MazdaMX52015Overview/mazda/mx5/2015/base/

2015 Mazda MX5

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2015 MX5.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic (S6)

The 2015 Mazda MX5 is a passenger car featuring an Automatic (S6) transmission and an engine equipped with an oil cooler. Utilizing 0W-20 viscosity oil, the vehicle achieves an EPA rating of 21/27/23 mpg. This model year maintains a strong reliability profile with zero recalls and only one owner complaint centered on the service brakes and fuel/propulsion system.

Model year20202019201820172016201520142013

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacityWith oil coolerOEM · verified
Engine oil type0W-20OEM · verified
EPA fuel economy21/27/23 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 LF0514302B. 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
Tire sizeP205/45R17OEM · verified
Wheel / rim7.0 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filterLF0514302B
Engine air filterLFG113Z40
Fuel filterLFG113ZE0 alt LFB613ZE1
Spark plugLFJR18110
Battery000080051RWB
Front wiper bladesNE5167330B alt NE5267330B
Serpentine beltLF9M15909A alt LF9J15909A
ThermostatLF0315165A alt LF7015170

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S6)

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined21 / 27 / 23 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 With oil cooler of 0W-20 engine oil, API · GL-5 · SAE 90 · 80W-90 · 75W-90 in the differential, SAE J1703 brake fluid. Torque the oil drain plug to 22.0-30.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidSAE J1703
Differential Gear OilAPI · GL-5 · SAE 90 · 80W-90 · 75W-90
Differential Gear Oil Capacity0.7 qt
Engine Coolant Capacity7.6
Engine Coolant Capacity7.7
Engine Coolant Capacity8.0
Engine Oil0W-20
Fuel Tank Capacity12.7 gallons

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts12
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts32
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug22.0-30.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Steering Track (Rod End) Bolts35.0-43.0 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub174-202 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)660-760 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (Secondary Under Load)720-870 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)670-770 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (Secondary Under Load)700-800 rpm
Spark Plug ManufacturerMazda
Spark Plug Gap.049 - .053 in
Spark Plug Torque8-10 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity15.9 lbs
Oil TypeDH-PR
Oil Capacity4.39 oz
Standard BCI Group Number51R
Standard BCI Cranking Performance410 cca

Service checks

Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum54.4 psi
Fuel Pump Pressure Maximum65.2 psi
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)Ignition off fuel holding pressure 29
Engine Compressionpsi 174 - 249 / max variation 28.5 psi
Intake Valve Lash0.009-0.010 in
Exhaust Valve Lash0.011-0.013 in

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier TorqueFront: 16-; Rear: 15-; Front: 16-; Rear: 15-
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt TorqueFront: 58-; Rear: 37-; Front: 58-; Rear: 37-
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.079; Rear: 0.079 in
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementFront: .790; Rear: .310
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness after RefinishFront: .820; Rear: .350
Variation from Parallelism Thickness Variation.0006
Maximum Rotor Runout.002

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

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 1 stages
120.0-23.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 80.0-100.020–23 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 4 stages

Prep Maximum cylinder head bolt length should not exceed 146.0 mm. Replace bolts if they exceed maximum length. Coat bolts with clean engine oil. · Step 1 · 3.7 ft. lbs.

210.0-12.0 ft. lbs.10–12 ft. lbs
332.0-34.0 ft. lbs.32–34 ft. lbs
488 degrees-92 degrees88 degrees
588 degrees-92 degrees88 degrees
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 60,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 60,000 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 miBody Latches, Locks & Hinges (lubricate) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 miBrake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (clean)
Every 30,000 miBody Fasteners (torque) · Brake Line (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Steering Linkage (inspect) · Suspension Ball Joint (inspect)
Every 37,500 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 45,000 miExhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Exhaust System Heat Shield (inspect)
At 60,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 60,000 miDrive Axle Assembly (drain & refill) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
Every 75,000 miEngine Valves (inspect valve lash) · Spark Plugs (replace)
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 2015 Mazda MX5 dominate in one area — the service brakes,fuel/propulsion system, 1 of 1 reports (100%), well ahead of the next concern. NHTSA has issued no recalls for this vehicle, so these are owner-reported concerns only. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the service brakes,fuel/propulsion system 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.

0
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
183
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
1
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.

Service Brakes,Fuel/Propulsion System1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 183 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…
SA-029-262026-04-21Power TrainThis Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA listed below: The changes are…
SA-061-252025-12-17Electrical SystemIf you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start…
07-004-25a2025-12-10Unknown Or OtherA musty/mildew type odor may come from the vents when the air conditioning (A/C) system…
SA-039/252025-08-21StructureSome vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage such (melted, separating, etc.)…

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 2015 MX5 take?

With oil cooler of 0W-20 ILSAC multigrade engine oil, per the factory manual.

Does the 2015 MX5 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the MX5 get?

EPA figures are 21 city / 27 highway / 23 combined mpg.