Mazda CX-8 FAQs

Check out real-world situations relating to the Mazda CX-8 here, particularly what our experts have to say about them.

• Mazda CX-8 DPF issues around town?

  Given the CX-8 only arrived on the market in June 2018, it's a bit too early to say conclusively, but the current CX-5 diesel (which shares its mechanicals with the CX-8) seems to be trouble free under these conditions. 

  Early versions of the first-generation CX-5 diesel had diesel particulate filter (DPF) issues that caused diesel fuel to leak into the engine oil, but this was fixed with hardware and software upgrades under warranty in 2012. 

  Having said that, any car will likely benefit from the odd highway run, but I wouldn't have any concerns about the CX-8 around town. 

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• Why is my 2023 Mazda CX-8 sluggish?

  The sluggish performance and the erratic tachometer needle may not be related at all. That said, they could very well both be symptoms of the same problem. A lot of mechanics, when shown an erratic dashboard gauge, will start by checking for a bad earth point. A poor earth can lead to all sorts of problems, as a healthy flow of electricity is vital to the basic functions of any modern car.

  But before you rush out to find an auto electrician, bear in mind that this sounds very much like a problem that would be covered by Mazda’s factory warranty. Provided you have had the car serviced correctly and it hasn’t been submerged in a flood or something equally drastic, the first step is to take it back to Mazda and allow the dealer to tackle the problem.

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• Why do the windscreen wipers of my 2019 Mazda CX-8 keep coming on and stopping in odd positions?

  In the old days, this would (probably) have been a simple matter of a faulty wiper switch. But on modern cars, functions like the wipers are controlled by a computer called the body-control module. If this starts to fail it can send odd signals to the various things it controls (wipers, lights, central locking, climate-control, entertainment systems and many more).

  An automotive electrician might be able to pin-point the problem, and that’s a good place to start. But before you do that, try this: Disconnect the car’s battery and leave it overnight. When you reconnect the battery, you might just find the computer has reset itself and things return to normal. It can sometimes be just a temporary fix, but it’s definitely worth a try. And it’s free.

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