What Is the Panel Behind the Mazda MX-5 Miata Soft Top? Package Tray OEM Part Number Guide

ByKenji Alvarez

The OEM Name Is Package Tray

The small trim panel that sits along the rear shelf of the ND Mazda MX-5 Miata — directly behind the folding top mechanism — is officially listed as the Package Tray (or “TRAY–PACKAGE”) in Mazda’s own parts catalog. It covers the gap between the seat backs and the convertible top hardware, keeping the interior looking finished when the top is stowed. Without it, you’d be looking at exposed brackets and folded fabric every time you drop the roof.

Part number N243-70-500B does appear in authorized dealer parts databases. But there is a meaningful catch before you order one.

Soft Top and RF Are Cataloged as Separate Vehicles

The ND generation (2016 to present) comes in two completely different roof configurations: the conventional soft top with a folding fabric roof, and the RF (Retractable Fastback), which uses a three-piece power metal hardtop. Both cars share the same floor, suspension, and much of the same bodywork — but everything behind the driver’s headrest is different between them.

N243-70-500B is listed on several OEM dealer parts sites specifically under the MX-5 Miata RF G-TOURING configuration. If your car is a soft top, the package tray part number may be different. It may also happen to cross over — some trim panels are shared — but you cannot confirm that without checking a VIN-specific diagram. Ordering by model year alone and hoping it fits is how people end up with a panel that’s a few millimeters off at the clip mounting points.

How to Pull a VIN-Specific Parts Diagram

Any Mazda OEM parts site that accepts a VIN will return a build-exact parts tree. Enter your 17-digit VIN, navigate to Body or Interior Trim, and look for the Package Tray entry in the rear interior grouping. Because the VIN encodes trim level, roof type, and market, the diagram it returns reflects your actual car — not just the model year family.

The official Mazda USA parts portal (parts.mazdausa.com) supports VIN lookup. Most authorized dealer parts departments can also run the same query in about two minutes over the phone or at the counter.

One more thing to flag for 2022 and newer cars. The ND3 revision (2022+) updated several interior panels for improved sound deadening. Parts from an ND1 (2016–2018) or ND2 (2019–2021) car do not always interchange with ND3 cars. Match the generation, not just the part name.

Where to Buy the OEM Package Tray

These panels are available from any Mazda dealer’s parts counter, through Mazda’s online parts store, and from Miata-specialist retailers that stock OEM inventory. Call the parts department for current pricing — the panel moves slowly enough that many dealers have it on the shelf, which saves shipping time versus ordering through an online retailer.

Aftermarket copies exist. The fit around the push-in retaining clips tends to be looser than OEM, and the plastic is usually thinner. Given that the package tray is fully visible every time the top goes down, most owners find the OEM piece worth the cost difference.

About the Molded Recess — That Dent Is Intentional

The small depression built into the panel is not damage. It provides clearance for part of the soft-top folding mechanism at full stow. Every correct replacement panel will have the same recess in the same location. If yours is cracked rather than just scuffed, the swap is still simple: the Package Tray is held in place by plastic push-in clips around the perimeter.

Before pulling the old panel, note the orientation of each clip. Installing them backwards puts lateral stress on the mounting flange — a thin section of plastic on most trays — and can crack the new piece before the top cycles once. Slow removal, a plastic trim pry tool, and attention to clip direction is all it takes.

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