Two problems related to clutch have been reported for the 1999 Mazda Miata. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
The contact owns a 1999 Mazda Miata. The contact heard a loud rattling noise near the engine when the clutch pedal was depressed. The failure occurred for more than a year when the vehicle became hot. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000.
On 11/10/03, my 1999 Miata stalled when clutch is pushed at idle. I was driving on highway 101 at that time and would create a danger environment for the surrounding cars. After a car mechanic inspected my car, he found that the crankshaft end play was approximately . 5" wide. The mechanic suspected that the problem might have been caused by the failure of the thrust bearing. My car currently has about 70,000 miles. Mazda installed improper thrust bearing on many 1999 Miatas, causing the car to stall when clutch is pushed at idle. So far, Mazda has only issued a technical service bulletin claiming the problem would only make noise but ignores the potential stalling problem.