MazdaMX52018Overview/mazda/mx5/2018/base/

2018 Mazda MX5

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2018 MX5.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic (S6)

The 2018 Mazda MX‑5, a two‑seat passenger car built on Mazda’s lightweight MX‑5 platform, is equipped with an automatic S6 transmission and requires 4.5 quarts of 0W‑20 engine oil for routine maintenance. Its EPA‑rated fuel economy of 26 mpg city, 35 mpg highway, and an overall 29 mpg places it among the most efficient roadsters of its class. With only three total owner complaints—primarily focused on the power train—and a modest recall count of three, this model year sits comfortably within Mazda’s solid reliability history, offering a dependable, everyday sports‑car experience.

Model year20202019201820172016201520142013

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type0W-20OEM · verified
Lug nut torque80-108 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy26/35/29 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 51R · 410 CCA battery, OE oil filter 1WPE14302. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 51R · 410 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnFUSEOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter1WPE14302
Engine air filterPEES133A0
Fuel filterP59D13ZE0 alt PE0113ZE1
Spark plugPE5R18110A
Battery000080051RWB
Front wiper bladesNA1J67330 alt NA1L67330
Serpentine beltPEES15908 alt P30115909C
ThermostatP50215171

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S6)

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined26 / 35 / 29 mpg
DrivetrainRear-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelPremium Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 0W-20 engine oil, Mazda Gear oil type SG1 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 80-108 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity7.6
Brake FluidDOT 3
Clutch FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear OilMazda Gear oil type SG1
Differential Gear Oil Capacity1.2 qt
Engine CoolantCheck cap: if cap is marked FL-22, use FL-22
Engine Coolant Capacity5.9-6.1

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts12-14 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts32-47 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts80-108 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Spark Plug ManufacturerMazda
Spark Plug Gap.043-.051 in
Spark Plug Torque12-14 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Standard BCI Group Number51R
Standard BCI Cranking Performance410 cca

Service checks

Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum61.7 psi
Fuel Pump Pressure Maximum73.2 psi
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (Without Vacuum)Fuel Holding Pressure. 36.2
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)Fuel Holding Pressure. 36.2
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)Fuel Holding Pressure. 36.2

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier TorqueFront: 23-; Rear: 15-
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt TorqueFront: 59-; Rear: 38-
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementFront: .790; Rear: .330
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness after RefinishFront: .819; Rear: .330
Variation from Parallelism Thickness Variation.0006
Maximum Rotor Runout.002

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Rear Wheel Hub — tightening sequence 1 stages
1110.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: Back off 180 degrees, Step 3: 175.0-202.0110 ft. lbs
Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages
144.0-71.0 inch lbs., Step 2: 10.0-13.044–71 in
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 2 stages
120.0-23.0 ft. lbs.20–23 ft. lbs
280.0-100.0
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
167.0-81.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 55 degrees-6567–81 ft. lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts — tightening sequence 3 stages
134.0-40.0 ft. lbs.34–40 ft. lbs
256.0-62.0 ft. lbs.56–62 ft. lbs
380.0-86.0
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages
171.0-106.0 inch lbs., Step 2: 20-2571–106 in

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 75,000 mi; coolant at 120,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 120,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miBrake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 miBody Fasteners (torque) · Brake Line (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Steering Linkage (inspect) · Suspension Ball Joint (inspect)
Every 22,500 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 30,000 miFuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect)
Every 37,500 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Exhaust System Heat Shield (inspect)
Every 60,000 miTransmission Assembly (drain & refill)
Every 75,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)
At 120,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 180,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 2018 Mazda MX5 dominate in one area — the power train, 1 of 3 reports (33%), well ahead of the next concern. That matters, because the power train are also the target of recall 19V-072 on this vehicle — so the single most useful check before buying or servicing one is confirming it was actually performed. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the power train pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

3
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
366
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
3
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 3 complaints on record, top 3 components.

Power Train1
Electrical System,Vehicle Speed Control,Engine1
Structure1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

19V072000Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm)Reported 01/02/2019

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016-2019 MX-5 (Miata) vehicles with automatic transmissions. Due to incorrect programming of the Transmission Control Module (TCM), certain conditions may… Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the TCM with corrected software, free of charge. The recall began March 14, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at…

21V875000Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel PumpReported 12/11/2021

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3, Mazda6, 2019 CX-3, 2018-2019 MX-5, CX-5, CX-9, and 2019-2020 Mazda2 vehicles. The impeller inside the low-pressure fuel pump may crack and… Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pumps, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 18, 2022. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 366 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
SA-041-262026-06-18Electrical SystemThis SA supersedes the previously issued SA(s) listed below. The changes are noted in…
09-020-262026-06-17StructureDESCRIPTION Some vehicles may exhibit scratches (1) on the rear of the seat back bar…
01-008-262026-05-01Power TrainThis bulletin supersedes the previously issued bulletin(s) listed below. The changes are…
SA-031-262026-04-30StructureDESCRIPTION Some vehicles may require the replacement of a damaged VIN plate or vehicle…
SA-029-262026-04-21Power TrainThis Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA listed below: The changes are…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific MX5. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2018 MX5 take?

4.5 qt of 0W-20 STARBURST, per the factory manual.

Does the 2018 MX5 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the MX5 get?

EPA figures are 26 city / 35 highway / 29 combined mpg.