The Mazda RX-8 has 14 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 2004–2011. On average a defect was admitted 9.43 years after the car was built, the slowest took 15 years. The most recalled system is Air Bags (7 campaigns). Owners also filed 642 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Mazda RX-8
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Air Bags 7 Read
What's wrong. 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…
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…
What's wrong. Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2010-2011 Mazda RX-8 vehicles that were previously recalled under recall 18V-716 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 cycling
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 repair has been 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 July 9, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4.…
What's wrong. 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…
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…
Fuel System, Gasoline 3 Read
What's wrong. Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2009-2011 RX-8 and 2006-2007 MazdaSpeed6 vehicles. Fuel may leak from the fuel pump mounting rings
Risk. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire
Fix. Dealers will install new fuel pump mounting rings. Dealers will also add a thermal insulation pad to the fuel tank on RX-8 vehicles. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 17, 2021. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number…
What's wrong. Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2009-2011 RX-8 and 2006-2007 MazdaSpeed6 vehicles. Fuel may leak from the fuel pump mounting rings
Risk. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire
Fix. Dealers will install new fuel pump mounting rings. Dealers will also add a thermal insulation pad to the fuel tank on RX-8 vehicles. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 17, 2021. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number…
What's wrong. Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2009-2011 RX-8 and 2006-2007 MazdaSpeed6 vehicles. Fuel may leak from the fuel pump mounting rings
Risk. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire
Fix. Dealers will install new fuel pump mounting rings. Dealers will also add a thermal insulation pad to the fuel tank on RX-8 vehicles. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 17, 2021. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number…
Suspension 2 Read
What's wrong. Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2004 Mazda RX-8 vehicles. The ball joint socket on the front suspension lower control arm may crack and the ball joint may separate from the socket
Risk. If the ball joint separates, steering control may be lost, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front lower control arms, 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 1117E
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles, due to improper forging of the lower control arm, cracks may occur in the ball joint socket
Risk. In severe driving conditions, the ball may separate from the ball joint socket and a loss of steering may occur, which could result in a crash
Fix. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the control arms. The recall began on august 30, 2005. Owners may contact mazda at 1-800-222-5500
Engine And Engine Cooling 1 Read
What's wrong. If certain passenger vehicles are parked and the engine is operated at high RPM's for an excessive length of time, some of the parts around the exhaust system can melt and produce a variety of malfunctions. Problems caused by the excessive heat build-up can range from inoperative oxygen sensor, neutral switch and back up lights, problems with the parking brakes, malfunctions of the gas gauge and/or possible fuel leaks resulting from heat damage to the fuel tank
Risk. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire
Fix. Dealers will inspect and replace parts. The recall began on august 30, 2005. Owners may contact mazda at 1-800-222-5500
What's wrong. If certain passenger vehicles are parked and the engine is operated at high RPM's for an excessive length of time, some of the parts around the exhaust system can melt and produce a variety of malfunctions. Problems caused by the excessive heat build-up can range from inoperative oxygen sensor, neutral switch and back up lights, problems with the parking brakes, malfunctions of the gas gauge and/or possible fuel leaks resulting from heat damage to the fuel tank
Risk. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire
Fix. Dealers will inspect and replace parts. The recall began on august 30, 2005. Owners may contact mazda at 1-800-222-5500
Power Train 1 Read
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles with manual transmissions, the heat insulator may be cracked causing abnormal noise
Risk. Continued operation of the vehicle can cause the insulator to come off and could pose a hazard to following vehicles
Fix. Dealers will replace the heat insulator. The recall began march 5, 2004. Owners should contact mazda at 1-800-222-5500
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 9.43 years |
| Slowest campaign | 15 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 88.1% |
| Campaigns on record | 14 |
Which RX-8 years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Air Bags | |
| 2010 | Air Bags | |
| 2009 | Air Bags | |
| 2008 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 2007 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 2006 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 2005 | Engine And Engine Cooling | |
| 2004 | Air Bags |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Go deeper
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Mazda RX-8 have?
14 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 2004–2011. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my RX-8 still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 9.43 years, and the slowest campaign came 15 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.