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Service bulletins for the 2018 Mazda MX-5

A bulletin is a manufacturer's communication to its dealers, as NHTSA indexes it. The summary is NHTSA's. The document is the manufacturer's: read it at NHTSA. A bulletin is not a recall, and listing a model year does not mean every vehicle of it is concerned.

367 on file from NHTSA, as of 2026-10-19.

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Only bulletins with component: Transmission and driveline are shown. Show all

Bulletins, newest first
SA-029-262026-05-05. Service bulletin. UNKNOWN OR OTHER; ENGINE; POWER TRAIN; SERVICE BRAKES. This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA listed below: The changes are noted in Red. SA-011/24 02/12/24, 06/06/24, 07/29/24 DESCRIPTION Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle-specific workshop manual or owner's manual. Services performed outside of Mazda's factory scheduled maintenance are not recommended. These services are unnecessary and create unneeded expenses for your customers. SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE Refer to the applicable Workshop Manual or Owner's Manual for vehicle -specific manufacturer scheduled maintenance. Workshop Manual - Refer to section 00-00 SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. Owner's Manual - Refer to section 8 Maintenance and Care. b. Note: Please refer to the information below outlining the services not included in Mazda's Factory Scheduled Maintenance: IMPORTANT: Recommending fluid flushes when not necessary can lead to customer confusion and dissatisfaction. Fluid flushing for preventive maintenance purposes is strongly discouraged, unless otherwise specified in a published procedure (Owner’s Manual, Workshop Manual, Technical Service Bulletin, etc.).
01-008-262026-05-03. Service bulletin. POWER TRAIN. This bulletin supersedes the previously issued bulletin(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red. 01-008/23 06/05/23 Some vehicles may exhibit rattling noises from the engine compartment and oil leakage from the drive belt auto tensioner. This may be caused by insufficient sealing at the drive belt auto tensioner damper when the auto tensioner fully operates under both high ambient temperature and high load conditions. To eliminate this concern, the shape of the drive belt auto tensioner damper has been changed. REPAIR PROCEDURE If the tensioner is found to be "No Good" after completing the Drive Belt Auto Tensioner Inspection, replace it with a modified part according to the instructions on MGSS online:
SA-056-252025-12-05. Service bulletin. POWER TRAIN. When inspected, the differential or PTO oil is dark or black. This is considered normal and NO repair should be performed. During production, differential ring and pinion gears receive a manganese phosphate coating (commonly referred to as black oxide). This coating forms a porous, oil-retentive surface that improves boundary lubrication and reduces adhesive wear during initial contact cycles. Designed as a sacrificial layer, it is gradually removed under load throughout the break-in process. As a result, after the first few hundred miles, or at the initial gear oil service interval, the lubricant may appear darkened by the worn-off coating. It will contain trace ferrous particles from the normal run-in of the gear teeth and bearing surfaces. This condition is expected and does not, by itself, indicate an issue with the differential or PTO gears.
SA-052-252025-12-05. Service bulletin. ENGINE; POWER TRAIN. Some customer's might state that they notice fluid or oil leaking/dripping on the ground when the vehicle is parked. For this concern, inspect the vehicle for any trace of a fluid or oil leak and use the following examples as a guide to determine if it is severe enough to require a repair, or just to clean the area and monitor it at the next service. Examples of residue or seepage that may not be considered a leak and that may not require repair based on splash shield inspection.
SA-051-252025-12-05. Service bulletin. STEERING; SUSPENSION; POWER TRAIN; WHEELS. Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) Diagnostic Guidelines Diagnostic Guidelines When diagnosing NVH concerns, it is essential to first classify the issue into one of three primary categories: Noise, Vibration, or Harshness. Many customer complaints may involve overlapping symptoms, such as both noise and vibration, so identifying the dominant characteristic is critical. Once the primary symptom is determined, follow the appropriate diagnostic path. For example, if a concern includes both noise and vibration but is related to vehicle speed, the vibration diagnostic path should be followed. When considering component replacement during the diagnostic process, it is best practice to start with the lowest cost or most accessible part unless diagnostic evidence clearly identifies a more expensive or complex component as the root cause. This approach helps minimize repair costs and avoids unnecessary part replacements. For example, a growling or bearing whine noise may be mistakenly attributed to internal components in the differential, transfer unit, or transmission, when the actual source is a wheel bearing. Misdiagnosis like this can lead to unnecessary repairs, added time and cost. To help prevent this, always follow the guidelines in the repair procedure.
SA-052-242024-09-04. Service bulletin. POWER TRAIN; ENGINE. Some customer's might state that they notice fluid or oil leaking/dripping on the ground when the vehicle is parked. For this concern, inspect the vehicle for any trace of a fluid or oil leak and use the following examples as a guide to determine if it is severe enough to require a repair, or just to clean the area and monitor it at the next service.
PF-24-032024-04-03. Service bulletin. POWER TRAIN. Due to limitations, certain vehicles from 2016 to current models might display an inaccurate transmission part number in the Global Electronic Parts Catalog (GEPC). To provide support in such cases, a temporary lookup guide has been developed for assistance.
SA-071-222022-12-02. Service bulletin. POWER TRAIN. Some customers may experience a buzzing or rattle noise when decelerating in 2nd or 3rd gear 2500-3500 RPM. This is caused when the vehicle decelerates, its weight, together with the pulses from the engine, excites the backlash in the transmission gears, causing them to buzz or rattle. Clearance between transmission gears (backlash) is normal and sometimes can become audible.
SA-038-222022-07-06. Service bulletin. POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM); POWER TRAIN; POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE. Service part Automatic Transaxles (ATX) manufactured on or after July, 2018 are shipped with a blank TCM that requires configuration.
SA-006-22a2022-04-06. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL; POWER TRAIN; WHEELS. There have been warranty claims submitted for growling or bearing whine noise in differentials, transfer units and transmissions where the source of the noise was a wheel bearing. This misdiagnosis can lead to multiple repair attempts, warranty debits, and additional inconvenience and/or cost to the customer. To reduce the chance of this occurring, please follow the steps outlined in the repair procedure.
SA-006-222022-03-04. Service bulletin. SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING; POWER TRAIN. There have been warranty claims submitted for growling or bearing whine noise in differentials, transfer units and transmissions where the source of the noise was a wheel bearing. This misdiagnosis can lead to multiple repair attempts, warranty debits, and additional inconvenience and/or cost to the customer. To reduce the chance of this occurring, please follow the steps outlined in the repair procedure.
00-001-222022-03-04. Service bulletin. POWER TRAIN; SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; STEERING. Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle-specific workshop manual or owner's manual. Services performed outside of Mazda's factory scheduled maintenance are not recommended. These services are unnecessary and create unneeded expenses for your customers.
SA-032-212021-06-03. Service bulletin. POWER TRAIN. There have been warranty claims submitted for growling or bearing whine noise in differentials, transfer units and transmissions where the source of the noise was a wheel bearing. This misdiagnosis can lead to multiple repair attempts, warranty debits, and additional inconvenience and/or cost to the customer. To reduce the chance of this occurring, please follow the steps outlined in the repair procedure.
00-001-21-37682021-02-05. Service bulletin. STEERING; WHEELS; POWER TRAIN; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle specific workshop manual or owner's manual. Services performed outside of Mazda's factory scheduled maintenance are not recommended. These services are unnecessary and create unneeded expenses for your customers.
00-001-20-36892020-04-03. Service bulletin. SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC; POWER TRAIN; EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle specific workshop manual or owner's manual. Services performed outside of Mazda's factory scheduled maintenance are not recommended. These services are unnecessary and create unneeded expenses for your customers.
SA-030-202020-02-27. Service bulletin. POWER TRAIN. Service part Automatic Transaxles (ATX) manufactured on or after July, 2018 are shipped with a blank TCM that requires configuration. NOTE: The following Caution is included with every ATX that requires configuration.
SA-058-192019-12-21. Service bulletin. POWER TRAIN; UNKNOWN OR OTHER. WARRANTY GUIDELINES FOR RETURNED TRANSMISSION CORES. Be advised that the Mazda Remanufactured Transmission Center (MRTC) has found that up to 30% of the returned transmission cores either included the wrong transmission oil cooler, or the oil cooler was missing altogether. IMPORTANT NOTE: ALWAYS REMEMBER TO INCLUDE THE ORIGINAL OIL COOLER WITH THE RETURNED TRANSMISSION CORE!
SA-053-192019-12-21. Service bulletin. ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; POWER TRAIN. GUIDE LINES AND PHOTOS TO DETERMINE IF FLUID/OIL SEEPAGE OR LEAK IS SEVERE ENOUGH TO REQUIRE WARRANTY REPAIR OR TO CLEAN AND MONITOR. Some customer's might state that they notice fluid or oil leaking/dripping on the ground when the vehicle is parked. For this concern, inspect the vehicle for any trace of a fluid or oil leak and use the following examples as a guide to determine if it is severe enough to require a repair, or just to clean the area and monitor it at the next service.
SA-037-182018-09-10. Service bulletin. POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY. Service part Automatic Transaxles (ATX) manufactured on or after July, 2018 are shipped with a blank TCM that requires configuration.
05-001-18-34532018-05-14. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT; POWER TRAIN. Always be sure to use the correct automatic transmission fluid when replacing ATF. Using the wrong ATF may cause shift quality complaints or may even damage the transmission. NOTE: ATF M-V (TYPE M5) IS NOT THE SAME FLUID AS MERCON®V OR MERCON®LV ATF. ATF M-V (TYPE M5) HAS A GREATER VISCOSITY THAN MERCON®V AND MERCON®LV ATF IN LOW TEMPERATURES. ATF M-V (TYPE M5) HAS A GREATER ANTI-JUDDER SPECIFICATION THAN MERCON®V AND MERCON®LV ATF. TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSHING SHOULD ONLY BE PERFORMED WHEN INSTRUCTED BY THE WORKSHOP MANUAL OR ANY OTHER MAZDA PUBLICATION.

The summaries are NHTSA's. Each bulletin's page links NHTSA's copy of the manufacturer's document.