Problems=your brain

The survey is based on responses for 810,000 privately owned or leased vehicles. In the survey, subscribers were asked to report serious problems they experienced during the previous year, ranging from the engine and transmission to body hardware and electrical systems. These responses allow Consumer Reports to calculate problem rates for 1997 through 2004 vehicles and to predict reliability for 2005 models. The analysis is based on the number of problems per 100 vehicles.

 

I would say that it can be boiled down to a few simple reason.

1) Horrible gas mileage at a time of high gas prices. I'm talking 12mpg in the city bad.

2) Less hp and torque then its competitors. Even worse when tied with the high fuel consumption.

3) Fear of the rotary engine - some of it justifiable some just ignorance.

4) Mazda's poor support of the RX. Bad service, ignoring known problems, blaming known problems on the owner, refusal to do warranty work. Mazda is its own worst enemy here.

On the plus side you can get into a very nice car for a steal. If Mazda would ever stand behind this car and support it like any other car company would this would become a truly great automobile.

 

"serious problems" define.