"How reliable is the 2005 Mazda Rx-8?"

"Based on 212 NHTSA complaints, the 2005 Mazda Rx-8 has a median complaint mileage of 62700 miles. The most common issue is POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION."

"What are common problems with the 2005 Mazda Rx-8?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2005 Mazda Rx-8 is POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION, accounting for a significant portion of the 212 total complaints filed."

2005 Mazda Rx-8: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 212 complaints

212

Total Complaints

62,700mi

Median Mileage

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

35,000 25th Percentile

62,700 Median Mileage

94,962 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

AIR BAGS

POWER TRAIN

STEERING

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

ENGINE

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"MAZDA RX-8: CAR WAS PARKED AT THE TOP OF A GRADUAL SLOPE, WITH PARKING BRAKE FIRMLY PULLED UP. NO MORE THAN 5 MINUTES LATER, THE CAR HAD BACKED UP INTO BOTTOM OF A DITCH. THE CAR WAS GIVEN AN ESTIMATE OF OVER $15,000 WORTH OF DAMAGE DUE TO THE FAULTY BRAKE. WITNESSES AT THE SCENE CONFIRM THAT TH..."

"I PURCHASED AN 05 MAZDA RX8 IN JAN OF THIS YEAR. SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, I WAS INFORMED BY OTHER DRIVERS THAT MY DRIVER'S HEADLIGHT CAUSES THEM A DISTRACTION BECAUSE IT GLOWS BRIGHTER, AS IF THE HIGH BEAM HAS COME ON. I HAVE SEEN THIS MYSELF WHEN I DROVE ANOTHER CAR IN FRONT OF MINE. I TOOK THE CAR IN..."

"DT: THE CONSUMER PURCHASED A NEW MAZDA RX8. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED WHAT THE CONSUMER SUSPECTED WAS A PROBLEM THAT OCCURRED WHILE IN PARK AND THE RPMS INCREASED, CAUSING EXCESSIVE HEAT BUILDUP WHICH AFFECTED THE OXYGEN SENSORS AS WELL AS THE ABILITY TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THIS COULD ALSO LEAD ..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28