2006 Mazda RX-8 air bags problems
17 complaints about air bags have been filed for the 2006 Mazda RX-8, which is 23% of all its NHTSA complaints. It is the most reported problem area for this model year.
At a glance
- Complaints
- 17 23% of this year's complaints
- Typical mileage
- 70,000 miles 10 complaints with mileage
- Crashes and fires
- 0 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 0 and 0
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
When air bags problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 0 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 1 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 1 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 4 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 2 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 1 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 1 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 10 air bags complaints that report mileage, the median is about 70,000 miles, and 20% were reported before 60,000 miles.
None of the air bags complaints mention a crash, fire, injury or death.
What owners wrote
The dash cover over the passenger side air bag is cracking a lot in all different locations. I talked to the dealer about this and they told me it is a common issue in the rx-8's and that the factory won't cover fixing it. This seems like a serious safety issue with the dash cracking apart right above the air bag. I'm not talking about some minor cracks either. I first noticed the cracks in the dash about a year and a half ago and now they grown and expanded substantially since then.
For almost a year, cracks have started to appear over the passenger side airbag cover. It started off as a 1 cm crack in a single location, but now has progressed to multiple cracks that are up to 8 cm in length. These cracks follow the portions of the passenger airbag cover that would split open during deployment. I have spoken with mechanics and they have advised me that replacement of the passenger side airbag cover requires replacement of the entire passenger airbag system.