1999 Mazda MX-5 Miata

NUSANCE FAILURES SETTING ECU LIGHT, CAUSED BY COMBUSTION RESIDUE COLLECTING IN INTAKE MANIFOLD. RESIDUE IS COMING THRU THE EGT SYSTEM. THIS IS TURNING OUT TO BE A FREQUENT FAILURE OF 99-2000+ MODELS. DISASSEMBLY AND CLEANING OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD IS THE ONLY CURRENTLY KNOWN REMEDY. THE PROCESS IS EXPENSIVE IN TERMS OF LABOR, AND SEEMS TO OCCUR MOST FREQUENTLY AFTER THE MFRS WARRENTY EXPIRES. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE, MY REAR NITTO 450 TIRE HAD A TREAD SEPARATION FAILURE WHICH CAUSED MY 1999 MAZDA MIATA TO LOSE CONTROL, SPINNING OUT FROM THE LEFT LANE ACROSS THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC DURING RUSH HOUR, FINALLY HITTING THE EMBANKMENT ON THE FAR RIGHT SIDE. THE NITTO TIRE WAS EXAMINED AND DETERMINED TO HAVE FAILED BASED ON TREAD SEPARATION. THE TRAUMATIC INDICIDENT CAUSED SIGNIFICANT HARM TO THE MYSELF.

MAZDA USA IS AWARE OF THRUST BEARING #4 BEING IMPROPERLY MACHINED , WHICH CAUSE THE CRANKSHAFT TO BECOME LOOSE INSIDE THE ENGINE BLOCK, RESULTING IN ENGINE FAILURE. MAZDA USA DECIDED NOT TO INFORM ANY OF THE AFFECTED OWNERS, MYSELF INCLUDED, ABOUT THIS DEFECT MENTIONED IN INTERNAL SERVICE BULLETIN # 3102 DATED 1-10-99. THEY HAVE REPLACED MANY ENGINES UNDER, AND OUT OF, WARRANTY, BUT SINCE THEY DID NOT NOTIFY ANY OWNERS, MANY 1999 MIATA ENGINES ARE FAILING WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THIS CAN HAPPEN AT ANY SPEED. MAZDA'S SERVICE BULLETIN INCLUDES A RANGE OF VIN NUMBERS AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM, MY NUMBER IS IN THAT RANGE, AND IT NEEDS A NEW ENGINE BECAUSE THE CRANKSHAFT HAS 4 THOUSANDS OF AN INCH OF PLAY, MAZDA DEALER ADVISES I NEED A NEW ENGINE. MAZDA USA REFUSES TO COVER THIS WORK AND REFUSES TO DISCLOSE HOW MANY 1999 MIATAS AND PROTEGES, THEY SHARE THE SAME ENGINE, HAVE HAD THEIR ENGINES REPLACED, BUT MIATA.NET HAS POSTED A PAGE WITH THE VIN NUMBERS OF SOME OF THE CARS THAT NEEDED THEIR ENGINES REPLACED. MAZDA CLAIMS MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, IT IS, BUT HAD THEY NOTIFIED ME ABOUT THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM WHEN THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY, I WOULD HAVE HAD THE CAR CHECKED AT THE DEALERSHIP, SO FAR THEY HAVE NOT NOTIFIED ANY 1999 MIATA OWNER ABOUT THIS POTENTIALLY UNSAFE PRODUCT. PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF THIS VEHICLE AND HAVE MAZDA USA CONTACT THE OWNERS OF THESE CARS SO THEY CAN CHECK IF THEY ARE AFFECTED BY THIS DESIGN FLAW.*AK

WHENEVER IT RAINS, WATER SEEMS TO SPLASH ON THE BRAKING SURFACES DUE TO NORMAL DRIVING IN THESE CONDITIONS. THE PROBLEM IS WHEN YOU APPLY THE BRAKES FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 - 2 SECONDS YOU HAVE NO BRAKING ACTION. UNLESS YOU RIDE THE BRAKES TO KEEP THEM WARM AND DRY, YOU BASICALLY HAVE NO BRAKES UNTIL THAT WATER FILM IS EVAPORATED DUE TO FRICTION. THIS IS NOT JUST A ONCE IN A LIFETIME HAPPENING. I FELT THIS PROBLEM EVERYTIME IT RAINS. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PUDDLE, JUST THE SPRAY OFF THE WET ROAD IS ENOUGHT TO EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM. *AK (DOT NUMBER: 4MVV TIRESIZE: 195-50R15)

I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE ON 12/17/01, (MACS103648, 12/17/01) MY WARNING LIGHT WAS ON (3RD OR 4TH TIME IN PAST 2-3 MONTHS). WHEN THE CAR FIRST STARTS UP I HAVE TO KEEP MY FOOT ON THE GAS, TO KEEP IT FROM STALLING. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE I FIRST BOUGHT IT, (MACS60450, 5/18/99) BUT THEY TOLD ME IT WAS JUST THE IDLE MECHANISM AND THEY COULDNT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. SINCE IT WENT AWAY, IN SECONDS OF WARMING UP, I DIDNT MENTION IT AGAIN. IT WENT IN FOR SERVICE THIS TIME BECAUSE IT SEEMED TO BE GETTING WORSE. NOW, WITH THE CAR OFF WARRANTY, THE CHARGE IS $748.62 TO REPLACE THE VALVE IDLE AI AND THE THERMO GASKET. THEY KEPT MY CAR FOR TWO DAYS TO FIGURE THIS OUT. *AK