2005 Mazda RX-8
Complaints about this year name lot far more often than the model's other years — 10% of them, about 24× the usual rate of 0.4%.
NHTSA opened a defect investigation into this model year.
| Complaints filed | 168 |
|---|---|
| Median for this model | 17 |
| Involving a crash | 6 |
| Involving a fire | 1 |
| Recalls | 6 |
| EPA combined | 18 mpg |
Also unusual this year
- mazda rx8 — 20% of complaints, 4× usual
- engine — 18% of complaints, 4× usual
- pedal assembly — 9% of complaints, 22× usual
What owners wrote
DRIVING MY MAZDA RX8 LAST NIGHT ON A LOCAL HIGHWAY SHIFTING FROM FIFTH TO SIXTH GEAR THE CLUTCH PEDAL GAVE WAY AND DOING 65MPH AND STUCK ITSELF UNDER THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD TO SHUT THE CAR OFF AND HIT THE E BRAKE TO STOP. LUCKY IM NOT DEAD.
THE EHICLE STALLED WHEN THE RPMS INCREASED TO APPROXIMATELY 1000. THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. SEVERAL DEALERS WERE NOTIFIED; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,0…
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint filings, with identifying details removed.
Recalls for this year
- 18V402000 AIR BAGS Fixed free of charge.
- 18V404000 AIR BAGS Fixed free of charge.
- 17V474000 AIR BAGS Fixed free of charge.
- 17V354000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE Fixed free of charge.
- 16V793000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE Fixed free of charge.
- 05V317000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
How this was worked out
Every year of the Mazda RX-8 was compared against its own history rather than against other cars, which removes popularity and age from the answer — a common car draws more complaints at equal reliability, and an older one has had longer to accumulate them. A year is flagged when it drew at least 2.5× this model's median and at least 50 complaints.
This is a fault record, not a review. Nobody files a federal complaint to say the car was fine, so it shows what tends to go wrong — not whether owners liked it, and not whether it is a good car.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations, retrieved . Look this vehicle up directly on NHTSA's site to check anything here.
Own a 2005 Mazda RX-8? What happened to yours?
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