2008 Mazda MAZDA6 Problems

What owners report

Most of the 111 complaints filed for the 2008 Mazda6 involve the Takata air bag inflator recalls — owners describe long waits for parts and, in some cases, air bags that did not deploy in a crash. A smaller but consistent group of reports covers automatic transmission harsh or slipping shifts, fuel odor and leakage from the tank area, and steering noise or pull. Complaint mileage varies widely, from a few thousand miles for early electrical and brake concerns to well over 100,000 for air bag and transmission reports.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Air bag recall parts unavailable / no deployment in a crash

   • 73 complaints (66%)
   • median 90,000 mi at 7.4 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • 11 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2018

   Owners describe two related things. Many say they were notified of the Takata air bag recalls but were told the replacement inflator or module was not in stock, sometimes for months, and that dealers could not give a date for parts. Others report that in a collision the front or side air bags did not deploy, or deployed incompletely, and that dealers sometimes attributed this to the impact not meeting the deployment threshold. A few reports mention the air bag warning light staying on. Reports span roughly 5,000 to 180,000 miles, with a cluster around 70,000 to 100,000 miles and many filed in 2015-2017 during the recall campaigns.

   Recall 19V781000 · DO NOT DRIVERecall 18V402000 · DO NOT DRIVERecall 17V474000 · DO NOT DRIVE1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Use the VIN to confirm whether the driver and passenger inflator recalls have actually been completed, not just scheduled; keep in mind some vehicles had inflators replaced earlier with the same design. Ask for written proof of the repair.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Mazda has issued a recall on parts they do not have. This is a huge safety risk on a daily driver such as myself, in the event of an impact my airbag may not deploy or deploy ineffectively, risking me further to injury. Mazda has not followed up with anything, nor has any attempt been made to rectify the issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #10695038, filed 2015-03, 106,000 miles

   “I was driving the morning of 6/8/10 on my way to work. There was a car going to pass me on a illinois rte 161 road. I slowed down for courtesy of the passer and I caught loose gravel on the hard road. Instantly I knew not to over correct and try to ease out of it. I end up barrel rolling aprox 80+ feet down a steep reveen. No air bags deployed. My 2008 Mazda 6 is equipped with side curtain airbags, which are roll over protection safety feature. As quoted on a internet site. I rolled aprox 4-6 times.”

   NHTSA complaint #10335714, filed 2010-06, 49,000 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Harsh or slipping automatic transmission shifts

   • 6 complaints (5%)
   • median 89,341 mi at 6.6 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2013–2019

   Owners describe a jolt or shock when the automatic shifts, most often going into a higher gear as the transmission warms up, along with a dragging feel on acceleration and an AT warning light. Several say the dealer read solenoid or pressure sensor fault codes and recommended a replacement or rebuilt transmission rather than a repair. Typically reported between about 60,000 and 130,000 miles.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Drive the car long enough to warm the transmission and feel for a clunk on upshifts; check whether fluid changes were documented and ask whether the AT light has ever come on.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I took my car to the Mazda dealership after having experienced the 'at' light come on and a jolting in shifting gears and a real drag when trying to accelerate. I was told that the following fault codes 'torque converter clutch pressure control solenoid intermittent and transmission fluid pressure sensor/switch indicate that I need a new transmission. I called the manufacturer because I was shocked that I would need a new transmission for a 5 year old car. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10533325, filed 2013-08, 89,000 miles

   “Driving 2008 Mazda 6 when the at light came on and the automatic transmission slipped from gear reengaged very harshly into third gear. The 5 speed automatic transmission dropped 4th and 5th gear after re-engaging.”

   NHTSA complaint #11246098, filed 2019-08, 125,802 miles
3. 3
   Fuel system

   Fuel odor and leakage from the fuel tank

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report a gasoline smell inside or around the car and, in some cases, fuel dripping onto the ground from the tank area. One report describes the dealer replacing the tank and adding a protective coating, with the leak returning afterward. Complaints also reference the California-spec tank coating recall on this model year. Reported from about 36,000 miles up to well past 200,000 miles; several cases involve older cars in damp or humid conditions.

   Recall 08V4120001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Look under the rear of the car for weeping or rust on the tank, smell for fuel after refueling, and ask whether the fuel tank coating recall was performed on California-emission vehicles.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My stepson was involved in a rear-end collision with a 2008 Mazda 6. The damage is severe enough to the left rear area of the car I believe the car is totaled. It was a 40-50 MPH impact. The fuel tank was exposed after the accident and crushed. My concern and complaint is why didn't the fuel safety cutoff activate after a hard impact in the rear? I believe there is a device mandated by federal laws that after a rear end collision of this magnitude that the car would not start after the impact. In this case it did start and run smooth. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10349499, filed 2010-08, 39,500 miles

   “November , 17 , 2009 - car lost power while driving ,and came to a stop on the road.car towed in at compass Mazda in middletown,ny. After one day of sitting at the dealership ,car started by itself . Paid $ 48.00 for diagnosis. January, 1, 2010 - car did not start . Car towed in at Mazda palisades in west nyack,ny. Again , car started at the dealership after sitting for a day. January , 8, 2010 - car did not start . Mazda palisades in west nyack did not accept the car to be towed in stating that they do not have a trained Mazda mechanic . …”

   NHTSA complaint #10308957, filed 2010-02, 37,363 miles
4. 4
   Steering

   Steering pull, clunk and vibration

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe clunking or grinding noises when turning, the wheel being off-center even when alignment reads correct, and the car pulling to one side on its own. Some had the steering column replaced; one report describes the wheel veering right at highway speed with the driver unable to correct and striking a guardrail. Ranges from under 1,000 miles on a new car to about 106,000 miles.

   What to check: Test on a straight, flat road for drift and listen for clunks at parking-lot speeds; ask whether the steering column or mounts have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When I purchase my new Mazda 6, it was determined on a computer that the steering wheel was crooked, but the car was not out of alignment. Then the car started pulling hard to the right. Then the steering wheel started clunking when I was turning either way. After many trips to the service dept, a new steering column was put in. The clunking stopped, but the car would still pull hard to the right, and every time I got new tires or rotated the tires, the steering wheel would be crooked again, but not out of alignment. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10464608, filed 2012-07, 1,000 miles

   “The car would make horrible sounds when I was turning left or right and would pull me to the left or right without me being able to control the car. A new steering column was put in by the dealership. The service manager at tom wood Mazda (he now works at tom wood ford) said the car was designed to pull me off the highway or road in case I passed out at the wheel. Then a new dealership bought the dealership and they replaced my steering column. My steering wheel was never straight, but the car was not out of alignment on a machine.”

   NHTSA complaint #10621760, filed 2014-08, 5,000 miles
5. 5
   Electrical system

   Battery drain, no-start and corroded cables

   • 5 complaints (5%)
   • median 37,363 mi at 2.3 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2008–2012

   Owners describe intermittent no-start conditions, including a car that lost power while driving and later started by itself at the dealership, and battery cables corroded enough that they no longer contact the terminal. One report describes a starter-area fire that the dealer attributed to rodent damage and declined to cover. Mostly reported under about 40,000 miles, with one case under 5,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Inspect battery terminals and cables for corrosion, ask about aftermarket electronics, and have any stored codes or intermittent no-start history checked before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “2008 Mazda 6 with less than 5000 miles. Starter caught on fire, dealer said rodent chewed wire. Not a warranty issue. My insurance had to pay. Pictures taken and my agent insured me when he filed with Mazda they would take care of this. Today 11/11/08 claim denied Mazda said its not their fault. What ever happened to customer service.”

   NHTSA complaint #10248667, filed 2008-11, 4,955 miles

   “I accidentally touched the moonroof controls on my car and this blew a fuse which was also connected to the heat, causing dangerous driving conditions (none of my windows defrosted). They said the moonroof was frozen shut and by me touching the control it overloaded the fuse. When I went to walser Mazda in burnsville they told me they had seen 3 of these same incidents in one week. Because I didn't know it was just a fuse at the time I was unable to safely drive the vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10252882, filed 2008-12, 6,700 miles

Buying note. For this model year the first thing to verify is that both the driver and passenger air bag inflator recalls are complete, since many of the complaints concern parts that were unavailable. Beyond that, drive the car long enough to check for an abrupt automatic shift, and look underneath for fuel odor or rust on the tank.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.