Mazda Recalls 12,000 Miatas So You Don’t Accidentally Drift Everywhere

If you’ve got a 2024 or 2025 Mazda Miata in your driveway and you notice that you have to change your rear tires every time you go for a drive, the company’s newest recall could be for you. The MX-5‘s dynamic stability control system has a potential fault in over 12,000 cars which prevents the traction and stability control dashboard lights from illuminating, reports Car and Driver. You could be drifting around every corner on your way to the supermarket and not even know it. A report from Mazda, filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, states that “the DSC unit fails to trigger illumination of the TCS/DSC indicator light when abnormal yaw rate characteristics are detected.” 

According to Mazda, a driver who doesn’t get the dashboard warning lights when they go beyond the limits of traction “may be unaware of the malfunction, which could increase the risk of a crash or injury.” While I suppose that is technically true, if you aren’t properly aware of what it feels like to get a little sideways in your Miata, you are not a good driver. Dashboard light or not, the Miata is absolutely communicating to the driver that it is wagging its tail and ready for more tire shredding action, it’s up to the driver to recognize the signs and know how to respond. Then again, if the light isn’t working, the traction control and stability control systems might not be responding properly when you might expect them to, which could lead to further issues caught unawares. 

According to Mazda, the issue is caused by a fault in the Bosch DSC unit’s software programming. To fix the problem MX-5 owners will need to bring their vehicles in to a Mazda dealer service station for an updated control unit. Customers won’t be charged for the replacement, but Mazda does say that it could be a while before your car is fixed. This is a “phased” recall, meaning Mazda will roll out replacement units as fast as Bosch can make them, but doesn’t expect the full 12,244 vehicles worth of replacements will be completed before the second quarter of 2026. 

Mazda has no indication that the fault has caused any accidents or injuries, and has not issued a stop-drive notice for affected vehicles. The new version of the control unit was introduced on the assembly line as of March 6th, 2025, so if you have a MX-5 built after that date, you don’t have to worry about it at all.