I have a 2004 Mazda RX8. It is great to drive and handles very well. I do not drive it much and it has less than 8,000 miles. However, I have had several call backs on the car and the big problem is that it does not like to start in cold weather unless you start it up and let it run and warm up every day. This is a problem for me as I do not need to drive it every day. I just let it set for one day in a garage with the temperature in the 20-30 range and now it will not start. Back to the dealer. I am seriously considering getting rid of it.
Posted before on this. My 2005 RX-8 with 6500 miles is back in service. Though I love the car, the reliability and constant failure will force me to part with it. The current tally of days at service are now at 32 out of the 8 months of ownership and counting. Thoughts of trading it in soured me even further. Seems most dealerships are well aware of the problems and the return on a vehicle purchased new with such low miles shocking. I sold a 7 year old 56k Eclipse for not much less than what was offered me. They fell far short of the "lowest poor condition" blue book/and other car eval site evaluations for my area.
For those thinking about purchasing one, if you have the money and the inclination by all means it has a wonderful feel. Do not drive it with OEM tires in anything, but the most ideal road conditions. even with the addition of all seasons you'd do best to leave it at home.
I would like to add some info to everyone having problems with there rx8.The problem with starting on my rx8 was due to a bad coil.I've had some problems with the pmc, but mazda won't tell me anything about it they just update the computer. My newest problem is the crank sensor its going on me...simtoms...car gets sluggish around 4,000 rpm, and miss fires a lot. IF you floor it the car runs fine. Helpful advice you have to treat this car like a new born for it to run in top shape. Check your plugs, change your wires, keep your oil topped off, and keep in mind your standard maintenance... ill never part with my 8...that's all and enjoy the sound of 9,000 rpm's...love it...
I can add some light to the no start scenario. My 2005 RX8 had just approx 10k miles when it refused to start. After being towed (on a flatbed) to the dealer, I was told it was in a flood condition and I must have done a short hop with it (pulled it out of the garage and then shut it off). It had been sitting for 2 days before I went to leave for work, so no short hops. After a day of diagnoses, the dealer said I needed new longer plugs to get a better fire. 4 months later, they had to be changed again. Love the car, but don't think I can afford the maintenance once the warranty comes off.
I have a 2004 mazda rx8 which I purchased new on october 13, 2005. The car has 21,420 miles on it... All 'babied' as I'm 52 years old... And all service has been done by the dealer. The car is still under the factory warranty plus I have a high-priced extended warranty on top of it! Two days ago I noticed the clutch was slipping so I called my dealer. They wanted me to wait a week to bring it in; I decided it wouldn't be moving on it's own in a week and dropped by the dealer the same day. Today they phoned me to say the clutch assembly needed replacing. Further, this wouldn't be covered under either the factory warranty or the extended warranty; instead, I would be liable for the $1480.00 replacement cost! A car with only 21k miles on it that has babied since day one should not be having clutch problems (I've driven manual transmissions for almost 40 years) not should I be liable for this exorbitant cost! Upon some research, I found the parts I need are only available from the dealer; therefore, I don't even have the option of having someone else doing the repairs without paying an astronomical fee for a throw-out bearing and plate ($497.00)!
I have an 2005 rx8, I bought it used with 32000mi and now it has 50000 miles,and I love my 8 the only problem out of it is I can't get the gas cap to seal, and the engine light comes on because of it, iv'e bought a new cap and that fixed the light for a while now its now sealing again. even though its frustrating I still love my 8.
I bought a 2005 8 and I love it. it had about 11k on it. I read up on it and made sure I got ALL OF THE RECALL WORK DONE at the day of puchase. There is a vacuum seal test that needs to be done (if the car fails mazda will replace the engine), an airbag switch check and a couple of others. After all of that work was done I had no issues with it for about 6k. 2 days ago the CEL light came on and I just got a call from the dealer that the cat is the culprit (not a surprise read on). There are things you need to know before buying a car model with the only existing rotary engine it it.
1. Burns oil
2. Get all the recall work done
3. Recall work should fix the short distance shut off issue. If it doesn't go to another dealer or call around for one that knows how to work on rotary engines.
4. Rotary engines produce an insane amount of exhaust heat. 4a. There is an issue with some of the OEM Catalytic converters where it will melt under some driving conditions i.e. cranking it 9k RPMs all the time. This is a known issue and you should not have to pay for it seeing as it's a recall issue. (sidenote: I may just take it off altogher. Don't tell Al Gore OK? He'll probably figure it out when I blow the doors off his hybrid ;) )
5. Eats gas like tomorrow it will flow freely from Uranus (uh.. the planet).
6. Low torque = not so hot off the line.
7. Dead sexy so who cares.
8. Beware the burning smell. There are some 8's that can't sit idling at high rpms without the tailpipes melting some plastic in/on the bumper.
9. If you don't know what a rotary or a wankle are stay the heck away from this car. You'd do best buying a speed 3.
10. If you bought a Lambo or a Ferrari you'd be in the same repair boat, but out quite a bit more cash.
Finally, you can't buy specialized autos and not expect problems. Mazda won't tell you, but the rotary engine is not for the faint of repair. The one thing you can find comfort in as when Ford makes them stop producing the rotary you'll be sitting on a collector goldmine... lol.. kinda.
Re: the burning smell mentioned above. I have an '05 bought new. I do get a burning smell through the vents (when they are open) after sustained high speed or high rev driving. It seems to be the engine though, more metallic or oil smelling than anything plastic or melting. Does anyone else get this?
By the way, I absolutely love this car. It feels like it's part of your body when you drive it. Maneuvers like those fighter jets on the new Battlestar Galactica. Kinda sounds like one to I imagine.
I bought my 05 about 2 years ago now and after one recal and one flooding of the engine (according to the dealer) my car is in the shop again and according to the mechanic the engine needs to be repaced! sadly I'm losing faith in my rx8. hell I would gladly put my own blood into my 8 if it would stop messing up.
I think I bought one of the first RX8s to hit the lots in August 2004. I now have 90+K on my baby.
Yes, there have been some issues and my dealership has done fairly well by me. The three recalls were handled quickly and without question while they provided a rental car free of charge (this was while it was still under warranty).
A little more than two years ago I had one tail lens replaced because of water condensation (under warranty), and just this past winter they both began retaining condensation (I need to get this in for repair).
Had an odd odor that was coming into the cabin about three years ago. Between me and the dealership repair tech, we never figured it out. He threw some air deodorizer into the HVAC which helped a little, but the odor continued for a few more months and then just went away on it's own.
Lost the coil a couple years ago at about 55K (warranty expired). The repair cost didn't break the bank.
Got the vapor lock (failure to start) last year from moving the cold (California cold; not cold, cold Colorado cold) car from the driveway to the street. Had to tow it to the dealership for repair. This one cost me some cash although I still have my limbs. They basically told me "Don't do that. If you start it, you cannot turn it off until the engine has run for at least 5 minutes. It's just a design flaw." Right now the car is sitting on the street, because I once again moved it from the driveway and forgot to let it warm up before shutting it off. Now I can't remember what they told me to do to get it started again. It's okay though... my husband is frustrated but we'll figure it out.
I have a love affair going on with this car. It is an extension of me when I'm driving. It responds in exactly the way that I want it to when I want it. It fits me like a glove. There is a lot of room for forgiveness in my heart. If you don't have that kind of relationship with your car, then you won't have the patience. If you need a reliable commuter car that gets you from here to there with no excitement, then why are you interested in this performer? I wish there weren't any annoying issues, but it's worth the price to me. I don't want any other car. Don't even want to trade up to a newer model. Yep, I'm an RX8 girl through and through. Zoom Zoom.
I love the title of this review. It reminds me of my experience with the RX-7. I thought I was getting a fast, sporty car. It was slower than my 4-cylinder domestic compact. At 90 mph (its top speed) it was rattling and howling so loud you couldn't hear your passenger talking. After parking, all the leaked-out oil sent up great clouds of smoke and people would say "YOUR CAR IS ON FIRE" and I'd have to explain that rotary engines leak oil and burn it off when you stop.
The body was so poorly made I'd have to crawl underneath and replace bolts that held it together about once a month. When I took it in for an alignment, I was told that an alignment wouldn't fix the problem because the entire front frame had sagged from the weight of the car (and it's a LIGHT car!!). The shop referred to the problem as the "Japanese flimsies" and said all Japanese cars use frame materials that are weak and sag eventually under just the weight of the car.
That was the last straw. I traded the RX-7 in on a like-new Mustang 5.0 with only 139,000 miles on it. It was built like a tank and ran great (it was a gas guzzler, but no worse in that respect than the RX-7). I know the quality of Mazda went way up after Ford took over, but I'll NEVER own another rotary engine car again!!
I am considering purchasing a 2005 or 2006 RX-8. I went to the dealership today 6/04/08 and absolutely cannot stop thinking about how sexy this car was. On top of that, I am just learning to drive manual and I could not believe how easily this car shifted. I have read most of the comments that you all have left and honestly feel the same way I did when I left the dealership. IN LOVE. Are there any problems with the vehicle aside from flooding and or speed? Please let me know!
Eager individual.
I'd think twice about the RX-8. The fuel efficiency of rotary engines is VERY poor, and there are far better (and less expensive) sports cars out there.
The Miata and Solstice are just as fast, much more economical, and will last much longer than the RX-8.
The Ford Mustang costs thousands less, and is an incredible car if you need to haul more than 1 passenger.
My experience with the RX-7 was enough to scare me off rotary engines forever. It was one of the worst, most unreliable cars I've ever owned. I traded it for a V-8 Mustang with 139,000 miles on it, and never regretted it for one second. Even with all those miles the Mustang was MUCH faster, very solid, totally reliable and got just as good fuel mileage.
Today being July 13th, 2008 I decided to go car shopping. I was considering the Mazda RX3, gas being the big issue these day's. However, once I started the shopping I couldn't take my eye's off the RX8. I'm totally in love and feel it may finally be time to spoil myself slightly and get a sporty car. I've read many comments and obviously there are mixed reviews which I suspect comes with any car. I was talking to the dealer and he mentioned something that nobody seems to have mentioned.
1. When starting the car, you should hold the key until the car engine has fully revved up / started. He say's many people don't do this and the car has a tendency to flood.
2. Before stopping the car you should rev the engine to 5000rpm and then turn the key to shut down the engine. Again, my understanding was due to flooding / starting challenges. This is what he says's should be done.
Thought I'd share that bit of information, find out if anyone actually does that and I'm going Tuesday to take the car for a test drive. It's a second hand 2005 with 23,000 km's. Discourage me or encourage me?
Although I've never actually owned an RX-8, I had one in my care for over 6 months as well as extensive experience with high performance vehicles. With that being said, do not be discouraged by all the negative reviews on this site. From the sounds of the complaints, I would estimate about 90% of them to be completely fabricated by people who have never even sat in an RX-8.
The most common comparisons made with the RX-8 are against the Nissan 350Z and the Ford Mustang GT. I don't consider these cars to be in the same "class" but on the other hand the RX-8 is in a league of its own. The Nissan and Ford are "true" sports cars, rear-wheel drive, 2 doors etc. The RX-8 is more of a sport-sedan (emphasis on sport) but comparing it to a Nissan Altima or Honda Accord would not make for an interesting comparison.
The complaints of a cheap interior are completely off-base. Read any comparison (C&D, MT etc) and the quality of the RX-8's interior gets rave reviews over the likes of the 350Z and the GT. Personally, I find the 350Z's interior to be horribly cheap. The overwhelming amount of plastic reminded me of my dads Hyundai. The GT has a well-built interior but I don't consider it to be anything special. Anyone who has sat in an RX-8 can see the superior quality and design when compared to the other cars in its "class".
Rotary engines need to be warmed up, period. If letting your car warm up for 5 minutes before you drive it (and revving it before turning it off) is too much to ask, buy something else. If you're looking for good gas mileage, this car is not for you.
The RX-8 will get eaten up in any sort of straight-line contest against both the 350Z and the GT. I've read multiple comments about the RX-8 beating the aforementioned vehicles in drag races - these accounts are either fabricated stories or examples of the importance of driving skill (with equal drivers, the RX-8 will lose every day of the week and twice on Sundays to the GT and the 350Z) Having driven all three vehicles, the RX-8 is my favorite. If you want brute power, the Mustang GT is your best bet. If you're looking for the full driving experience, you should be testing the 350Z and the RX-8. Although the 350Z is indisputably faster, it doesn't feel like it unless you've got the pedal to the floor. For everyday driving situations, the RX-8 has a faster feel to it. Both the 350Z and the RX-8 are great handling cars. I consider them to be equally capable but they both have different feels. The 350Z has a stiffer, more rigid ride while the RX-8 is a little more easy going with a softer ride.
All three vehicles have rear seats, the additional "half" doors on the RX-8 make getting into the rear seats an easy task. The RX-8 and the GT have plenty of room for two adults in the back seats while the Nissan's back seats are better suited for gym bag storage.
In my opinion, Mazda's biggest mistake was making an enthusiasts platform into a mainstream product. The RX-8 is not meant for everyone and the majority of the horror stories you hear/read are from those who had no business owning an RX-8 in the first place. Preventative maintenance is the key to happy ownership of an RX-8 but is a foreign concept to those used to driving Honda's and Chevy's. The idea is to have maintenance done to prevent things from breaking BEFORE they break... if you wait for things to go wrong (like most people do with "normal" cars) you'll pay 10X the amount to fix them than you would have paid for the proper maintenance. Obey your owners manual, follow maintenance guidelines religiously and you'll have a great ownership experience.
If you want pure sports car performance, look into the 350Z and the GT. If you want a vehicle that has the genes of a sports car and the utility of a 4 door sedan, you cannot do better than the RX-8.