Body problems of the 2002 Mazda Miata

One of two latches for the convertible soft top came unfastened while driving causing one side of the top to lift upwards with great violence and a very loud noise. No accident this time but it will happen- e. G. Swerving out of lane and into another vehicle, pedestrian, tree, etc. Due to 1) the violence and noise and/or 2) the driver *attempting* (it’s impossible!) to re-latch and re-lock the top. The cause of the failure is a very poor design of the latch/lock and the lock’s lever being made of pot metal. Both factors combine in a synergistic manner which cause very rapid lock wear and abrupt failure. There should be a recall due to risk and the number of NHTSA complaints on this design defect- including one where both latches failed and the top blew off! defective part numbers are na01r1310_ and na01r1320_.

This is a convertible car and the bolts keep falling out of the top when driving on the highway. There are two bolts that have fallen out three or four times. The consumer has contacted the dealer and an appointment was set to have the car looked at because there is a rattling sound coming from the car. The consumer thinks that the bolts are causing the noise. This problem started in June 2005.