Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Mazda RX-8 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Mazda RX-8. While driving at 70 MPH, the steering wheel independently turned in both directions. As a result, the contact crashed into a curb and the air bags failed to deploy. The contact did not sustain any injuries. A police report was not filed. In addition, the contact noticed that the rear passenger wheel well was curved and fractured. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician was unable to diagnose or repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 95,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Mazda RX-8. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired per NHTSA campaign number: 14V362000 (air bags). After the repair, the dashboard began to crack in the location where the passenger side air bags were replaced. The vehicle was taken to dealer where it was diagnosed that the dashboard failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
My passenger side dashboard over the airbag is cracked really bad like you can see the air bag I am afraid to have anyone in the passenger seat I feel like it is going to set the air bag off for no reason the dealership is telling me its going to cost around 700.00 to fix I have done some research on this it seems to be a common problem with this car.
I sent my Mazda in to the dealership to fix recalls and make a key. In excellent shape. One area with slight body damage. On 3/16/2018 was returned a car that doesn't run. With. Cracked dashboard, torn seats, multiple dents, charged 345 dollars on 6/10 2019. I was sent a tow bill as notification to pick it up.
RX-8 cracked passenger dashboard. Cracked in the outline of the faulty airbag shape. I am taking in for recall of airbag but am requesting dash cover replacement as it is clearly caused by airbag leakage/fault.
For the past 3 years, the clutch pedal on my car has squeaked and groaned when depressed. This would not be consistent, and very hard to diagnose. Today, while driving a short distance towards work (I live and work on a military base), a metallic "pop" came from my clutch pedal while being depressed and no longer disengaged the clutch. This almost caused an accident as it was "rush hour." I quickly noticed while driving that my clutch pedal was almost touching my brake as I attempted to slow down! Also, if I had stopped moving at any point, I and my car would have been stranded as I would not have been able to get my car back into gear. Upon inspection at home, it appears a weld on the right side that holds the clutch pedal mount to the frame of the car has come completely loose making the pedal lean left. …
Tl contact owns a 2004 Mazda rx8. The vehicle has Bridgestone all season tires. The contact was concerned about the air pressure in the tires and notified the manufacturer. Mazda suggested that he take the vehicle to a dealer for inspection. The vehicle was taken to the dealer four times, but no repairs were made. The dealer only placed air in the tires. On one occasion, while driving almost 60 MPH, the contact felt a very rough vibration in the vehicle. He attempted to move the vehicle off the road and the rear passenger side tire exploded. The tire and vehicle manufacturers were not notified of the blow out. The dot number and tire size were unknown. The failure mileage was 14,000 and current mileage was 23,000. The tail lights would fill with water. There was a strange clicking noise coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle May have a strut problem. Updated 07/30/09.
Dash board no passenger side where air bag is for about the last 2 years dash started cracking in the shape of a h every summer when its hot the dash looks like its got a bow in it like the airbag is going to just pop out it has gotten worse each year now dealer said no recall but there is a defect in the airbag to deploy without a crash occurring many RX-8 owners are having this cracking where air bags are in passenger side but Mazda want do anything to fix the issue until someone gets hurt or killed from these defective air bags on the rx8.
The passenger side dash panel that is above the air bag cracks; which can be a safety hazard with the deployment of the air bag and cause injury to individual (possibly prevent deployment or create dash pieces that could cause serious injury). This is happening to multiple RX-8's (go to RX-8 club)! Since this is a recurring issue with most if not all rx8's it should be recalled and fixed by Mazda.
While driving my 2004 RX-8 6speed my clutch pedal broke. The actual welding broke along the inside of the car underneath the dash. It is not the clutch itself, but the actual pedal assembly. It was while I was driving and seems to be a pretty serious safety issue. I have googled this issue a bit and found a lot of other people with this exact same problem thanks
Body complaints in other RX-8 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2004 Mazda RX-8?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the body & structure of the 2004 Mazda RX-8, 4% of the model year's 490 complaints. The component named most often is body (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Mazda RX-8 body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2004 Mazda RX-8, though it has 10 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Mazda RX-8 body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles, and 19% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.