1999 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA Complaints

BRAKES FAILED TO SLOW VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING IN MODERATE RAIN. BRAKES WILL WORK AFTER 3 TO 5 SECS. OF CONTANT HARD PRESSURE. DURING THIS EVENT, TIRES DID NOT SKIP, THEY KEPT ROLLING. SEEMED AS IF I HAD NO BRAKES AT ALL.*AK

BRAKES FAILED TO WORK WHEN WET. THERE WAS ABOUT A 3-4 DELAY BEFORE THE BRAKES WOULD START TO WORK. THIS ONLY HAPPENS DURING VERY HEAVY RAIN OR AFTER DRIVING THROUGH A PUDDLE. THIS IS NOT THE SAME AS PREVIOUS CARS I HAVE HAD WHERE THE BRAKING FORCE WOULD BE LESS WHEN WET. THE BRAKES ON THIS CAR PROVIDE LESS THEN 20% OF BRAKING FOR 3-4 SECONDS AND PRESENTS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *AK

IN THE RAIN / WET, THE BRAKES TAKE 1 - 2 SECONDS BEFORE THEY BEGIN SLOWING THE CAR. *AK

THE VEHICLE BRAKING SYSTEM PERFORMS VERY POORLY WHEN DRIVEN UNDER WET CONDITIONS. DURING HEAVY RAIN STORMS THE BRAKING SYSTEM DOES NOT RESPOND TO INPUT FROM THE DRIVER AT ALL FOR ABOUT ONE OR TWO SECONDS UNTIL MOISTURE IS REMOVED FROM THE DISC BRAKES THROUGH HEAVY APPLICATION OF THE BREAK PEDAL. THIS INCREASES STOPPING DISTANCES IN WET WEATHER TO AN UNSAFE AMOUNT.*AK

WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY IN THE RAIN, BRAKES FAILED FOR ABOUT 1-2 SECONDS WHEN APPLIED UNTIL DISC HAD DRIED OR HEATED SUFFICIENTLY. WHEN CONTACTED, THE DEALER DID NOT HAVE A TECHNICAL BULLETIN REGARDING SUCH FAILURES. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 3 TIMES SINCE THE CAR WAS NEW. NO OTHER SYMPTOMS EXIST.*AK

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH AT THE TIME OF IMPACT THE STEERING WHEEL CAME OFF THE MAIN COLUMN, AHEAD OF THE AIR BAG AND HIT THE DRIVER, IT SEEMS THIS MAY HAVE OCCURED WHEN THE AIR BAG WENT OFF, THE DRIVER STATED THAT THE AIR BAG DID NOT SEEM TO INFLATE FULLY. NLM

ENGINE LOST ALL OIL WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR. THE MAZADA DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT PREMATURE WEAR OF THRUST BEARING HAD CAUSED THE INITIAL PROBLEM WHICH RESULTED IN OIL PRESSURE PROBLEMS AND RESULTING ENGINE FAILURE.

WHEN DRIVING IN THE RAIN, BRAKES DID NOT SLOW CAR FOR UP TO 3 SECONDS AFTER APPLICATION OF BRAKE PEDAL (NO MATTER HOW HARD I PUSHED). ONCE THE BRAKES START WORKING, THEY FEEL NORMAL, BUT IF YOU DON'T USE THEM FOR A FEW MINUTES, THE BRAKES WILL DO THE SAME THING AGAIN, AND AGAIN. IT SEEMS THAT THE HARDER IT RAINS, THE MORE PRONOUNCED THE TEMPORARY LACK OF STOPPING POWER, AND THE LONGER THE DELAY UNTIL THE BRAKES ACHIEVE FRICTION.*AK

THIS REPORT TO TO DOCUMENT A SAFETY CONCERN ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE BRAKES IN THE 1999 MIATA. ALTHOUGH THE MIATA HAS EXCELLENT BRAKING IN DRY CONDITIONS, IT HAS BEEN NOTED THAT WHEN DRIVING IN MODERATE RAIN IN FREEWAY TRAFFIC THE BRAKES ARE INEFFECTIVE FOR 2 TO 3 SECONDS UNTIL THEY BEGIN TO DRY OUT AND FUNCTION. THIS OCCURS WITH OUT THE PRESENCE OF STANDING WATER, JUST NORMAL SPRAY FROM TRAFFIC. THIS CONDITION WAS ALSO DOCUMENTED IN THE MIATA.NET WEB SITE AND IT WAS REPORTED THAT MAZDA HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS CONDITION IN EUROPE AND HAS ISSUED REPLACEMENT FRONT DISC SHEILDS AS IDENTIFIED HERE: RIGHT SIDE P/N NC8533260A LEFT SIDE P/N NC8533270A NUT P/N D06Y33042. LOCAL MAZDA DEALERSHIP CLAIM TO HAVE NO NOTICE OF THIS ISSUE OR REPLACEMENT PARTS. THIS CONDITION IS BEING EXPERIENCED BY MORE 1999 OWNERS AS DOCUMENTED ON THE MIATA.NET FORUM UNDER THE TOPIC "BRAKES IN THE WET" WHERE THIS PROBLEM WAS FIRST IDENTIFIED.*AK

AFTER DRIVING IN RAIN, BRAKES WILL HAVE NO EFFECT UNTIL ROTOR IS DRY, WHICH COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE IN AN ACCIDENT HAPPENING OR NOT. THIS IS SIMPLY BY DRIVING IN RAIN, AND NOT GOING THROUGH ANY PUDDLES.*AK