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Mazda RX-8, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

1,943 Mazda RX-8s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 68.1% of initial MOT tests, 4.2 points below the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific RX-8? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Mazda RX-8 at the MOT

68.1% of 2,554 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the RX-8 381st of 575 models.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Mazda RX-868.1%
  • All Mazda modelsThe RX-8 is 4.6 pts behind72.7%
  • All cars72.3%

Where RX-8s fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Mazda RX-8 tests in 2025.

  • Noise, emissions and leaks23.4%
  • Suspension19.7%
  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment17.4%
  • Brakes13.6%
  • Body, chassis, structure6.8%

The items testers recorded most often were component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (5.4%), malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction (5%) and position lamp not working (3.8%).

The MOT page lists every common RX-8 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Mazda RX-8 MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The RX-8's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. Noise, emissions and leaks

    Listen for a blowing exhaust, watch for smoke on start-up and look under the car for oil or fluid leaks.23.4% of RX-8 failure items

  2. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.19.7% of RX-8 failure items

  3. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

    Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.17.4% of RX-8 failure items

Mazda RX-8s in the UK

1,943 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 87% since the end of 2014.

Change since 2014
−87%from 15,368 licensed
Typical year of first use
2006half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2006 or earlier
Declared off the road
5,72875% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Mazda RX-8s since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 201415,368
End of 201513,078
End of 201610,823
End of 20178,524
End of 20186,631
End of 20195,077
End of 20204,083
End of 20213,546
End of 20223,022
End of 20232,597
End of 20242,183
End of 20251,923
End of June 20261,943

How old they are

Licensed Mazda RX-8s by year of first use.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025
201118
201073
2009200
2008273
2007368
2006363
2005241
2004299
200359

RX-8 engine sizes

2.6 litre engines made up 91% of Mazda RX-8 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.3 litre at 8.8%. Petrol accounts for 100% of licensed RX-8s.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 2,554 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 2.6 litre91%
  • 1.3 litre8.8%

Mazda RX-8 recalls

5 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Mazda RX-8. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every RX-8 is affected.

  1. Dec 2021 R/2021/411

    Fuel may leak from fuel pump rings

    RX-8s built Apr 2008 to Jul 2010 · 1,924 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Replace the fuel pump rings with new ones.

  2. Nov 2018 R/2018/317

    The Takata passenger airbag inflator may not operate as intended

    RX-8s built Jul 2003 to Jul 2010 · 26,261 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Passenger airbag inflators may not operate as intended.
    Remedy
    Replacement of Airbag Assembly on affected vehicles.

  3. Jan 2018 R/2018/015

    Front lower suspension arm ball joint casting may crack / break

    RX-8s built Jul 2003 to May 2004 · 8,030 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The front lower arm ball joint casting may have a crack due to inappropriate manufacturing process being used. In extreme driving conditions this could cause the casting to break and the ball joint to become detached. If this happens it could result in the driver losing control of the vehicle.
    Remedy
    Replace both left side and right side lower arms with modified units.

  4. Jan 2018 R/2018/014

    Fuel may leak

    RX-8s built Jul 2003 to Feb 2008 · 25,190 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On the subject vehicles the resin fuel pump rings located on the top surface of the fuel tank may deteriorate by heat from the engine and exhaust pipes. Over time this deterioration could cause the fuel tank to leak which may increase the risk a vehicle fire. The resin fuel pump discharge pipe mounted to the upper part of the fuel pump body (within the fuel tank) may also deteriorate following exposure to heat from the engine and exhaust systems. This deterioration may cause the pipe to crack creating a fuel leak which could increase the risk of a vehicle fire. Fuel may leak from either the upper surface of the fuel tank and /or the fuel pump discharge pipe. In the worst case this may result in a fuel leak. This in turn could increase the risk of a vehicle fire.
    Remedy
    Replacement of the resin fuel pump rings and the fitment of heat insulating pads on the upper surface of the fuel tank to prevent future deterioration by heat of the engine and exhaust systems. The fuel pump filter body will also be replaced with a modified version in order to address the concern of the deterioration of the fuel discharge pipe.

  5. Apr 2016 R/2016/084

    Driver's front airbag may fail to deploy correctly

    RX-8s built Feb 2003 to Feb 2008 · 32,030 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Continued exposure to high levels of absolute humidity may cause the driver's front airbag inflator housing to rupture and deploy abnormally in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's front airbag. Should the inflator rupture it could result in metal fragments striking the driver or other vehicle occupants.
    Remedy
    On affected vehicles replace air bag inflator
How to check a specific RX-8 for recalls

Other Mazda models

The most-tested Mazda models in 2025, against the RX-8's 68.1% MOT pass rate.

All 11 Mazda models

Mazda RX-8 FAQs

How many Mazda RX-8s are there in the UK?

1,943 Mazda RX-8s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 5,728 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Mazda RX-8 reliable?

MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 68.1% first-time pass rate for the Mazda RX-8 across 2,554 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Mazda RX-8 had any recalls?

5 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Mazda RX-8. The most recent was published in December 2021. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

What should I check before buying a used Mazda RX-8?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: noise, emissions and leaks, suspension and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.

How do I check a Mazda RX-8's history?

Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.

Already found an RX-8?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,389 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Mazda history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Mazda VIN check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to July 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.