Buying a 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata (ND): the honest guide

By AutoVetting Editorial · Published June 9, 2026

The fourth-generation MX-5 Miata — the ND, built from 2016 — is the rare modern sports car that is genuinely cheap to own and almost boringly reliable. It weighs about 2,300 pounds, uses one naturally aspirated four-cylinder with no turbo and no CVT, and asks very little of its owner beyond oil and tires. That simplicity is exactly why a used ND is one of the safest performance-car buys on the market, and also why the few things that do go wrong are easy to miss if you do not know where to look.

This guide is the version we would give a friend: what actually breaks, which recall is open on nearly every car on the lot, how to tell a 155-horsepower ND1 from a 181-horsepower ND2, and what a clean example should cost.

TL;DR: The 2016-2020 MX-5 Miata (ND) is a low-risk, high-reward used sports car built around one durable 2.0L SkyActiv-G engine. The single most important step before buying is checking the VIN against airbag recall 24V-695, which covers nearly every 2016-2023 Miata and is still open on many used cars.¹ Prefer a 2019-or-newer ND2 (181 hp, dual-mass flywheel, 7,500-rpm redline) over a 2016-2018 ND1 (155 hp), buy the manual to sidestep the 2016-2019 automatic-transmission recall,² and budget for a soft top that leaks if it was neglected. A manual ND2 with both recalls closed and a dry, intact top is close to a no-risk buy.

What you are actually buying

Every U.S.-market ND Miata uses the same engine: the 2.0-liter SkyActiv-G PE-VPS inline-four. There is no engine lottery to lose — unlike most used-car shopping, you do not have to decode the VIN to avoid a problem powertrain, because there is only one. That removes an entire category of risk before you even see the car.

What you do need to sort out is the generational split. Mazda revised the ND mid-cycle for the 2019 model year, and the two halves drive quite differently. Cars built for 2016 through 2018 (commonly called ND1) make 155 horsepower and rev to roughly 6,800 rpm. For 2019, Mazda reworked the same 2.0L to produce 181 horsepower, raised the redline to 7,500 rpm, and added a dual-mass flywheel for smoother running.³ That 17 percent power bump is the single biggest jump any naturally aspirated SkyActiv-G engine ever received, and an ND2 feels noticeably more eager in the top half of the tach. Both are reliable; you are choosing character and resale value, not durability.

Body styles matter too. From 2017 Mazda added the RF (Retractable Fastback), a power-folding hardtop with fixed flying buttresses. It is quieter and looks sharper, but it is heavier, costs more, and adds a complex roof mechanism that the soft-top cars simply do not have.

The known issues, ranked

The airbag recall is on almost every car. NHTSA campaign 24V-695 covers 77,670 model-year 2016-2023 MX-5 Miatas — essentially the entire ND run. A misconfigured calibration tool left the airbag control module able to deploy the front airbags with too much force, outside federal FMVSS 208 limits. The remedy is a free dealer software reflash.¹ Because the recall is so broad and relatively recent, a large share of used cars still have it open. It is free to fix, but an open airbag recall is both a safety item and a fair point to negotiate on. Run the VIN before you hand over money.

The automatic-transmission recall affects 2016-2019 autos. NHTSA 19V-072 (Mazda campaign 3019A) covers about 14,370 MX-5s with the six-speed automatic. Electrical noise in the range signal could confuse the transmission control module's clutch logic and cause an unexpected downshift and an abrupt deceleration of the drive wheels — exactly the kind of thing you do not want mid-corner.² The fix is a free TCM reprogram, and manual cars are not affected at all. This is one more reason the manual is the cleaner buy.

The soft top is the most common complaint. The ND cloth top is light and folds one-handed, but it is also the part owners neglect. Seams and the area around the rear glass crack and leak with age and sun exposure; water then pools on the seats and can reach the door-speaker wiring and interior electronics. A tired or torn top is the single most expensive thing likely to be wrong with an otherwise healthy ND — replacement runs from several hundred dollars to well over a thousand. Inspect it carefully and check the footwells for damp carpet.

Roadster wear items. On manual cars the clutch slave cylinder can leak with age, producing a soft pedal that sinks to the floor. The rear differential can develop a whine under load if the fluid has never been changed, though faint axle noise on deceleration is normal and not a concern. Mazda's thin water-based paint — Soul Red especially — chips and swirls early, and salt-belt cars accumulate rust on suspension bolts and hardware that makes future alignment and suspension work more expensive. None of these are catastrophic; they are bargaining points and maintenance you should budget for.

The best years, and the years to scrutinize

If your budget stretches to it, a 2019 or 2020 ND2 is the sweet spot: the stronger 181-horsepower engine, the higher redline, and the dual-mass flywheel, all while still being recent enough to have been maintained by an enthusiast owner. These cars hold value well, which is itself a signal of how good they are.

A 2016 ND1 is the value play. It is down on power but mechanically identical in durability, and it is the cheapest way into a modern Miata. The only real caution with the earliest cars is build-date variation in early production and a slightly higher chance of a neglected top by now. Verify the airbag recall is closed and the top is intact and you have a genuinely sound car.

The years to scrutinize hardest are the 2016-2019 automatics, purely because of recall 19V-072. They are not bad cars, but you must confirm the TCM reprogram is done — and for a driver's car like this, most buyers will prefer the manual anyway.

What to pay

ND Miatas have held their value better than almost anything in the affordable-sports-car segment, which is both a compliment to the car and a warning to bargain hunters. As a rough guide in today's used market, a clean 2016-2018 ND1 manual typically lands in the high-teens to low-twenties, while a 2019-2020 ND2 commands a clear premium into the mid-to-high twenties, with RF hardtops and Grand Touring trims at the top. An open airbag or transmission recall, a leaking top, or a salt-belt underbody are all legitimate reasons to negotiate down — the recalls are free to close, but they are still leverage.

Do not pay ND2 money for an ND1. Confirm the model year from the VIN and the tach redline before you agree on a number.

Inspection priorities

Before you buy, run the full VIN at the NHTSA recall lookup and confirm both 24V-695 (airbag, all years) and, on automatics, 19V-072 show as completed.⁴ Then work the soft top: open and close it several times, inspect the seams and rear-window surround for tears, and check the carpet and footwells for dampness. On a manual, feel for a firm, consistent clutch bite point and shift through all six gears — especially second — listening for grind. Listen for a rising-and-falling differential whine at 40-60 mph under light throttle changes. Check the oil for level and cleanliness and look for weep at the valve and timing covers. Finally, confirm the Mazda Connect screen, Bluetooth, and backup camera all work, and that the battery is healthy, since these light second-cars are often driven too rarely to keep a battery alive.

For the full item-by-item walkthrough, use the AutoVetting MX-5 Miata inspection checklist, and see where the Miata lands against other sports cars on the Miata's Pinpoint card. If you are taking on a car that needs catch-up maintenance, our guides to an oil change, brake pads and rotors, transmission fluid, and battery replacement cover the most common ND jobs.

The verdict

The ND Mazda MX-5 Miata is about as close to a no-risk used sports car as exists. There is no turbo to cook, no CVT to shudder, and no engine variant to avoid — just one durable four-cylinder, a handful of cheap wear items, and two recalls that cost nothing to close. Buy a manual ND2 with both recalls done and a dry, intact top and you have a car that will reward you for years and cost you almost nothing to keep. Even a humble 2016 ND1 manual, properly vetted, is one of the smartest enthusiast buys on the market.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Mazda MX-5 Miata (ND) reliable?

Yes — the ND generation is one of the most reliable sports cars you can buy used. It uses a single naturally aspirated 2.0L engine with no turbocharger or CVT, the two failure-prone systems that plague most affordable performance cars. The main risks are an open airbag recall, a soft top that leaks if neglected, and minor roadster wear items, none of which are expensive to address.

What is the difference between an ND1 and ND2 Miata?

ND1 cars (2016-2018) make 155 horsepower and rev to about 6,800 rpm. ND2 cars (2019 onward) make 181 horsepower from a revised version of the same 2.0L engine, with a 7,500-rpm redline and an added dual-mass flywheel.³ The ND2 is the more desirable and more valuable car, so confirm the model year from the VIN before paying a premium.

What is Mazda recall 24V-695?

24V-695 is a 2024 NHTSA recall covering roughly 77,670 model-year 2016-2023 MX-5 Miatas. A misconfigured calibration tool left the airbag control module able to deploy the front airbags with too much force; the free remedy is a dealer software reflash of the airbag sensor module.¹ Because it covers almost the entire ND run, you should confirm it is closed by VIN before buying any used ND Miata.

Should I buy the manual or automatic MX-5?

For most buyers the manual is the better choice. It is the more engaging transmission in a car built around driver involvement, and it sidesteps recall 19V-072, which covers 2016-2019 automatics for a software fault that can cause an unexpected downshift.² If you do want an automatic, simply confirm that recall is closed.

Which year MX-5 Miata is the best used buy?

A 2019 or 2020 ND2 is the sweet spot for its stronger engine and higher redline, while a 2016 ND1 manual is the best value. In both cases the safest specific car is a manual with the airbag recall (and, if automatic, the TCM recall) closed, an intact and dry soft top, and documented oil-change history.

Sources

1. NHTSA Part 573 Safety Recall Report 24V-695 (airbag calibration recall, 2016-2023 MX-5 Miata, 77,670 units).
2. NHTSA recall 19V-072 manufacturer notice (2016-2019 MX-5 automatic transmission control module software).
3. Mazda MX-5 (ND) generational specifications (ND1 155 hp vs ND2 181 hp, dual-mass flywheel, 7,500-rpm redline).
4. NHTSA recall VIN lookup (confirm open recalls on any specific vehicle).
5. Mazda USA newsroom statement on the 2016-2019 MX-5 recall (manufacturer detail on campaign 3019A / 19V-072).

Researched and written by AutoVetting Editorial. The figures and recall numbers above draw on the numbered sources and the NHTSA complaint database; always confirm recall status and vehicle specifics by VIN before purchase.