. THE CAR IS AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO INSPECT. I CAN DELIVER. *TR