2008 MAZDA RX-8 — Owner-Reported Problems
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 17 complaints · 5 recalls
Verdict & Safety Summary
Most-reported system: AIR BAGS (5 complaints · 29.4%)
Safety signals:
- Crashes 0
- Fires 1
- Injuries 0
- Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Component Problem Distribution
Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)
UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 5 | 29.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| STEERING | 4 | 23.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| FUEL SYSTEM | 2 | 11.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| ENGINE | 1 | 5.9% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 | 5.9% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 4 | 23.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Problem & Recall Timeline
Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time
- Campaign 17V474000 was reported 848 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 18V402000 was reported 1,172 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 18V404000 was reported 1,172 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 16V793000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17V354000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17V474000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 18V402000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 18V404000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE14016 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA15001 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA21002 |
Safety Recalls (5)
Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 16V793000
- Report date
- Component:
- FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
- Consequence:
- The deteriorated seals may leak fuel, which, in the presence of an ignition source, can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump sealing ring set and add a thermal insulation pad to the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began July 31, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 0516J.
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 17V354000
- Report date
- Component:
- FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
- Consequence:
- If the fuel pump pipe cracks, fuel may leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump filter kit, free of charge. The recall began on July 31, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1017E.
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 17V474000
- Report date
- Component:
- AIR BAGS
- Consequence:
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began on September 12, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1417G. Note: This recall supersedes recall 15V-382.
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 18V402000
- Report date
- Component:
- AIR BAGS
- Consequence:
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began July 6, 2018. Mailing to the affected RX-8 owners began July 6, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 2618F. Note: With the addition of the RX-8 vehicles, this recall fully supersedes recall 16V354.
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 18V404000
- Report date
- Component:
- AIR BAGS
- Consequence:
- An inflator explosion may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began July 6, 2018 for MPV vehicles. The recall began July 9, 2019 for RX-8 vehicles. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 2618F. Note: With the addition of the RX-8 vehicles, this recall fully supersedes recall 17V-011.
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Complaint Narrative Explorer
Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Showing 0 of 17 complaints · page 1 of 1
No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.