Used 2004 Mazda RX-8 Automatic 4dr Coupe (1.3L 2rtr 4A) Consumer Reviews
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Best College Car/Roadtrip Car/ Daily Commute Car
Hariz Radzi, Columbus, OH, 10/09/2017
Mazda RX-8 Automatic 4dr Coupe (1.3L 2rtr 4A)
38 of 39 people found this review helpful
Before you buy a used car, its your responsibility to check every single possible indicators that will say your car is a lemon. I'm the 6th owner of my rx8 with 132000 miles on it. And since day 1 I got it till today, it only went to the mechanic ONCE during my last roadtrip to Maine from Ohio because I forgot to change the ignition coils. After changing it for 30 minutes at the mechanic, I was back on my road to Maine. My car never got towed during my ownership ever before, even when the 2 coils were cracked that time it could still run (like not more than 30 mph of course) and I could still drive it to the workshop. Owning it was hard work (especially maintenance) but once you get to know what your rx8 needs, it will be easy. My routine every single time before I shut the engine off was redlining for couple of seconds and maintain it to 4k rpm, then shut it off just to preserve the engine from flooding. And because of this, my car is still running very well. The only problem I had with this car is the cost of maintenance. It burns a hole in my pocket so I had to learn DIYs to survive college. I saved almost $2000 on repairs and maintenance costs at the mechanic just from learning things online (changing ignition coils, plug wires, spark plugs, heater console problem, and even deflooding procedure) and I got it from rx8 forums and google. So if you're saying it is a bad car well you are wrong. Rotary could actually be reliable and last till 250k miles in my opinion. To those who had a lot of issues with it in my opinion are just either unlucky who got lemons OR are just a bunch of ignorants who treat rotary cars the same as other cars. Before you buy any used rx8, read up the rx8 forums they have a guide on buying used rx8s out there. It does have its pros and cons but I love my rx8. I traveled the whole east coast and southern parts with it and had no major issue other than the Maine trip. I just wish I could have manual version though. Pro tip of choosing an RX8: Choose a used rx8 with great maintenance record. And STOCK too. Never buy a car with check engine light on unless you know what are the codes are (I had CEL lights on when I first bought my rx8 but it was just telling me the secondary pump injector was faulty) so I knew it won't affect my engine so I bought it anyways.
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WOW! Mmmm...
scooterluv1, Pompano Beach, FL, 07/03/2015
Mazda RX-8 Automatic 4dr Coupe (1.3L 2rtr 4A)
12 of 21 people found this review helpful
I've owned 4 RX-7s (2nd/3rd generations) and loved them all! So I decided to give the 2004 RX-8 a try; big mistake... Love the look/speed/dynamics of the car, but the reliability was awful! It should never be someone's primary source of transportation.
2004 Mazda RX-8 for sale near you
3 of 18 listings
- Automatic CoupeMSRP: $12,999386 mi away
- Manual CoupeMSRP: $15,980408 mi away
- Automatic CoupeMSRP: $19,999435 mi away
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How to Make A Rotary Last, and Last, and Last!
Gary Itano, Newport Beach, CA, 11/20/2015
Mazda RX-8 Automatic 4dr Coupe (1.3L 2rtr 4A)
7 of 14 people found this review helpful
My '04 RX-8 (after 5 RX-7s, since '84) just turned 143K original miles with the last 60+K as track-only, since being replaced in '06 with a Prius daily driver. So, rotary reliability is entirely dependent on NEVER bogging the engine (detonation breaks the rotor seals in an instant) and routinely redlining the motor to minimize carbon build-up. Other than routine maintenance and strictly maintaining fluid levels, that's all one needs to know about keeping a rotary healthy. Looking forward to seeing a 1.6L with improved torque and direct injection for better mileage and emissions. Btw, be sure to look up the maintenance sheet that guarantees FREE LIFETIME REPLACEMENT BRAKE PADS (at least for the 1st gen RX-8s), as the pads last for about 4-6 track days (front brake rotors lasted to 130K after 40K of extreme "use"). It turns out that the RX-8 brake rotor/pad chemistries are ideally engineered for optimum braking, fade resistance and durability, so no need to seek after-market solutions. Oh, and be sure, if at the track, to turn DSC off, to gain another 5+% better braking and 3% acceleration (absolute necessity when entering Laguna Seca turns 2 & 11 or Auto Club Roval turn 3!).
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Run Far Far Away...
gregtheowner, Charlotte, NC, 09/27/2012
Mazda RX-8 Automatic 4dr Coupe (1.3L 2rtr 4A)
26 of 61 people found this review helpful
I bought my 2004 Mazda RX8 in 2004 - brand new with 4 miles on it. I treated this car like royalty: and it didn't matter. Engine was replaced at 20k for warranty - THEN the engine failed again just 2k outside of warranty - I paid $7,000 for repairs; The spark plugs cost $100 a piece, Tires are $200. MUST have premium gas (At premium prices) and MPG is horrible. $5 in gas won't get you out of your neighborhood. Now -2012 - I finally got rid of it. PROBLEMS from day one til the last day. Car shuts off at red lights, when its too cold, and when its too hot. MUST warm-up engine for 15 min. before driving anywhere - I can go on for days but my space here is limited. DO NOT BUY a 2004 Mazda RX8
Complete garbage
efwilson4, 07/16/2010
Mazda RX-8 Automatic 4dr Coupe (1.3L 2rtr 4A)
5 of 11 people found this review helpful
I bought this car and saw where Mazda of North America warrantied the engine until 100,000. Well they lied. Mazda admitted to utilizing a loop hole to deny engine replacement. This car is garbage and Mazda will do anything but stand behind it. They charged me $1,100 dollars to replace coils, wires, plugs, decarbon the engine before saying I needed a new engine. The car runs worse than when I took it in. This my 4th rotary car and my last. I recommend something else. DO NOT BUY! Just search warm start or low compression.