Rvertrees

I am looking at buys an RX8 as my first sports car, But before i buy i want to gather a general opinion on the reliability of the RX8. Are there any common issues i should look for while inspecting potential purchases?

mscamp02

iTrader: (3)

first....search





next......check stickies





last.........Search





2 million threads about this. dont need another


kthxbai

Rvertrees

I did the search and its pages of trolls with poor english bashing the reliability with no credible source. I however dont have any experience in the RX8 department and would just like a simple answer. Is it really a very unreliable car? I realize that it is a sports car so it will require more work than a regular car. But how does it stack up against its closes competition?

SayNoToPistons

iTrader: (8)

This thing is so unreliable. It blew up my house twice and set my fish tank on fire. I once asked it to get me a beer from the local grocery store, and it got me soy milk instead. WTF.

HockeyRX-8

iTrader: (1)

cuz you're doing it wrong

Jon316G

iTrader: (1)

But the question you're asking can not result in a simple answer.
This is why stickies were made for new people to read.
Here is a start...
https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-forum-197/rx8-faq-new-owners-116484/
https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-faq-9/faq-update-63747/

Marklar

LOL, he has a point.

It's not the most reliable car in the world and it does require more maintenance than your average car. But it's not much different than any other sports cars in that regard.

The main thing to know is that all 04-08 RX-8s sold in the US have an 8 yr/100k mile engine warranty. If the car has been well-maintained and the maintenance is documented, then if the engine goes you can get a new one for free.

If you're looking to buy new, the new ones have some improvements to make them more reliable, but those cars don't have a lot of miles so the jury is still out on how reliable they actually are.

Reliability isn't much different than other sports cars. They require care and maintenance. The rotary engine's reputation for poor reliability is mostly (but not entirely) undeserved.

You need to check the oil regularly and add some when it gets low, and change the oil regularly. And you must rev it up frequently to prevent carbon build-up. Otherwise, it's like any other sports car.

Lane03

I find it ironic that you criticize others for poor English, when your first post states:

However, to answer your question; yes the RX-8 is a reliable car, providing you do the proper maintenance and keep up on checking the oil level.

Jon316G

iTrader: (1)

I have a simple answer for him...
If you're the kind of person that can't follow recommended guidelines for proper maintenance and care, NO car is going to be reliable.

A lot of people come on here without even reading the owner's manual... WTF?
If a simple task like that is too much for you, then don't buy an RX8 because you really need to understand what you can and can't do.
As long as you can follow directions, she'll treat you well.
Not to mention there is a 10yr/100k mile warranty on the engine, so who cares if it goes bad (as long as its before the warranty expires).

velociti

iTrader: (1)

that reminds me, i've been meaning to go beat that dead equine out back.

change the oil every 3k miles, add a half quart to a quart half way in between, redline the hell out of it once in a while to get rid of carbon buildup and the thing should last quite a long time. the only other thing would be to replace the coils/plugs every, what, 40k miles or so?

Jon316G

iTrader: (1)

That was actually pretty funny... thanks, I needed that.

Rvertrees

Thank you for the responses. I thought it would be just like any other sports car. More work than a regular car but 10x more fun.

ken-x8

10x?? Infidel! Unwashed heathen!

At least 100x. And that's on a bad day.

BTW - if you want to glean real owner experience from this site, don't search. Browse. Just scroll through the fora, then open threads whose titles intrigue you. You may spend an evening or two doing that, but you'll get the collective experience. I started out that way, and have had no surprises since then.

Also look at the DIYs...what people need to fix or choose to work on is a good tell of what to expect.

Ken

kingaaron

iTrader: (1)

Only get an 8 if you like to do things yourself. If your not the DIY type then forget about it, get a Civic and rice on!

Atilla

iTrader: (1)

^+1

i've found that i spend more time under, around, in this car than any other car i've owned. Tho it may be tedious and ridiculous to most - i have yet to complain about it...


well the mpg's suck but who actually counts that crap anyways

Roaddemon

I must be the only original owner with a perfect early model 04 6spd. It has 40k on it, I bought it as a demo with 2300miles. Only the following minor issues. Heat temp control **** broke but a little crazy glue fixed it, rear tail light lenses got water but I drilled a couple small holes to fix it, catalytic converter heat shield weld broke and had to be re welded($65). Everything else was the usual tsbs and recalls on this car covered by warranty. After 6 years it is the most reliable, least expensive, maintenance free car I've owned. I have owned hondas and other mazdas and this RX8 is the best. I live in a cold climate so overheating was never an issue with this car. I am very pleased. I guess I'm just a lucky guy.

rodjonathan

iTrader: (6)

^ actually me too ive only done regular oil changes seafoamed once changed plugs and colis and wires and it still has the original engine! sun visor broke but i got another one ... i LOVE my 8 oh and i have now 95997 miles on it and its an 04 auto

fyrstormer

Those who say they've spent more time wrenching on their 8's than any other car must never have owned Volkswagens. Those things act up when the weather changes. No, seriously, they really do act up when the weather changes. I'm not even kidding.

So what's the deal with the coils going bad on this car? Is that an early-model-year thing, or do they just wear out faster than normal because the engine revs so high?

ken-x8

AAUUGH!!! Volkswagens! Beetles were kind of an interactive mechanical experience. I've got more than my share of "How to nurse a dead Beetle home" tales and I never even owned one.

I did own a Rabbit, which was also an amusing experience. Engine and drive wheels at the opposite end, water cooled instead of air cooled, yet very much the same.

I've had zero problems with my 8, which is exactly what one should expect for a car that's not quite four years old.

Ken

RX8.PIPE.DREAMS

iTrader: (1)

Check my Sig. My understanding of engines failing is due to carbon buildup more than anything else. This point is validated by Paul @ MAZMART as he has commented on the carbon buildup as being a problem for a great deal of his rebuilds. As a precaution, I only use tier 1 gas (shell v-power 91) and Lucas UCL as pre-mix.

otakurx

Other then the clutch, the only reasons my car has been off the road has been to have some curb rash cleaned up and the time a guy backed into me at a stop light. The car has been quite reliable even as the coils age and act up. She can give ya little heart attacks tho on cold days with bad coils as it runs rough for the first 30s or so. Overall the car has been great, have logged over 146k miles so far and have been getting around 20mpg the whole time so I'm not at all disappointed with the little beast. It is good to have an eye for detail with the car and regular maintenance is a must and can't be skipped but it should be that way with any car. Heck even the interior has handled the use well, the only issue I ran into is this winter my passenger seat seat heater burnt out

Atilla

iTrader: (1)

^am i reading your signature right??

delorean - project???

I'm actually interested in this project....


/offtopic post

RotoRocket

iTrader: (1)

Dead battery actually replaced by Mazda for free - AFTER 3 YEARS of MICHIGAN WINTERS.

I'm highly satisfied and the "8s are a pain to maintain" and/or "are problematic" is genuine horseshit, from a statistical analysis...

IMHO.

RotaryP7

^ What the F.. I paid for my battery replacement.. You're telling me the warranty replaces the battery for free?!

But anyway, had the car since Nov 06.. No problems except for the dead battery I had Jan 2010. Never had those other issues some people have with the 8. Never added oil, never flooded, never had any mechanical problems with the car. Hmm.. I need tires though. And yes, I drive the car hard.. It needs to be abused.