Most common 2005 Mazda RX-8 problems
Share of the 162 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mazda RX-8 complaints by model year
Best RX-8 years: 2011, 2010, 2009. Years to avoid: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007. Compare all years →
2005 Mazda RX-8 recalls (6)
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,…
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.
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,…
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.
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…
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.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 RX-8 vehicles. Heat from the engine and the exhaust may cause the main fuel pump pipe to crack.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump filter kit, free of charge. The recall began on July 31, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 RX-8 vehicles manufactured April 10, 2003, to February 18, 2008. The affected vehicles have fuel pump sealing rings that may deteriorate due to exposure to heat from the engine or exhaust pipe.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump sealing ring set and add a thermal insulation pad to the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began July 31, 2017.
Engine and engine cooling
If certain passenger vehicles are parked and the engine is operated at high RPM's for an excessive length of time, some of the parts around the exhaust system can melt and produce a variety of malfunctions.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace parts. The recall began on August 30, 2005. Owners May contact Mazda at 1-800-222-5500.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2005 Mazda RX-8:
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Clutch pedal bracket failure
On September 23, 2009, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation to investigate allegations of the clutch pedal bracket failures in MY 2004 - 2006 Mazda RX8 vehicles.In response to an information request letter sent by ODI, Mazda stated that the failure mechanism may be related to an improper fastener attachment sequence to the body.The improper sequence may create a distortion of the…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
What 2005 Mazda RX-8 owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 54 →
The steering wheel sometimes its hard to control sometimes its normal and when going fast the steering is so loose like there's a gaps that you need your two hands on the steering all time and the weels Weigel at high speed 60mph. its hard drive the car on the freeway And everyday use i already spend $2800 at the dealership get fix but never get fix The car no accident to be like that. Car has 80k mileage
Clutch pedal bracket broken under normal conditions. I went to push the clutch in to downshift at highway speeds to over take a slower vehicle and it snapped with an audible "pop" and I couldnt shift into the lower gear and my rpms, went to idle at highway speed. Had it broken at a different time, I could have been locked into a certain gear and ha to break fast or crash risking the lives of my occupants and the occupants of another vehicle
Engine & cooling all 37 →
My steering wheel is turning to the left on its own and it is difficult to turn to the right. I have researched online and I'm not the only one having the problem. I don't feel safe driving my vehicle and I am disappointed in the quality of parts. Issue 2: after the first recall on my vehicle, my motor is giving me issues again after being replaced 40,000 miles later. It turns off at idle and has problems starting. I fear this might be a safety issue.
There is a flaw in the Mazda rx8 engine. It is why they stopped making them in 2011. The engines have bad apex seals. As a result - the seals blow around 70 thousand miles and the engine is useless. Mazda replaced my engine in 2011. However - it does not solve the problem. The engine still shuts down in traffic. This is extremely dangerous. When you are coming to a stop or slowing down the engine will just shut off. It has also shut off when I attempted to pass in the left lane while accelerating on the highway. It also has something called a hot non-start - this means - it will not start when the engine is hot. You have to wait 20 minutes for the car to cool before it can start. If there is no emergency lane when your car shuts down - you are in trouble and in a very dangerous situation,. I have been stuck numerous times in traffic and then the car unable to start. …
Air bags all 22 →
Tl* the contact owned a 2005 Mazda RX-8. While driving 55 MPH, the vehicle was involved in a front end collision. The air bags did not deploy. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the junk yard. A police report was filed. The contact received medical attention and suffered injuries to the head, pelvic, and ribs. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was totaled and was not diagnosed. The failure mileage was 150,000.
Hello. How are you? I hope everything is going well for you. I am an owner of 2005 Mazda rx8. I was a faculty of one university at texas by 2016. However, I left USA last fall and currently settled down in Korea. I also took my car (2005 Mazda rx8) from USA to Korea. In terms of safety recall notices, I asked Mazda USA to solve two safety recall issues (Mazda recall #: 1017e—fuel tank leak as well as 9416e—Takata recall) for my car. Unfortunately, there are no Mazda dealer shops in Korea, so I asked to Mazda USA to send the parts via the mail to replace bad parts for my car. However, they rejected my requests and they said only Mazda (certified) mechanic should complete the repairs. I am wondering if I can solve these serious safety recall issues. Am I not a customer of Mazda because im not staying in the us anymore? …
2005 Mazda RX-8 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.3L 2-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
| 1.3L 2-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Mazda RX-8 a good car?
Based on 162 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 RX-8 rates avoid: 8.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the RX-8 at the same age. It is one of the RX-8 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Mazda RX-8?
The transmission & drivetrain — 54 complaints, 33% of all complaints for this model year, most often about manual transmission. Next are the engine & cooling (37) and air bags (22).
How many recalls does the 2005 Mazda RX-8 have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2005 Mazda RX-8, the most recent from June 15, 2018 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mazda RX-8?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2011, 2010 and 2009. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. See the full Mazda RX-8 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2005 Mazda RX-8 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 62,000 miles; 33% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.