Im buying a 2008 Mazda rx-8 monday, however im having second thoughts ,every blog site list it as nothing but a problem and suggest the car goes through engines. Im not sure if this is a result of the rotary engine, or this car is just getting a bad rap. Anyone owns the car and loves it?

Im buying a 2008 Mazda rx-8 monday, however im having second thoughts ,every blog site list it as nothing but a problem and suggest the car goes through engines. Im not sure if this is a result of the rotary engine, or this car is just getting a bad rap. Anyone owns the car and loves it?

l bought my 8 in '05 & have had NO mechanical problems whatsoever. The only issue l did have was condensation in the taillights.a known issue for '04 is & '05 is & taken care of through warranty.

Remember that when u check some places on line that all u will see is complaints. You almost never see someone report ''no problems'' unless u do exactly what u did.ask for it.

Most people who report engine problems do know how to properly maintain a rotary engine. They r very different from a piston engine & although they do not require any ''special'' servicing they DO REQUIRE that u actually maintain it. You cannot just dismiss the motor for long periods like many folks do with ''boingers'' (piston engines).

Rotary is can carbon up more & the effects of carbon can be more damaging. The main way to keep carbon build up at bay is to give the engine lots of revs. Rotary is can rev high all day long with no adverse effects, unlike boingers. It is a good idea to hit redline daily if the chance permits.

The engine is designed with an oil injection system which injects small amounts of oil into the combustions chambers to lubricate the various seals on the rotors. Because of this u need to check ur oil levels every couple tankfuls of gas. You will probably need to add a quart of oil every 1500 - 2000 miles.

Change oil every 3000 miles or so. Since a bit is injected u want a clean source. Do not use synthetic oil as it is designed to NOT burn off easily & u need clean burn-off.

Learn more at these forums:
http://rx8club.com

cnshinn is response was excellent, but l will add that l know of quite a few RX-8 is that run great without issues. l also know one that blew up, but it was running a cheesy turbo kit. These cars are very particular about the mods you do so make sure you know what you're doing before you go slapping on a bunch of crappy parts.

l bought a new 2004 RX-8 in July 2004. It has been my daily driver for 4 years & l have not had any problems with it.

Some things to keep in mind.

1)The car consumes oil. It is not very much. About a quart every 2000-3000 miles. l have seen some people say more, some say less. l would check it at least every thousand miles. It does not take too long, & it can be done in the time it takes to fill up with gas.
2)The stock tires cannot be driven on the snow. Get snow tires if u plan to drive in the snow. With snow tires it works great in the snow.
3) l have always warmed up my car. l will let it warm up for 3-5 minutes in the winter, & about a minute in the summer. l don’t know if this prevents problems but the engine will idle high when it is cold which makes shifting difficult with a manual transmission.