Hello
I’ve been looking for a nice NC and stumbled across a ND 1.5 SE-L for not much more money, so I’m going to have a look.
I thought I’d check for any common issues and there seems to be quite a few ! Gearbox, hub carrier and roof to name a few.
The car is a 2015 with 45000 miles - am I better off with an NC ?
Thanks
I think you would not have any gearbox troubles with the smaller engine,I have had two two litre ones no trouble at all,it is not as common as you think,hub carriers perhaps but probably not depends how it has been driven but not the end of the world now with cost effective cures out there,I have had no roof troubles at all,I do not think it is that common,I am very pleased with my car,all perfect,any car can have problems certainly later in life,you have to be realistic,if the car looks genuine and in amazing condition ,we’ll looked after and cared for,go for it,if it looks scruffy and not loved walk away,you could look on the club site as club owners care for there cars on average.
All best Simon
The ND is smaller inside the car so that is something to try to see if you are comfortable.
I started looking for an NC but bought an ND1 2.0 and am very happy with it with no issues in 15 months although I have just ordered some window regulators as a precaution and will probably be getting some rear hub bushes soon.
The ND felt like a more modern car and is more upmarket inside to my mind.
They both have their issues but I am sure you will enjoy either!
Had several NCs over the years and now run a 1.5 ND. Did initially move to an ND back in 2016 and then straight back (within a month!) to an NC as it was not for me, The only reason I now have an ND is purely the age of the NC’s, given a choice of a newer i would have stuck with NC.
Having said that the ND has grown on me and i am now happy to keep it. Like others I have the backup window regulators and will always listen out for the bushes. The roof issue is easily solved with a couple of wedges either 3d printable or purchased on ebay.
The NC is a more comfortable cabin, but the ND is a much more modern car.
Thanks so much for the replies - what is the fix for the hub carriers ?
I wish I could give you more useful information but I have had my ND2 2.0 since late April this year (2024) and I haven’t had any problems, not even hints of problems. Granted it was a good example to begin with but I have been over the moon with it.
Compared to the NC (never owned one, only driven on few occasions), it is a bit smaller but it also feels a bit nicer place to be. If you would be spending a lot of time in it, I find the experience is really rather nice.
If you like the styling of the ND over the NC I’d go with that, it is a more modern car and for a daily it should be great.
I went from an NC2 2.0 to an ND1 1.5, and the same age/spec to the one you’re thinking of.
Have you driven an NC or ND before? If not, go and test drive a local example of each to allow you to make your own comparisons. Ultimately it has to be right for you, nobody else 
The issues you’ve noted do crop up, but aren’t insurmountable and the gearbox has proven fit-for-purpose in the 1.5 ND1.
Cheers,
Steve
There seem to be 3 (or 4 if you count brand new mazda hubs!).
Whiteline replacements are the cheapest but just seemed to offer oem quality which could need doing again. Find them on ebay.
Polybushes;
Many people seem very happy with these but they are not a like for like replacement so I prefer the option of a better made spherical bush designed with the same movement as the original;
https://www.performancebushes.com/product-page/4-x-mazda-mx-5-wheel-hub-bushes
My 2.0 NC was better in snowy and icy conditions, presumably because it was heavier, but for the couple of days a year the weather is like that, the ND 1.5 is overall the better car. You do not give too much away in performance, but make substantial gains in mpg, together with cheaper tax and indurance.
*Insurance 
Hi.
If you need any help with insurance at all then please feel free to drop me a line.
Regards,
Dan.
Nothing to do with weight, but because it has a LSD.
Thanks, and in that case, the difference is quite remarkable .
There clearly was a weakness in the manual gearbox because there have been several updates to improve it.
And I believe the spherical bearings failed early because the seals failed and they corroded. Soft top roof could have been better designed around human factors but if it isn’t damaged when you get it, it doesn’t need to become a problem. Just make sure you open and stow it from outside, and fit the wedges from e.g. Paul Kent.
That said, nothing has gone wrong with my 2017 ND in 35,000 miles, except rusting of the driver window guide for which there was a TSB and it was fixed under warranty.
I thought a window mechanism was dying a year or so back to judge by the noise, I even bought new new ones, but it was crying wolf and it’s still working.
Having said that these are real potential defects, I do wonder how some people drive. I discovered over 40 years ago that if you regularly apply full power with lock on, the drive shafts on a Golf or Polo won’t last more than 25,000 miles. I use a bit more mechanical sympathy now.
MX-5s are pretty reliable and cheap to run. If you’re unlucky you can get one that somebody has moved on because it needs work, but that applies to any make. Check for these known potential problems, not forgetting to look underneath for rust, and check the MOT history.
If I used mine in winter I’d get a set of winter wheels and tyres.
I recently bought a Sept 2016 1.5 Sport Nav with nearly 47,000 miles and an advisory in January for the rear hub bushes. It did not come with a recent service history so I gave it a full 50,000 service and replaced the bushes. I have now driven it 3,000 miles without any problems apart from rebuilding a front caliper and fitting new rear discs and pads which I regard as expected service issues. I would like to hear from owners of the few cars that have over 80,000 miles on them but I would expect the major units to be fine. There do not seem to be any sensor or management problems as far as I can see from the Forum and I am not aware of corrosion issues. I wonder if Robbie can help although Mazda dealers may not see cars that are over 8 years old.
Inevitably there are some “dogs” about and it would be interesting what an examination of them shows.
Ugh! I don’t understand why the subframes and suspension linkages are finished in black paint thinner than a politician’s excuses. They don’t appear to be prepared or primed properly first. Much like Japanese motorcycles of the 1970’s these parts succumb to rust almost immediately. Would it really be so difficult or expensive to prepare and finish them properly like the other parts of the car?
Holy cow ! And that’s an ND ?
Almost puts me off buying a Mazda !!
It all depends on how it’s been used, where, and for how many miles. The biggest mistake people make is assuming (perhaps correctly!) that more modern models (NC to an extent and certainly ND) would now be upto a better corrosion protection standard.
If they’re to be used for more than just bone dry miles in the spring/summer and with indoor storage, they ALL need better protection applying and then checking/maintaining/topping up.
For comparison, here’s mine that was in for an inspection the other week. Nothing major to worry about there, all as expected but it certainly would deteriorate if left as-is. I don’t use mine daily, but I do like to use it year round and it lives outside. So it will go through a full underseal process in Jan.
It’s an Oct '15 car, 25k miles and hasn’t had any additional underbody protection that I’m aware of. It’s lived in the Midlands and London prior to my purchase:
Cheers,
Steve
When I was changing the rear discs I took the opportunity to spray Dynax S50 inside as many apertures I could find in the bodyshell and the sub frames and then the outside of them. Then for good measure I applied it to the wheel arches and the various suspension bolt heads etc. The condition of mine was more like Wardy’s. ND12’s car is quite awful and must have been blasted with salty grit. My car spent its first three years and 19000 miles in Gateshead and Hexham but then went South.
