Just wanted to check in and let everyone know that I still have my 05 6MT and with just the completely standard maintenance, I have had ZERO problems.

This is the only car I've ever owned for any period of time, let alone 65 months now, that I have had no problems with.

To be absolutely precise, I had a failure to start two years ago, and my dealer replaced the OEM Panasonic Battery with an Interstate Battery and the starter motor at no charge. There was a TSB on the Panasonic Battery. Mind you, the battery was three years old at the time, and they replaced it free of charge.

The starter motor was not the cause of the failure to start (the battery was), but they replaced it, also, as it was on the TSB list.

So, oil/filter changes every 3500 miles, using dino oil, an air cleaner change at 30,000 miles, a coolant flush and fill, and a set of coils and new spark plugs is what I've done, and the car drives like new.

I have debated whether to sell it for 3 years now, because I was thinking of getting a sedan with an automatic for family reasons, but I've test driven at least, oh, I'm sure at least 15 cars in those 3 years, and I have not been able to make the decision to part ways with my 8.

One thing I've found, at least based on my perceptions, is that new cars are getting worse in terms of interior quality and overall build quality, for the first time in about two decades - even most Japanese ones (especially Toyota and Nissan).

 

right on.
What weight oil are you using? (not trying to start a debate! just interested).

I hope to see more of these threads popping up (or adding to this one). All it takes to get this is a little maintenance

 

Good to hear that you have no major problems with the car. Just keep it up and the car will last longer.

 

Great, how many miles do you have on it?

 

Hooray for longevity! I also hope to see these pop up!

My '05 seems to be running strong. Needs new ignition bits I think, but all the bad things I read while researching haven't popped up yet. 41,000 on the clock for mine.

 

It's great to see posts like these! It keeps my hopes up for buying a RX8 and not having to worry about major problems.

 

RX8soldier - I use dino oil 10W30 which I confirmed with my dealer (in writing) is not an issue, even though 5W20 is technically specified.

I have 47,000 miles on her. She was driven very little for the first 2 winters (10 months in total) because I had a Jeep back then.

I also have a job that only requires about a 12 mile round trip commute.

A FYI for new or potential owners in the snow belt or cold states: I rock Hankook iPike winter tires (not Icebears, which are NOT good) and I haven't had problems at all, even in one of the worst storms we've had this past winter, with 50 mph winds and about a solid 9 inches on the road when I was driving - there was some scraping of the undercarriage at times because of very cold conditions, but the car did not break control once (ESC & Traction Control did intervene with regularity when starting from red lights/stop signs) even at speeds of up to about 55 mph.

 

I still have my 2005, with 65000 kms on it. I've since bought a new 390hp Ram in '09, and having missed convertables I also bought a new 128i just months ago.

Tried nearly everything on the market, and the 8 still puts the biggest smile on my face. Never kept a car for as long as my 8, and I thrash it, track it, etc. and it has never let me down.

Knock on wood, I hope it continues...