Common problems

Mazda RX-8 common problems

What MOT testers find on the Mazda RX-8: the parts that fail or get advisories most often at each age, against all cars of the same age. From 9,840 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 17 years, the most tested age

Exhaust, emissions and leaks fails per 100 MOTs (n=2,215)12.8

All cars at 17 years (n=4,040,458)6.5

Brakes advisories and minor defects per 100 MOTs (n=2,215)25.8

All cars, same age (n=4,040,458)31.1

What stands out

Exhaust, emissions and leaks fails show up on 12.8 of every 100 MOTs of a Mazda RX-8 at 17 years old (n=2,215), against 6.5 for all cars of that age (n=4,040,458).
Lights and electrics fails are less common: 10.7 per 100 MOTs against 21.0 for all cars at the same age.
The fail item testers record most often at 17 years: malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction, on 4.7 per 100 MOTs (all cars 2.2).
The most common advisory or minor defect: tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge, on 10.3 per 100 MOTs.

Problems by part at 17 years

How many of every 100 MOTs found a fail, or an advisory or minor defect, in each area. A test with faults in two areas counts in both.

Mazda RX-8 at 17 years (n=2,215) against all cars at 17 years (n=4,040,458). Per 100 MOTs.
Area	Fails	All cars	Advisories	All cars
Exhaust, emissions and leaks	12.8	6.5	8.8	13.2
Suspension	11.3	17.2	24.0	34.7
Lights and electrics	10.7	21.0	12.4	16.9
Brakes	8.9	12.3	25.8	31.1
Tyres	4.4	7.3	17.7	28.1
Body and structure	4.2	8.3	9.3	13.9
Windscreen, wipers and mirrors	3.8	7.1	3.7	6.0
Seat belts and airbags	2.2	2.5	1.6	1.2
Steering	1.5	3.6	0.9	5.1
Number plates and VIN	1.1	0.6	2.8	5.2
Road wheels	0.7	0.6	0.4	1.4

What testers fail most on the RX-8 at 17 years

Fail items on the Mazda RX-8 at 17 years (n=2,215), per 100 MOTs, with all cars at the same age (n=4,040,458).
Item	Area	Per 100 MOTs	All cars	Typical repair (estimate)
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction	Exhaust, emissions and leaks	4.7	2.2	diagnosis from £39 (rough guide)
Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits	Exhaust, emissions and leaks	3.5	1.2
Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits	Exhaust, emissions and leaks	3.3	0.5
Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength	Suspension	3.0	1.9
Service brake performance: excessively binding	Brakes	2.8	1.5	£55 to £267 per wheel (rough guide)
Side/position light not working	Lights and electrics	2.8	5.8	£10 to £47 per lamp
Coil spring broken	Suspension	2.4	3.5	£64 to £236 per spring (rough guide)
Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits	Exhaust, emissions and leaks	2.3	0.3
Catalyst emissions: hydrocarbon content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits	Exhaust, emissions and leaks	2.2	0.2
Wipers not clearing screen	Windscreen, wipers and mirrors	2.1	2.8	£15 to £30 per blade

Early warnings: advisories and minor defects at 17 years

Advisories and minor defects are recorded, but the car still passes. Across all cars, a part with an advisory or minor defect failed at the next MOT 5.5 times in 100 (n=88,666,940 pairs of consecutive MOTs), against 0.3 times in 100 when the same part had none (n=12,936,860,350).

Advisories and minor defects on the Mazda RX-8 at 17 years (n=2,215), per 100 MOTs, with all cars at the same age (n=4,040,458).
Item	Area	Per 100 MOTs	All cars	If it needs replacing (estimate)
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge	Tyres	10.3	17.9	£88 to £145 per tyre
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	Brakes	9.7	11.3	£148 to £376 per axle (rough guide)
Brake pads: wearing thin	Brakes	8.3	6.6	£72 to £174 per axle (rough guide)
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened	Suspension	7.9	5.3
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	Exhaust, emissions and leaks	7.9	11.7
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing	Tyres	6.5	9.6	£88 to £145 per tyre
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material	Brakes	4.8	10.5	£137 to £392 per car (rough guide)
Service brake performance: binding but not excessively	Brakes	4.5	2.5	£55 to £267 per wheel (rough guide)
Headlamp: has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output	Lights and electrics	3.5	3.3	£28 to £98 per lamp (rough guide)
Linkage ball joints: ball joint has slight play	Suspension	3.3	2.7	£33 to £102 per link (rough guide)

Repair estimates are a guide for an independent garage: labour at the national median local garage rate (median £78 an hour from 65 garages, ONS price quotes) times estimated labour hours, plus a parts band. Labour hours and most parts bands are estimates, not quotes, and prices vary by model, engine and region. A warning light fault shows the cost of the diagnosis only.

How problems change with age

Fails per 100 MOTs in the three most common areas at 17 years. Ages with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Age	Tests (n)	Exhaust, emissions and leaks	Suspension	Lights and electrics
15 years	1,642	9.8	10.7	9.5
16 years	2,161	11.9	9.6	10.2
17 years	2,215	12.8	11.3	10.7
18 years	2,203	13.0	12.4	12.3
19 years	1,619	12.9	11.9	11.1

What to check on a viewing

On the Mazda RX-8, testers most often record malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction; catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits; catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits. Look at these first, then the areas below.

Exhaust, emissions and leaks

Start the engine from cold if you can and watch the exhaust for blue or black smoke.
Check that the engine warning light goes out after starting and stays out on the test drive.
Look under the car and around the engine for oil or fluid leaks, and listen for a blowing exhaust.

Suspension

Listen for knocks or clonks over speed bumps and rough roads on the test drive.
Push down hard on each corner: the car should settle at once rather than keep bouncing.
Look behind the wheels for broken or heavily rusted coil springs and split rubber bushes.
Check that the car sits level and that no tyre is worn on one edge only.

Lights and electrics

With someone outside, try every light: dipped and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and number plate lamps.
Check that the warning lights come on with the ignition and go out once the engine runs.
Look for misted, cracked or yellowed headlamp lenses.

Ask for the car's MOT history and service record: advisories that repeat from one year to the next show what has been left. GOV.UK MOT history.

Questions

What are the most common problems on the Mazda RX-8?

At 17 years, the age with the most MOT tests (2,215), the fail items testers record most often on the Mazda RX-8 are malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction (4.7 per 100 MOTs), catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (3.5 per 100 MOTs), catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (3.3 per 100 MOTs). The most common advisories or minor defects are tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (10.3) and brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (9.7).

Which parts of the Mazda RX-8 fail more often than on other cars?

At 17 years: exhaust, emissions and leaks (12.8 per 100 MOTs against 6.5 for all cars). Compared with 4,040,458 MOTs of all cars the same age.

Mazda RX-8 problems by area

Other Mazda models

All Mazda models · Common problems by make

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

The all cars figures cover all class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) tested at the same age.

Looking at a Mazda RX-8?

These figures describe the model, not the car in front of you. Found one you might buy? See what the VetTheCar Buying Report covers, or use the tools that work without a registration.

See a sample report Car tools · MOT fail rates by model · Compare models by MOT record

Repair estimates: ONS consumer price quotes for local garage labour (09/2025 to 08/2026), the MOT inspection manual for defect wording, and estimated labour hours and parts bands. Not affiliated with or endorsed by ONS.

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources