Any former RX8 owners here?
Discussion
A few questions if you have owned these cars.
Why did you sell?
What did you find the most unreliable in the one you had?
Was it your daily driver?
Would you daily drive one today, at this point of the car's life?
Thanks.
EDIT: Thanks for all the replies so far. Interesting to see the contrasting reports on reliability.
Problem with things even when they are an easy fix is finding the problem first. My experience with OBDII and codes is that all sorts of things can cause the system to throw inaccurate codes. So even when things are an easy fix or cheap to fix, you can end up changing several things before you get to the actual problem. One of the pitfalls of the over reliance on electronics and sensors.
Is the RX8 known for electronics faults? Normally you hear about the apex seals, oil pump and other engine problems and so on.
Why did you sell?
What did you find the most unreliable in the one you had?
Was it your daily driver?
Would you daily drive one today, at this point of the car's life?
Thanks.
EDIT: Thanks for all the replies so far. Interesting to see the contrasting reports on reliability.
Problem with things even when they are an easy fix is finding the problem first. My experience with OBDII and codes is that all sorts of things can cause the system to throw inaccurate codes. So even when things are an easy fix or cheap to fix, you can end up changing several things before you get to the actual problem. One of the pitfalls of the over reliance on electronics and sensors.
Is the RX8 known for electronics faults? Normally you hear about the apex seals, oil pump and other engine problems and so on.
Edited by GTdrive on Monday 27th January 09:53
I sold it because I needed a bigger car
No issues in 2 years of ownership and 20k miles, bought it at 3 years old
It was my only car and daily driver
Would have another today as a second car if I could justify it. 17mpg long term average was the worst aspect of ownership plus the high tax on the later models.
No issues in 2 years of ownership and 20k miles, bought it at 3 years old
It was my only car and daily driver
Would have another today as a second car if I could justify it. 17mpg long term average was the worst aspect of ownership plus the high tax on the later models.
Why did you sell?
Rotary seals were shot and engine repair was too costly. Also required more practicality.
What did you find the most unreliable in the one you had?
Mine was 6 years old when I purchased from the 1 previous owner and had 45k miles on it. I then had it for 7 years but only covered just shy of 25k miles. In that time the master brake cylinder went (unlucky I guess),starter motor and the AC compressor had a leak (went when the rotary tips were diagnosed as having failed). Otherwise just servicing and consumables. It went with me when I was in Ireland, Czech Republic and Spain and it didn't let me down.
Was it your daily driver?
It was my only car, but didn't require to use it daily. I also used it 90% of the time for lengthy drives. Not just short blasts to the shop and back which kills the rotary engines.
Would you daily drive one today, at this point of the car's life?
No, though it was such a good car for me to get into at the age of 20 (a gamble I know!) its RWD and excellent handling combined with decent BHP but low torque was such a good car for someone young as it was difficult to get yourself into trouble! The killer for me now is the lack of practicality and the terrible MPG with such a small fuel tank. Only exacerbated when not cruising as you can expect sub 20mpg if having fun. Also loved to drink oil, as is well known.
Rotary seals were shot and engine repair was too costly. Also required more practicality.
What did you find the most unreliable in the one you had?
Mine was 6 years old when I purchased from the 1 previous owner and had 45k miles on it. I then had it for 7 years but only covered just shy of 25k miles. In that time the master brake cylinder went (unlucky I guess),starter motor and the AC compressor had a leak (went when the rotary tips were diagnosed as having failed). Otherwise just servicing and consumables. It went with me when I was in Ireland, Czech Republic and Spain and it didn't let me down.
Was it your daily driver?
It was my only car, but didn't require to use it daily. I also used it 90% of the time for lengthy drives. Not just short blasts to the shop and back which kills the rotary engines.
Would you daily drive one today, at this point of the car's life?
No, though it was such a good car for me to get into at the age of 20 (a gamble I know!) its RWD and excellent handling combined with decent BHP but low torque was such a good car for someone young as it was difficult to get yourself into trouble! The killer for me now is the lack of practicality and the terrible MPG with such a small fuel tank. Only exacerbated when not cruising as you can expect sub 20mpg if having fun. Also loved to drink oil, as is well known.
Thanks everyone.
I guess if bought new and with a warranty is different.
The practicability issues is interesting to read, as what has made me consider buying one now as a daily driver is exactly that it is more practical than for example a 2 seater or pretty much any other 2 doors. Since it has rear doors and seems to be a real 4 seater.
But loving to hear the experience of former owners. Please keep them coming.
I guess if bought new and with a warranty is different.
The practicability issues is interesting to read, as what has made me consider buying one now as a daily driver is exactly that it is more practical than for example a 2 seater or pretty much any other 2 doors. Since it has rear doors and seems to be a real 4 seater.
But loving to hear the experience of former owners. Please keep them coming.
Why did you sell?
It was turning into a rusty leaky money pit
What did you find the most unreliable in the one you had?
Bodywork, fuel injector(burnt out cat),rear drivers side light and gearbox bearings
Was it your daily driver?
Yes
Would you daily drive one today, at this point of the car's life?
No unless you have about 10k spare for repairs
GTdrive said:
Thanks everyone.
I guess if bought new and with a warranty is different.
The practicability issues is interesting to read, as what has made me consider buying one now as a daily driver is exactly that it is more practical than for example a 2 seater or pretty much any other 2 doors. Since it has rear doors and seems to be a real 4 seater.
But loving to hear the experience of former owners. Please keep them coming.
The back seats are not practical in day to day use. The passanger has to pull themselves out of the seats. An old or very young person would struggle to get in and out easily. The boot is huge though. Also the boot gets very hot due to the exhast muffler being directly below it. I guess if bought new and with a warranty is different.
The practicability issues is interesting to read, as what has made me consider buying one now as a daily driver is exactly that it is more practical than for example a 2 seater or pretty much any other 2 doors. Since it has rear doors and seems to be a real 4 seater.
But loving to hear the experience of former owners. Please keep them coming.
GTdrive said:
A few questions if you have owned these cars.
Why did you sell?
A. : Fancied a new toy.
What did you find the most unreliable in the one you had?
A.: Nothing, never let me down. Only none service parts required in 5 years was new rear springs and a sensor for cooling water level (which I just disconnected- no need for it - you just check water levels now and again) . I think an engine mount was approaching end of life when I sold it.
Was it your daily driver?
A :Was my only car- not used for daily work trips, but used several times a week and a long 500miles ish trip every couple of months
Would you daily drive one today, at this point of the car's life?
A:Yes- even if you get the common engine issues, they usually develop slowly- I suspect it's no more likely than any other car to have a sudden breakdown.
Thanks.
You're welcome.Why did you sell?
A. : Fancied a new toy.
What did you find the most unreliable in the one you had?
A.: Nothing, never let me down. Only none service parts required in 5 years was new rear springs and a sensor for cooling water level (which I just disconnected- no need for it - you just check water levels now and again) . I think an engine mount was approaching end of life when I sold it.
Was it your daily driver?
A :Was my only car- not used for daily work trips, but used several times a week and a long 500miles ish trip every couple of months
Would you daily drive one today, at this point of the car's life?
A:Yes- even if you get the common engine issues, they usually develop slowly- I suspect it's no more likely than any other car to have a sudden breakdown.
Thanks.
Edit to add a PS: For a coupe, it's extremely practical. Big boot and proper rear seats. Room for 3 adults easily, and 4 if driver has short legs like me. Mine often took 3 for the longer trips. That was why I bought it rather than say the then current Alfa coupe (GTV/Brera). The handling was a very pleasant surprise!
Edited by mac96 on Sunday 26th January 21:35
Why did you sell?
It became a daily commuter car, which is not why we bought it
What did you find the most unreliable in the one you had?
Nothing went wrong in four years of ownership,
Was it your daily driver?
It became one for 120 mile round trip!
Would you daily drive one today, at this point of the car's life?
No , weekend car down B-roads was why we bought it before work changes meant it became a commuter.
It became a daily commuter car, which is not why we bought it
What did you find the most unreliable in the one you had?
Nothing went wrong in four years of ownership,
Was it your daily driver?
It became one for 120 mile round trip!
Would you daily drive one today, at this point of the car's life?
No , weekend car down B-roads was why we bought it before work changes meant it became a commuter.
Why did you sell?
I didn’t someone crashed into whilst it was parked and wrote it off.
What did you find the most unreliable in the one you had?
Nothing but it had a new rebuild from a specialist when I bought it.
Was it your daily driver?
No bought it as a fun weekend car.
Would you daily drive one today, at this point of the car's life?
No, I liked it but I didn’t love it. Handling and the looks are great but the engine never lived up to the expectation for me and the mpg to performance ratio is pretty bad.
I didn’t someone crashed into whilst it was parked and wrote it off.
What did you find the most unreliable in the one you had?
Nothing but it had a new rebuild from a specialist when I bought it.
Was it your daily driver?
No bought it as a fun weekend car.
Would you daily drive one today, at this point of the car's life?
No, I liked it but I didn’t love it. Handling and the looks are great but the engine never lived up to the expectation for me and the mpg to performance ratio is pretty bad.
Why did you sell?
Bought it as a track day car, but my wife changed jobs so it became my daily. 17mpg is not great at all for that type of duty.
What did you find the most unreliable in the one you had?
It ran fine, had a small issue with the crankshaft sensor that was dirty and making the car stall. But that was an easy fix.
Was it your daily driver?
It was, although I didn't buy it as such.
Would you daily drive one today, at this point of the car's life?
No. Replaced it with a BMW E82 125i. Similar shape, similar performance and over twice the mpg.
Bought it as a track day car, but my wife changed jobs so it became my daily. 17mpg is not great at all for that type of duty.
What did you find the most unreliable in the one you had?
It ran fine, had a small issue with the crankshaft sensor that was dirty and making the car stall. But that was an easy fix.
Was it your daily driver?
It was, although I didn't buy it as such.
Would you daily drive one today, at this point of the car's life?
No. Replaced it with a BMW E82 125i. Similar shape, similar performance and over twice the mpg.
Edited by DMN on Monday 27th January 08:54
mac96 said:
Edit to add a PS: For a coupe, it's extremely practical. Big boot and proper rear seats. Room for 3 adults easily, and 4 if driver has short legs like me. Mine often took 3 for the longer trips. That was why I bought it rather than say the then current Alfa coupe (GTV/Brera). The handling was a very pleasant surprise!
This is what I was thinking. As far as 2 door cars, it's probably more practical than not having the rear doors.DMN said:
No. Replaced it with a BMW E82 125i. Similar shape, similar performance and over twice the mpg.
Thanks for the reply. Interesting that you find the E82 is a similar shape to the RX8. I'm not sure in which way you meant. Maybe you mean regarding space. Because in style they are not similar shapes at all. The RX8 looks like a sports car and has a quite exotic shape with the 2 mini doors. While still having more of a coupe shape. The E82 is a standard plain looking 2 doors saloon.
GTdrive said:
A few questions if you have owned these cars.
Why did you sell?
What did you find the most unreliable in the one you had?
Was it your daily driver?
Would you daily drive one today, at this point of the car's life?
Thanks.
It needed to "be on" all the time... couldn't have fun in it on daily drive, 5/10 for example, it was pretty gutless low down... had to be 10/10 gear change beeping away to enjoy it.Why did you sell?
What did you find the most unreliable in the one you had?
Was it your daily driver?
Would you daily drive one today, at this point of the car's life?
Thanks.
Mine was perfect, everything worked. The most annoying thing was the alloy corrosion on the wheels.
Yes. for a while.
Now that my daily run has a lot more back roads... I would consider it... wouldn't fancy the petrol costs mind you!!
Would prefer a cooper s (the supercharged version) for the daily run... which I just sold before moving house..
Interesting to see the contrasting reports on reliability.
Problem with things even when they are an easy fix is finding the problem first. My experience with OBDII and codes is that all sorts of things can cause the system to throw inaccurate codes. So even when things are an easy fix or cheap to fix, you can end up changing several things before you get to the actual problem. One of the pitfalls of the over reliance on electronics and sensors.
Is the RX8 known for electronics faults? Normally you hear about the apex seals, oil pump and other engine problems and so on.
Problem with things even when they are an easy fix is finding the problem first. My experience with OBDII and codes is that all sorts of things can cause the system to throw inaccurate codes. So even when things are an easy fix or cheap to fix, you can end up changing several things before you get to the actual problem. One of the pitfalls of the over reliance on electronics and sensors.
Is the RX8 known for electronics faults? Normally you hear about the apex seals, oil pump and other engine problems and so on.
They are not known for electronic issues, there are a few fairly common issues such as the ESS (crank) sensor, headlight level sensor , coolant level sensor (very common).
The vast majority of issues are caused by ignition issues, ignition coils and leads should have been a service item but were not so less diligent/knowledgeable owners don’t change them which destroys the cat and can cause breakdown. Many then go and buy cheap ECP parts which fail in no time and cause the same issues.
I have bought and sold somewhere around 150 RX-8s over the past couple of years and only ever had two break down on me, both because of blocked cats which were then removed, ignition changed and the car got back up and running again (after checking compression which had not suffered in either case).
If your budget will extend to it , I strongly recommend an R3, my experience is that the improved lubrication of the engine means they are much less prone to low compression. I would happily buy an R3 on 60k without compression testing it first but with any other model a compression test is crucial unless buying the car cheaply.
The vast majority of issues are caused by ignition issues, ignition coils and leads should have been a service item but were not so less diligent/knowledgeable owners don’t change them which destroys the cat and can cause breakdown. Many then go and buy cheap ECP parts which fail in no time and cause the same issues.
I have bought and sold somewhere around 150 RX-8s over the past couple of years and only ever had two break down on me, both because of blocked cats which were then removed, ignition changed and the car got back up and running again (after checking compression which had not suffered in either case).
If your budget will extend to it , I strongly recommend an R3, my experience is that the improved lubrication of the engine means they are much less prone to low compression. I would happily buy an R3 on 60k without compression testing it first but with any other model a compression test is crucial unless buying the car cheaply.
Nickp82 said:
They are not known for electronic issues, there are a few fairly common issues such as the ESS (crank) sensor, headlight level sensor , coolant level sensor (very common).
The vast majority of issues are caused by ignition issues, ignition coils and leads should have been a service item but were not so less diligent/knowledgeable owners don’t change them which destroys the cat and can cause breakdown. Many then go and buy cheap ECP parts which fail in no time and cause the same issues.
I have bought and sold somewhere around 150 RX-8s over the past couple of years and only ever had two break down on me, both because of blocked cats which were then removed, ignition changed and the car got back up and running again (after checking compression which had not suffered in either case).
If your budget will extend to it , I strongly recommend an R3, my experience is that the improved lubrication of the engine means they are much less prone to low compression. I would happily buy an R3 on 60k without compression testing it first but with any other model a compression test is crucial unless buying the car cheaply.
I read about the cat problem and that if it happens it normally messes the engine up too. Not true then?The vast majority of issues are caused by ignition issues, ignition coils and leads should have been a service item but were not so less diligent/knowledgeable owners don’t change them which destroys the cat and can cause breakdown. Many then go and buy cheap ECP parts which fail in no time and cause the same issues.
I have bought and sold somewhere around 150 RX-8s over the past couple of years and only ever had two break down on me, both because of blocked cats which were then removed, ignition changed and the car got back up and running again (after checking compression which had not suffered in either case).
If your budget will extend to it , I strongly recommend an R3, my experience is that the improved lubrication of the engine means they are much less prone to low compression. I would happily buy an R3 on 60k without compression testing it first but with any other model a compression test is crucial unless buying the car cheaply.
150 RX8s? I guess you are a specialized dealer then?
I don't think the R3 was ever sold here. I actually have never seen a facelift RX8 for sale. They are all the old shape cars and all seem to be 2006 and older.
GTdrive said:
I read about the cat problem and that if it happens it normally messes the engine up too. Not true then?
150 RX8s? I guess you are a specialized dealer then?
I don't think the R3 was ever sold here. I actually have never seen a facelift RX8 for sale. They are all the old shape cars and all seem to be 2006 and older.
In my experience, it does not mess up the engine although I have no doubt there is potential for that to happen in extreme cases. I have a decat on my own R3, as many owners do.150 RX8s? I guess you are a specialized dealer then?
I don't think the R3 was ever sold here. I actually have never seen a facelift RX8 for sale. They are all the old shape cars and all seem to be 2006 and older.
I do specialise in RX-8s, tbh most of them end up in France as they have a healthy appetite for them.
I was assuming you are in the UK, whereabouts are you?
Edited by Nickp82 on Monday 27th January 13:29
GTdrive said:
Thanks for the reply.
Interesting that you find the E82 is a similar shape to the RX8. I'm not sure in which way you meant. Maybe you mean regarding space. Because in style they are not similar shapes at all. The RX8 looks like a sports car and has a quite exotic shape with the 2 mini doors. While still having more of a coupe shape. The E82 is a standard plain looking 2 doors saloon.
Both are coupe's; both have four seats. I didn't say identical.Interesting that you find the E82 is a similar shape to the RX8. I'm not sure in which way you meant. Maybe you mean regarding space. Because in style they are not similar shapes at all. The RX8 looks like a sports car and has a quite exotic shape with the 2 mini doors. While still having more of a coupe shape. The E82 is a standard plain looking 2 doors saloon.
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