I test drove the RX-8 about 2 weeks ago and loved it. I have been anticipating its arrivel since the evo, and now that its finally here i have been going to the dealer all the time to check it out. I really love the way it drove and i love the looks but i have begun to question its reliability, and how honest mazda has been with us. My mom just got a mazda6 and its really great and has 1100 miles on it and has no problems. The RX-8 seems to be having lots of problems with HP issues, rattles, and CEL's. Today i went and sat in one of the RX-8s on the showroom floor and the thing was going bizzerk. There wasnt even a key in the ignition and there were clicking noises the lights were dimming then going back on and all the gauges were flying everywhere(I was thinking shock sensor uprgrade? but it didnt show that it had one on the sticker). Me and my friend were like what the heck? I currently own a dodge and dont want to buy another car that is going to have reliability issues. Maybe i should wait till 2005 and see if they cant fix all this in the second year of production...tell me what you guys think and what your opinions are on the cars reliability. Thanks.

 

Well, let them work the bugs out and pick one up in 05. That is what I'm planning unless the dealer gives me a good deal on a 04 S2000.

 

Im kinda thinking the same thing but instead of the S2000 looking at the G35C. My friends girlfriend just got a Black one. They look so good black on black with no spoiler and tinted windows. I dont like the interior though....., and i cant take it to 9k rpms.....gotta love the rotary engine.

 

I haven't seen any of the issues you saw with my RX-8. It has 650 miles it has been really good in terms of wierd things cars have sometimes, such as squeeks, creeks, etc. Although, I will point out the engine seems to make many different noises, yet, I do not know exactly what a rotary is suppose to sound like.

 

Let me consult my magic 8 ball... hmmm... I got a maybe, anyone else get better?

 

Do you guys think they will change much from the first year to the second year of production?

 

You drove a RX-8 two weeks ago, loved it, and did not notice any problems. However you sat in 1 demo car, what sat for how long, played with by many users, and had some type of problem, (i.e. electrical). Which by the way could have been caused by someone knocking the fuse box, shorting it, or something to that sort. Anyway, and you are questioning about this car's reliability?

You can look at all the threads on this forum, and discover that 99.5% of the car owners are experiencing no problem what-so-ever. I'm not talking about a few gripes about low gas mileage because of their "lead foot". Nor someone thinking that their AC is not cooling good enough. That half of percent with some "real" problem, does not give me any indication that this car will have reliability problems (mechanical & electrical) down the road. And for that 1/2 percent, nothing that the 4 yr, 50,000 mile warranty can't cover.

 

I'm pushing 2000 miles of heavy stop and go driving with constant AC use, and have had no problems. No sqeaks funny noises, flashing lights, ect. I have been reading this forum for many months, and do not see all of the bad post you are talking about. I agree with RX-8 Zoomster, legitimate gripes are in the vast minority, and there is a very adequate warranty provided. The problem you saw on the showroon floor, from what I have read, has never been reported on any thread. There are many wonderful 8's sitting on lots quietly waiting to be owned. Our local dealer, has had nine come in, and has four left. He mentioned that they are going fast, selling themselves, and at a very good price this year. You never know what next year has in store. I know how fun this car is right now, and I don't forsee a drop off in my excitement anytime soon.

 

I've had mine for only a week.

It's been 90+ degrees and humid....A/C works great.

No power loss either. The car runs like a "scalded dog".

No squeaks, no rattles....probably the most solidly built car I've ever owned (including a couple of BMWs, a couple of Toyotas and an Accord).

If you like the car, buy it. There's really nothing substantiated regarding wide spread problems about the car. All I've seen is some speculation. And most of that comes from some well placed trolls.

 

I've put on 1300 miles in a week and a half. Nothing but smooth sailing. NO rattles, NO squeaks, NO nothing.

Yes, the engine sounds odd, but that is what a rotary does. It is unlike ANYTHING ELSE. You want to hear SCARY sounds? Try a twin turbo rotary at 13psi boost and a performance exhaust. The engine sounds like a wailing banshee.............. the power just keeps going and going.

 

My experience thus far has been trouble free and btw, what do you mean exactly when you say that the gauges where "flying" everywhere? I was laughing my *** off when I read that because it conjured up images in my head of little round gauge-like hummingbirds buzzing around the interior. Please, correct me if my interpretation is a bit off

 

Well im glad to hear that you guys are enjoying it....One of my best friends has a 350Z and he has been giving me a hard time and talking about reliability so the dealer episode scared me a bit. When i moved the driver seat using the power controlls the rpm gauge and the rest would go all the way up and back down, and it would keep doing it till i let off. Dont get me wrong...i'm not putting down the car at all, and hope there is nothing wrong because i do want to get it and dont want anything to be wrong them. My current car is a dodge intrepid and i have had so many things go wrong with it that im freaking out that im going to have to experiance all of those negative feelings when i have to take it into the shop...and i dont want that from a brand new car that im gunna be spending 30k+ on. Im just a little paranoid, thanks for your replies they are helping me feel comfortable in my decision.

-jason

 

patrovi, I think if you are willing to take a bit of a risk on the RX-8, it'll pay off. Essentially the RX-8's main difference with the 350Z is engine, and I think in both cars that's one thing that won't go bad. Sure there are lots of gizmos and things that *can* go wrong, but nothing that won't be taken care of while under warranty.

The engine is naturally aspirated and based off the 13B which has given many owners hundreds of thousands of miles of satisfaction, so I say bite the bullet and jump into the car. You won't regret it

 

Thanks Herc...now i just have to decide on the color :D I'm thinking black on black, it looks really smooth.

 

It's really to early to tell, mazda in 2002 did not rate very well in the problems per 100 vehicles that Consumer repoprts does every year. But a year can make a big difference and it really doesn't go into details as to what those problems were. Those of you that say it's reliable really don't know, and the same goes for those of you that say it isn't. It's going to be a 1-2 years, if not longer before we really know for sure.

Ike

 

I'm sure the problem that you are facing is a low or dead battery issue, it seems here that every car we put on the show room floor has a dead battery in no time(people constantly using things, radio, lights, etc..). I'm sure the problem that you are explaining is due to this.

 

You know, I was at the grocery store magazine rack today, and I spotted a copy of Consumer Reports' Automobile Buying Guide...thingy...ANYWAY, I was looking at the ratings and the first five or six automakers (out of like 35) were rated like this:

-Lexus
-Toyota
-Acura
-Honda
-Mazda
-Nissan
-blah
-blah
-blah


Seems to me that Mazdas are becoming more and more reliable with each passing year. Hopefully that the RX-8 will be as reliable as the other Mazdas by next year (I graduate with an EE degree next year and I might have a job. Can't keep driving my '85 Camry forever, now, can't I?):D

 

i'm pretty sure i've seen the most recent consumer reports reliability ratings and nissan and subaru were both higher than mazda.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...cr-picks_x.htm

 

I agree with you.

This actually happened to my old Intrigue when the battery went bad. I didn't even have to have the key in the ignition and the gauges went haywire. The needles were dancing and the lights flickered and the dash was clicking.

Kind of disturbing the first time it happens, but nothing to worry about.

BTW, the RX-8 is awesome. I have experienced no problems in my first 3 weeks and everyone loves the car.

 

Statistics are easy to misinterpret. Consumer reports indicates Mazda's 20 problems per 100 vehicles, and that might be interpreted to mean that Mazda's vehicles are, overall, half as reliable as Toyota, which has 10 problems per 100.

But how many trips to the repair shop does it take to fix a problem? Depends on the nature of the problem and the company attitude towards repairs. Remember that Mazda's policy is to "fix it right the first time". So you might have the same or fewer trips to the repair shop compared to any other make. Or you might have no problems at all.

Finally, since the RX-8 is in its first year, those CR stats don't say anything about what to expect from the RX-8; only time will tell.