KnownCarProblems2006 Mazda RX-8 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 60 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Mazda RX-8, most often about the air bags (28% of complaints, typically around 70,000 miles). It is the 3rd most complained-about RX-8 model year since 2000 and has 5 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 2006 Mazda RX-8 problems
Air bags
17 complaints · 28%Half of these problems showed up before 70,000 miles.
Passenger airbag cover is cracked all over, was told it was from the airbag. Doing the recall for the passenger airbag and waiting on the fuel tank recall.
I purchased/financed my vehicle on october 9, 2015 at hilltop nissan (258 route 10, east hanover, nj 07936) at 59,201 miles. On april 7, 2016, I went to start the vehicle and the vehicle would not start. I had it towed to Mazda of lodi, so the service department can take a look at the vehicle. The service department…
Transmission
13 complaints · 22%Half of these problems showed up before 70,000 miles. Parts named most often: manual transmission, clutch assembly.
I was going to pull out of the parking lot when the clutch pedal bent over to the side (brake side). Because of the bent, I can not put my car into gear or turn it on.
When I was driving down ward ave. I pressed in my clutch peddle and it was stuck on the floor I couldn't shift out of gear I had to stop the car and let it stall out. After I pulled over and let the car stall out I pull the clutch pedal with my foot and pressed it in to start the car. The car would start but I…
Visibility and wipers
9 complaints · 15%Half of these problems showed up before 2,500 miles.
Sun visors repeatedly break and cause the visor to drop down and impair vision momentarily, then they wont stay in the up position. These cost about $200 each time to replace and then they break after about 10 times of use. I feel this is a safety issue and is a manufacturer defect.
Sun visors split at the seams, falls down during driving and block my view. This first happened when my car had 1059 miles, even though I rarely use the visors. The drivers visor was replaced at that time due to the condition. It has since happened again at 3725 miles to the driver and passenger visors. My dealer…
Fuel system
7 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 89,500 miles. Parts named most often: delivery.
The contact owns a 2006 Mazda RX-8. The contact noticed a fuel odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to moffitt volkswagen inc. (1960 old minden road p.o. Box 5855 bossier city, la 71111), and the contact was informed of a recall that may be related to the fuel odor. The dealer informed the contact that the…
I have had my catalytic converter replaced, along w my engine, less than 2 years ago. Now my check engine light has come back on and the inside of my car smells very gassy and exhaust smelling while driving and I'm being told that it's my converter again and they say it should not be having any problems in this short…
Engine
7 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 82,500 miles.
The contact owns a 2006 Mazda RX-8. The contact noticed a fuel odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to moffitt volkswagen inc. (1960 old minden road p.o. Box 5855 bossier city, la 71111), and the contact was informed of a recall that may be related to the fuel odor. The dealer informed the contact that the…
I have had my catalytic converter replaced, along w my engine, less than 2 years ago. Now my check engine light has come back on and the inside of my car smells very gassy and exhaust smelling while driving and I'm being told that it's my converter again and they say it should not be having any problems in this short…
Steering
6 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 25,000 miles.
I went over to my friends house to swim around 1400 and, at that time, everything was normal. After we were done swimming and I got in the car to leave, I turned the care on and the power steering light came on in the dash. I proceeded to the manual which says it is due to a power steering failure. I've read in many…
There is a white bushing that breaks and is not replaceable. The whole steering column has to be replaced. The fact that this car was made with this flaw is beyond my comprehension. The steering wheel becomes very loose and unsafe to drive.
Body and structure
5 complaints · 8%Parts named most often: body.
The dash cover over the passenger side air bag is cracking a lot in all different locations. I talked to the dealer about this and they told me it is a common issue in the RX-8's and that the factory won't cover fixing it. This seems like a serious safety issue with the dash cracking apart right above the air bag. I'm…
Crack appeared in the dash where the passenger air bag is contained. The crack started several months ago and the car is not garaged and is in the sun all day so I thought it might be caused by the sun. I live in georgia and this car originally came from the port authority in florida where it is also very hot. My VIN…
Other or unspecified
4 complaints · 7%2006 Mazda rx8 shinka failed clutch pedal while driving in local area. I took it to machinist next door, and he told me that this pedal is unbelievable how weak it is. The metal part which holds clutch pedal is very thin. Now I've been charged around $400 to fix it, and it feels like it is Mazda's fault. I couldn't go…
The bracket for the clutch pedal has broken 4 times. The milage is currently 81,000. I've contacted Mazda corp and the dealer I bought it from new. They're saying unless there's a recall we have to keep buying a new pedal/bracket assembly. The metal they used is soft and weak causing you to lose control of the clutch.…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2006 Mazda RX-8 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 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: An inflator explosion may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
Mazda north america operations (mazda) is recalling certain 2005-2006 mazda mpv vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of alaska, colorado, connecticut, idaho, iowa, maine, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, montana, new hampshire, new york, north dakota, oregon, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, washington, wisconsin, and wyoming. On july 9, 2019 this recall was expanded to include certain 2005-2009 rx-8 vehicles that were previously recalled under 17v-011 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 used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cy
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: fuel pump
Risk: If the fuel pump pipe cracks, fuel may leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
Mazda north america operations (mazda) is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 rx-8 vehicles. Heat from the engine and the exhaust may cause the main fuel pump pipe to crack.
Fuel system: fuel pump
Risk: The deteriorated seals may leak fuel, which, in the presence of an ignition source, can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
Mazda north america operations (mazda) is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 rx-8 vehicles manufactured april 10, 2003, to february 18, 2008. The affected vehicles have fuel pump sealing rings that may deteriorate due to exposure to heat from the engine or exhaust pipe.
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
Clutch pedal bracket failure
Summary
On september 23, 2009, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate allegations of the clutch pedal bracket failures in my 2004 - 2006 mazda rx8 vehicles.in response to an information request letter sent by odi, mazda stated that the failure mechanism may be related to an improper fastener attachment sequence to the body.the improper sequence may create a distortion of the pedal bracket and create a stress amplitude during pedal usage that may go beyond the wear out limit of the bracket.mazda stated that the percentages of vehicles experiencing the defect is low at approximately 1% of the vehicle population projected to 10 years in service based on
Questions about the 2006 Mazda RX-8
- What are the most common problems with the 2006 Mazda RX-8?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: air bags (17 complaints, typically around 70,000 miles); transmission (13 complaints, typically around 70,000 miles); visibility and wipers (9 complaints, typically around 2,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2006 Mazda RX-8 have?
- 5 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from June 15, 2018 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2006 a bad year for the Mazda RX-8?
- It is the 3rd most complained-about RX-8 model year since 2000, with 60 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.