Mazda RX-8 years to avoid
Mazda RX-8 years to avoid, by NHTSA owner complaints: the 2004 (515 complaints, led by the powertrain at 157 and engine cooling at 118) and the 2005 (168, led by the powertrain at 55 and engine cooling at 28) drew the most of the 2004–2011 model years on record as of November 10, 2026; complaints are owner reports, not proven defects, and the counts also reflect each year’s age and sales. Before buying a used RX-8, run its VIN: the $14.99 original ClearVIN PDF shows title brands, odometer readings, accident and auction records on file.
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The 2004 (515) and 2005 (168) drew the most owner complaints to NHTSA of the 2004–2011 Mazda RX-8 model years on record, as of November 10, 2026.
2007–2011 have fewer than 40 complaints on file, too few to compare.
Fewest complaints: not named. Fewer than three of the Mazda RX-8 model years from 2004 to 2011 with at least 40 complaints on file remain once the years with the most are set aside.
Half of the 625 NHTSA owner complaints on the Mazda RX-8 that list mileage came after 65,000 miles (NHTSA complaints file of November 11, 2026). How many miles will a Mazda RX-8 last? →
Mazda RX-8 complaints and recalls by model year, 2004–2011
This table lists the 8 Mazda RX-8 model years NHTSA holds records for between 2004 and 2011, collected from NHTSA’s complaints and recalls APIs on November 10, 2026. Each owner complaint is counted once, by its NHTSA number, and a complaint can name more than one component; recall campaigns are counted once per model year, by campaign number. Across these years NHTSA lists 14 distinct recall campaigns, the newest filed Sep 24, 2021.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Most-reported components | Recall campaigns | Newest recall filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 RX-8 | 515 · most | powertrain (157), engine cooling (118), steering (81) | 10 | Oct 31, 2019 |
| 2005 RX-8 | 168 · most | powertrain (55), engine cooling (28), airbags (22) | 6 | Jun 15, 2018 |
| 2006 RX-8 | 60 | airbags (17), powertrain (13), visibility (9) | 5 | Jun 15, 2018 |
| 2007 RX-8 | 38 · too few to compare | airbags (16), powertrain (9), body structure (6) | 5 | Jun 15, 2018 |
| 2008 RX-8 | 17 · too few to compare | airbags (8), steering (4) | 5 | Jun 15, 2018 |
| 2009 RX-8 | 8 · too few to compare | powertrain (3), speed control (3), fuel system (2) | 4 | Sep 24, 2021 |
| 2010 RX-8 | 5 · too few to compare | — | 4 | Sep 24, 2021 |
| 2011 RX-8 | 4 · too few to compare | fuel system (1), suspension (1), windshield wipers (1) | 3 | Sep 24, 2021 |
Mazda RX-8 by model year: mileage, problems and recalls
Each page below covers one model year in NHTSA’s complaints file of November 11, 2026: the mileage when owners reported problems, the most-reported components and the recall campaigns NHTSA’s recall files list. That file is a separate collection from the table above and goes back to the 1981 model year, so its counts can differ and it holds years the table does not.
How to read these numbers
- A higher count is not proof of a worse vehicle. Complaint volume rises with sales volume and with years on the road, so older and best-selling years collect more.
- The comparison is between years of the Mazda RX-8 only. It says nothing about how the RX-8 compares with other models.
- NHTSA publishes owner reports without verifying them. A complaint is an allegation, not a defect finding.
- Recall campaigns cover production ranges. NHTSA’s VIN lookup checks open recalls within its coverage and excludes completed repairs. A zero result does not prove the vehicle’s complete recall or repair history; ask for dated repair documentation.
- NHTSA files some years under body or cab names (for example ACCESS CAB or CREW CAB). This collection asked for the names NHTSA lists, and a year far below its neighbours also under the common cab and body names. Such a year is marked as possibly filed under another name only when NHTSA’s records show it split across names or holding recalls and no complaint; otherwise its count is read as low.
Primary sources behind this page
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
- NHTSA recall and complaint datasets: scope and API documentationNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle APINational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle APINational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Recalls Lookup by VINNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Mazda RX-8 year-by-year questions
Which Mazda RX-8 years should I avoid?
Mazda RX-8 years to avoid, by NHTSA owner complaints: the 2004 (515 complaints, led by the powertrain at 157 and engine cooling at 118) and the 2005 (168, led by the powertrain at 55 and engine cooling at 28) drew the most of the 2004–2011 model years on record as of November 10, 2026; complaints are owner reports, not proven defects, and the counts also reflect each year’s age and sales. 2007–2011 have fewer than 40 complaints on file, too few to compare.
What are the best Mazda RX-8 years?
Complaint counts do not show which model year is best; the closest they come is which years drew the fewest complaints. This page names none: fewer than three of the Mazda RX-8 model years from 2004 to 2011 with at least 40 complaints on file remain once the years with the most are set aside.
Do complaint counts mean the RX-8 is unreliable?
No. NHTSA complaints are unverified owner reports, and the count rises with how many vehicles were sold and how long they have been on the road. They are useful for comparing years of the same model, which is what this page does, not for ranking one model against another.
How do I check a specific RX-8 before buying?
Take the 17-character VIN from the windshield or driver-door label and run it through NHTSA's free recall lookup. It reports open recalls within its coverage and excludes completed repairs. A zero result is not a complete recall or repair history; ask the seller or manufacturer for dated repair documentation. For the vehicle's own past, the original ClearVIN PDF from VIN Lookup shows title brands, odometer readings, accident and auction records on file for that VIN.