Most common 2006 Mazda RX-8 problems
Share of the 60 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 →
2006 Mazda RX-8 recalls (5)
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2006 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 2006 Mazda RX-8 owners say
Air bags
I purchased/financed my vehicle on October 9, 2015 at hilltop Nissan (258 route 10, east hanover, nj 07936) at 59,201 miles. On April 7, 2016, I went to start the vehicle and the vehicle would not start. I had it towed to Mazda of lodi, so the service department can take a look at the vehicle. The service department contacted me and said it was the engine and the vehicle needs a new engine. The vehicle has only 63,545 miles on it, and since then, I drove only 4,344 miles in the six months. I asked the dealer, finance department for a warranty/extended warranty and the finance manager said, there are no warranties. I did not receive a white (square) piece of paper or booklet for warranty information or "as is" information. Now, I am paying $8500.00 for a new engine. Then, I searched online for any safety issues or recalls on vinrcl.safecar.gov. …
After receiving a letter and verifying with the mazdausa website it was determined that my RX-8 had a safety recall associated with the airbag. I contacted two separate Mazda dealers about this issue. Their response was less than undesirable. They first informed me that there were no parts available to affect repairs. After I requested a safe loaner vehicle until repairs could be made, my request was denied. So, Mazda has no parts to make repairs and they are unwilling to supply the vehicle owners with safe alternatives. I am writing to inform you that Mazda is not executing your mandated recall properly and is placing lives of numerous drivers at risk. [redacted]
Transmission & drivetrain
I was driving to work on the evening of February 21st. I was stopped at a stop light and the light turned green so I pressed on the clutch to get the car in gear, when I pushed down however, the clutch made a large snapping sound and moved down a little further than usual. I went to put the car back into gear anyway and noticed that the clutch was much looser than before. It was wiggling from side to side and had much more dead space before it caught on the actual clutch. I also noticed it was much much harder to get my car into gear. I have to push and slam the stick into gear in order to get it to fit. I did some research and this was actually a very common problem for the 2004-2007 Mazda RX-8's. The car can still be driven, however I believe the full clutch shaft could snap off if pressed to hard.
The bracket for the clutch pedal has broken 4 times. The milage is currently 81,000. I've contacted Mazda corp and the dealer I bought it from new. They're saying unless there's a recall we have to keep buying a new pedal/bracket assembly. The metal they used is soft and weak causing you to lose control of the clutch. Pedal gets stuck too. It happens while driving and at idle. Dangerous going up or down hills even at intersections it'll disable your ability to move. When Mazda does a repair the put the same weak junk not bothering to reinforce or even fix their problem. Look it up on the web. Just about everyone with a manual rx8 has the same problem.
Windows, wipers & sunroof
The driver and passenger side sun visors have split open and flipped down spontaneously blocking my vision while driving. I've had multiple instances of the driver and passenger side sun visors splitting along the seams, causing them to disrupt my visibility of the road. I had my Mazda dealer replace the defective visors while under warranty on multiple occasions, but the defect continues to occur. Every single time I was informed that splitting sun visors was a common occurrence on all Mazda RX-8s. The lubricant inside the hinge of the visors would solidify during hot weather and cause the spring to expand, thus splitting the plastic sun visor along the seams. Since the visors hang in the downward position once the plastic has split, the only way to not obstruct my vision while driving is to completely remove them from their mounts. …
Sun visors split at the seams, falls down during driving and block my view. This first happened when my car had 1059 miles, even though I rarely use the visors. The drivers visor was replaced at that time due to the condition. It has since happened again at 3725 miles to the driver and passenger visors. My dealer claims this is a common problem and Mazda is working on it. It is a safety issue and I think it needs to be dealt with in a timely manner. My new visors have not yet been replaced as they have been on order for several weeks.
2006 Mazda RX-8 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.3L 2-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
| 1.3L 2-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Mazda RX-8 a good car?
Based on 60 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 RX-8 rates avoid: 2.8× 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 2006 Mazda RX-8?
The air bags — 17 complaints, 28% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (13) and windows, wipers & sunroof (9).
How many recalls does the 2006 Mazda RX-8 have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2006 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 2006 Mazda RX-8 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 63,000 miles; 40% 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.