There are 50 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2004 Mazda RX-8in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2004 Mazda RX-8. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the engine. The dealer determined that the engine had no compression. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 60,000.
Engine naturally wears out especially after 200k miles due to friction in the natural design of the Rotary engine, resulting in losing its overall function such as turning off in the middle of a drive due to loss of compression from worn Apex Seals of the Rotary. The rotary engine requires a replacement of the Apex Seals to continue functioning normally to avoid any unpredictable accidents due to engine failure. An event occurred where my RX-8 went into limp mode in the middle of the freeway as i was commuting due a misfire from poor compression, this is more then likely a common event nowadays for RX-8 owners starting at the S1 2004 models with newer models soon to follow the same incident as me. This is completely unsafe especially traveling at 65 MPH
THE MOTOR LOOSE COMPRESSION TO EASY, AFTER THAT ,THE CAR ITS JUNK.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX-8. WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A DRIVE-THRU WINDOW, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS PUSHED TO A PARKING SPACE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, A LOUD POP SOUND EMERGED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS, SMOKE AND FLAMES APPEARED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT EVALUATED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.
ENGINE LOSES COMBUSTION. INITIAL ONSET CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME, INCLUDING WHILE DRIVING. MAZDA REPLACED ENGINE 4 TIMES USING ORIGINAL STYLE ENGINE THAT LOSES COMBUSTION, AND EXTENDED WARRANTY TO 100,000 MILES. AT 100,000 MILES THE 5TH ENGINE WENT OUT AND MAZDA WOULD NOT REPLACE THE ENGINE. NOTE: MAZDA REPLACED THESE ENGINES WITH THE EXACT SAME ENGINE WITH THE EXACT SAME LOSS OF COMPRESSION ISSUES. FOR ABOUT $8,000 THEY WILL REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH THE GEN II ENGINE THAT HAS BEEN REDONE AND DOES NOT HAVE THE COMPRESSION ISSUES. THIS CAR NOW HAS $0 VALUE. I CANNOT EVEN DRIVE IT TO HAVE THE AIRBAG AND OTHER RECALL WORK DONE ON IT. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE, WITH NO SOLUTION TO FIX THE PROBLEM, JUST PATCHED IT WITH ANOTHER FAULTY ENGINE. MAZDA WAS ABLE TO DEPLETE THEIR STOCK OF FAULTY ENGINES, CLAIM THE RECALL WORK HOURS AND PARTS, AND STILL ANYONE WITH THIS FAULTY ENGINE ENDS UP WITH A CAR THAT DOESN'T WORK AND IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE IN TRAFFIC BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THE ENGINE WILL GO OUT - YOU ONLY KNOW THAT IT WILL.
ENGINES WERE RECALLED FOR LOSS OF POWER AND COMPRESSION AND WAS NOT COMPLETED ON THE CAR I OWN. CAUSES CAR TO STALL AND WILL NOT RESTART UNTIL COOLED DOWN, POTENTIALLY CREATING A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN TRAFFIC. KNOWN DEFECT THAT WAS NOT ADDRESSED ON THE CAR I OWN. CAR LOSES POWER AFTER IT HEATS UP.
VEHICLE MILEAGE UNDER 100,000. HAS HOT START ISSUE, LOW COMPRESSION. ENGINE WARRANTY SHOULD BE MET BY MILEAGE AND NOT BY YEARS. I AM REQUESTING RECALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ABOVE ISSUE. THANK YOU
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX-8. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER (SOUTH MOTORS MAZDA, LOCATED AT 18010 S DIXIE HWY MIAMI, FL 33157 305-234-5500) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000. ...UPDATED 11/21/17 *BF *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX-8. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REBUILT OR REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,000.
CAR EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE. ENGINE RECEIVED PROPER CARE AND OIL CHANGES EVERY 3000 MILES. CERTIFIED MAZDA MECHANIC DETERMINED THE ISSUE WAS DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO FAULTY APEX SEALS. BECAUSE OF THIS THE CAR IMMEDIATELY LOST ENGINE POWER AND COULD NOT BE DRIVEN. WAS REQUIRED TO BUY NEW ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AT THE TIME.
RUSTED OIL COOLER LINES AND FITTINGS ON MY RX8 DRIVEN IN OHIO WHERE ROAD SALTING IS PREVALENT IN SNOW MONTHS. FILING THIS COMPLAINT SINCE THERE IS A RECALL ISSUED FOR MY SAME MODEL YEAR IN CANADA (SPECIAL PROGRAM 76) FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE DUE TO SNOW AND SALT. MODIFIED LINES ARE AVAILABLE TO ADDRESS ISSUE BUT MAZDA IS NOT EXTENDING RECALL COVERAGE TO U.S. REPAIR COST AT DEALER ABOVE $1K. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX-8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. NO DETAILS OF THE REPAIRS WERE AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROX. 50,000. UPDATED 05/03/16*LJ *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SPORADICALLY STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX-8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX-8. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION AND FUEL RELATED COMPONENTS WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE ENGINE COMPLETELY FAILED AND WAS DAMAGED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX-8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHAKE AND JERK FORWARD. THE CONTACT ACCELERATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE ENGINE BUT BLACK SMOKE WAS SEEN FROM EXHAUST. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE ENGINE HAD EXPERIENCED AN INTERNAL FIRE. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE ENTIRE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. THE CONTACT REPORTED THE FAILURE TO THE MANUFACTURER BUT THEY PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,700.
NOTICEABLE OIL LEAK, SCATTERED ALL OVER WHERE THE VEHICLE IS NORMALLY PARKED AS WELL AS ALL OVER THE DRIVER'S SIDE UNDERBODY. OIL LEVEL DROPS APPROXIMATELY 1 US QUART PER 2-3 DAYS, DRIVEN ONLY LIGHTLY TO AND FROM PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT. 10 MILES A DAY TOPS. DIAGNOSED BY INDEPENDENT ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIC AS SUBSTANTIAL LEAK FROM THE OIL COOLER LINES, DUE TO RUST AND EXTREME CORROSION. THE CAR IS NOT DRIVEN IN A HARSH CLIMATE, AND GENERALLY NOT IN SNOW OR ICE. I SEE A RECALL FOR THIS IN SOME COUNTRIES, BUT NOT THE UNITED STATES, DESPITE BEING SUBJECTED TO THE SAME ROAD CONDITIONS. THIS CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TR
2004 MAZDA RX8. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO SEVERAL DEFECTS IN THE VEHICLE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED ABOUT A YEAR AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE, THE REAR TAIL LIGHTS STARTED FILLING UP WITH WATER. ALSO, THE VEHICLE STOPPED RUNNING WITH NO WARNING. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE VEHICLE NEEDED A CATALYTIC CONVERTER. WHEN THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, HE WAS INFORMED THE VEHICLE NEEDED TWO OXYGEN SENSORS. AFTER THE OXYGEN SENSORS WERE REPLACED, THE STALLING CONTINUED. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED THE DEALER, WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE.
THE ENGINE OIL COOLER HOSES DEVELOPED AN OIL LEAK WHICH WAS CAUSED BY CORROSION TO THE METALLIC PARTS OF THE ASSEMBLY. *TR
DRIVING HOME FROM THE STORE, BACKED INTO MY DRIVEWAY. GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND SAW OIL THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE DRIVEWAY AND ALL UNDER THE UNDERCARRIAGE, RIGHT DRIVER SIDE SUSPENSION, AND TIRE. THE OIL COOLER HOSE RUSTED THROUGH AND DUMPED OIL ON THE TIRE. THIS WAS THE REASON I WAS HAVE EXTRA LONG STOPS AND PULLING TO THE PASSENGERS SIDE DURING BRAKING. *TR
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026