Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2004 Mazda RX-8, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train154
- Engine and engine cooling106
- Steering80
- Air bags50
- Engine33
- Electrical system33
- Fuel/propulsion system21
- Structure20
- Unknown or other18
- Suspension17
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 15 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 6 2004 RX-8 vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 6 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2004 Mazda RX-8 failed the safety check 1.40% of the time — 36% less often than the average 2004 passenger car (2.21%). Median odometer at inspection: 88,596 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2004 Mazda RX-8 cars on Dutch roads are the 1.3 petrol (141 kW, 189 hp) and 1.3 petrol (170 kW, 228 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.3 petrol | 141 kW 189 hp | 99 |
| 1.3 petrol | 170 kW 228 hp | 80 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
192 first registered in 2004 are on Dutch roads; 53% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €44,939.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde40
- Band onvoldoende profiel31
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen27
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm24
- Wiel of velg ondeugdelijk bevestigd22
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage17
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse17
- Roestschade van 1,5 t/m 2,0E of meer dan 15% dikteafname15
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
307 cars built in 2004 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 1,770 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 589 of these cars first registered in 2004 took their annual MOT test. 67% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2004 the figure was 56%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2004 |
|---|---|---|
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 13.4% | 7.5% |
| Suspension | 12.9% | 17.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 12.1% | 21.8% |
| Brakes | 9.5% | 13.8% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 6.1% | 9.1% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 4.6% | 3.2% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
29 of these cars first registered in 2004 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 153,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
391 2004 cars are on the New Zealand register; 83% arrived as used imports, 11% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 12.6–12.8 L/100 km (about 18–19 mpg US), CO₂ 290–294 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| RX-8 · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 14.5 | 10.4 | 12.6 |
| RX-8 · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 14.4 | 10.9 | 12.8 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
14 Transport Canada recalls for the 2004 Mazda RX-8.
| 2019496 30 Sept 2019 | Airbag Issue: On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, may eventually degrade the p… |
| 2018036 19 Jan 2018 | Airbag On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, could eventually degrade the propella… |
| 2018038 19 Jan 2018 | Airbag Note: This recall is superseded by recall 2019496. Please see recall 2019496 for more information. On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute hum… |
| 2017289 1 Jun 2017 | Fuel System On certain vehicles, the fuel pump discharge pipe may crack and cause a fuel leak. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire, inc… |
| 2017288 1 Jun 2017 | Suspension On certain vehicles, the ball joint socket area on the front lower control arm may become cracked due to an inappropriate manufacturing process of the ball join… |
| 2016568 15 Nov 2016 | Fuel System On certain vehicles, the fuel pump sealing rings may deteriorate from being exposed to heat from the engine and exhaust pipe. Over time, this could cause the fu… |
| 2016259 26 May 2016 | Airbag Note: The recall for the 2004 RX-8 model has been superseded by recall 2018-038 (Mazda Recall 2018A), and the recall for the 2004 MPV model has been superseded … |
| 2015247 4 Jun 2015 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the driver frontal airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure during airbag deployment. Increased pressure may cause the inf… |
| 2014570 17 Dec 2014 | Airbag Mazda Canada is conducting a voluntary Safety Improvement Campaign concerning the driver's airbag inflator on certain vehicles equipped with Takata airbags. Maz… |
| 2014245 23 Jun 2014 | Airbag Note: For Mazda6 models, this recall is superseded by recall 2018578 (Mazda Recall 2618F). Please see recall 2018578 for more information. For RX-8 models, this… |
| 2005220 20 Jul 2005 | Electrical On certain vehicles, if while parked the engine is operated at high RPM's for an excessive length of time, some parts around the exhaust system can melt and pro… |
| 2005221 20 Jul 2005 | Suspension On certain vehicles, improper forging of the front lower control arms may allow cracks in the ball joint socket to form. As a result, the ball stud may separat… |
| 2004069 19 Feb 2004 | Other On certain vehicles, the dynamic damper heat insulator on the manual transmission may crack. Should the driver continue to operate the vehicle with a cracked i… |
| 2004067 19 Feb 2004 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the front passenger-side airbag was improperly wired and may not provide adequate protection in the event of a crash. Correction: Dealer … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2003-2008 Mazda6, 2004-2005 MPV, 2004 RX-8, and 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 vehicles. These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
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.
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.
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.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2004 Mazda RX-8 vehicles. The ball joint socket on the front suspension lower control arm may crack and the ball joint may separate from the socket.
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.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, DUE TO IMPROPER FORGING OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM, CRACKS MAY OCCUR IN THE BALL JOINT SOCKET.
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. PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THE EXCESSIVE HEAT BUILD-UP CAN RANGE FROM INOPERATIVE OXYGEN SENSOR, NEUTRAL SWITCH AND BACK UP LIGHTS, PROBLEMS WITH THE PARKING BRAKES, MALFUNCTIONS OF THE GAS GAUGE AND/OR POSSIBLE FUEL LEAKS RESULTING FROM HEAT DAMAGE TO THE FUEL TANK.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS, THE HEAT INSULATOR MAY BE CRACKED CAUSING ABNORMAL NOISE.
AS A RESULT OF AN NCAP TEST, CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES ARE BEING RECALLED FOR IMPROPERLY WIRED FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAGS.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Mazda told its dealers about the 2004 Mazda RX-8: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11007022 | Some vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage such (melted, separating, etc.) when parked near a glass building or Low-E windows. This may be caused by the sun's reflection. |
| 11006987 | In accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer. NOTE: Tampering with a motor vehicle odometer is strictly prohibited by Federal, and State laws. It is the dealers responsibility to comply with Federal, State, and local laws concerning odometer and related documentation requirements when providing a repair or replacement. Mazda vehicles are manufactured with tamper-proof speedometers. When a speedometer is replaced, the new speedometer will read zero (0) miles. This procedure is extremely important to accurately represent actual vehicle mi |
| 11005671 | Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle-specific workshop manual or owner's manual. Services performed outside of Mazda's factory scheduled maintenance are not recommended. These services are unnecessary and create unneeded expenses for your customers. |
| 11003398 | Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle-specific workshop manual or owner's manual. Services performed outside of Mazda's factory scheduled maintenance are not recommended. These services are unnecessary and create unneeded expenses for your customers. |
| 10251387 | Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle-specific workshop manual or owner's manual. Services performed outside of Mazda's factory scheduled maintenance are not recommended. These services are unnecessary and create unneeded expenses for your customers. |
| 10243569 | Some vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage when parked near a glass building or Low-E windows. This may be caused by the sun's reflection. |
| 10240496 | Some vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage when parked near a glass building or Low-E windows. This may be caused by the sun's reflection. |
| 10232299 | Speedometer replacement procedure |
| 10226814 | Some customers may complain of signs of oil on the struts or shock absorbers. In most cases the oil that is present is normal, and a result of the oil that remains on the shaft during the normal sweeping process of the shaft seal. Follow the inspection guidelines below to determine if the condition is a result of the normal sweeping process or a failure of the shaft seal. |
| 10225724 | Some vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage when parked near a glass building or Low-E windows. This may be caused by the sun's reflection. |
| 10215274 | This service bulletin provides testing and charging procedures in order to promote proper battery maintenance, to deliver new vehicles with fully charged batteries, and to reduce unnecessary battery replacement cost. For new vehicles in stock at the dealer, inspect and maintain the battery periodically according to the repair procedure. |
| 10213429 | Paint damage Mazda pocket paint guide |
| 10213425 | Speedometer replacement procedure |
| 10213422 | PROPER USAGE OF DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT. |
| 10213333 | Battery test procedure requirements using the GR81291 |
| 10213326 | Mazda guidelines for factory scheduled maintenance |
| 10213185 | Some customers may complain of signs of oil on the struts or shock absorbers. In most cases the oil that is present is normal, and a result of the oil that remains on the shaft during the normal sweeping process of the shaft seal. Follow the inspection guidelines below to determine if the condition is a result of the normal sweeping process or a failure of the shaft seal. |
| 10209778 | The Mazda DCA-8000 is required for all warranty battery testing. If the Mazda DCA-8000 is not used, incorrect battery testing may result in unnecessary battery replacement. Use the following test procedures in this Service Bulletin to test Mazda vehicle batteries and to generate a Warranty Code. |
| 10209761 | Accessory instructions can be found on OneMazda under Dealer Resources - Parts & Accessories. |
| 10208567 | Some vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage when parked near a glass building or Low-E windows. This may be caused by the sun's reflection. |
| 10208556 | Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle-specific workshop manual or owner's manual. Services performed outside of Mazda's factory scheduled maintenance are not recommended. These services are unnecessary and create unneeded expenses for your customers. |
| 10206002 | Automatic Transmission/Transaxle Cooler and Lines Flushing Procedure: Automatic Transaxle/Transmission (A/T) oil cooler and lines must be power flushed completely before an overhauled or replacement A/T is installed (except SKYACTIV-DRIVE). The most common cause of repeat A/T failures is lack of lubrication to the front and rear planetary gears. This is usually caused by an accumulation of metal particles and debris (from a previous A/T failure) on the internal mesh type baffle of the oil cooler. Power flushing will remove the restriction by back flushing, followed by forward flushing to disl |
| 10205994 | Battery Maintenance: This service bulletin provides testing and charging procedures in order to promote proper battery maintenance, to deliver new vehicles with fully charged batteries, and to reduce unnecessary battery replacement cost. For new vehicles in stock at the dealer, inspect and maintain the battery periodically according to the repair procedure. |
| 10202695 | Ethanol is becoming a common additive in gasoline. Gasoline containing ethanol is likely available at your local gasoline station. Typical blends of ethanol include E10 and E85. E10: A blend of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. E85: A blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline All Mazda vehicles can run on gasoline containing up to 10% ethanol (E10) but only some 1999-2001 B3000 trucks can run on gasoline with more than 10% ethanol blended. E10 compatible vehicles: All Mazda vehicles. E85 compatible vehicles: 1999-2001 B3000 Mazda trucks with the 8th VIN digit is V. |
| 10201777 | Ethanol is becoming a common additive in gasoline. Gasoline containing ethanol is likely available at your local gasoline station. Typical blends of ethanol include E10 and E85. E10: A blend of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline, E85: A blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, All Mazda vehicles can run on gasoline containing up to 10% ethanol (E10) but only some 1999-2001 B3000 trucks can run on gasoline with more than 10% ethanol blended. E10 compatible vehicles: All Mazda vehicles. E85 compatible vehicles: 1999-2001 B3000 Mazda trucks with the 8th VIN digit is V. What if a customer puts E85 in ther |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET FAILURE
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation