I was just looking at some RX8s on CL and saw one that had 75,000 miles on the chassis and only 4,000 on the motor. Should I be worried about pursuing this car now that it has a pretty much new motor?

 

no, if anything it should be even more reassuring that you aren't driving a car with an unhealthy motor.

 

The first link in my signature should be useful for you.

A replacement engine is usually a good thing. True of any car really. Not sure why having new parts would be a bad thing? You don't turn away cars as not desirable because they have new brakes or tires or shocks do you?

The only way you can really tell for sure is to get a compression test, which is pretty much mandatory when buying a used rotary. The first 9 posts in my thread go through the various myths, problems, issues, what to expect, and also a section of what to look for in an RX-8 you are looking to buy.

 

In the case of the of the wrx i was looking at, it was replaced and people said i should be worried because it couldve been done half assed.

 

Well, yeah, any repairs could be done half-assed.

If you have doubts about the quality of the repair, find out where they were done and do some research. Granted, the Mazda reman quality is on average lower than the original factory engines, but a 4,000 mile reman should last longer than an 80,000 mile factory motor. Should. My reman lasted 10,000 miles. Many others got more life out of their remans than their factory engine. I'm pretty convinced that my reman failed this early because of 1 or more side/end plates worn beyond spec that they reused, or the side seals were not gapped properly.


The easy answer if it bothers you is to get an aftermarket warranty to cover any possible engine failure. Then if it does happen, you are convinced, but not stuck like this guy: (he just posted this, but it's not uncommon): https://www.rx8club.com/trouble-shoo...advice-237030/

 

Im basically really worried about repairs and such. I feel like rx8s are such a crap shoot. I just cant trust anyone else to know to care for them to buy one used.

 

Even if it's a reman engine, you still need to have a compression test done before you buy, good luck.

 

Anyone who has been even a semi responsible owner should have receipts and paperwork for the things done to there car. Ask for these papers before purchase, and as stated before, do a compression test. What year is the car you mentioned? Keep in mind the 8yr/100K mile warranty too. THe newer the year, the more time you have for replacement should you need it.