KnownCarProblems2008 Mazda Mazda6 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 111 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Mazda Mazda6, most often about the air bags (69% of complaints, typically around 91,500 miles). It is 10th of 20 Mazda6 model years by number of complaints and has 4 recalls.
⚠ Safety advisory3 recalls for this car came with a do-not-drive warning. See below and check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Most common 2008 Mazda Mazda6 problems
Air bags
77 complaints · 69%Half of these problems showed up before 91,500 miles. Parts named most often: side/window.
The contact owned a 2008 Mazda 6. While driving approximately 30 MPH, another vehicle coming from the opposite side of the road, lost control due to icy road conditions. As a result, the contact veered to the right to avoid a collision. The contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed against a concrete divider.…
The contact owns a 2008 Mazda 6. While driving 30 MPH, the contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a pole. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was taken to the contact's residence and then towed to an independent mechanic. A police report was not filed. The manufacturer was not notified. Prior to the…
Transmission
9 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 71,500 miles. Parts named most often: manual transmission.
I was going down the I-90 in new york. I just got off a exit and notice my clutch was slipping so I stop and check my slave cylinder and it was cover in oil. I proceed to my destination and park I got out and look some more and notice oil running out of my bell housing. Had it towed to a garage and check out they told…
When the car is accelerating shift shock occurs when shifting from gear 3 to 4. It doesn't always occur when the transmission is cold, but is inevitable as the transmission warms. As time goes on the shift shock occurs under less and less of a load due to the wearing of a part in the transmission. The only way to fix…
Electrical
5 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 37,500 miles. Parts named most often: 12v/24v/48v battery.
November , 17 , 2009 - car lost power while driving ,and came to a stop on the road.car towed in at compass Mazda in middletown,ny. After one day of sitting at the dealership ,car started by itself . Paid $ 48.00 for diagnosis. January, 1, 2010 - car did not start . Car towed in at Mazda palisades in west nyack,ny.…
I tried to start my car on sunday morning (march 18th) and it would not start. I purchased a new battery. When I went to install it, I noted that the positive cable had corroded to the point where it could no longer make contact with the battery terminal. Apparently, the wiring needs to be replaced at a cost of…
Fuel system
5 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 37,500 miles.
November , 17 , 2009 - car lost power while driving ,and came to a stop on the road.car towed in at compass Mazda in middletown,ny. After one day of sitting at the dealership ,car started by itself . Paid $ 48.00 for diagnosis. January, 1, 2010 - car did not start . Car towed in at Mazda palisades in west nyack,ny.…
The contact owns a 2008 Mazda Mazda6. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the contact noticed a yellow spider coming from the vent area onto the carpet. The contact stated she had noticed spiders in this area several times. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for the failure. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign…
Engine
4 complaints · 4%Parts named most often: engine.
1. There was no warning to this failure, I was on a motorway (u.k) I check my oil levels every single week 2. I had an engine over-run and could only be stopped by switching the engine off, the rev counter hit maximum and a huge cloud of white smoke was left behind me. Consequences are now I am left without a car and…
I was going down the I-90 in new york. I just got off a exit and notice my clutch was slipping so I stop and check my slave cylinder and it was cover in oil. I proceed to my destination and park I got out and look some more and notice oil running out of my bell housing. Had it towed to a garage and check out they told…
Steering
4 complaints · 4%Placed our 2008 Mazda 6 in reverse, the steering wheel locked up, the brake pedal would not engage and car rolled back into a telephone pole, causing moderate damage to rear of vehicle. No warning of any previous failures.
When I purchase my new Mazda 6, it was determined on a computer that the steering wheel was crooked, but the car was not out of alignment. Then the car started pulling hard to the right. Then the steering wheel started clunking when I was turning either way. After many trips to the service dept, a new steering column…
Brakes
3 complaints · 3%Parts named most often: foundation components.
The contact owns a 2008 Mazda 6. The contact stated when coming to a stop after driving at approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle would shake. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the front rotors were replaced. The failure mileage was 8,948. The current mileage was 18,243.
Placed our 2008 Mazda 6 in reverse, the steering wheel locked up, the brake pedal would not engage and car rolled back into a telephone pole, causing moderate damage to rear of vehicle. No warning of any previous failures.
Wheels and tires
3 complaints · 3%Parts named most often: pressure monitoring and regulating systems.
Mazda 6i 2008 has two tire sensors fail, which appear to be defective in nature due to how low the mileage is. The tire sensor for right front passenger tire and a tire sensor for rear right passenger tire have failed and there is not even 36,000 miles on the car. Was told this is not covered under warranty but this…
In one month I have had to replace 2 tire pressure sensors. When I asked about why these are going out they told me that there have been a lot of issues with the ones on my car, which is why Mazda has since changed to a different sensor. The first one was a slow leak and I would have to fill it every few days,which…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2008 Mazda Mazda6 recalls
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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 one, free of charge. The recall began december 3, 2019. Owners may contact mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 2618f. Note: this recall supersedes recalls 13v130, 14v362, 14v773 and 15v869.
Full defect summary
Mazda north american operations (mazda) is recalling certain 2003-2008 mazda6, 2004-2005 mpv, 2004 rx-8, and 2006-2007 mazdaspeed6 vehicles. These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
Mazda north america operations (mazda) is recalling certain 2003-2008 mazda6, 2006-2007 mazdaspeed6 and 2004 mpv vehicles nationwide. Mazda is also recalling 2005-2006 mpv vehicles in alabama, arizona, arkansas, california, delaware, the district of columbia, florida, georgia, hawaii, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, louisiana, maryland, mississippi, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new jersey, new mexico, north carolina, ohio, oklahoma, pennsylvania, south carolina, tennessee, texas, virginia, west virginia, puerto rico, american samoa, guam, the northern mariana islands (saipan), and the u.s. Virgin islands. On july 9, 2019 this recall was expanded to include certain 2004-2011 rx-8 vehicles that were previously recalled under 16v-354 but have not yet been repaired. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
Mazda north american operations (mazda) is recalling certain model year 2003-2008 mazda6, 2004-2008 rx-8, and 2006-2007 mazdaspeed6 vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion and other factors, including manufacturing variability that, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Fuel system: tank assembly
Risk: This could lead to perforation of the fuel tank, causing fuel leakage. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the bottom surface of the fuel tank for damage to the protective coating and, if necessary, repair the coating or replace the fuel tank. The recall began on august 28, 2008. Owners may contact mazda at 1-800-222-5500, option 2.
Full defect summary
Mazda is recalling 7,200 my 2007-2008 mazda6 vehicles with california emission specifications. The metal fuel tanks on the affected vehicles may have had the pvc protective coating on the outside of the fuel tank damaged during the assembly process which may result in reduced corrosion resistance.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Desiccated air bag inflator rupture
Summary
From 2000 through 2017, takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("psan") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004l. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 blomquist report at www.NHTSA.gov/sites/NHTSA.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substa
Air bag inflator rupture
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened pe14-016 in june 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.all six vehicles were operated in florida or puerto rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag systems.during the course of pe14-016, odi determined that five additional vehicle manufacturers used inflators of a similar design and vintage also supplied by takata. No evidence of field failures was found in vehicles produced by these five additional manufacturers.nonetheless, at odi's in
Air bag inflator rupture
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened pe14-016 in june 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.all six vehicles were operated in florida or puerto rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag systems.during the course of pe14-016, odi determined that five additional vehicle manufacturers used inflators of a similar design and vintage also supplied by takata. No evidence of field failures was found in vehicles produced by these five additional manufacturers.nonetheless, at odi's in
Questions about the 2008 Mazda Mazda6
- What are the most common problems with the 2008 Mazda Mazda6?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: air bags (77 complaints, typically around 91,500 miles); transmission (9 complaints, typically around 71,500 miles); electrical (5 complaints, typically around 37,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2008 Mazda Mazda6 have?
- 4 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from October 31, 2019 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2008 a bad year for the Mazda Mazda6?
- It is 10th of 20 Mazda6 model years by number of complaints, with 111 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.