- My model of MX-5 is: 2019 ND__
- I’m based near: Dundee_
- I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: We recently bought an soft top ND from a non franchised dealer and after a few issues of total incompetance from the dealer relating to the buying of the car we were finally enjoying every run in it. The car has however developed an intermittent knocking from the rear. The dealer has checked this and says they can find nothing wrong with the suspension, links, bushes etc and thinks it is due to them using cheap brake pads when they replaced the discs and pads. They claim the pads are knocking due to the shims not fitting correctly and they are going to replace the pads with brembos. I don’t believe this will cure the issue as the clunking sounds more like an exhaust with a loose mounting banging against something. Anyone got any ideas? The car has done 28K and has a years warranty on it but I have absolutely no faith in this dealer.
It sounds like you have the very famous ND rear hub issue. The rubber bushes on the rear hubs wear out very prematurely. Causes light knocking over bumps in the road that gets worse over time. I’m sure plenty of ND owners will chime in with some solutions very soon. Since it’s a non-franchised dealer, I would imagine they are not as aware of this common problem as Mazda garage would be.
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They’re not rubber bushes but spherical bearings!
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Many thanks, I had a feeling it was something like that which makes a lot more sense than brake pads.
Point them in the direction of these videos, to 1. check for play and 2. a walkthrough of replacement:
Suggested replacement bearings:
I’m presuming from the service you’ve had, that they’re just a general dealer and in no way a specialist? You may want to read up on the terms of the warranty cover you have, and see if there’s the ability to take it to a garage who knows what they’re doing!
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Yes, it seems very likely to be the infamous rear bushes issue that affects the ND (Mk 4) MX-5.
I bought a ND1 in June 2024 (it was a 2016 plate with 33k mileage) and noticed fairly soon after purchase that there was a noticeable rattling sound from the rear when going over rough or uneven roads. Not so much a very loud knocking sound as other owners report, but a rattling sound which I could hear anytime I wasn’t driving on a smooth motorway or newly-tarmaced A road.
Do NOT panic! There is a solution.
Other forum members will chip in and offer advice, but I have the impression that there are two routes open to you:
1. Visit a Mazda dealership and they will offer to replace the entire rear hubs, including bushings (both left- and right-hand sides) and charge you circa £1.3k for the privilege 
2. Buy the precision crafted spherical bearing bushes from Performance Bushes (see the weblink I include below, and also already highlighted by a forum member above) at a cost of only £275 (set of 4 x spherical bearings plus the fitment tool). I ordered mine a few weeks ago from Brian McCloud (owner of Performance Bushes). Following receipt of the product from Performance Bushes, get yourself booked in at a local MX-5 garage/independent specialist. Coincidentally enough, it was earlier this morning that I took my product from Performance Bushes to Total MX-5 (an independent specialist in Barry, south Wales) and after 2 hours - job done! The worn out clattering spherical bearings were replaced by the new ones. I’ve only driven 40 odd miles this afternoon/evening and - wow! - what a difference! No more clanking noises! And the ND1 just seems to handle better, better grip, more balanced etc.
Here’s the link, if you’re interested:
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Good stuff.
I’m not a million miles away from that Barry place. An annoying 25 mile drive (when is driving in Barry not!) but could be worse.
Q: Did you/have you got to do an alignment afterwards, or are they just plug in and play?
How much, if you don’t mind me asking, did he charge roughly for fitting? That’d put the entire price as a comparison to Mazda’s price.
Mark Jefferies at Total MX-5 (Barry, south Wales) simply swapped out the old worn spherical bearings and replaced them with the new ones that I bought from Performance Bushes.
I didn’t even think of asking about wheel alignment (I’m not technical or mechanically knowledgeable). With hindsight, perhaps I should have but I don’t seem to be having any handling issues at the moment.
Drove towards Caerphilly last night and into Newport this morning. So much better to drive now!!! I’m really pleased 
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Hope you get it sorted OP. 28K miles for this to occur is appalling really, ditto Pixelnev’s going at 33K miles. Something everyone with a pre 2021 ND is going to suffer eventually. Mine’s on 17.3 K miles or so and, touching wood, fine, but not nice to think they’ll go eventually. ‘Funny’ thing is when I’ve been bored and ‘car checked’ ND’s on Autotrader from their number plates, I find some having advisories for the rear bushings on lowish miles, similar to those mentioned here, yet other 50K plus without any advisories. Granted they could have had them done already, or an MOT tester didn’t notice, or similar, but I doubt ALL of them did. SO maybe some might get lucky and see 60-70K before trouble starts.
Mark Jeffries at Total MX-5 (Barry, south Wales) charged me £100 in total for the fitting of the 4 spherical bearings. That’s £25 per spherical bearing - IMHO that’s terrific value! He completed the job in 2 hours.
So, instead of paying £1,375 at a Mazda dealership (as some people may have done over the years) I paid a total of £375 (parts from Performance Bushes @£275 and fitting cost for Total MX-5 @£100).
Mark is lovely, too. Highly recommended 
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Thanks. £100 for 2 hours labour. Fair play. He’s not making himself rich on that!
I’m not far from the Caerphilly you mentioned, so thanks for the heads up and another potential avenue if mine eventually go.
my mechanic charged 1 hours labour when I had both sides sorted using the Performance Bushes kit. He did spend a bit of diagnosis time on my previous visit confirming that the stock bushes were at fault.
He loved the Performance Bushes kit and said he would have turned the job down were it not for the included tool.
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Is any alignment needed afterwards, or just plug in and go?
Cheers
I didn’t arrange any alignment work due to the front not being tinkered. I was also due new tyres several months later so had an alignment done then. I noticed no adverse characteristics when driving in between having the bushes sorted and the alignment.
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No alignment required.
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My 2017 ND1 has covered 76k miles and sadly, had the spherical bearings replaced twice now, last time was at 70k. Used Brian McCloud’s performance bushes and local garage changed them at a charge of 2 hours labour x £80.
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HOw much mileage did the first replacements last, I presume those were Mazda ones. They have apparently sorted it post 2022 or so?
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Thanks for all the help folks really useful information. Will have a go at the dealers and if they don’t play ball will probably just bite the bullet and get it done at my local garage.
Hope you get it sorted.
I’ve just had my sphericals replaced with the ones from Performance Bushes. Very happy with them
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