MazdaRX-82004Overview/mazda/rx-8/2004/base/

2004 Mazda RX-8

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2004 RX-8.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic (S4)

The 2004 Mazda RX-8 is a passenger car that pairs a powertrain with an automatic four‑speed transmission, and its EPA‑estimated fuel economy reads 16 mpg city, 22 mpg highway and 18 mpg combined. Reliability data show that 2004 records the highest complaint volume — 514 reports focused on the powertrain and ten recall actions — while later model years in the 2004‑2011 span decline to as few as four complaints by 2011. This pattern indicates that the 2004 model represents the peak of owner complaints for the RX‑8 line.

Model year20112010200920082007200620052004

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

EPA fuel economy16/22/18 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 35 · 640 CCA battery, OE oil filter B6Y114302A. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 35 · 640 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnFUSEOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filterB6Y114302A
Engine air filterN3H113Z40A9U
Spark plugN3Y818110A9U alt N3Y918110A9U
Battery000080026RWB alt 0000806535WB
Front wiper bladesBE5J67330 alt DC2067330
Serpentine beltN3H118381A
ThermostatN3H115171
Cabin air filterLDY461J6X

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S4)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length174.4 in
Overall width69.7 in
Overall height52.8 in
Wheelbase106.3 in
Curb weight3073 lb
Track (front / rear)59.1 / 59.1 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)52/48

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined16 / 22 / 18 mpg
DrivetrainRear-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume89 cu ft
Cargo volume8 cu ft
Recommended fuelPremium Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the RX-8 of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

5.9–6.6 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 5.90 sec — 2004 Coupe
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2004Coupe 1.3L R25.90 sec14.50 sec238 hpRWD
2004Coupe 1.3L R25.90 sec14.50 sec238 hpRWD
2004Coupe 1.3L R26.00 sec14.49 sec238 hpRWD
2004Coupe 1.3L R26.10 sec14.60 sec238 hpRWD
2004Coupe 1.3L R26.40 sec14.80 sec238 hpRWD
2004Coupe 1.3L R26.50 sec14.81 sec238 hpRWD
2004Coupe 1.3L R26.60 sec15.10 sec238 hpRWD
2004Coupe 1.3L R26.60 sec15.20 sec238 hpRWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine GL-5 in the differential. Torque the oil drain plug to 22.0-30.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity9.2
Differential Gear OilGL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity3 Pints
Manual Transmission Fluid75W-90 · GL-4
Manual Transmission Fluid Capacity6

Engine torques

Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug22.0-30.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-2
Spark Plug Gap0.045-0.049 in

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity.95 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity2.03 oz
Standard BCI Group Number35
Standard BCI Cranking Performance640 cca

Service checks

Engine Compression98-120 psi
Engine Oil Pressure72.5 psi
Engine Oil Pressure RPM3000 rpm

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket58-75 ft-lbs / 16-23 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle65-87 ft-lbs / 36-50 ft-lbs
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0006 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in
Rotor Minimum Machining0.9 in / 0.66 in
Rotor Discard at or Under0.87 in / 0.63 in

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 37,500 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miBody Lock Cylinders (lubricate) · Engine Air Filter Element (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Hood Latch (lubricate)
At 15,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (clean)
Every 15,000 miBrake System (inspect)
Every 22,500 miEngine Air Filter Element (clean)
Every 25,000 miCabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Axle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Engine Coolant System (leak inspection)
Every 37,500 miSpark Plugs (replace)
At 60,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (clean) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 60,000 miDrive Axle Assembly (drain & refill) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2004 model year records 514 complaints—nearly triple the 168 seen in 2005 and orders of magnitude higher than the single-digit annual counts from 2009 to 2011—while its 10 recalls mark the highest volume of the generation, trending downward to 3 by 2011. This positions 2004 at the apex of a steep decline in reported issues that continues across the generation’s entire run. Power Train (132 complaints) and Engine & Engine Cooling (92 complaints) constitute the highest-volume categories for 2004, alongside 23 crash-related and 10 fire-related complaints, though the data does not specify root causes for these incidents. The dramatic reduction in complaints and recalls after 2004 suggests this year carries significantly higher reported defect exposure than subsequent production. Given the substantially elevated federal filing volume compared to every later year, 2004 is statistically the least favorable model year to purchase; buyers should prioritize 2005-2011 examples instead.

10
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
200
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
4
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
514
Owner complaints
23 involved a crash · 10 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 514 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Power Train132
Engine & Engine Cooling92
Steering62
Air Bags29
Engine19
Fuel/Propulsion System11
Fuel System, Gasoline11
Unknown Or Other11

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 10 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

19V781000Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator ModuleReported 31/10/2019

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2003-2008 Mazda6, 2004-2005 MPV, 2004 RX-8, and 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 vehicles. These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously… Remedy: 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…

18V402000Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator ModuleReported 15/06/2018

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… Remedy: 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…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 200 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
SA-029-262026-04-21Power TrainThis Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA listed below: The changes are…
SA-039/252025-08-21StructureSome vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage such (melted, separating, etc.)…
SA-032-252025-06-18Unknown Or OtherSome customers may complain about a noisy HVAC blower motor or odor after a cabin air…
SA-058-242024-08-15StructureSome vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage such (melted, separating, etc.)…
09-038-242024-08-08Electrical SystemIn accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific RX-8. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

Does the 2004 RX-8 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 10 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the RX-8 get?

EPA figures are 16 city / 22 highway / 18 combined mpg.