Early ND manual: grinding into 2nd or 3rd, or gears lost (TSB 05-001/17)
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What causes "Early ND manual: grinding into 2nd or 3rd, or gears lost (TSB 05-001/17)" on the Mazda Miata ND (2016-present US model years), and how is it fixed?
Mazda says the 2nd and 3rd gears can be damaged by repeated hard acceleration and deceleration with frequent shifting; production made the gears more rigid (revised transmissions from serial 6TJ0701679). Fix: Dealers replace the transmission on cars with VINs below JM1ND****H*121392.
Symptoms
Grinding on the 1-2 or 2-3 shift, 2nd or 3rd will not engage, or noise in neutral at idle.
Cause
Mazda says the 2nd and 3rd gears can be damaged by repeated hard acceleration and deceleration with frequent shifting; production made the gears more rigid (revised transmissions from serial 6TJ0701679). The bulletin replaced TSB 05-007/16. A 2016 owner thread collected seized and lost-gear failures replaced under warranty.
Fix (summary)
Dealers replace the transmission on cars with VINs below JM1ND****H*121392. Check the transmission serial on a used car.
Related parts
Related build entries
Other ND problems
- Recall 19V-072: automatic may downshift unexpectedly (TCM software)
- Recall 19V-496: under-engine skid plate may detach (2016)
- Recall 21V-875: low-pressure fuel pump may fail and stall the engine
- Recall 24V-695: front airbags may deploy with too much force
- Recall 25V-336: TCS/DSC warning light may not come on
- Cold 2nd-to-3rd shift balks (guide claim)
More for this car
- All Mazda Miata ND (2016-present US model years) fitment answers · ND common problems
- Newsletter archive: past issues with every new and corrected entry
Sources
- Mazda TSB 05-001/17: 2016-2017 MX-5 grinding from manual transmission in 2nd/3rd or hard to shift into 2nd/3rd (03/17/2017) — Mazda North American Operations (service bulletin) (mfr spec; read 2026-10-26; full page read)
- Mazda TSB 05-007/16: 2016-2017 MX-5 grinding or unusual noise from manual transmission in 2nd/3rd gear (12/07/2016) — Mazda North American Operations (service bulletin) (mfr spec; read 2026-10-26; full page read)
- The Official Facts-Only ND Transmission Failure Thread (MX-5 Miata Forum) — Wayback capture 2022-10-24 — Miata.net forum, via the Internet Archive (forum thread; read 2026-10-26; full page read)Owner reports; forum, tier 1 on its own.
Summaries are in our own words. Not repair instructions; consult the factory service manual.
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