YearToAvoid

2006 Mazda RX-8 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Avoid The 2006 Mazda RX-8 ranks 2nd worst among 7 model years, with a complaint index of 83 and 60 complaints, driven mainly by airbag issues. It carries 5 recalls, including 3 do-not-drive airbag and fuel-system campaigns, earning an Avoid verdict.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
83/100
#2 of 7 RX-8 years
Verdict
Avoid
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
60
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
5
3 Do Not Drive
Crashes
1
reported in complaints
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Top issue
Airbags
Best nearby year
2008
lowest-risk (no Good/Best year)
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
18.5
16 city / 22.5 hwy
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0

Top 2006 Mazda RX-8 problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags17 (28%)
  2. Transmission & Powertrain13 (22%)
  3. Engine9 (15%)
  4. Visibility & Wipers9 (15%)
  5. Fuel System7 (12%)
  6. Steering6 (10%)
  7. Other5 (8%)
  8. Structure & Body5 (8%)
  9. Electrical System2 (3%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Sun visors split at the seams and fall down into the driver's line of sight, sometimes at very low mileage such as under 1,000 miles.
  • Clutch pedals snap off at a weld point, forcing drivers to shift home in a single gear.
  • Transmission problems recur after repair, including a rebuilt transmission that failed again a few thousand miles later.
  • The power steering warning light comes on and steering assist is lost during normal driving.
  • At highway speed with cruise control engaged, the rear end has swerved side to side, possibly linked to a traction control failure.
2006 Mazda RX-8 complaints: complaints filed per month3Jul 2006Jan 2010Feb 2014Mar 2015Nov 2015Mar 2017Apr 2018Feb 2020
60 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jul 2006 to May 2023; peak Aug 2006 (3).

2006 Mazda RX-8 recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

See all 5 recalls for the 2006 Mazda RX-8 →

2006 Mazda RX-8 fuel economy and fuel cost

City
16 MPG
Highway
22.5 MPG
Combined
18.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$4,325
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.

2006 compared with other RX-8 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)02550751002005200620072008200920102011
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2005Avoid1001626 !18
2006Avoid83605 !18.5
2007Caution67385 !18.5
2008Caution33175 !18.5

All Mazda RX-8 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2006 Mazda RX-8 reliable?
Compared to other RX-8 model years, 2006 ranks 2nd worst out of 7 years tracked, with a complaint index of 83 and 60 NHTSA complaints, so it earns an Avoid verdict relative to the rest of the lineup.
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Mazda RX-8?
Airbags are the top problem area with 17 complaints (28% share), followed by transmission and powertrain issues with 13 complaints (22%) and engine problems with 9 complaints (15%).
Does the 2006 Mazda RX-8 have a recall?
Yes. NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2006 RX-8, and 3 of them are do-not-drive recalls covering airbag inflators and fuel pump defects.
At what mileage do 2006 RX-8 problems usually appear?
Median mileage at failure varies by system: airbag complaints cluster around 70,200 miles, transmission issues around 70,000 miles, and engine complaints around 91,350 miles.
How does the 2006 RX-8 compare to the 2005 model?
The 2005 RX-8 is worse, with a complaint index of 100 and 162 complaints versus 83 and 60 for 2006, though both years carry an Avoid verdict.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.