"How reliable is the 2006 Mazda Rx-8?"

"Based on 74 NHTSA complaints, the 2006 Mazda Rx-8 has a median complaint mileage of 65000 miles. The most common issue is AIR BAGS."

"What are common problems with the 2006 Mazda Rx-8?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2006 Mazda Rx-8 is AIR BAGS, accounting for a significant portion of the 74 total complaints filed."

2006 Mazda Rx-8: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 74 complaints

Total Complaints

65,000mi

Median Mileage

AIR BAGS

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

34,500 25th Percentile

65,000 Median Mileage

93,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

AIR BAGS

VISIBILITY

POWER TRAIN

ENGINE

STEERING

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

STRUCTURE

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR FAILURE BLOCKS DRIVER'S VISIBILITY. *NM"

"DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE GOING 70 MPH IN CRUISE CONTROL MODE THE VEHICLE BACK END SWERVED LEFT AND THEN RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AFTER THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER, HOWEVER THE CONTACT SUSPECTS THAT TRACCION CONTROL SYSTEM FAILED..."

"WHILE DRIVING, DURING NORMAL POSITIONING OF SUN VISOR, THE VISOR SPLIT AND FELL DOWN, HANGING BY THE ELECTRICAL WIRES AND DANGLING IN FRONT OF MY FACE. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE UNTIL I COULD PULL OFF THE ROAD. IT WAS STILL NOT POSSIBLE TO REMOVE THE VISOR WITHOUT TOOLS, MAKING EVEN THE RIDE HOME DA..."

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