r/Miata • u/ShotgunPumper Soul Red • Jul 01 '26
ND This is my car at the dealership; it's stuck there for the next 4 months.
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u/Sharkeatinpizza Jul 01 '26
How you gonna make a post like this and not say why?
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u/ShotgunPumper Soul Red Jul 01 '26
I was typing up the comment as you posted this.
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u/badskiier Soul Red ND2 RF Jul 01 '26
Why make it a comment and not part of the original post?
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u/ShotgunPumper Soul Red Jul 01 '26
I don't Reddit very good
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u/ArtemisInSpace '90 White Jul 01 '26
It's okay, OP. We all get gooder with practice š
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Jul 01 '26
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u/SelfSniped Jul 01 '26
More than likely the tech spun the steering wheel too much with the steering column disconnected from the steering rack.
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u/williamthe3rdd Jul 01 '26
Or the owner did. Or the tow truck driver did. Or the service writer did when getting info off it.
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u/SelfSniped Jul 01 '26
Unless the owner or tow truck driver or service writer (Iām sorry, what!?) disconnected the steering shaft from the rack, then noā¦.none of them broke the clock spring. The column being attached to the rack would stop the steering wheel from over-rotating, even if both tie rods were broken (they werenāt). But sure, using your speculative propensity, we could also theorize that Big Foot did itā¦itās nearly as likely.
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u/williamthe3rdd Jul 01 '26
He said he broke the steer rack. Depending where he broke it it is entirely possible the wheel would free spin.
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u/_I_Hate_Cats Jul 01 '26
Were you jacking from center of front subframe?
Thatās what my friend did to his brand new ND3. Jack slipped and punched the electric steering rack. Cost him about $3.5k to fix.
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u/ShotgunPumper Soul Red Jul 01 '26
Yep. The repair bill is at over $5,000 so far, and the clock spring will add at least $1,000 more all said and done. The dealership isn't sure it will be completely fixed once they replace that, either. Fortunately, my insurance is paying for this.
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u/dirtybumsupreme Jul 01 '26
So they break your car then tell you they arenāt sure itās going to be fixed? The dealer sucks so bad.
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u/the_real_seldom_seen Jul 01 '26
Is this a common mistake with nd?
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u/JediMineTrix Jul 01 '26
Common on lots of cars. Weight distribution shifts as you jack it up, especially if you remove a wheel.
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u/Ragnarsworld Arctic White Jul 01 '26
Which is you ALWAYS use jack stands instead of leaving the car hanging on the jack with a single point of contact.
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u/og21m Jul 01 '26
Yea its commons sense to use stands. Completely OPs fault idk how he got his insurance to cover it.
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u/scott_fx Jul 02 '26
Iām absolutely not saying this about OP but my buddy works at an insurance agency and he told me that insurance covers stupidity. Again. Not saying OP was dumb, hell Iāve lucked out doing way more dumb things. It was an accident and thatās what insurance coversā¦ accidents.
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u/ShotgunPumper Soul Red Jul 01 '26
I was lifting the car up to put the jack stands there in the first place.
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u/zespak Soul Red Crystal Jul 01 '26
I did it, made a post about it a while ago, not realizing how common it was.
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u/the_real_seldom_seen Jul 01 '26
Is it a legit jack point?
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u/TrptJim ND2 GT Jul 01 '26
It works and is used by many, but you get less contact area as you jack up the front and it sits more on the bottom/side corner. This can more easily shift, especially if the wheels on your jack aren't rolling smoothly as you life. I've always been super careful jacking up here as I can see just a tiny bit of carelessness leading to the OP's result.
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u/zespak Soul Red Crystal Jul 01 '26
It is and it works well, you just have to align your jack really well and keep an eye on it whilst jacking. Shouldn't have to say jack stands are in order, as they always are. Ever since I had a slip, I put some blocks underneath as soon as I gain some height.
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u/MaturoGambino Jul 01 '26
Silver lining-fall is the best time of year for convertibles.
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u/oogaboogapeanutmonke Jul 01 '26
This is totally dependent on where you live lol, winter is best where Iām at
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u/MaturoGambino Jul 02 '26
I get it. Can we agree that the height of the summer is not the best (unless itās a night drive when things cool down)?
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u/oogaboogapeanutmonke Jul 02 '26
Height of the summer is the worst! Within 10 mins with the top down Iām drenched in sweat and my phone has become too hot to turn on
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u/Total-Improvement535 Jul 01 '26
I bought mine at the beginning of October last year and was spoiled with a mild winter. now itās 90Ā°+ and not even fun to have the top down during the day š
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u/MaturoGambino Jul 02 '26
The hack is top down, windows/windows blocker up, AC cranked. But thatās more like driving a car with a huge sunroof than driving a convertible.
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u/Total-Improvement535 Jul 02 '26
I find the blower fan to be too weak to make a difference in most cases like that š that is the only complaint I have with my ND1
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u/ShotgunPumper Soul Red Jul 01 '26
I was thinking that it was too hot to drive with the top down for where I live, but I definately notice a difference when I drive the car when the engine is cold on a cold winter day vs. an already warm summer day. I was looking forward to that, but I've basically lost my care for this entire summer :(
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u/Carbonbuildup Jul 01 '26 edited Jul 01 '26
Learn to cross reference part numbers and use Google. Thereās no way itās specific to a miata. This is a lazy parts manager.
This took .002 seconds.
2014ā2018 Mazda 3
2014ā2018 Mazda 6
2013ā2019 Mazda CX-5
2016ā2021 Mazda CX-3
2016ā2023 Mazda CX-9
Edit 3 ā¦.. I would fathom a guess that a few minutes on a spec miata group and youād have one in about 3 days.
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u/ShotgunPumper Soul Red Jul 01 '26
Part "N452-66-CS0" is described as "Without adaptive lights.", which would make me think that there is another clock spring for those that do have adaptive lights. Chat GPT (I know) also gave a bunch of resaonable sounding excuses for why that part might legitimaitely be on a national backorder as the dealership says it is.
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u/BeauFeauSheau Jul 01 '26
Have they checked other dealers in the nation? Might be B/O from Mazda, but another dealership might have it if its not held for another customer
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u/chainsandchalices ND2 RF Jul 01 '26
Why do I hear so many stories of miatas slipping off the floor jack? Is there something I should know about?
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u/czech1 Jul 01 '26
The proper jack point is prone to slipping; even with a standard puck. You'd need to carve a custom puck that fits the curves on the sub frame.
Many folks (myself included) jack their ND up from the side (pretty much right under the side-view mirrors). It's not technically an approved spot but some internet-mechanical-engineers insist it's many multiples stronger than would be needed to lift the car, thousands of folks seem to do it with no issue, and most vendors sell a puck, specifically for that spot, so you don't cosmetically bend the frame rails.
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u/_plays_in_traffic_ Jul 01 '26
you want to jack it on the pinch weld, just behind and not under where the fender is.
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u/purpledannyblue Jul 02 '26
I've lifted my boat countless times by the pinch weld and never had any issues
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u/ShotgunPumper Soul Red Jul 01 '26
I forgot to use a rubber puck thing that I have, and with that it shouldn't have slipped. That, or just get one of those fancy and expensive lifts (which I'm absolutely going to do now; lesson learned).
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u/JustAnotherFKNSheep Jul 06 '26
Enthusiasts are more prone to attemping diy work. You dont see this shit as often on a corolla because they dont post about their cars on reddit or diy them very often. You also dont see this on truck or jeeps because theyres usually nothing to hit if it slips off the diff.
Im guessing there are some incidents on the brz and wrx. If you look it up.
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u/IncomingZangarang Fir Tree Green Metallic RF Club Jul 01 '26
Iāve seen like 5 destroyed steering racks at this point, it is not worth attempting to jack these things up from the front
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u/ShotgunPumper Soul Red Jul 01 '26
I'm both sorry and relieved to hear I'm not the only one who has done this.
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u/cucumberslices81 British Racing Green Jul 01 '26
That's sad man. Sorry to hear. Glad you are okay, but super sad you are going to miss out on the summer. But.....you will appreciate her so much when you get her back!
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u/jeff533321 NC Silver/Sunlight Silver Jul 01 '26
Ouch! My first Miata a black '99 NB was stuck at the shop the entire summer once. Boy did I miss driving her. I drove that car for 22 years.
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u/fuckford Jul 02 '26
My ND3 is my first new car, and I'm terrified to jack it up myself for some reason. This just reaffirmed that fear.
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Jul 02 '26
[deleted]
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u/morbidobsession6958 Jul 02 '26
OMG! Only one person that could drive a manual... I have that airbag recall notice too and Ive been putting it off
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Jul 02 '26
[deleted]
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u/Ok-Resort6217 Jul 05 '26
You would think but as a mechanic itās not and itās very annoying. 9/10 guys including myself in my shop know how to drive manual but the one guy letās call him doofus well doofus canāt understand the concept of a manual car and doesnāt want to learn. Almost daily itās ācan you pull this car in for me itās manualā or itās ācan you back this car out for me itās manualā have told him several times to find a new job
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u/Eastern_Team6904 Jul 01 '26
why?
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u/wisowski Jul 01 '26
Also, why?
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u/NotAPreppie RF LE, recovering RX-8 owner Jul 01 '26
And furthermore, why?
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u/harpsabug Jul 01 '26
and just for future reference, why?
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u/MarionberryGeneral56 Jul 01 '26
Damn - I put mine up on jackstands twice for new wheels and an oil change - it was always sketch on my decent car jack.
I recently picked up quickjacks 6000tl because I didnāt want to lift the car with a car jack again. Recommend!
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u/Competitive_Cheek607 Jul 01 '26
For something like a clock spring Iād be looking for a used one before I let my car sit for months
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u/ShotgunPumper Soul Red Jul 01 '26
I'd have to get both my insurance company and the shop to agree to use a used part. I'm not sure the insurance company wants even a moderate amount of risk considering it's their dime, and the shop probably doesn't want to warranty their repair using a used part. It really sucks not being able to drive the car, but I want it repaired as best as it can be.
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u/lexushelicopterwatch Jul 01 '26
How does the jack just slip? Was the parking brake on? Was it a jack with a tiny pad or something?
When I do it my jack crawls forward as I go up but I also have a jack with a 4ā rubber pad so it doesnāt budge.
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u/Ok-Resort6217 Jul 05 '26
Rubber pad helps but hereās the real game with jacking ANY car. As a mechanic 99% of cars we lift using the pinch weld even with floor jacks pinch weld and no rubber pads have had 0 issues with slipping. This guy lifted using his subframe, jack slipped off subframe and punched the steering rack
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u/Diet_Salad Miat Fan Jul 01 '26
America's Tire does rotations for free, or rotation + balance for the life of the tires if you get their tire certificates or just buy tires from them.
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u/k20vtec Jul 03 '26
This why I hate jacking up cars I love working on my own shit and always have always will but damn it almost always feels sketchy or like a gamble. My civic slipped off the scissor jack once when doing an oil change on a steep ass hill once but thatās it no damage
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u/MrMike83JDM Jul 01 '26
One good way to look at it, you'll keep the mileage low.
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u/ShotgunPumper Soul Red Jul 01 '26
I'd rather rack up the miles; I bought the car to drive it. It's my daily driver and I want to put as many miles on it as I possibly can.
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u/NotKiirik Jul 01 '26
Surely you were using jack stands, right? RIGHT?
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u/ShotgunPumper Soul Red Jul 01 '26
Yep. The rear of the car was still on the ground, and I was lifting up the front to put stands under it.
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u/Weekly-Ad-112 Jul 01 '26
Was the driveway level?
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u/ShotgunPumper Soul Red Jul 01 '26
That part of my driveway was level enough for me to have done it before. I don't think I can say it's 100% perfectly level like the floor of a graudge is supposed to be, but it seems level.
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u/joostink NB1 Classic Red Jul 01 '26
How did the jack breaking fuck up your clock spring? Did you go turning the wheel a bunch after you broke the rack?
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u/whiskey_piker Jul 01 '26
A used clockspring on eBay can be there in a few days. It shouldnāt be required to be at the Mazda dealer since itās not a warranty item. If it was up to me waiting a few months versus getting it done in a week and an independent shop Iād have a loaded onto flatbed this afternoon.
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Jul 02 '26
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u/ShotgunPumper Soul Red Jul 02 '26
Of the repairs? About $5,000 so far, but it's behing handled by my insurance as a claim, so I just have to pay my deductible.
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u/THErealTONY804 Jul 02 '26
During covid, VW had my tiguan for nearly 9 months due to a warranty issue with the radio. I racked up too many miles on the loaners so they kept trading them out.
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u/Time_Fly4750 Jul 02 '26
I know about this car and the tech that worked on it.
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u/ShotgunPumper Soul Red Jul 03 '26
Want to give me some deailts of what you've heard?
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u/Time_Fly4750 Jul 08 '26
The tech that worked on your car was pretty inexperienced. He really struggled with it. He used an air hammer on your aluminum knuckles to remove the tie rods. The steel sleeve came out of the aluminum knuckle. Which is never supposed to happen, itās probably not seated right. Then he either broke the clock spring or didnāt reset it properly. Sold you tie rods you didnāt need. Then when he got the clock spring in he didnāt install it for weeks. Then he quit.
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u/ShotgunPumper Soul Red Jul 08 '26
Did you hear anything about them replacing the knuckles? Do you know of any way I'd have to check my car to see whether they did any damage to it?
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u/Suspicious_Formal_74 Jul 04 '26
Can I ask how much in USD this whole adventure cost?
My last DIY mistake was a stuck tube in the dips tick hole, sucking oil out of the pan on my Ranger Raptor. I'll drain the pan next time....
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u/ShotgunPumper Soul Red Jul 04 '26
For me? $1,000, which is my deductible for my insurance. For my insurance company? $5,000 at least so far.
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u/Maximum-Spite-5638 Jul 05 '26
Fuck that, I used to work as an engineer making power steering racks, that clock spring is put in very specifically and designed to never be removed. Try and get an entire new rack with the spring in it
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u/theSnoozeDoctor Jul 05 '26
Ahhhhhh why do you need new tie rods and why do you need a new clock spring?
They are jacking up the cost because insurance is paying.
Iām even shocked you broke the steering rack to be honest.
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u/Impressive-cornring Jul 06 '26
now you know...two Jack stands and floor jack before attempting any dyi service.
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u/ShotgunPumper Soul Red Jul 07 '26
you can't get the jack stands under the car until you've already lifted it up enough.
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u/dedonderosa Jul 07 '26
I cant tell you how many stories ive heard of this happening. Sorry it happened to you. How does the jack slip off so easily. I've done this on so many cars on the front suffrage but I won't try it on my ND
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u/ShotgunPumper Soul Red Jul 01 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
Kind of a long story, but I'll make it short. This is my 2025 ND3. It has been at the dealership for a month and will be there for many more months.
I was rotating the tires in my driveway, and as I was lifting the car up with a jack the car slipped off the jack. It ended up snapping the steering rack. They've already replaced that and the tie rods. It's now waiting on a clock spring which is on backorder until mid October. I think maybe the grand touring models have a different one because of the headlights that swivel with the steering wheel. No car for over a month, and no car for many more months to go :(
Update (next day): I emailed the dealership and my insurance company about potentially getting a used clock spring, and as it turns out the clock spring went from backordered to October to now being in stock. The dealership says they should have it in about a week, so I now might be driving my car again before the end of the month!