Mazda RX-8 Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 114 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the Mazda RX-8 across 6 model years. The 2004 model year has the most (50). The words owners use most often: “air bag” (26% of reports).
- 114air bags complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 13mention a crash
- 12mention an injury
- 7related recalls
- 45%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Air bag: mentioned in 30 of 114 complaints (26%)
- Passenger airbag: mentioned in 11 of 114 complaints (10%)
- Takata numbers: mentioned in 6 of 114 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 58 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 114 complaints, 13 mention a crash, 12 an injury.
Mazda RX-8 air bags complaints by model year
When owners reported it
Related recalls (7)
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleDo not drive
Model years: 2004
Problem: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2003-2008 Mazda6, 2004-2005 MPV, 2004 RX-8, and 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 vehicles. These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 2618F. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 13V130, 14V362, 14V773 and 15V869.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleDo not drive
Model years: 2010, 2011
Problem: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2010-2011 Mazda RX-8 vehicles that were previously recalled under recall 18V-716 but have not yet been repaired. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. The recall began July 9, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 2618F.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleDo not drive
Model years: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
Problem: Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Mazda MPV vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. On July 9, 2019 this recall was expanded to include certain 2005-2009 RX-8 vehicles that were previously recalled under 17V-011 but have not yet been repaired. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began July 6, 2018 for MPV vehicles. The recall began July 9, 2019 for RX-8 vehicles. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 2618F. Note: With the addition of the RX-8 vehicles, this recall fully supersedes recall 17V-011.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleDo not drive
Model years: 2009, 2010
Problem: Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2009-2010 Mazda RX-8 vehicles that were previously recalled under recall 18V-017 but have not yet been repaired. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. The recall began July 9, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 2618F. Note: This recall supersedes recall 18V017.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleDo not drive
Model years: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Problem: Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2003-2008 Mazda6, 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 and 2004 MPV vehicles nationwide. Mazda is also recalling 2005-2006 MPV vehicles in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. On July 9, 2019 this recall was expanded to include certain 2004-2011 RX-8 vehicles that were previously recalled under 16V-354 but have not yet been repaired. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these passenger air bag inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began July 6, 2018. Mailing to the affected RX-8 owners began July 6, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 2618F. Note: With the addition of the RX-8 vehicles, this recall fully supersedes recall 16V354.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator moduleDo not drive
Model years: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
Problem: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2003-2008 Mazda6, 2004-2008 RX-8, and 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion and other factors, including manufacturing variability that, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began on September 12, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1417G. Note: This recall supersedes recall 15V-382.
Air bags:frontal
Model years: 2004
Problem: As a result of an ncap test, certain passenger vehicles are being recalled for improperly wired front passenger seat air bags.
Risk: The air bag will not provide adequate protection when the vehicle is involved in a frontal crash.
Fix: Dealers will install a new wiring harness in the front passenger seat air bag system. The recall began march 5, 2004. Owners should contact mazda at 1-800-222-5500.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
For a year I have responded to every notice for a recall repair (7 total) Mazda has not repaired my vehicle or scheduled its repair. My recall ID is 016742248 and my Campaign Number is 100409. My car has a DO NOT DRIVE status and Mazda tells me I MUST drive the car 2 hours to get it repaired each…
See attached document for complaint
Front passenger airbag cracked dash and pushed out glove box.
On 10/19/19 the vehicle was involved in a crash when swerving to avoid a deer on the road. Two trees were hit and the vehicle was flipped on its side. No airbags deployed during this accident as i was expected. Pictures show the front damage and interior.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 MAZDA RX-8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE REPLACED TWO YEARS AGO. SINCE THEN, THE AIR BAGS HAVE BEGUN TO PUSH OUT OF THE DASHBOARD. HILEY MAZDA OF FORT WORTH (9000 WEST FWY, SUITE B, FORT WORTH, TX 76108, [redacted]) STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Mazda RX-8s have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 114 owner complaints about air bags for the Mazda RX-8. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Mazda RX-8 air bags?
Yes: 7 safety recalls list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the Mazda RX-8?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 30 of 114 complaints, followed by “passenger airbag” (11).
Other Mazda RX-8 problems
- Power Train problems (235)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (138)
- Steering problems (111)
See all Mazda RX-8 problems.