Buyer Research

2014 Mazda MX-5 Miata — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $12,000–$18,000. This is one of the more reliable vehicles in its class — here's what to watch for anyway.

Deciding between model years? Compare the 13 Mazda MX-5 Miata years we've written up →

Kestrel Take

Six complaints and no recall campaigns on the federal record for the whole model year. That is a thin file, and a thin file means few people filed, not that the car is sound — so most of the checking here is yours to do at the kerb. What little was filed points at the body and the brakes rather than the engine: paint that chips easily and, on one car, a transmission crossmember rotted through at 65,000 miles, plus two brake reports including a pedal that twice went away at low speed. The 2.0-litre and the six-speed underneath are well understood and cheap to keep. Buy on condition, and spend ten minutes underneath before you spend anything else.

What we checked

Checked against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 6 owner complaints for the 2014 Mazda MX-5 Miata, and no recall campaigns.

That is too small a record to read a pattern from, so we are not going to pretend otherwise — with numbers this low one owner moves the percentage by a lot. What has been filed is grouped under the body and structure (2), the brakes (2), the suspension (1). Treat those as things to look at, not as the vehicle's known weaknesses. A thin file usually means few of these were sold or few owners filed. It is not evidence the vehicle is trouble-free, and the issues below are our own research rather than a reading of this record.

Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.

Known Issues for the 2014 Mazda MX-5 Miata

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.

Thin paint chips readily, and the transmission crossmember can rot on salted roadsMedium

Both filings in this cluster are body ones. An owner found dozens of stone chips within days of collection, and another had the transmission crossmember — the steel beam under the gearbox — condemned at under 65,000 miles with the replacement part on back order. The crossmember matters more than the paint: get a torch under the car, look at the beam under the gearbox and at the sills, and press anything that looks scaly with a thumb. Flaking rust that gives is not surface rust.

Repair cost (estimate): $400–$1,000 for a transmission crossmember; $150–$600 for chip and touch-up work

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the body and structure (2).

Two brake reports — one clunk from the rear, one pedal that went away twice below 20 mphMedium

One owner heard an abnormal clunk from the rear passenger side when shifting reverse to drive with the brake held, which a dealer traced to the ABS and left alone. Another had the brakes simply stop working at about 20 mph, twice, with the pedal returning after a full stop. Two filings with no common part and no recall is not a defect we can name, but a pedal that sinks is worth an hour of a mechanic's time: have the master cylinder and the fluid checked, and brake hard from 40 mph twice on the test drive.

Repair cost (estimate): $150–$800 covering a fluid flush through to a master cylinder

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the brakes (2).

Sway bar end links wear out and knock over bumpsLow

The single suspension filing is an owner who found all four sway bar links worn at once. These are small rods joining the anti-roll bars to the suspension, and they are a known consumable on a light car driven enthusiastically. The symptom is a light metallic knock from the front over broken tarmac that disappears on smooth road. Cheap to replace and a fair thing to knock off the asking price, but not a reason to walk.

Repair cost (estimate): $150–$400 for a pair fitted

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the suspension (1).

Roof drains block and put water under the carpetMedium

The folding roof drains through tubes behind the seats. They silt up with leaves, the water backs up and it collects in the footwell and the spare-wheel well, where it quietly rusts the floor and makes the cabin smell. Lift the carpet edge by the sill and feel with your knuckles while the seller is watching the engine bay. Clearing the tubes takes a shop half an hour; a soaked floor takes much longer to put right.

Repair cost (estimate): $150–$400 to clear and reseal the drains

Source: not yet checked against public records.

Power retractable hardtop stalls partway through its cycle (PRHT cars only)Medium

On hardtop cars the roof folds away on an electric motor with several position sensors, and one sensor out of adjustment stops the sequence with the roof half up. Watch it go both ways twice before you agree a price — it should run in one unbroken, quiet sweep with no pause and no clunk at the ends. A roof that jams open in weather is what turns this from a niggle into a tow.

Repair cost (estimate): $500–$2,500

Source: not yet checked against public records.

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Flaking, scaly steel on the beam under the gearbox or along the sill seam
✗A brake pedal that sinks toward the floor under steady pressure at a red light
✗Damp carpet at the footwell edge or a musty smell with the windows closed
✗A light metallic knock from the front over rough tarmac
✗A hardtop that pauses or clunks midway through opening or closing

Good Signs

✓A torch inspection underneath showing sound, painted steel on the crossmember
✓Brake fluid changed within the last two years with a receipt
✓Firm, consistent pedal through two hard stops from 40 mph
✓Roof drains cleared and a hose test that leaves the footwell dry
✓Sway bar links replaced recently, with the old parts or an invoice