Mazda MX-5: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Mazda MX-5: 15 model years scored from 98 NHTSA owner complaints and 16 recall campaigns. Worst year 2016, best year 2018.
Mazda MX-5: which years to avoid
Across 15 scored model years the Mazda MX-5 ranges from 49/100 in 2016 to 94/100 in 2011 — a 45-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy a MX-5 at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Power Train (11 of them).
Avoid: 2016 — scored below 45 on the complaint and recall record.
Safest years: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2018 (score 86). Worst: 2016 (score 49, AVOID).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 79 | BUY | $3,237 | 3 | 1 |
| 2024 | 77 | BUY | $3,368 | 5 | 1 |
| 2023 | 72 | BUY | $3,454 | 7 | 1 |
| 2022 | 83 | BUY | $3,524 | 5 | 1 |
| 2021 | 90 | BUY | $3,644 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020 | 89 | BUY | $3,790 | 3 | 1 |
| 2019 | 72 | BUY | $3,949 | 11 | 2 |
| 2018 | 86 | BUY | $4,116 | 3 | 3 |
| 2017 | 78 | BUY | $4,272 | 11 | 2 |
| 2016 | 49 | AVOID | $4,404 | 34 | 3 |
| 2015 | 94 | BUY | $5,232 | 1 | 0 |
| 2014 | 92 | BUY | $5,380 | 6 | 0 |
| 2013 | 94 | BUY | $5,512 | 2 | 0 |
| 2012 | 93 | BUY | $5,656 | 5 | 0 |
| 2011 | 94 | BUY | $5,940 | 1 | 0 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the MX-5, through the years →
What goes wrong on the Mazda MX-5
Across every MX-5 model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Power Train24 complaints across all MX-5 years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Electrical System12 complaints across all MX-5 years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Air Bags11 complaints across all MX-5 years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
- Unknown Or Other10 complaints across all MX-5 years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Structure10 complaints across all MX-5 years · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair$1,070–$2,920
- Steering7 complaints across all MX-5 years · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement$1,020–$2,500
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
Which Mazda MX-5 years should I avoid?
On the NHTSA record the years to avoid are 2016 — each scores below 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. The 2016 is the weakest at 49/100, with its complaints concentrated in Power Train.
What are the best Mazda MX-5 years to buy?
2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019… all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2011 at 94/100, on 1 complaints and 0 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Mazda MX-5 problem?
24 of the complaints filed against the MX-5 across all its model years sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component.
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Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04