Selling a dead or junk Mazda MX-5 Miata

If your Miata no longer runs, or its repair list has outgrown what the car means to you, you can sell the whole car as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

The Miata's record, stretch by stretch

The EPA lists the car as the MX-5 Miata from 1990 to 2005 and as the MX-5 from 2006 on. It is one model line. Our sources give no generation dates for it, so the groups below are year ranges taken from the complaint data, not generations.

1990-1998: air bags and seat belts

These nine model years hold 168 complaints and 3 recall campaigns. Air bags lead on most of them, and on the 1994, 1995 and 1996 they lead by a wide margin: 10, 16 and 17 complaints. The 1995 also has 9 complaints that report a crash and 10 that report an injury.

That year has a recall of its own. Campaign 00V004 covers 1995 cars with the SAS sensor unit, which can set off the air bags in minor impacts to the underside of the car. Dealers replace the sensor unit. The campaign counts 19,000 vehicles, a figure that may include other models.

Seat belts lead on the 1990 (6, tied) and the 1992 (5, tied). Two older recalls round out the stretch. On some 1991 cars with ABS, a front brake fluid return line was connected to a rear return (91V079, 300 vehicles). And 92V159 covers a hardtop hoist sold as an accessory to 1990-1993 owners: its plastic strap buckles can break while the hardtop hangs from it. Mazda replaced the hoists.

1999-2005: the 1999 stands out

The 1999 has 74 complaints, more than any other Miata year. Brakes lead with 16, then the power train and the electrical system with 10 each. NHTSA lists two recalls for it:

• 98V066: on 1.8-liter engines, the injector harness can touch the manifold at the EGR pipe, and a damaged harness can short-circuit. Dealers reroute it and replace it if damaged. 8,000 vehicles in the campaign.
• 00V032: a non-return valve at the bottom of the fuel filler pipe can stick. Dealers replace it with a modified valve. 22,000 vehicles in the campaign.

The 2000 to 2005 cars add 97 complaints between them. Their one recall, 03V206, covers fog light socket holders on 2001-2003 cars. Its 64,000-vehicle count also takes in certain minivans and other passenger vehicles, so it is not a Miata-only number.

2006-2015: ten quiet years

Owners filed 71 complaints across these ten model years. The 2006 holds 25 of them, with the structure named most (6). Its one recall, 06V103, says the bolt holding the horn to the steering wheel hub may fail when the driver's air bag deploys in extreme cold. Dealers replaced the driver air bag module on the 2,600 cars in that campaign. No later year in this stretch has a recall.

2016-2026: software, a skid plate and fuel pumps

These years hold 84 complaints and 5 recall campaigns. The 2016 leads with 34, and 11 of those name the power train. The recalls:

• 19V072: 2016-2019 automatics. The transmission control module was programmed wrong. Dealers reprogram it. 14,370 vehicles.
• 19V496: 2016 cars. The skid plate and its bracket can come off the underside. 2,476 vehicles.
• 21V875: 2018-2019 MX-5s. Inside the low-pressure fuel pump, the impeller may crack and lose its shape. That 121,038 figure is for the entire campaign. The Mazda3, Mazda6, Mazda2, CX-3, CX-5 and CX-9 are in it too.
• 24V695: 2016-2023. Air bag module software may make the front air bags deploy with too much force. 77,670 vehicles.
• 25V336: 2024-2025. The traction and stability control warning light may not come on when it should. Dealers replace the DSC unit. 12,244 vehicles.

Recent Miata years are still young, so their small counts don't tell us much so far.

Complaints and recalls by model year

We took these Miata numbers from NHTSA on October 10, 2026. "Recall campaigns" shows how many name that year. Many Miata campaigns cover a few years each, so the column adds up past 12.

Before you fix it

On a 2016 or newer Miata, run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup first. Four of the five recent campaigns touch the air bags, the transmission computer, the fuel pump or the stability control unit, and every remedy listed there is free at a dealer. A car with an open recall can still be sold; open recall explains how.

If the air bags have already gone off, the car usually needs more than bags: see airbags deployed. When an older Miata's engine is tired, have the shop write down its quote, then check what a good running Miata of that year goes for. When the quote gets close, selling it unrepaired is the simpler path.

Selling your Miata whole

1. Note the VIN, the miles on it, and the problem the car has.
2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Let us know its spot and if the wheels turn. A small two-seater in a garage or under a cover goes on the truck easily when the driver comes ready.
4. Leave it whole, top and wheels included. Tell us about anything already removed.
5. At Miata pickup, show photo ID and sign over the title. Each state treats plates its own way; after you sell explains.

No title? Start with selling with no title. Other Mazdas: the RX-7, Mazda3, or every Mazda we cover.