The MX5 MK4 or ND has a very poor underseal job, I have undersealed two for friends and I have been under the Fiat in a Fiat garage and it is just as bad.
Fiat did not purchase the Mk4 gearbox off Mazda but they purchased a version of the MK3 gearbox from Mazda. To mate with their Turbo engines.
The MK4 MX5 got a pretty iffy reliability write up on What Car this month.
Most cars have been back to the dealer due to wear issues on the hood which on the Mk1 was considered to be years ahead of other cars.
The driver’s door seal with the driver’s window tends to need replaced. Lots of the leather seats have really loose leather on the area you sit on and the do not look good again people taking them back to have that sorted. Mazda not always picking up the bills.
A recent issue with the cruise control draining the battery sorted with a software update.
The Mk4 now on version 4 of the gearbox, early failures with 2nd and 3rd gear stripping teeth, then problems with 1st gear selection.
Mazda sent out a worldwide technical bulletin which advised the VIN numbers of the cars that may be affected including the specific VIN numbers for the UK cars.
Mazda UK advised owners that as the technical bulletin came from the Internet, they could not advise if it was genuine. Not that it was false. Not the best of customer services.
Many owners now refusing gearbox replacements where Mazda use 2nd generation boxes to replace faulty boxes when version 4 is now being used at the factory.
Mazda UK producing promotional material to show the ND as a track car but refusing to replace failed gearboxes on cars that have been on track. No issue with the latter but if the warranty is voided by using the car on track days please advise that in the promotional material.
