2005 Mazda RX-8 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2005 Mazda RX-8 ranks worst of 7 model years, with 162 complaints, a complaint index of 100, and 6 recalls including 3 do-not-drive airbag and engine recalls. Transmission & powertrain issues lead at 33% of complaints, followed by engine problems at 28%.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 100/100
- #1 of 7 RX-8 years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 162
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 6
- 3 Do Not Drive
- Crashes
- 6
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 4
- Top issue
- Transmission & Powertrain
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 18
- 16 city / 22 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 4 / 0
Top 2005 Mazda RX-8 problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Transmission & Powertrain54 (33%)
- Engine46 (28%)
- Airbags22 (14%)
- Steering17 (10%)
- Fuel System15 (9%)
- Electrical System11 (7%)
- Brakes10 (6%)
- Other10 (6%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires6 (4%)
- Structure & Body4 (2%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Airbags fail to deploy in front, side, and t-bone collisions, sometimes at highway speeds, leaving occupants with head, pelvic, and rib injuries.
- Parking brake reportedly fails to hold the car on a slope, letting it roll backward into an obstacle.
- Engine RPMs spike while the car is parked, building excessive heat that owners say affects oxygen sensors and can prevent the vehicle from restarting.
- Anti-skid and check engine lights illuminate at highway speed while the engine revs and the car loses power rapidly.
- Front brakes and rotors are replaced by the dealer but the same brake problem returns afterward.
- A headlight glows abnormally bright, appearing to other drivers like a high beam is left on.
2005 Mazda RX-8 recalls
6 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 18V402000Jun 15, 2018Airbags308,591 vehiclesDo Not Drive
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2003-2008 Mazda6, 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 and 2004 MPV vehicles nationwide. Mazda is also recalling 2005-2006 MPV vehicles in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. On July 9, 2019 this recall was expanded to include certain 2004-2011 RX-8 vehicles that were previously recalled under 16V-354 but have not yet been repaired. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these passenger air bag inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began July 6, 2018. Mailing to the affected RX-8 owners began July 6, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 2618F. Note: With the addition of the RX-8 vehicles, this recall fully supersedes recall 16V354.
- NHTSA 18V404000Jun 15, 2018Airbags4,184 vehiclesDo Not Drive
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Mazda MPV vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. On July 9, 2019 this recall was expanded to include certain 2005-2009 RX-8 vehicles that were previously recalled under 17V-011 but have not yet been repaired. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began July 6, 2018 for MPV vehicles. The recall began July 9, 2019 for RX-8 vehicles. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 2618F. Note: With the addition of the RX-8 vehicles, this recall fully supersedes recall 17V-011.
- NHTSA 17V474000Jul 26, 2017Airbags308,992 vehiclesDo Not Drive
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2003-2008 Mazda6, 2004-2008 RX-8, and 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion and other factors, including manufacturing variability that, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began on September 12, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1417G. Note: This recall supersedes recall 15V-382.
2005 Mazda RX-8 fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 16 MPG
- Highway
- 22 MPG
- Combined
- 18 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $4,450
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Premium
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2005 compared with other RX-8 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2005 Mazda RX-8 reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2005 RX-8 is the highest-complaint, highest-risk year among the 7 model years covered, with 162 complaints and a complaint index of 100. It carries an Avoid verdict relative to other RX-8 years.
- What problems does the 2005 Mazda RX-8 have?
- Owners most often report transmission and powertrain problems (33% of complaints, median failure mileage 66,000) and engine problems (28% of complaints, median failure mileage 55,000). Airbag non-deployment during crashes is also a recurring complaint, tied to 4 crashes.
- Does the 2005 Mazda RX-8 have any recalls?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2005 RX-8, including 3 do-not-drive recalls covering airbag inflators and fuel pump issues, plus an earlier 2005 engine recall for exhaust-area part melting.
- How does the 2005 RX-8 compare to other years?
- The 2005 model has the highest complaint index (100) and most complaints (162) of any RX-8 year in the data, worse than 2006 (83), 2007 (67), 2008 (33), 2009 (50), and 2010 (17).