2005 Chevrolet Cobalt vs 2005 Mazda RX-8
Complaints, recalls, TSBs, investigations and safety ratings side by side, from official federal data. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.
| Metric | 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt | 2005 Mazda RX-8 |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA complaints | 1,649 | 162 |
| Recall campaigns | 5 | 6 |
| Service bulletins (TSBs) | 646 | 179 |
| Investigations | 1 | 4 |
| Crash reports | 97 | 6 |
| Fire reports | 12 | 1 |
| NCAP overall rating | — | — |
| EPA MPG (combined) | 23–25 | 18 |
| Median reported incident mileage | 63,200 mi | 63,400 mi |
Reported problems side by side
| Component | Chevrolet Cobalt | Mazda RX-8 |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 1,143 | 17 |
| Electrical System | 323 | 8 |
| Power Train | 99 | 54 |
| Air Bags | 71 | 22 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 51 | 28 |
| Engine | 69 | 9 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 40 | 11 |
| Suspension | 47 | 3 |
Symptoms owners describe
| Steering problems | 327 | 0 |
| Stalling | 158 | 13 |
| Loss of power | 125 | 0 |
| Check engine light | 71 | 7 |
| Vibration / shaking | 35 | 0 |
| Clunking / rattling | 30 | 0 |
| Hesitation / surging | 17 | 0 |
| Shifting problems | 17 | 0 |
2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
2005 Mazda RX-8
Compare all Chevrolet Cobalt vs Mazda RX-8 years →
Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports. A vehicle that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — use shares and read the underlying reports before drawing conclusions.