Head-to-head reliability
Mazda RX 8 vs FORD F 150
How the Mazda RX 8 and FORD F 150 compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records
Mazda RX 8 vs FORD F 150: The RX-8 has 814 complaints over 9 years (90/yr) with serious air bag and steering issues, while the F-150 has 11,311 over 10 years (1,131/yr) with transmission and electrical problems. The F-150's higher rate but less severe issues may be more manageable. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Mazda RX 8 or FORD F 150 more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Mazda RX 8
The Mazda RX-8 is a niche sports car that, based on NHTSA data, demands careful ownership. With 814 complaints over nine years (about 90 per year), the pattern points to serious mechanical and safety concerns. Owners report transmission failures, oil cooler line corrosion, air bag issues, and steering problems, making it a high-maintenance vehicle that could be risky and costly to own.
FORD F 150
The Ford F-150 is a popular full-size pickup, but NHTSA data reveals a high volume of issues: 11,311 complaints over ten years (about 1,131 per year). The most common problems involve the powertrain, especially the 10-speed automatic transmission, along with electrical system glitches and exterior lighting failures. While not as niche as the RX-8, the F-150's issues are widespread and can affect daily usability and safety.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Mazda RX 8 | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 814 Better | 11,311 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 42 Better | 145 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 33 Better | 328 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 90.4 Better | 1131.1 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 25 Better | 287 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 0 Better | 1 |
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.
What actually goes wrong
The problems owners report
The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.
Mazda RX 8
- 01POWER TRAIN239
- 02ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING150
- 03AIR BAGS117
- 04STEERING112
- 05ENGINE50
Owners report loss of acceleration, smoke from under the hood, and unresponsive clutch or gear shifting, indicating potential transmission or clutch failures that could leave you stranded.
Oil cooler lines rust and corrode, especially in salt-belt states, causing oil to spray over the engine bay, tires, and brakes, leading to loss of traction and fire risk.
Takata recall issues: dashboard deterioration exposed air bags, and parts were unavailable for recall repairs, leaving occupants at risk in a crash.
Power steering can partially fail during turns, making the vehicle hard to control, and steering column components can break and fall, posing a hazard.
“I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND AS I WAS SHIFTING GEARS I FELT THE CAR DID NOT HAVE ANY ACCELERATION. THE TOP SPEED I GOT TO WAS 55MPH. WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO GET OFF THE CAR, I SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND FROM INSIDE WHERE THE SHIFT KNOW IS LOCATED. I CH…”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MAZDA RX-8. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE CLUTCH PEDAL BECAME UNRESPONSIVE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND THE GEAR DID NOT IMMEDIATELY SHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE W…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,553
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,071
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,401
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,164
- 05ENGINE847
The 10R80 transmission is a major trouble spot: owners report hard and delayed shifts, jerking, clunking, and even sudden loss of power and shutdown, which can be dangerous in traffic.
Electrical issues manifest as warning lights for front camera malfunction and pre-collision assist not available, indicating sensor or wiring problems that could disable safety features.
Headlight failures are common, reducing visibility at night and increasing the risk of accidents.
Engine-related complaints are frequent, though specific symptoms vary; they often involve performance issues or stalling, which can be alarming and unsafe.
“I started noticing hard and delayed shifts from 7th into 8th gear. My RPM's were not increasing when this happened, and then on a very crowded major road I lost all power, vehicle shut off and drifted, then started up and jerked again very hard. This failure…”
“I am reporting a safety-related transmission problem I experienced with my 2020 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 automatic transmission. While driving normally, the transmission shifts hard (ie: jerks, clunks) between 4-5 and 5-6 gears, and has on occasion…”
Official recalls
Safety recalls on record
Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.
Mazda RX 8 — 42 recalls
The defect: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2009-2011 RX-8 and 2006-2007 MazdaSpeed6 vehicles. Fuel may leak from the fuel pump mounting rings.
The risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
The fix: Dealers will install new fuel pump mounting rings. Dealers will also add a thermal insulation pad to the fuel tank on RX-8 vehicles. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 17, 2021. Owners…
The defect: 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, Ind…
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The 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…
The defect: 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…
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The 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 nu…
The defect: 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…
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The 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, 201…
FORD F 150 — 145 recalls
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 trucks equipped with high series LED headlamps with Autolamp (On/Off) functionality. The Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) may remain activated instead of dimming to parking lamps when the Master Lighting Switch (MLS) is manually rotated from…
The risk: DRL that cannot dim may reduce the visibility of other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module, free of charge. The recall began March 10, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C03.
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2020 F-150 vehicles. The fastener securing the Power Distribution Box (PDB) 12V cable and Battery Monitoring System (BMS) eyelets to the positive battery terminal may loosen and affect the vehicle's systems such as instrument panel displays and br…
The risk: Inoperative vehicle systems or an engine stall can increase the risk of a crash. Reduced braking and steering efforts increases the risk of a crash. This condition could also create a resistive short, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the positive battery cable/BMS/PDB joint for excess sealant adhesive and remove any excessive adhesive, reassemble the joint, and retorque the fastener, as necessary, free of charge. The re…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causin…
The risk: When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also…
The risk: A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's num…
Buyer analysis
Mazda RX 8 or FORD F 150: which should you buy?
The Ford F-150 has far more complaints per year (1,131) than the Mazda RX-8 (90), but the RX-8's issues are more severe and safety-critical, including air bag and steering failures. In practice, the RX-8 is riskier to own due to the nature of its problems, despite lower complaint volume.
Key differences
- The RX-8 has a much lower complaint rate (90/yr) than the F-150 (1,131/yr), but its issues are more dangerous, like air bag and steering failures.
- RX-8 owners report oil cooler line corrosion leading to oil leaks and traction loss, while F-150 owners report transmission hard shifts and loss of power.
- The RX-8 has multiple Takata air bag recalls, while the F-150 has recalls for headlights and electrical battery cables.
- The F-150's electrical system problems can disable driver-assist features, whereas the RX-8's steering column can physically break.
- Inspect the oil cooler lines for rust or corrosion, especially if the car has been driven in winter salt states.
- Check for any signs of dashboard deterioration or air bag recall completion, as Takata inflators are a serious risk.
- Test drive and listen for hard shifts or clunks from the transmission, especially between 4-5 and 5-6 gears.
- Check for warning lights related to front camera or pre-collision assist, as these indicate electrical issues.
Before you buy
- For the RX-8: verify all recalls have been performed, especially air bag and fuel pump recalls.
- For the RX-8: have a mechanic inspect the oil cooler lines and steering column for wear.
- For the F-150: get a transmission diagnostic to check for shift quality and any stored codes.
- For the F-150: test all exterior lights and check for any electrical warning messages on the dash.
- For both: obtain a vehicle history report and have a pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic.
Check the actual car
Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.
Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific Mazda RX 8 or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Mazda RX 8 vs FORD F 150
- Mazda RX 8 total complaints
- 814
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,311
- Mazda RX 8 total recalls
- 42
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 145
- Mazda RX 8 avg complaints/year
- 90.4
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1131.1
- More reliable overall
- Mazda RX 8
- Mazda RX 8 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN