Technical Features
Second Generation Miata Buying Guide: Part One
By By: Michael Fonseca
Mar 10, 2004, 18:55

The second generation of the Mazda Miata roadster, which has been in production since 1998, is the objective of this buyer’s guide. Although they were first offered in 1998, all 1998s were labeled as 1999 model year vehicles. The NB Miata, which refers to Mazda’s internal chassis code, is a favorite among car enthusiasts and automotive journalists alike. Although the Miata is reminiscent of the British roadsters of old, it is light years ahead of the Triumphs and MGs in terms of power, comfort, and most importantly, reliability – yet it still retains that feel that we all know and love.

This article is the first in a two part series; we will focus on general buying issues here before moving on to a general breakdown of what was offered in each model year in the second part.

When buying a used car you need to keep in mind a few things no matter what the make or model is. We would first suggest that you thoroughly inspect the body for previous accident damage. Just because the CARFAX report is clean does not mean the car is accident free. Look in the door jambs and see if there are any tapelines or runs in the paint and ensure the original stickers are there as well. Check to see if the doors align properly. Look down the sides of the car and look for ripples or waves in the paint. Those two things are evidence of poor bodywork. With the hood propped open, look at both of the inner fenders to again check for alignment and prior paintwork; do the same thing in the trunk.

The most thorough check for bodywork should be done under the car. Crawl under there (or better yet, have the car put on a lift) and look at the frame rails. They should be free from any marks. Some serious marks on the rails could be evidence that there were clamps on the rail from when the car was repaired. You do not want a car that has been in a serious accident. Miatas are plentiful so there is no need to settle for a subpar example.

Once the body checks out clean, it’s time to move onto the mechanical side of things. The obvious thing is to check for leaks. Check under the engine and look for signs of leakage from the coolant lines as well as from the hydraulic clutch line, oil pan, and from the various fittings and gaskets around the engine. It’s also a good idea to look under the rear of the Miata to make sure no fluid is leaking from the differential. Take a peek at the CV boots to make sure they are intact as well. Some Miatas are known to leak a bit from the valve cover gasket as mileage increases, so if you spot some seepage there just make a mental note of it, as it could be a future price bargaining point. Valve cover gasket replacement isn’t all that hard and is generally something you can do at home with some spare time and basic hand tools.

If you’re buying the car from a private owner then ask him for the service records. Oil changes should be done every 3k miles. The 30k mile service includes flushing all the fluids (cooling system, brake, clutch, transmission, differential) as well as replacing the spark plugs, spark plug wires, fuel filter, air filter, PCV valve, and inspecting the drive belts and timing belt. At 60k miles the timing belt should have been replaced. If that was not done figure that into the price negotiations as well. The timing belt is a fairly large job; it would be wise to replace the valve cover gasket, crankshaft, and cam seals at the same time. Better to do it while it is apart instead of paying for labor twice.



The Miata is a very reliable car, but that does not mean it is perfect. It does have a few known problems, some of which have simple fixes whereas others have very expensive and time-consuming solutions. The 1999 and some model year 2000 cars had problems with the number 4 main bearing cap. On some of the cars the tolerances were too big between the main bearing and the crank. This would add some metallic particulates to the oil and eventually would lead to an engine failure. The good news is that not all cars were affected by this problem. And even better news is that the cars that were affected usually had problems within the first 15k miles. If your 99/00 has over 20k miles, you are more then likely in the clear.

Some of the 2001-2003 Miatas have a problem with their clutch disc, with an abnormal amount of chatter coming from the clutch. You will know right away if the car is affected by it since the chatter is pretty easy to recognize. Mazda currently has a few technical service bulletins on the issue and depending on how lucky you are, they may even fix it for you under warranty by either replacing the clutch disc or replacing the entire clutch assembly. If the dealer won’t replace the unit you would be stuck with replacing the clutch yourself. This should be kept in mind during price negotiations as clutch jobs are rarely inexpensive.

The soft top of the Miata is the source of enormous amounts of fun, but it can also make life horrible if it isn’t in good working order. There are a number of seals around the top that seal the top to the windshield and side windows. If any of these seals are partially torn or are not fitted correctly, the top will either leak, have a draft, or make the cabin much noisier with the top up. The seals are not exactly cheap either, should they need replacement. The condition of the soft top itself should also be checked. Look for cracks where the top folds and look for any rips or tears in the top itself. A new top installed at your local Mazda dealer could run as much as $1500. Also be sure that all the latches work.



As with any used car, you should really drive more then one example before purchase. When driving a new (to you) car you may not notice something about it since you don’t have any basis for comparison. Driving multiple examples can often help identify minor problems and will also give you a better idea of what is available on the market. They are great little cars and after one drive most people fall in love with them. I know I did. Stay tuned to tripleZoom for the second part of this article, and for our upcoming Miata project car series.

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