Consumer Report, Overall Reliability "below average". Engine Reliability: "Far Below average" Read that last car issue they put out.....hmmmmm.

The car is a great performer and has many virtues but, it does have some problems which many knowledgeable people on this list believe my not be corrected. Sticking your head in the sand will not make them go away.

 

The 8 looks as if it has a constant grin on its face....I think that says it all for the driving experience. Thanks for the post CamelJocky. It makes me want to go cruise.

 

I had one of those outside line instances just yesterday. Utter confidence that my '8 would hold the line. I really hope I didn't scare the opposing drivers.

 

I'm looking at Consumer Reports's Reliability Ratings of the 8 right now, on their website. And yes, overall reliability has dropped from "average" to "below average". (Though, for the record, that's not the worst rating; Porsche 911 reliability is rated "well below average".)

But where do you get that "engine reliability" is "far below average"? Consumer Reports doesn't even have a single category for "engine reliability"! That's a gross over-simplification of CR's engine reliability data which, in fact, is broken down into three areas: Engine major, engine minor, and engine cooling:

Engine major: Engine rebuild, cylinder head, head gasket, turbocharger, and supercharger.

Engine minor: Distributor, coil, spark plugs, sensors or modules, electronic ignition, accessory and timing belts; oil leaks, engine knock or ping.

Engine cooling: Radiator, cooling fan, water pump, thermostat, coolant leaks, overheating.

Now, looking at the latest info on their website, the '04 is rated "below average" for "engine major", while the '05 is rated "well above average".
The '04 is rated "above average" for "engine cooling", while the '05 is rated "well above average".
For "engine minor", both years are "well below average".

Looking at all the info, where do you get off telling everyone that Consumer Reports rates the 8's engine reliability as "far below average"?! This isn't the Fox News Channel—stick to the facts.

 

The big swings in CR's reliability ratings have to tell you something about CR's sample sizes. Also about the relatively small margins between something being "average," "above," or "below." Last year's ratings put reliability high enough that they recommended the 8. This year it dropped a little and slipped off the list. That's bizarre, because the consensus here is that with the '06 model Mazda fixed all of the birth defects that had lingered from '03 and '04.

IMHO, buying an RX-8 entails more risk than, say, buying a Honda during Honda's good years. Higher tech vehicle, unique engine. Committed to getting service at a good dealer (if you can find one) or a rotary specialist (even rarer). But without risk there is no reward. And it's a hell of a lot less risky than buying something like a Porsche, where reliability is not a consideration.

Ken

 

glad you're enjoying your 8 so much!

ZOOM ZOOM

 

I agree. My issue is with the half dozen people on this forum who, in disproportion to their small number, flood this forum with horror stories portraying the 8 as a well known and monumental reliability disaster.

In fact, taking into account Consumer Reports data—and the results of other published long-term road tests—the 8 seems to be more or less as reliable as most other new cars. Not Honda great; not Porsche bad. And the fact that the '04s—the first year of production—seem to be more problematic should come as no surprise. Many car buyers—myself included—never purchase a car the year it comes out specifically because of the higher probability of "teething" problems.

 

I would be interested to know what is the reliability is like for non-North American rx-8s. These little rotary devils are very popular in Asia and Europe.

 

4years 45,ooo miles from 33 to start and still very single day rain or shine it's a thrill to keep having that (i bought a good one)feelong even after all the recalls new trans etc..etc..i love it more day to day.good post and you have touched a lot of souls out there that have only heard the fools not the pros!!

 

I've only had my 8 a couple weeks now, so perhaps I'm not the person to comment on reliability just yet, however i have noticed one thing.

Many of the people who have problems with the 8 have installed engine mods of some sort. The engineers who designed the 8 clearly knew what they were doing, If they didn't it wouldn't be such a fantastic machine. Modifying your engine destroys all the hard work those engineers did. Are there things the engineers did that compromise the power of the machine? probably, but I'm sure that "we're gonna compromise performance of the 8 just to be dicks and to created an after market for the car." wasn't their reasoning. Perhaps those compromises are about reliability?

Then theres also the fact that the kind of people who install engine mods may drive their cars a lot harder then normal people, leading to increased failure rates.

Finally, the newer 8's have a lot fewer problems then the old ones. Thats just the way cars evolve.

*shrug* I love my 8, and I'll do my best to treat her well. Hopefully it will be enough to keep her from misbehaving.

PS: No, I don't have any specific users in mind. Just musing on some observations I've made.

 

Surprisingly you are correct the 04 which represents the majority of RX-8's on the road was only rated below average for major mechanical while both the 04 and 05 were rated far below average for minor mechanical. Hardly a triumphant of victory in reliability. There are so few 06 that there was insufficient data. As noted over all reliability was rated below average. For comparison the 350z was rated average and the S2000 was rated above average.

So in summary we have the vast majority of RX-8's rated below average for major engine reliability, far below average for minor engine reliability and below average overall. Wow, I stand corrected these are really great figures, can't imagine where people get off thinking this is an unreliable car. Time to put that head back into the sand where everything is Rosy.

 

I've had my '07 for almost 5 months now as well, and not a day passes that i dont have double takes at my car...i still cant believe it's mine! And girls love the 8...."wow, that's yours?" Thats right, ladies. haha. And now that I have my Mazdaspeed CAI in it, when I floor it heads start turning blocks ahead, its my new favorite game - see how many heads will turn around when I punch the gas!

I think they've almost gotten rid of the flooding issue for '07s, as I've had no problems. The other week I had my car at a busy car wash, where they would move it 5 feet, turn it off, clean it, move it up 5 more feet, etc. etc. and there were no problems at all.

 

The flooding problem is pretty cleared up, it can still happen but if the engine is warm shutting down then restarting will not have an effect. It is only a cool engine which can flood.

 

Its nice to see some positive feedback on the RX-8. I do realize that most people only post "problems" which is pretty much what a forum is for - to help with problems. However, having a post like this every once in a while is definitely good for people like me who was able to sift through the good and bad and come up with a failry good assessment of the RX-8.

So thank you CamelJockey for reporting the good experience.

BTW, I have a '07 model and haven't had a single issue as of yet in the 3500 miles I've put on the car. I've been using the advice of many of the senior members of this forum to help me care for the car from things like wax, lubricants, driving style, etc.

Cheers

 

I love how you use "fact" then follow it up with "may". That's like saying something works every time 50% of the time.

 

Sex Panther... 60% of the time it works every time.

 

Glad you love the car. I feel the same way. Granted, I haven't been too fond of bringing my car into the dealership a lot to get things like new motor mounts, synchro's, battery, plugs, voluntary recall, and the other list of things that were "defects" with the initial design of the 8, but hey no one's perfect (and it's all under warranty).

The car is definitely a dream to drive despite the lack of low-end torque. Nothing better than the high pitch sound of a rotary revving to 9K in the morning.

 

It is really strange. When I started reading these forums I found thread after thread about no torque. I went out and drove a MT for the first time and was like "yep...no torque when you shift at 3K RPM."...then I ordered one 3 days later. This car might as well idle at 3K RPM because below that it is pretty useless...but wait...that is how it was designed...odd. I have yet to have a serious complaint about driving this car. While it may be nice to be able to light up the tires for a big smokey burnout once in a while...I kinda like not chirping the tires as I leave from every light.

The other complaint I saw everywhere was about the Bose system and how horrid it was. During my test drives the radio was on and it was no big deal. Sounded like a crappy factory head unit to me. However, I couldn't live with what came stock after having an iPod adapter in my previous car. So the first thing I did...ordered me up an iPod adapter that fit my needs. WOW...what a difference. For any of you complaining about the speakers...it isn't them. These Bose speakers are wonderful, it is the flat EQ that the car has. Use the EQ in the iPod and the sound that will come out of your car will be completely different. A cop last night even warned me about the "excessive noise" coming from my stereo. Don't be fooled...you can get great sound out of this factory stereo. I bet even a basic EQ would be enough to fix the sound in this car. Anyone in my area that wants to hear the difference...PM me and we can work something out.

 

Many people on the forums have mods regardless.

But just doesn't make sense. Putting in a new intake, for example, has nothing to do with flooding (which is a non-issue now) or say, grinding in reverse gear.

How do mods destroy what they've done? You would simply be customizing the car, the way you like it. What mods can be detrimental? There are turbos and superchargers, which have their positives, but they cut engine life. But that's about it. Midpipe, pulleys, flywheel, exhaust, suspension...these things don't damage what Mazda has done, but can further improve the car to fit one's own needs, whether that's for power, appearance, sound, or whatever characteristic. A 'modification' is done to something with the aim of improving it.

Every car model has its problems and every once in a while there will be one with an unfortunate number of problems. No escaping that. It's based on luck, but like everything else in life, taking proper care of it will help lower risks.

Nothing was compromised, all the power that could be delivered from the design of the engine was pulled out (while meeting emission standards). A lot of car companies compromise their cars, to fit well in the market according to their lineups, but that wasn't done to the RX-8.

Spirited drivers who own an RX-8 and drive it hard are probably going to have the engine last longer for them (assuming proper maintenance). The engine needs to be revved for its own sake. Of course, aggressive driving would probably mean the life of the tires, brakes, suspension and perhaps the clutch would go down.



Take care of her, but that includes driving her the way she was meant to be.

Stick around the forums, you have a lot to see.

 

I've got the April 2006 issue of Consumer Reports, which rates all cars. That was my secondary reference when car shopping last year. Primary was Motor Trend's New Car Guide.

In the main section of CR, the RX-8's reliabilityand satisfaction are rated "average." The average reliability, plus the safety features, earned it a "Recommended." For an April '06 magazine, I'd guess that the ratings would have been based on '05s.

In the back, in the ratings for used cars, the '04s have full black marks for fuel and ignition, average for engine, half-black for AC, and full "well above average" for most other things.

The '05s get full "well above average" for EVERYTHING except paint/trim. That gets an "average." Amusing how paint/trim was "well above average" the year before. Mazda must have changed their paint/trim supplier.

CR's ratings are useful information, prepared in good faith (by CR's standards) but should not be taken as gospel.

Unless you're shopping for a Dodge Dart.

Ken

 

You are correct, in 2007 it slipped to below average.